Texas State earns three All-Sun Belt second team nods

Three Bobcats were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team in sophomore right-handed pitcher Meagan King, sophomore shortstop Tara Oltmann and junior outfielder Christana McDowell, the conference announced Tuesday.

King (17-11) anchored Texas State’s pitching rotation with a 3.03 ERA. She allowed 70 earned runs on 160 hits and 30 walks while striking out 83 in 161.2 innings of work this year. The sophomore from Mont Belvieu is the 10th pitcher in program history to be selected for an all-conference team.

Oltmann was top-five in the league in RBIs with 40. She hit a two-run homer in the final game of the regular season at UT Arlington on Saturday to become the second-youngest Bobcat in history to reach the 40-RBI threshold. The Giddings native is the seventh shortstop from Texas State to earn postseason honors. 

McDowell finished top-10 in the conference in batting average (.369), on-base percentage (.468), hits (58), walks drawn (28), and stolen bases (23). She also committed just three errors on 97 chances this year. The Round Rock Cedar Ridge graduate is the 16th to receive all-league accolades.

King, Oltmann and McDowell helped lead Texas State to a 28-23 overall record and a 16-10 conference record. The No. 4-seeded Bobcats will play in the Sun Belt Conference Softball Championship on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. inside Bobcat Softball Stadium, facing No. 5-seed Appalachian State (31-22, 13-13) or No. 8-seed Louisiana-Monroe (11-40, 7-17).

2019 SUN BELT POSTSEASON HONORS

All-Sun Belt First Team

Kenzie Longanecker, Appalachian State (Jr., P, Sanford, Fla.)

Summer Ellyson, Louisiana (Jr., P, Lafayette, La.)

Leanna Johnson, Troy (Fr., P, Brantley, Ala.)

Julie Rawls, Louisiana (Jr., C, Hallsville, Texas)

Katie Webb, Troy (Jr., 1B, Salem, Ala.)

Keeli Milligan, Louisiana (Sr., 2B, Vidor, Texas)

Hannah Farrell, Georgia Southern (Sr., 3B, Jesup, Ga.)

Alissa Dalton, Louisiana (Jr., SS, Cypress, Texas)

Whitney Walton, UTA (Jr., SS, Lake Jackson, Texas)

Sarah Hudek, Louisiana (Jr., OF, Sugar Land, Texas)

Sydney McKay, ULM (Sr., OF, Pearland, Texas)

Victoria Ortiz, South Alabama (Fr., OF, Mobile, Ala.)

Brittani Reid, South Alabama (Jr., OF, Kansas City, Mo.)

Laura Curry, UTA (Sr., OF, Temecula, Calif.)

Lexie Comeaux, Louisiana (Sr., DP, Tomball, Texas)

All-Sun Belt Second Team

Kaitlin Beasley-Polko, Coastal Carolina (So., P, Leonardtown, Md.)

Randi Phillips, UTA (So., P, Jefferson, Texas)

Meagan King, Texas State (So., P, Mont Belvieu, Texas)

Reagan Wright, UTA (Jr., C, Mansfield, Texas)

Kourtney Gremillion, Louisiana (So., 1B, Gonzales, La.)

Aileen Garcia, UTA (Jr., 1B, Houston, Texas)

Taylor Sweigart, Coastal Carolina (So., 2B, Mertztown, Pa.)

Kara Gremillion, Louisiana (Sr., 3B, Gonzales, La.)

Keri White, Appalachian State (Jr., 3B, Hampstead, N.C.)

Tara Oltmann, Texas State (So., SS, Giddings, Texas)

Courtney Dean, Coastal Carolina (So., OF, Indian Trail, N.C.)

Raina O'Neal, Louisiana (So., OF, Richmond, Texas)

Krista Rude, UTA (Sr., OF, Arlington, Texas)

Christiana McDowell, Texas State (Jr., OF, Round Rock, Texas)

Bailey Taylor, Troy (So., DP, Winnsboro, S.C.)

Sun Belt Player of the Year

Alissa Dalton, Louisiana (Jr., SS, Cypress, Texas)

Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year

Summer Ellyson, Louisiana (Jr., P, Lafayette, La.)

Sun Belt Freshman of the Year

Leanna Johnson, Troy (Fr., P, Brantley, Ala.)

Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year

Sarah Hudek, Louisiana (Jr., OF, Sugar Land, Texas)

Sun Belt Coach of the Year

Gerry Glasco, Louisiana