INDIANAPOLIS – The Northern Kentucky softball program will have to make some room in the trophy case as the Norse saw six student-athletes honored as the Horizon League announced its yearly award winners on Tuesday.
 
Maddie Lacer took home multiple awards as the Co-Defensive Player of the Year, All-League Second Team and the Sportsmanship Award. Both Ella LeMonier and Jena Rhoads were named to the All-League First Team, Lauryn Hicks and Olivia Pastin joined Lacer on the All-League Second Team and Brooklyn Ballis rounded things out with All-Freshman Team honors.
  Lacer had a day as the senior backstop was named the Horizon League Co-Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season to go with All-League Second Team honors and the conference's Sportsmanship Award.
 
The Manteno, Illinois native hit .288 over 42 starts to go with 38 hits, 18 RBI, 17 runs scored, eight doubles and one triple for a grand total of 48 total bases. She also posted five steals and got on-base at a mark of .349.
 
Behind the dish, Lacer recorded 227 outs, had 38 assists and posted a fielding percentage of .989. She ranked third in the league in caught base stealers (10), fifth in putouts and seventh in fielding percentage. Lacer also led a NKU pitching staff that finished first in the conference in opponent batting average (.252), and third in both ERA (3.48) and strikeouts (230).
 
To go with the Defensive Player of the Year and All-League Second Team honors, Lacer also won the Horizon League Sportsmanship award. The Sportsmanship Award recognizes student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Sportsmanship is defined as behavior exhibited during competition by student-athletes based on values, respect and integrity.
 
"Maddie plays the game with heart, integrity, class and with passion," head coach Kathryn Gleason said. "She respects the game, her opponents, the umpires and all those involved in the game. She plays the game all out and plays for her teammates, her team, the program, the athletics department and the university. She represents herself and our program with pride and is the ultimate example for the high standards she holds for herself, her teammates and this NKU Program," 
 
She is the first student-athlete in the Horizon League to repeat as Defensive Player of the Year.
  LeMonier did it again as she was named to the All-League First Team for the second consecutive year. Her name is all over the conference leaderboard as she leads the Horizon League in steals (16), is fourth in both batting average (.386) and hits (54), tied for fourth in runs scored (31), and sixth in on-base percentage (.435).
 
The Crestwood, Kentucky native was also named Second Team All-League in 2021.
 
Rhoads followed up her All-League Second Team and All-Freshman Team honors in 2023 by jumping up to the All-League First Team this year.
 
The sophomore from Wilmington, Ohio put up a stellar year across the board as she hit .301 with 31 hits, 13 RBI, 21 runs scored, eight doubles, two triples and 43 total bases. She got on base at a .336 clip to go with an on-base plus slugging of .753.   Hicks and Pastin were honored as All-League Second Team selections after standout seasons in the circle and as the primary designated player.
 
Hicks led the team in victories in 2024 with a mark of 9-8 overall. She recorded eight complete games and three shutouts as the No. 1 pitcher in the Norse rotation. The Kokomo, Indiana native is first in the Horizon in opponent batting average (.204), second in saves (5), fourth in strikeouts (119) and wins, fifth in earned run average (2.95) and punch outs looking (26) and seventh in innings pitched (109.0).
 
It is the second straight yearly honor for Hicks, who was named All-League First Team in 2023.
 
Pastin returned to the lineup and stepped up in a big way for the Norse in 2024 as she hit .355 with 43 hits, five homeruns, 34 RBI, 15 runs scored and 72 total bases overall. The Crestwood, Kentucky native finished the regular season ranked third in RBI and doubles (12), fourth in slugging percentage (.595), sixth in on-base plus slugging percentage (.993) and ninth in batting average (.355).
 
What made the award even more special, is that Pastin returned to her top form after she missed the entire 2023 season due to injury.  
Ballis stepped right into the starting rotation in her first year with the Norse. The freshman from Newburgh, Indiana picked up five wins over 19 appearances in the circle. She finished the regular season campaign slotted eighth in the conference in strikeouts (65) and ninth in earned run average (3.65).
 
She also finished third in the conference in fewest runs allowed (37), tied for third in earned runs allowed (36) and tied for sixth in fewest hits against (80).
 
 
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