EVANSVILLE, Ind. – McKendree University junior Olivia Stansbury (Lafayette, Ind./Purdue Fort Wayne) continued to rake in postseason honors on Wednesday as the Bearcats rightfielder has been named the both Midwest Region Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Midwest Region selection by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA).

The D2CCA All-Region Teams are voted on by sports information directors from schools in the Midwest Region, which consists of the Great Lakes Valley, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic and Great Midwest Athletic Conferences.

With her honor, Stansbury becomes the first Bearcat softball player to earn D2CAA Midwest Region Player of the Year accolades in school history and is the first Bearcat to earn First-Team Midwest All-Region honors since Brooke Gajewski was honored in 2018.

It is the second honor this week for Stansbury as on Monday she was named one of the 25 finalists for the 2022 Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Year.

Stansbury earns her D2CCA Midwest Region Player of the Year accolade after hitting a league-leading .470 and leading all of NCAA Division II softball in slugging percentage at 1.052. In addition, she ranks in the Top 10 nationally in home runs (20, 4th), home runs per game (0.45, 4th), on-base percentage (.553, 5th) and total bases (141, 8th) and is third in the GLVC in hits (63) and RBI (51) and is second in runs per game (0.98). Her 1.605 OPS is also tops in Division II softball.

On the season, Stansbury led the Bearcats in batting average (.470), runs scored (43), hits (63), doubles (12), triples (3), home runs (20), RBI (51), total bases (141), slugging percentage (1.052), on-base percentage (.553), multi-hit games (18) and multiple RBI games (15) and was second in walks with 23 and struck out just 18 times in 134 at-bats, which is an average of just 7.4 times per at bat. She set new McKendree single season records for batting average, home runs and slugging percentage.

In addition to Stansbury, Drury's Kristina Bettis was named the D2CCA Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year after finishing the regular season with a 1.25 ERA, a .155 opponent batting average and 234 strikeouts in 179.1 innings of work for the Lady Panthers. The five-time GLVC Pitcher of the Week led the GLVC in strikeouts, innings pitched and opponent batting average.

With her first-team All-Region and Player of the Year selection, Stansbury now advances to national ballot for All-America and National Player of the Year consideration.

The GLVC led the way with 16 overall selections, including nine first team honorees. In addition to the GLVC, the GLIAC and GMAC each had six overall selections. Indianapolis led the way with seven selections, including five first team honorees, while Grand Valley State and Southern Indiana each had three overall selections. Findlay, Lindwenwood and Ohio Dominican each had two selections. In total, 16 schools from the region were represented on one of the two Midwest All-Region teams.

Stansbury and Bettis are joined on the All-Midwest Region first team by Indianapolis senior utility player Gianni Iannantone, Rockhurst senior first baseman Calli Wibbenmeyer, Indianapolis sophomore second baseman Dominique Proctor, Grand Valley State junior shortstop Lydia Goble, Davenport senior third baseman Rachel Griffin, Indianapolis junior catcher Lexy Rees, Purdue Northwest junior designated player Selena Michko, Grand Valley State junior outfielder Joanna Cirrincione, Indianapolis freshman outfielder Rachel Nichols, Grand Valley State junior pitcher Hannah Beatus, Indianapolis sophomore pitcher Kenzee Smith and Lindenwood junior utility/pitcher Amanda Weyh.

The D2CCA All-Midwest Region second team features Findlay senior utility player Megan Demler, Southern Indiana sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair, Illinois-Springfield senior second baseman Danielle Dennis, Lindenwood senior shortstop Whitney Wendel, Indianapolis junior third baseman Emily O'Connor, Walsh senior catcher Jessie Rock, Findlay senior designated player Lexie Hilling, Trevecca Nazarene junior outfielder Anna Bennett, Ferris State senior outfielder Paige Kortz, Ohio Dominican freshman outfielder Kaleigh Golden, Ohio Dominican senior pitcher Sydney Long, Indianapolis senior pitcher Haylie Foster, Southern Indiana freshman pitcher Josie Newman and Southern Indiana junior utility/pitcher Allie Goodin.