Softball Announces 2022 Team Awards

Softball 6/9/2022 1:49:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- Six individuals were recognized for their contributions to Bradley Softball during the 2022 season, with the team selecting the winners for the squad's five postseason team awards.

Senior pitcher/utility Grace French was named the team's MVP, while fellow senior utility Lucy Mead was voted the winner of the team's Offensive Award. The team's Defensive Award was shared between the freshmen duo of shortstop Addie Welsh and first baseman Katie Pederson. Senior outfielder Samantha Smith was the recipient of Bradley's Most Improved Award and fellow senior third baseman Camryn Monteer earned the squad's 4D award in recognition of her Desire, Dedication, Determination and Discipline.

French was a Second-Team National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selection this past spring and a Second-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference pick. She led the Braves in homers (7) and RBI (32) to go with her .288 average as she split time between second base and pitcher in 2022. In the circle, French led Bradley in nearly every statistical category with her team-best 11 wins the most by a Brave since 2015. She also paced the team with a 3.18 ERA with 14 complete games in her 22 starts, along with leading the squad in innings pitched (134.1) and strikeouts (76), while holding teams to a .245 average.

Mead was a First-Team All-MVC honoree and paced the Braves with a .331 average. She owned a 14-game hit streak during Valley play, which tied for the fourth longest hit streak in program history, and ranked fifth in the league with a .383 batting average in conference action. Splitting time between the outfield and second base, Mead boasted 10 multi-hit games and stole a career-best 16 bases in 2022. She missed nine games due to injury, but had a late-season surge in which she collected hits in 19 of the final 22 outings and had a .414 (29-for-70) average over that span.

Monteer was a Second-Team All-MVC selection for the second consecutive year this spring. Ranking third on the team with a .314 average, she paced the Braves in at bats (169), hits (53), triples (4) and walks (22), while her 19 stolen bases were the most at Bradley since 2017 in addition to ranking fifth in the MVC this season. Monteer hit .326 in Valley play and had career-best 11-game hit streak late in the year as she collected hits in 17 of the final 19 games and boasted a .397 average over that stretch.

Entering the 2022 campaign with a .194 career average, Smith hit .306 this spring and paced the Braves in runs both runs (35) and doubles (15). Her 15 doubles, which ranked third in the MVC, where the most by a Brave since 2017 and is tied for the fifth-best season total in program history. A Second-Team All-MVC pick, Smith also slugged four homers with her team-best 19 extra-base hits eight more than she collected in her first three years combined, while her 35 runs were the most by a Brave since 2019.

The freshmen combo of Welsh and Pederson helped anchor a Bradley defense that turned a Valley best 23 double plays, one short of matching the school record of 24 set in 2014. Welsh started all 52 contests at shortstop for the Braves, with her 137 assists tied for the fourth-best season total in school history. Pederson was the recipient of most of those assists at first base as the frosh led the squad with 333 putouts for the ninth-best season total in Bradley history. Welsh's 137 assists are the most by a freshman at Bradley, while Pederson's 333 putouts rank third among Bradley freshman marks.

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