DALLAS – Conference USA announced Tuesday the 2023 C-USA Softball Superlative Awards along with the league’s all-conference and all-freshman teams. UAB catcher Sierra Frazier headlines the teams as the league’s Player of the Year and is one of the Blazers’ four all-conference selections.
 
A fifth-year senior, Frazier ranked among the top five in C-USA in slugging (.657), OPS (1.057), RBI (21) and home runs (six) in league play. She finished the regular season as the ninth toughest batter to strike out in the nation with just four punchouts in 134 at-bats this season. Frazier rattled off a streak of 85 consecutive at-bats without striking out from Feb. 26-May 6. With 44 RBI on the year, she upped her career tally to 176, which ranks fourth all-time on the C-USA career RBI leaderboard.
 
The remaining C-USA Superlative Awards were given to Florida Atlantic ace Gabby Sacco (Pitcher of the Year), LA Tech pitcher Allie Floyd (Freshman of the Year), Charlotte pitcher Sam Gress (Newcomer of the Year) and UAB’s A.J. Daugherty (Coach of the Year).
 
A three-time C-USA Pitcher of the Week, Sacco led the league in ERA (1.56) and finished second in wins (18), third in innings pitched (152.1) and fifth in opponent batting average (.205) and strikeouts (86). She also paced the conference with five shutouts, including three in league play. On April 2, Sacco set season highs in innings (12) and strikeouts (seven) to lift the Owls to a 3-2 series-clinching victory over Middle Tennessee.
 
Floyd was a workhorse for the Lady Techsters in her rookie season, leading the squad in innings (122) and strikeouts (44) while finishing with the second-most saves (four) by a C-USA pitcher. With a 2.31 ERA against conference foes, she helped LA Tech to a 2.15 figure in league play. Floyd finished third in C-USA in walks allowed per seven innings (1.43).
 
An NC State product, Gress became just the ninth Charlotte pitcher to win 20 games in a season, leading the league and ranking 16^th nationally with 20 victories on the year. Against C-USA opponents, she led the league in ERA (1.43), innings pitched (97.2), wins (11) and batters struck out looking (19). She claimed a pair of C-USA Pitcher of the Week honors on March 27 and May 8.
 
In his first year at the helm, Daugherty and the Blazers – who were picked to finish in a tie for fifth in the preseason poll – came one win shy of the regular-season title but nevertheless claimed the No. 2 seed in this week’s C-USA Softball Championship with a 16-8 record in league play. UAB’s 16 conference wins were the most in a decade. After dropping the first two series in conference action, Daugherty helped manufacture a 14-4 mark the rest of the way, including a crucial series win over North Texas that broke the tie for the No. 2 seed.
 
All 10 programs are represented on the all-conference teams. North Texas leads the way with six all-conference honorees, followed by Middle Tennessee with five, and UAB and Charlotte with four each. WKU garnered three all-conference nods, and FIU, Florida Atlantic and LA Tech each place two on the lists. UTEP and UTSA round out the teams with one selection apiece.
 
All awards are voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches. The coaches also selected a Second Team All-Conference squad and an All-Freshman Team.
 
The 2023 C-USA Softball Championship commences with four games Wednesday, May 10, at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field in Ruston, La. Coverage for all games leading up to the championship game will be available through ESPN+ with the title game set to air at 12 p.m. CT Saturday on CBS Sports Network.
 
2023 C-USA Softball All-Conference Award Winners
 
Player of the Year
Sierra Frazier, UAB
 
Pitcher of the Year
Gabby Sacco, Florida Atlantic
 
Freshman of the Year
Allie Floyd, LA Tech
 
Newcomer of the Year
Sam Gress, Charlotte
 
Coach of the Year
A.J. Daugherty, UAB
 
All-Conference USA First Team
C: Isabella Perez, FIU
C: Sierra Frazier, UAB
DP/UT: Ashleigh Washington, Charlotte
IF: Kassidy Krupit, Charlotte
IF: Laura Mealer, Middle Tennessee
IF: Kailey Gamble, North Texas
IF: Cierra Simon, North Texas
IF: TJ Webster, WKU
OF: Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
OF: Sierra Sacco, LA Tech
OF: Taylor Davis, WKU
OF: Faith Hegh, WKU
P: Sam Gress, Charlotte
P: Gabby Sacco, Florida Atlantic
P: Ashley Peters, North Texas
 
All-Conference USA Second Team
C: Olivia Peterson, Florida Atlantic
C: Kalei Christensen, North Texas
DP/UT: Olivia Valbak, UAB
IF: Ella Whitney, FIU
IF: Shelby Echols, Middle Tennessee
IF: Julia Garcia, Middle Tennessee
IF: Mikayla Smith, North Texas
IF: Kat Ibarra, UTSA
OF: Kylie Neel, LA Tech
OF: Amaya Harris, Middle Tennessee
OF: Bella Wiggins, UAB
OF: Savannah Favre, UTEP
P: Gretchen Mead, Middle Tennessee
P: McKenzie Wagoner, North Texas
P: Leigha Kirby, UAB
 
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Lena Elkins, Charlotte
Savanna Nguyen, Charlotte
Lexi Winters, Charlotte
Megan Kruger, FIU
Isabella Perez, FIU
Ella Whitney, FIU
Allie Floyd, LA Tech
Mary Martinez, LA Tech
Ansley Blevins, Middle Tennessee
Tatum Sparks, North Texas
Hannah Miles, UAB
Caitlin Russell, UAB
Kaytlan Kemp, WKU