Bryson named to All-OVC first team, Erwin to All-Newcomer squad
OXFORD, Ala. – With the regular season in the books and the Ohio Valley Conference set to begin its softball championship on Wednesday, the league announced its postseason honors on Tuesday afternoon. With the sixth-seed in the bracket, the Tennessee Tech softball team picked up two league awards as senior first baseman/pitcher Haeli Bryson was selected to the all-OVC first-team roster, becoming the first Golden Eagle since Alyssa Richards in 2017 to make the first-team lineup. Freshman pitcher Tyler Erwin was named to the conference’s All-Newcomer Team, Tech’s fifth pick to that squad in five seasons.
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
OXFORD, Ala. – With the regular season in the books and the Ohio Valley Conference set to begin its softball championship on Wednesday, the league announced its postseason honors on Tuesday afternoon.
With the sixth-seed in the bracket, the Tennessee Tech softball team picked up two league awards as senior first baseman/pitcher Haeli Bryson was selected to the all-OVC first-team roster, becoming the first Golden Eagle since Alyssa Richards in 2017 to make the first-team lineup. Freshman pitcher Tyler Erwin was named to the conference's All-Newcomer Team, Tech's fifth pick to that squad in five seasons.
Bryson, an Otto, N.C., native, has maintained a solid lead in the Golden Eagle lineup in recent weeks, posting a .387 batting average, while driving in 40 and scoring 46 times. She has 63 hits, including 11 doubles, a triple and nine home runs.
She collected a career-best four RBI twice this season, driving in a quartet against Purdue Ft. Wayne and against Pitt. She also had two home runs in a game against East Tennessee State, while coming home to score three times against Bellarmine.
Bryson was patient at the plate, standing as the ninth toughest batter in NCAA Division I to strike out this season with just five Ks, leading the conference. She also ranked 105th nationally in batting average, 49th in hits, 74th in runs per game and 78th in total bases.
While Bryson was selected as an infielder, playing 43 games out of the 51 at first base, she also had solid pitching numbers in the circle with a 6-5 record and a 4.31 ERA.
Erwin, a Wilsonville, Ala., native, finished the regular season with a 12-3 record and a 3.69 earned run average, walking 25 and striking out 50 with opponents hitting .282 against her. Erwin had seven complete games, one solo shutout and two combined shutouts in the campaign. She worked a career-high eight innings in a 4-3 victory over Tennessee State, then struck out a career-best eight against Morehead State.
Austin Peay's Lexi Osowski was named the conference Player of the Year, while Murray State's Hannah James was the Pitcher of the Year and Belmont's Kristen Green the Freshman of the Year. Racers head coach Kara Amundson was the league's Coach of the Year.
The Golden Eagles (31-20) will open up the tournament, taking on No. 7-seed Eastern Illinois in the first game of the event, scheduled for 10 a.m. at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala. Dylan Vazzano will have the radio call on 106.1 The Eagle, while Alex Gould, Graham Doty and Donna Conrad will have the broadcast duties on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Photo | Emily Armstrong
