BENTONVILLE, Arkansas – On the eve of the 2026 Great American Conference SoftballChampionships, the league announced its year-end awards. Oklahoma Baptist’s Greenlee Wells won Player of the Year and Southern Arkansas’ Emma Duncan collected Pitcher of the Year. SAU’s Sophia Luetticke earned Newcomer of the Year and Arkansas Tech’s Aubree Jones garnered Freshman of the Year. The Golden Suns’ Jordon Jones claimed her first Coach of the Year award.
Wells became the fourth-straight Bison recognized as Player of the Year. She hit .409 and finished the regular season tied for the league lead with 19 home runs. Her .621 on-base percentage ranks third in Division II and her .961 slugging percentage ranks fourth. She has drawn 66 walks, 10 more than any other Division II player. Duncan leads the GAC in wins, 25; strikeouts, 195; complete games, 18; shutouts, eight and WHIP, 0.93. Her 1.48 ERA ranks second.
Luetticke’s .419 average ranks second in the GAC and she has scored a league-leading 57 runs. She has 25 stolen bases in 27 attempts. Jones hit .338 with 10 home runs and 11 stolen bases. Her .489 on-base percentage ranks third in the GAC. Jordon Jones guided the Golden Suns to their third regular-season title and their first 40-win season since 2022.
Led by Duncan and Luetticke, the Muleriders paced the GAC with five First-Team All-GAC selections. Designated Player Regan Dillon, first baseman Paris Endris and outfielder Maddie Leal made the team. Dillon hit .354 with a .462 on-base percentage and a .553 slugging percentage. She walked 30 times against just 10 walks. Endris matched the team lead with 11 home runs and her 53 RBI placed third in the league. Leal’s .442 average leads the GAC by 23 points. Her on-base percentage, 557, and her 68 hits rank second.
Three from the Tech pitching staff landed on the First Team in Ainslee Moore, Emily Richarde and Aly White. The Golden Suns’ team ERA, 2.05, ranks 14th in Division II. Moore owns a 12-1 with seven complete games. Richarde also has 12 wins. Her 1.80 ERA ranks third in the GAC while her 1.10 WHIP ranks second. She has 105 strikeouts in 101.1 innings. White leads the team with 13 wins and a league-leading 1.45 ERA. At the plate, she has a .310 average with 31 RBI.
Oklahoma Baptist’s Ally Ryan and Katelyn Kilgore joined Wells on the First Team. Ryan’s 14 home runs rank third in the league and she drove in 44 runs. Kilgore added a .305 average with a .386 on-base percentage.
For the first time in program history, Ouachita Baptist placed two on the First Team in second baseman Remington Adams and outfielder Emily Reed. Reed tied Wells for the GAC lead with 19 home runs. She ranked second to Wells in slugging percentage and total bases. Adams led the Tigers with a .325 average and 10 stolen bases.
Harding’s Brooklyn Gobble and Southern Nazarene’s Eden Anderson filled out the First Team. Gobble won 18 games and her seven shutouts rank second in the GAC. Anderson, the unanimous selection at catcher, posted a .351 average with seven home runs and 41 RBI. Her 16 doubles rank second in the GAC.
The league awarded its Elite Scholar Athlete Award - Presented By Conway Regional Health System to 12 student-athletes in Arkansas-Monticello’s Emmy Apodaca, Aubree Goodnight and Lauren Spoon; Southern Arkansas’ Kinsley Birdwell, Alyssa Noriega and Peyton Raley, East Central’s Brooklyn Charnock and Haley Kruger, Ouachita Baptist’s Avie Reams and Olivia See, Henderson State’s Samantha Flores and Oklahoma Baptist’s Allison Ryan. All 12 own a perfect 4.00 grade-point average.
Jones headlined the All-GAC Second Team. The Second Team consisted of SAU’s Payton Owens, Kassie Rhodes and America Rubio; Oklahoma Baptist’s Kaley Cook and Jaycee Shaffer, Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Tally Rowland and Emily Simmons, Tech’s Anna Winkfield, East Central’s Hannah Whitaker, Harding’s Zoey Neal, Henderson State’s Hilary Akers, Southern Nazarene’s Baylee Sales and Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Taylor McMahon
The Honorable Mention All-GAC team featured Oklahoma Baptist’s Haley Hacker, Jaycee Kelln, Abby Laskowski and Nichelle Marshall; Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Susan Edwards, India McMurray, Alyson Malone and Iliana Olivares; Harding’sElla Friederich and Bailey Robinson, East Central’s Elyse LeClair, Henderson State’s Josie Golden, Ouachita Baptist’s Catie Amador and Southern Nazarene’s Adyson Gaddis.
A total of 108 standouts placed on the GAC Academic Honor Roll Team.