Horizon League Announces 2021 #HLSB Awards
INDIANAPOLIS – UIC’s Kayla Wedl is the Horizon League Softball Player of the Year, while Youngstown State’s Elle Buffenbarger earned Pitcher of the Year honors. Jillian Jakse picked up Freshman of the Year recognition for the Penguins while Brian Campbell was selected Coach of the Year. All-League awards are voted on the League’s head coaches.
Graduate shortstop Wedl earned her second Player of the Year Award as she topped the League leaderboard with a .440 average, .905 slugging percentage, 45 runs, 51 hits, 42 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and seven triples in 34 League contests in 2021. Wedl also picked up her third All-League First Team selection. Wedl is the first player to earn League Player of the Year honors in back-to-back seasons since Cleveland State’s Tess Sito earned the award in 2010 and 2011.
Buffenbarger picked up Pitcher of the Year and All-League First Team honors for the Penguins. The redshirt-junior posted a 17-1 record in League play with a 1.51 ERA and a League-leading 162 strikeouts, while holding batters to a .182 average. Buffenbarger is the first YSU pitcher to earn Pitcher of the Year honors since Casey Crozier in 2014.
Jakse earned Freshman of the Year, All-League First Team and All-Freshman Team honors in her first season with the Penguins. The rookie hit .367 in League contests with 32 RBIs and a .643 slugging percentage and .450 on-base percentage.
Campbell was chosen as the Horizon League Coach of the Year as he led YSU to its first regular season title and a 28-8 League record. This is the second Coach of the Year honor for Campbell who also earned the award in 2012.
Joining Wedl, Buffenbarger and Jakse on the All-League First Team are student-athletes from five institutions. Championship No. 2 seed Oakland collected four honorees, Cammie Brummitt, Lauren Griffith and Madison Jones as position players plus pitcher Sydney Campbell while Green Bay had two selections in All-Freshman Team member Samantha Saloun and redshirt-sophomore Tiffany Giese. UIC’s Samantha Ferguson joined teammate Wedl, Nikki Saibene made it three Penguins on the First Team and RMU’s Natalie Higgins represented the Colonials.
Student-athletes from seven institutions comprise the All-League Second Team. Northern Kentucky had a trio of honorees in Ava Lawson, Ella LeMonier (also an All-Freshman Team selection) and Kendyl McKeough while IUPUI, UIC and Youngstown State each earned two selections. UIC’s Marley Hanlon and YSU’s Maddi Lusk are the Second Team pitchers while Alannah Cran and Alex DeLeon represent the Flames and Penguins, respectively, as position players. Jordan Barnes and Morgan Gilbert (All-Freshman selection as well) earned Second Team honors for the Jaguars. Green Bay’s Morgan Bihun, Oakland’s Jen Krizka and Purdue Fort Wayne’s Maddie Swart also earned Second Team recognition.
Along with All-League selections Jakse, Saloun, LeMonier and Gilbert, the All-Freshman Team includes Green Bay’s Jadin Justman, NKU’s Madisyn Eads, RMU’s Charlotte Grover, UIC’s Dee Dee Caskey and YSU’s Hailey Niederkohr.
The #HLSB Championship begins with three games on Thursday, May 13 and will culminate on Saturday, May 15 with the championship game set for at noon ET. Fans can watch every game of the championship on ESPN+. Visit
championship central for video links and more information.
2021 #HLSB Awards
Player of the Year: Kayla Wedl, UIC
Pitcher of the Year: Elle Buffenbarger, Youngstown State
Freshman of the Year: Jillian Jakse, Youngstown State
Coach of the Year: Brian Campbell, Youngstown State
All-League First Team
Position Players
Tiffany Giese, Green Bay, OF, R-So.
Samantha Saloun, Green Bay, C, Fr.
Cammie Brummitt, Oakland, 1B, R-Jr.
Lauren Griffith, Oakland, OF/DP, Jr.
Madison Jones, Oakland, 3B, R-Jr.
Natalie Higgins, RMU, RF, Gr.
Samantha Ferguson, UIC, DP/C, So.
Kayla Wedl, UIC, SS, Gr.
Jillian Jakse, Youngstown State, 1B, Fr.
Nikki Saibene, Youngstown State, 3B, R-Jr.
Pitchers
Sydney Campbell, Oakland, So.
Elle Buffenbarger, Youngstown State, R-Jr.
All-League Second Team
Position Players
Morgan Bihun, Green Bay, 3B, R-Jr.
Jordan Barnes, IUPUI, C, So.
Morgan Gilbert, IUPUI, SS, Fr.
Ava Lawson, Northern Kentucky, OF, R-Sr.
Ella LeMonier, Northern Kentucky, OF, Fr.
Kendyl McKeough, Northern Kentucky, UT, Jr.
Jen Krizka, Oakland, C, So.
Maddie Swart, Purdue Fort Wayne, SS, So.
Alannah Cran, UIC, OF, So.
Alex DeLeon, Youngstown State, SS, R-So.
Pitchers
Marley Hanlon, UIC, Sr.
Maddi Lusk, Youngstown State, Sr.
All-Freshman Team
Jadin Justman, Green Bay, 2B
Samantha Saloun, Green Bay, C
Morgan Gilbert, IUPUI, SS
Madisyn Eads, Northern Kentucky, P
Ella LeMonier, Northern Kentucky, OF
Charlotte Grover, RMU, SS
Dee Dee Caskey, UIC, OF
Jillian Jakse, Youngstown State, 1B
Hailey Niederkohr, Youngstown State, UT