RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – UIndy senior Kenzee Smith was voted the D2CCA Ron Lenz Pitcher of the Year, announced Thursday. Voted on by the country's College Sports Communicators (CSC), the annual postseason release also included All-America accolades; Smith garnered first-team recognition, Emily O'Connor was named to the third team, and Megan Nichols earned honorable mention.
 
Smith becomes the second Greyhound to be named the nation's top pitcher by members of CSC, taking the title a decade after Morgan Foley first captured the honor. Smith is now a four-time D2CCA All-American, including twice being tabbed to the first team.
 
Smith led the nation appearances, ERA, wins and shutouts. She was the driving force behind the Greyhounds' recent World Series run, tossing an amazing 69 of 73 NCAA Tournament innings while allowing just six earned runs.
 
O'Connor garnered her first career All-America nod from the CSC members and second of the week.  The New Palestine, Ind., native rewrote a slew of hitting records in the UIndy annals, setting new program benchmarks for career home runs and RBIs as well as single-season marks for homers, RBIs and runs.
 
Nichols, meanwhile, earned her first career national award. The junior has three All-Midwest Region laurels for her credit. She was third in the GLVC in runs per game and fifth in hits, while 62 total runs on the season rank third in UIndy history.