<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/5/1778025313229.png" alt="Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics" />
 <figcaption>Photo Courtesy Wichita State Athletics</figcaption>
 </figure><div>Wichita State Athletics
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WICHITA, Kan. -&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/kinzey-woody/9729" rel="smarttag" rev="9729">Kinzey Woody</a></dfn>&nbsp;made history Tuesday morning becoming the first player to earn American Conference Player and Freshman of the Year honors in the same season. The American Conference announced its regular season awards with Woody headlining a long list of Shocker honorees. Aside from being named Player and Freshman of the Year, Woody was a unanimous First Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team selection. Wichita State was also recognized as the American Coaching Staff of the Year. Woody joins a decorated list of Shockers to be named American Player of the Year. Wichita State has won the prestigious award six times in the eight seasons since joining the league in 2018. She is the fourth Shocker to bring home Freshman of the Year honors, joining Addison Barnard (2021),&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/alex-aguilar/9309" rel="smarttag" rev="9309">Alex Aguilar</a></dfn>&nbsp;(2023) and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ryley-nihart/9714" rel="smarttag" rev="9714">Ryley Nihart</a></dfn>&nbsp;(2025). Led by head coach&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/coaches/kristi-bredbenner/1335" rel="smarttag" rev="1335">Kristi Bredbenner</a></dfn>, this is the third time Bredbenner and her staff have been recognized as the top staff in the league. Joining Woody on the first team were designated player/utility&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/ausha-moore/9720" rel="smarttag" rev="9720">Ausha Moore</a></dfn>&nbsp;and pitcher Nihart.&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/trinity-allen/9728" rel="smarttag" rev="9728">Trinity Allen</a></dfn>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/kammie-smith/9726" rel="smarttag" rev="9726">Kammie Smith</a></dfn>&nbsp;were named to the second team. Smith also joined Woody on the All-Freshman Team. Wichita State led all schools with three first team selections and the five total all-conference picks were also the most by an program. Woody had a breakout season, especially once league play began. In conference games, the Westphalia, Mo. native led the league in batting average (.476), slugging percentage (1.000), on base percentage (.587), hits (39) and RBI (36). Her 12 home runs were two behind teammate Moore with 14. She drew 22 walks and struck out only five times over 27 games. For the season, Woody is hitting .364 with 11 doubles, 14 home runs, 35 walks and 50 RBIs. Her 13 games with multiple RBIs are the most on the team, while also racking up 12 games with multiple hits. She's reached base in 17 consecutive games, the longest active streak on the team. In her first season at Wichita State, Moore enjoyed a breakthrough sophomore campaign. As a freshman at North Texas, Moore hit .283 with five home runs and 26 RBIs. This season, Moore is hitting .399 with 53 runs, 55 hits, nine doubles, 22 home runs, 57 RBIs, 46 walks, a .942 slugging percentage and an on base percentage of .576. Fourteen of her 22 home runs came in conference play, tops among all players. Her 22 home runs are tied for third most in program history, while she also currently holds top five single season marks in slugging percentage and on base percentage. She has already set a new single season record for walks with 46. Last month she tied the single game school record with three home runs at Charlotte, while her nine RBIs broke the school record. After collecting Second Team All-Conference honors as a freshman, Nihart&nbsp;moved up to the first team as a sophomore in 2026. Nihart appeared in 18 conference games, making 17 starts, including nine complete games. She went 12-4 with a 2.60 ERA in 105.0 innings. Her 105.0 innings were nearly 60 innings more than the next closest Shocker. For the season, Nihart is 16-10 with a 3.44 ERA in 162.2 innings. She has 93 strikeouts, 12 complete games and opponents are hitting .259 against her. Allen enjoyed a strong conference slate after two All-American seasons in junior college. The Cypress, Texas native is hitting .360 with eight doubles, a triple, eight home runs and 36 RBIs. Against American pitchers, Allen hit .353 with five doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 25 RBIs. In the series opener vs. Florida Atlantic on March 20, Allen lifted the Shockers to a win with a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh. The next week she recorded her first career multi-home run game with two homers at South Florida. Another talented freshman that helped lead the Shockers to a regular season championship was their starting second baseman, Smith. Smith started all 51 games at second base, and all she did was help anchor a strong defensive unit on the infield and hit in the top half of the lineup nearly all season. She is hitting .329 with 57 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, three home runs, 24 RBIs and only 13 strikeouts in 173 at bats. Like many of the Shockers, Smith saw her numbers increase once league play rolled around. Over 27 games, Smith hit .355 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and 14 RBIs. Only five of her 13 strikeouts came against conference arms. In a midweek game at No. 5 Oklahoma, Smith went 2-for-3 with a double, home run and two RBIs. Wichita State begins play at the 2026 American Conference Championship Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the semifinals on ESPN+. 2026 American Conference Softball Regular-Season Awards &nbsp; Player of the Year Kinzey&nbsp;Woody, Wichita State &nbsp; Pitcher of the Year Anne Long, South Florida* &nbsp; Defensive Player of the Year Kathy Garcia-Soto, South Florida* &nbsp; Freshmen of the Year Kinzey&nbsp;Woody, Wichita State* &nbsp; Coaching Staff of the Year Wichita State &nbsp; All-Conference First Team P &ndash; Autumn Courtney, Florida Atlantic P &ndash; Anne Long, South Florida* P &ndash;&nbsp;Ryley&nbsp;Nihart, Wichita State C &ndash; Elizabeth Moffitt, North Texas 1B &ndash; Claira Skaggs, Tulsa 2B &ndash; Sabrina Wick, UTSA SS &ndash; Alex Wilkes, South Florida* 3B &ndash;&nbsp;Kinzey&nbsp;Woody, Wichita State* OF &ndash; Kanisha Anderson, East Carolina OF &ndash; Kylie Hammonds, Florida Atlantic OF &ndash; Madison Conley, North Texas DP/U/P &ndash; Mya Clark, Memphis* DP/U/Non-P &ndash;&nbsp;Ausha&nbsp;Moore, Wichita State &nbsp; All-Conference Second Team P &ndash; Julia Apostolakos, East Carolina P &ndash; Arlette Hernandez, UTSA C &ndash; Audrey Wilson, Charlotte 1B &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/trinity-allen/9728" rel="smarttag" rev="9728">Trinity Allen</a></dfn>, Wichita State 2B &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/kammie-smith/9726" rel="smarttag" rev="9726">Kammie Smith</a></dfn>, Wichita State SS &ndash; Hannah Dorsett, UAB 3B &ndash; Jenna Lord, Charlotte OF &ndash; Ashlyn Shirah, UAB OF &ndash; Alexa Galligani, South Florida OF &ndash; Samantha Mundine, UTSA DP/U/Non-P &ndash; Faith Brown, Memphis &nbsp; All-Freshman Team P &ndash; Sydney Rainford, East Carolina OF &ndash; Toryn Fulton, South Florida P &ndash; Arlette Hernandez, UTSA C &ndash; Brookelynn Meador, UTSA 2B &ndash;&nbsp;<dfn><a href="https://goshockers.com/sports/softball/roster/kammie-smith/9726" rel="smarttag" rev="9726">Kammie Smith</a></dfn>, Wichita State 3B &ndash;&nbsp;Kinzey&nbsp;Woody, Wichita State* &nbsp; * denotes unanimous selection</div>

🥎 WSU's Woody tabbed American Player and Freshman of the Year