Photo by: Bill Powell
Hollingsworth, Delce Highlight Tulsa’s All-Conference Honors
5/8/2019 2:00:00 PM | Softball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Julia Hollingsworth was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, while freshman Chenise Delce took home the league's Rookie of the Year honor as six Tulsa student-athletes earned all-conference recognition, it was announced on Wednesday.
Hollingsworth was a unanimous first-team selection, while Delce also made the league's top squad and was a member of the All-Rookie Team. Samantha Pochop, Morgan Neal, Haley Meinen and Rylie Spell all earned second-team honors. Tulsa's six all-conference honorees on the first or second team were the most of any program.
This is the third first-team all-conference selection for Hollingsworth (2016, 2018, 2019), who is the first TU player to earn a conference Player of the Year honor since Jill Barrett took home Conference USA's top award in 2014. Hollingsworth and USF pitcher Georgina Corrick were the only unanimous first-team selections this year.
The Ennis, Texas, native led the Golden Hurricane by hitting a league-leading .425, including a .358 mark during conference play. She compiled 65 hits, 40 runs, six doubles, five triples, three homers and 25 RBI on the season to go along with a .588 slugging percentage and .505 on-base percentage. Hollingsworth also totaled a team-high 90 bases and 27 walks. During league action, she tallied 24 hits, 18 runs, three doubles, a triple, three homers and 15 RBIs.
Delce is the first TU player to earn conference Rookie of the Year honors since Aimee Creger was the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2011. The Oklahoma City, Okla., native produced for the Hurricane in the pitching circle and batter's box as she led the pitching staff with a 14-5 record and 1.58 ERA in 123.2 innings pitched, while she hit .300 with a double, two homers and 18 RBIs.
Delce produced the most wins by a TU freshman pitcher since Creger in 2011 and ranked second on the team with 106 strikeouts. She had three double-digit strikeout games, including a pair of 10 K contests during league play. Against conference opponents, she went 7-0 in eight appearances with a 1.52 ERA and 43 strikeouts. In the batter's box, she hit .354 with a double, homer and 11 RBIs.
Her inclusion on the All-Rookie Team was the first such honor for TU since 2016.
Pochop earned the first all-conference honor of her career after the sophomore went 12-6 this season with a 2.63 ERA and a team-leading 108 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. During conference play she had a 6-1 record and 1.90 ERA to go along with three saves and 41 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Pochop tossed a no-hitter against Nebraska on March 17 and had some of her best pitching performances against league foes, including a three-hit shutout of UCF with 10 strikeouts on April 20.
Neal also earned the first all-conference laurel of her career after she hit .280 with 15 doubles, a triple, a homer and team-leading 30 RBIs this spring. Her 15 doubles ranked second in The American and she also tied for the team-lead with nine stolen bases. During conference play, she hit .261 to go along with four doubles, a triple, a homer, 10 RBIs and five stolen bases.
Meinen picked up the third straight all-conference certificate of her TU career and the senior finished the regular-season with six doubles, four homers and 21 RBI. She saved her best play for the conference season when she hit .309 with three doubles, a pair of homers and 11 RBIs. She slugged .473 during that time, stole a pair of bases and did not commit an error in the outfield.
Spell grabbed her second all-conference honor after also being named to the second-team last season. The senior enjoyed the best offensive season of her career with a .260 batting average, 10 doubles, a team-leading five homers and 23 RBIs. The 2018 American Defensive Player of the Year maintained her defensive excellence this season with just three errors and a .988 fielding percentage in 255 chances. In league action, Spell hit .316 with four doubles, four homers and a team-high 16 RBIs.
The Golden Hurricane (35-17) will open play at the American Athletic Conference Championship against No. 7-seed ECU (22-31) on Thursday, May 9. Due to the threat of rain, the game will start 37 minutes following the conclusion of game two in the tournament, which features Wichita State and UCF.
Tulsa's American Athletic Conference Softball Award Winners
Player of the Year
Julia Hollingsworth
Rookie of the Year
Chenise Delce
First-Team All-Conference
Julia Hollingsworth (OF) - unanimous
Chenise Delce (DP/UTL/P)
Second-Team All-Conference
Samantha Pochop (P)
Morgan Neal (INF)
Haley Meinen (OF)
Rylie Spell (C)
All-Rookie Team
Chenise Delce
Hollingsworth was a unanimous first-team selection, while Delce also made the league's top squad and was a member of the All-Rookie Team. Samantha Pochop, Morgan Neal, Haley Meinen and Rylie Spell all earned second-team honors. Tulsa's six all-conference honorees on the first or second team were the most of any program.
This is the third first-team all-conference selection for Hollingsworth (2016, 2018, 2019), who is the first TU player to earn a conference Player of the Year honor since Jill Barrett took home Conference USA's top award in 2014. Hollingsworth and USF pitcher Georgina Corrick were the only unanimous first-team selections this year.
The Ennis, Texas, native led the Golden Hurricane by hitting a league-leading .425, including a .358 mark during conference play. She compiled 65 hits, 40 runs, six doubles, five triples, three homers and 25 RBI on the season to go along with a .588 slugging percentage and .505 on-base percentage. Hollingsworth also totaled a team-high 90 bases and 27 walks. During league action, she tallied 24 hits, 18 runs, three doubles, a triple, three homers and 15 RBIs.
Delce is the first TU player to earn conference Rookie of the Year honors since Aimee Creger was the C-USA Freshman of the Year in 2011. The Oklahoma City, Okla., native produced for the Hurricane in the pitching circle and batter's box as she led the pitching staff with a 14-5 record and 1.58 ERA in 123.2 innings pitched, while she hit .300 with a double, two homers and 18 RBIs.
Delce produced the most wins by a TU freshman pitcher since Creger in 2011 and ranked second on the team with 106 strikeouts. She had three double-digit strikeout games, including a pair of 10 K contests during league play. Against conference opponents, she went 7-0 in eight appearances with a 1.52 ERA and 43 strikeouts. In the batter's box, she hit .354 with a double, homer and 11 RBIs.
Her inclusion on the All-Rookie Team was the first such honor for TU since 2016.
Pochop earned the first all-conference honor of her career after the sophomore went 12-6 this season with a 2.63 ERA and a team-leading 108 strikeouts in 109 innings pitched. During conference play she had a 6-1 record and 1.90 ERA to go along with three saves and 41 strikeouts in 51.2 innings. Pochop tossed a no-hitter against Nebraska on March 17 and had some of her best pitching performances against league foes, including a three-hit shutout of UCF with 10 strikeouts on April 20.
Neal also earned the first all-conference laurel of her career after she hit .280 with 15 doubles, a triple, a homer and team-leading 30 RBIs this spring. Her 15 doubles ranked second in The American and she also tied for the team-lead with nine stolen bases. During conference play, she hit .261 to go along with four doubles, a triple, a homer, 10 RBIs and five stolen bases.
Meinen picked up the third straight all-conference certificate of her TU career and the senior finished the regular-season with six doubles, four homers and 21 RBI. She saved her best play for the conference season when she hit .309 with three doubles, a pair of homers and 11 RBIs. She slugged .473 during that time, stole a pair of bases and did not commit an error in the outfield.
Spell grabbed her second all-conference honor after also being named to the second-team last season. The senior enjoyed the best offensive season of her career with a .260 batting average, 10 doubles, a team-leading five homers and 23 RBIs. The 2018 American Defensive Player of the Year maintained her defensive excellence this season with just three errors and a .988 fielding percentage in 255 chances. In league action, Spell hit .316 with four doubles, four homers and a team-high 16 RBIs.
The Golden Hurricane (35-17) will open play at the American Athletic Conference Championship against No. 7-seed ECU (22-31) on Thursday, May 9. Due to the threat of rain, the game will start 37 minutes following the conclusion of game two in the tournament, which features Wichita State and UCF.
Tulsa's American Athletic Conference Softball Award Winners
Player of the Year
Julia Hollingsworth
Rookie of the Year
Chenise Delce
First-Team All-Conference
Julia Hollingsworth (OF) - unanimous
Chenise Delce (DP/UTL/P)
Second-Team All-Conference
Samantha Pochop (P)
Morgan Neal (INF)
Haley Meinen (OF)
Rylie Spell (C)
All-Rookie Team
Chenise Delce
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