EAST PEORIA, Ill. – In conjunction with its conference tournament, the Great Lakes Valley Conference held its annual postseason awards event Wednesday night in East Peoria, Ill. The UIndy softball team garnered a league-high eight All-GLVC honors, as well as three major awards. Rookie Cailtin Bunte was dubbed both the GLVC Freshman and Co-Pitcher of the Year, while Melissa Frost was voted by her peers—for the ninth time—as the GLVC Coach of the Year.

Bunte also earned inclusion on the All-GLVC First Team and was joined by teammates Shelby Cook (1B), Brooklyn Willis (OF) and Peyton Cusack (UTL-NP). Other all-conference honorees included second teamer Cheyenne Eads (UTL-P) and third-team performers Cara Cooper (SS), Maya Rodriguez (3B) and Josie Jager (DP). 

The league also recognized one student-athlete from each team as honorees for the James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award, with sophomore Abbey Brown earning the nod for the Hounds. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school's two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners.
 
Head Coach Melissa Frost and her Greyhounds are fresh off a 4-2 opening round win over Drury in the GLVC Tournament. The team returns to the field tomorrow at 2 p.m. Eastern to face Rockhurst.

From GLVCsports.com
CO-PITCHER & FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Caitlin Bunte, Fr., UIndy

• Wins seventh Pitcher of the Year honor and ninth Freshman of the Year accolade for UIndy.
• Tied for league lead in GLVC-only games for wins (14), along with placing second in ERA (1.33) and walks allowed (8).
  • Landed fourth in runs allowed (22), sixth in strikeouts (68), seventh in innings pitched (84.1), and eighth in opposing batting average (.219).
• Paced league for overall games in ERA (1.04) and tied for first in wins (26).
  • Tied for second in walks allowed (22) and ranked fourth in opposing batting average (.201), innings pitched (161.2), strikeouts (128), runs allowed (40).
• Added 18 hits, four doubles, three homers, and 15 RBIs with a .290 average in the batter's box.
• Appeared in 29 games for the Greyhounds, starting 27.
• Named GLVC Pitcher of the Week three times: Mar. 16, Apr. 13, and Apr. 27.
• Earns first selection to All-GLVC First Team.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Melissa Frost, UIndy

• Garners ninth Coach of the Year award and fourth in the last six years.
• Managed the Greyhounds to 53-3 overall record and 27-1 conference mark, claiming the GLVC Regular Season title and No. 1 seed in the GLVC Championship.
• Currently ranked No. 2 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II poll.
• Mentored offense that topped the league in batting average (.335), runs scored (413), hits (524), doubles (94), RBIs (386), total bases (782), walks (282), and on-base percentage (.451).
• Guided the Greyhound pitching staff to league-leading numbers in ERA (1.91), hits allowed (279), runs allowed (130), earned runs allowed (101), walks allowed (94), and opponent batting average (.205).
• In addition to guiding Bunte to her major awards and All-GLVC First Team selection, she mentored three more players to first-team distinctions, as well as one to the Second Team and three to the Third Team.

UIndy led league programs with four first-team choices each, while McKendree and Rockhurst followed with a pair of honorees on the First Team. The last six spots on the First Team were filled by a single representative from Illinois Springfield, Lewis, Maryville, Missouri-St. Louis, Truman State, and William Jewell.

A complete list of the 2025 All-GLVC teams and postseason honorees can be found below.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lauren Harris, Sr., SS, McKendree
CO-PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Sami Huck, Sr. McKendree & Caitlin Bunte, Fr., UIndy
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Caitlin Bunte, Fr. P, UIndy
COACH OF THE YEAR: Melissa Frost, UIndy
 

FIRST TEAM	SECOND TEAM
Shelby Cook, Sr., 1B, UIndy	Laila Ruiz, Fr., 1B, MU
Emily Berry, Jr., 2B, RU	Jenna Kosnoff, Jr., 2B, MU
Lauren Harris, Sr., SS, MCK	Taylor Nelson, R-Jr., SS, S&T
Jamie Widule, Sr., 3B, UMSL	Katie Jensen, Jr., 3B, Lewis
Brooklyn Willis, So., OF, UIndy	Kiley Sullivan, Fr., OF, UMSL
Cassie Smith, Sr., OF, TSU	Keeley Elsea, So., OF, SBU
Mikayla Chairez, Sr., OF, WJC	Dani Laughlin, R-So., OF, UIU
Morgan Spodarek, So., C, Lewis	Phoebe Miller, So., C, UMSL
Addison Koth, Jr., DP, MU	McKenna Lester, Sr., DP, RU
Caitlin Bunte, Fr., P, UIndy	Kaley Adzick, Sr., P, DU
Sami Huck, Sr., P, MCK	Rosie Bartletti, Sr., P, UIS
Avery Huffman, Sr., P, RU	AJ Agers, Gr., P, S&T
Peyton Cusack, So., UT-NP, UIndy	Bailey Masching, So., UT-NP, UIS
Rosie Bartletti, Sr., UT-P, UIS	Cheyenne Eads, So., UT-P, UIndy
THIRD TEAM	SPORTSMANSHIP
Kaytie Kossina, Sr., 1B, UMSL	Landry Cochran, DU
Gracie Wright, Jr., 2B, LIN	Jaden Watts, UIS
Cara Cooper, Jr., SS, UIndy	Abbey Brown, UIndy
Maya Rodriguez, So., 3B, UIndy	Ava Reed, Lewis
Nicole Magdziasz, Sr., OF, Lewis	Mallorey Rogers, LIN
Ann-Marie Simpson, Sr., OF, LIN	Jenna Kosnoff, MU
Emily Wood, Sr., OF, TSU	Ali Grenzebach, MCK
Mya Bristow, So., C, RU	Isabella Welton, S&T
Josie Jager, So., DP, UIndy	Ashley Borowitz, UMSL
Jordyn Foley, Jr., P, DU	Alexus Freeman, QU
Ellie Vetter, Sr., P, MCK	Eva Fulk, RU
Mia Miller, So., P, S&T	Shalie Wooden, SBU
Sheyenne Kelch, Sr., UT-NP, WJC	Jayda Long, TSU
AJ Agers, Gr., UT-P, S&T	Cara Farnam, UIU
	Alexa Almejo, WJC