NORMAL, Ill. – Five Redbirds on the Illinois State softball team earned postseason team accolades, highlighted by Shannon Felde as the program's Most Valuable Player.
Allison Spence, Brittni LaFountaine, Taylor Vanderpool and Emme Olson also garnered postseason awards as voted on by the team.
Felde, a 2019 NFCA All-Mideast Region Third Team selection and All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team pick, reached base safely in 45 of ISU's 51 contests this season, ending her senior campaign on an 11-game reached base streak. She also registered at least one hit in 39 of the Redbirds' outings. Felde – the recipient of the team's best offensive player award – was one of just two Redbirds to start all 51 games this season, as she led the team in batting average (.357) runs scored (36), hits (56), stolen bases (6) and walks (25).
Spence earned the team's best defensive player award, as the 2019 MVC All-Defensive Team selection registered 301 putouts and seven assists to go with a .994 fielding percentage. She broke the ISU career putout record of 1,291 against Bradley on April 10, before finishing her career with 1,381. Spence led the league in fielding double plays (18), while ranking sixth in putouts.
LaFountaine and Vanderpool were voted the team's most improved players in 2019. For the second-straight year, LaFountaine earned the recognition from her teammates, as the sophomore assumed the Redbirds' starting catcher role. She improved her batting average from .171 to .215, while nearly tripling her hits, doubles and home run production from her rookie campaign. After being sidelined with an injury at the beginning of 2018, Vanderpool started all but one game for ISU this season. The junior laid down a team-leading 11 sacrifice hits, while ranking in the top-five on the team in walks and runs scored.
Olson was presented with the Newcomer of the Year honor. The two-time MVC Newcomer of the Week award winner led all ISU freshmen at the plate, posting a .275 batting average with 21 runs scored, eight doubles and six home runs, while leading the team in walks (25), slugging percentage (.486) and triples (2).
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