2011 MVC All-Conference Awards

May 11, 2011

After a regular season that saw them go 32-24 (16-11); including winning eight of their final nine games, the Panther softball squad has landed four members on the  postseason award list as announced by the league office on Wednesday.

Junior shortstop Mackenzie Daigh (Bucyrus, Kan./Berean Christian HS) and freshman pitcher Jamie Fisher (Conrad, Iowa/BCLUW) have been named to the first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference list.

In addition, senior first baseman Eranne Daugharthy (Ottawa, Kan./Olathe East HS) and Rachel Gerking (Spirit Lake, Iowa/Spirit Lake HS) have garnered second-team accolades.

Despite missing 11 games due to injury, Daigh led the team offensively with a .360 batting average, 54 hits, and 37 runs scored. She also ranked in the top three in doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, and walks for the Panthers. Daigh was named the MVC Player of the Week on Monday, May 9 for her outstanding performance against Indiana State. She had previously earned MVC Newcomer of the Year in 2009, and was a second- team all-conference selection in 2009 and 2010.

Fisher burst onto the scene in her freshman season for Northern Iowa, as she picked up where her stellar prep career left off. She went 20-10 with a sparkling 2.09 ERA this season as she transitioned into the ace of the Panther staff. Fisher had 19 complete games and five shutouts, to go along with 208 strikeouts on the season. She currently sits just one win (21) and eight strikeouts (216) from tying the all-time single season school records.

As an added bonus, Fisher has also been named the MVC Newcomer of the Year. She was named the MVC Pitcher of the Week on May 9 for her two shutout performances against Indiana State.

Daugharthy played in all 56 games and batted .291 for UNI this season on her way to a team high 39 RBIs, and a team leading .981 fielding percentage. She also ranked second on the team in home runs with nine and slugged .500. Daugharthy previously earned second-team MVC honors in 2010 and earned the Valley Player of the Week on May 2 for her performance against Wichita State, in which she hammered a walk-off grand slam.

Gerking caps a stellar career at UNI with a second-team performance in 2011. Gerking tied for the team lead with 54 hits, and led the team with 14 doubles. Prior to missing all of 2010 due to injury, Gerking was a first-team MVC and NFCA All-Region selection. It was a season that saw her shatter the UNI and MVC single season record for RBIs with 59. Rachel was named the MVC Player of the Week on April 11.

Northern Iowa will begin play in the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. The Panthers will face the winner of Bradley and host school Missouri State.