ST. LOUIS, Mo. – A quintet of Bulldog softball stars have been earned All-Missouri Valley Conference honors for their superb play during the 2024 season. The Bulldogs were represented by four Second Team performers including Molly Hoekstra, Emma Dighton, MaKayla Rice, and Destiny Lewis, and an All-Defensive Team selection in Addie Lightner.
 
Hoekstra has been the ace on staff among Bulldog pitchers this season. She leads the stable of Drake arms in multiple categories including a 13-6 record, 2.88 earned run average, 121.1 innings pitched, 76 strikeouts, and a 1.39 WHIP. Hoekstra fanned a career-high 10 batters in a win over Evansville (4/5) and threw 10 complete games this season. This is the junior's first All-MVC selection of her career.
 
Emma Dighton led the offensive effort on the All-MVC Second Team as a Designated Player/Pitcher selection. Her .342 average, 51 hits, 23 walks, and 10 doubles top the Bulldog team, and she is near the peak in several other stats. She has also posted a .957 OPS, driven in and scored 24 runs, and slugged five long balls. Dighton now has a pair of All-MVC Second Team nods to go along with last year's honor.
 
Drake newcomer Destiny Lewis transitioned well to the NCAA level after following head coach Lindsay Diehl from Indian Hills Community College in the offseason. Lewis, last year's NJCAA Division I National Player of the Year, batted .311 with a 1.016 OPS in her first season as a Bulldog. She recorded 33 hits, 29 RBI and led the club with a .623 slugging percentage and eight home runs.
 
Outfielder MaKayla Rice rounds out the Bulldogs' collection of Second Teamers. The league-leader in triples with six, Rice is tied atop the Drake softball record list for three-baggers with 12. She also led the team with eight stolen bases on the season. The senior was one of three players to end the year above the .300 threshold with a .333 batting average while posting an .840 OPS. She scored 25 runs, drove in 14 more, and logged 45 hits. This is Rice's first All-MVC honor of her career.
 
Finally, Addie Lightner picked up an All-Defensive Team honor after a stellar season at first base. Lightner made 341 put-outs in 346 chances with just three errors to her credit. Her .991 fielding percentage is tied for eighth best in The Valley and is the top figure for any non-pitchers on Drake's roster. She also had a solid year at the dish, posting a .265 average with four homers and a team-high 31 RBI. Lightner adds another All-Defensive Team ranking to her personal history after earning the same recognition as a sophomore in 2022.
 
These four Bulldogs will lead Drake into the MVC Tournament later today as Drake is set to battle Evansville in the first round at 2 p.m.
 
The entire All-MVC lists are shown below.
 
2024 ALL-MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAMS & AWARDS
 
Most Valuable Player – Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
Freshman of the Year/Most Valuable Pitcher – Maddia Groff, Southern Illinois
Defensive Player of the Year – Taylor Jackson, Murray State
Newcomer of the Year – Sydney Kennedy, Bradley
Coaching Staff of the Year – Southern Illinois
 
FIRST TEAM
C – Bella Wilkerson, Illinois State
1B – Isabella Henning, Indiana State
1B – Kayla Ulrich, Missouri State
2B – Delainey Bryant, Illinois State
2B – Abi Chipps, Indiana State
3B – Olivia Krehbiel, Missouri State
SS – Nicole Hughes, Belmont
SS – Jackie Lis, Southern Illinois
OF – Annie Mueller, Missouri State
OF – Alexis Pupillo, UNI
OF – Elizabeth Warwick, Southern Illinois
P – Maddia Groff, Southern Illinois
P – Samantha Heyer, UNI
P – Maya Johnson, Belmont
P – Jenna Veber, Murray State
DP/UT – Adisyn Hopkins, Illinois State
DP/P – Sydney Kennedy, Bradley
 
SECOND TEAM
C – Brenna Blume, Belmont
C – Taylor Jackson, Murray State
1B – Sidney Jones, Southern Illinois
2B – Destiny Lewis, Drake
3B – Rylie Hamilton, Southern Illinois
SS – Kennedy Shade, Indiana State
OF – Emma Austin, Southern Illinois
OF – Haley Cowing, UIC
OF – Regi Hacker, Valparaiso
OF – Addison Masching, Illinois State
OF – Madison Parks, UNI
OF – MaKayla Rice, Drake
P – Molly Hoekstra, Drake
P – Paige McLeod, Illinois State
DP/UT – Addison McElrath, UNI
DP/UT – Chloe Merced, Missouri State
DP/P – Emma Dighton, Drake
 
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
P – Sydney Weatherford, Evansville
C – Taylor Jackson, Murray State
1B – Bailey Sample, Bradley
1B – Addie Lightner, Drake
1B – Larisa Villa, UIC
2B – Abi Chipps, Indiana State
2B – Kelsie Lewis, Missouri State
2B – Taylor Hogan, UNI
2B – Alexis Johnson, Valparaiso
3B – Jayden Standish, Illinois State
OF – Baie Ensio, Belmont
OF – Elizabeth Warwick, Southern Illinois