Maci Cole and Celeste Wood Earn All-Conference Honors
5/6/2025 10:05:00 AM | Softball
TULSA, Okla. – Tulsa softball senior shortstop Maci Cole was named to the All-American Athletic Conference First Team, while senior first baseman Celeste Wood earned All-Conference Second Team honors, the league announced on Tuesday.
The pair become the 75th and 76th Golden Hurricane softball players to be named to all-conference teams in the program's history. This is Cole's first season honor with Tulsa, while Wood was named to the all-rookie team in her freshman season.
"I'm really happy for Maci and Celeste," head coach Crissy Strimple said. "They have been huge for us this season as players, and what they have meant to our team as leaders and mentors. For Celeste to cap off a great career with an all-AAC selection shows her commitment to all the work she has put in. Maci has had a breakout season and worked her tail off in the summer to earn here this award. I am proud of these two amazing women!"
A Broken Arrow native, this is Cole's second season with the Hurricane, and she was the driving force of Tulsa's offense this season. She started every game and led the team in batting, slashing .322/.457/.604 with eight doubles, two triples and 10 home runs, becoming the first TU player to hit double digit home runs since 2021. She scored 40 runs and drove in 27, which was second-most on the team. She had 10 multi-hit games and two games with three hits, and she recorded an 18-game hitting streak during the season.
Defensively, Cole spent most the season at shortstop but also played 10 games at third base. She led the team with 110 assists, which ranked 56th nationally. In conference play, she recorded the second-best fielding percentage among shortstops at .970.
Hailing from Muskogee, Wood is putting the finishing touches on a TU career where she's been a four-year starter for the Golden Hurricane, playing various positions in the infield and outfield. This season, Wood appeared in 49 games with 48 starts, primarily at first base as she battled through injury to still come second on the team in hitting, batting .298. She led the team with 31 RBI and added five doubles, a triple and six home runs. Her .379 on-base percentage and .489 slugging percentage were both second on the team behind Cole.
She was a consistent glove at first base this season. Wood recorded 229 putouts and had three assists while holding a .996 fielding percentage, committing just one error.
The Golden Hurricane earned the eighth seed for the upcoming 2025 American Athletic Conference Championship in Tampa, Fla. Tulsa will face the No. 9 seed UTSA in the opener of the tournament on Wednesday morning. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. and will air on ESPN+.
2025 American Athletic Conference Softball Regular-Season Awards
Player of the Year
Jenna Lord, Charlotte
Pitcher of the Year
Autumn Courtney, Florida Atlantic*
Defensive Player of the Year
Jesiana Mora, Florida Atlantic
Freshmen of the Year
Jaylah Jarrell, Charlotte
Ryley Nihart, Wichita State
Coaching Staff of the Year
Florida Atlantic
Head Coach Jordan Clark, Assistant Coach, Nicole Newman, Assistant Coach Shelby Petik, Assistant Coach Katelynn de Leon, Graduate Assistant Elizabeth Hightower, Graduate Assistant Dezarae Maldonado, Graduate Assistant Trinity Schlotterbeck
All-Conference First Team
P – Autumn Courtney, Florida Atlantic*
P – Payton Dixon, South Florida
P – Belle Sardja, South Florida
C – Chloe Yeatts, Florida Atlantic
1B – Morgan Johnson, East Carolina
2B – Cierra Simon, North Texas
SS – Maci Cole, Tulsa
3B – Jenna Lord, Charlotte
OF – Kylie Hammonds, Florida Atlantic
OF – Kailyn Bearpaw, North Texas
OF – Lauren Lucas, Wichita State
DP/U/Non-P – Madison Conley, North Texas*
All-Conference Second Team
P – Ainsley Lambert, Florida Atlantic
P – Ryley Nihart, Wichita State
C – Annie Kate Dalton, East Carolina
1B – Bella Cimino, Florida Atlantic
1B – Celeste Wood, Tulsa
2B – Jaylah Jarrell, Charlotte
SS – Kiley Channell, Florida Atlantic
3B – Jesiana Mora, Florida Atlantic
OF - Emma Jackson, East Carolina
OF – Bella Foran, Florida Atlantic
OF – Olivia Elliott, South Florida
DP/U/Non-P – Kari Shedrick, Charlotte
All-Freshman Team
P – Kendall Frost, East Carolina
P – Ryley Nihart, Wichita State
1B – Ausha Moore, North Texas
2B – Jaylah Jarrell, Charlotte
2B – Destiny Johns, Florida Atlantic
OF – Bella Foran, Florida Atlantic
DP – Brookelyn Livanec, Wichita State
The pair become the 75th and 76th Golden Hurricane softball players to be named to all-conference teams in the program's history. This is Cole's first season honor with Tulsa, while Wood was named to the all-rookie team in her freshman season.
"I'm really happy for Maci and Celeste," head coach Crissy Strimple said. "They have been huge for us this season as players, and what they have meant to our team as leaders and mentors. For Celeste to cap off a great career with an all-AAC selection shows her commitment to all the work she has put in. Maci has had a breakout season and worked her tail off in the summer to earn here this award. I am proud of these two amazing women!"
A Broken Arrow native, this is Cole's second season with the Hurricane, and she was the driving force of Tulsa's offense this season. She started every game and led the team in batting, slashing .322/.457/.604 with eight doubles, two triples and 10 home runs, becoming the first TU player to hit double digit home runs since 2021. She scored 40 runs and drove in 27, which was second-most on the team. She had 10 multi-hit games and two games with three hits, and she recorded an 18-game hitting streak during the season.
Defensively, Cole spent most the season at shortstop but also played 10 games at third base. She led the team with 110 assists, which ranked 56th nationally. In conference play, she recorded the second-best fielding percentage among shortstops at .970.
Hailing from Muskogee, Wood is putting the finishing touches on a TU career where she's been a four-year starter for the Golden Hurricane, playing various positions in the infield and outfield. This season, Wood appeared in 49 games with 48 starts, primarily at first base as she battled through injury to still come second on the team in hitting, batting .298. She led the team with 31 RBI and added five doubles, a triple and six home runs. Her .379 on-base percentage and .489 slugging percentage were both second on the team behind Cole.
She was a consistent glove at first base this season. Wood recorded 229 putouts and had three assists while holding a .996 fielding percentage, committing just one error.
The Golden Hurricane earned the eighth seed for the upcoming 2025 American Athletic Conference Championship in Tampa, Fla. Tulsa will face the No. 9 seed UTSA in the opener of the tournament on Wednesday morning. First pitch is set for 9 a.m. and will air on ESPN+.
2025 American Athletic Conference Softball Regular-Season Awards
Player of the Year
Jenna Lord, Charlotte
Pitcher of the Year
Autumn Courtney, Florida Atlantic*
Defensive Player of the Year
Jesiana Mora, Florida Atlantic
Freshmen of the Year
Jaylah Jarrell, Charlotte
Ryley Nihart, Wichita State
Coaching Staff of the Year
Florida Atlantic
Head Coach Jordan Clark, Assistant Coach, Nicole Newman, Assistant Coach Shelby Petik, Assistant Coach Katelynn de Leon, Graduate Assistant Elizabeth Hightower, Graduate Assistant Dezarae Maldonado, Graduate Assistant Trinity Schlotterbeck
All-Conference First Team
P – Autumn Courtney, Florida Atlantic*
P – Payton Dixon, South Florida
P – Belle Sardja, South Florida
C – Chloe Yeatts, Florida Atlantic
1B – Morgan Johnson, East Carolina
2B – Cierra Simon, North Texas
SS – Maci Cole, Tulsa
3B – Jenna Lord, Charlotte
OF – Kylie Hammonds, Florida Atlantic
OF – Kailyn Bearpaw, North Texas
OF – Lauren Lucas, Wichita State
DP/U/Non-P – Madison Conley, North Texas*
All-Conference Second Team
P – Ainsley Lambert, Florida Atlantic
P – Ryley Nihart, Wichita State
C – Annie Kate Dalton, East Carolina
1B – Bella Cimino, Florida Atlantic
1B – Celeste Wood, Tulsa
2B – Jaylah Jarrell, Charlotte
SS – Kiley Channell, Florida Atlantic
3B – Jesiana Mora, Florida Atlantic
OF - Emma Jackson, East Carolina
OF – Bella Foran, Florida Atlantic
OF – Olivia Elliott, South Florida
DP/U/Non-P – Kari Shedrick, Charlotte
All-Freshman Team
P – Kendall Frost, East Carolina
P – Ryley Nihart, Wichita State
1B – Ausha Moore, North Texas
2B – Jaylah Jarrell, Charlotte
2B – Destiny Johns, Florida Atlantic
OF – Bella Foran, Florida Atlantic
DP – Brookelyn Livanec, Wichita State
Players Mentioned
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