May 2, 2023

BURNSVILLE, MINN. – The NSIC announced their 2023 All-Conference honors today with four Cougar softball players earning honors this year.

First Team Honors

Kylie Madrid, Lexie Swift and Kait Van Der Zwaag were named to the NSIC All-Conference First Team following the conclusion of the NSIC regular season.

Madrid helped lead USF through the conference season with a .404 batting average along with a .702 slugging percentage. She's crossed the plate 20 times throughout NSIC while producing 22 RBIs for the Coo. Madrid leads the team with 11 doubles along with five home runs in 29 games. She holds a fielding percentage of .963 with 26 putouts and 81 catches while playing third base for the Cougars.

Swift received first team honors for her performance in the outfield as well as at the plate. With a .438 batting average and .563 slugging percentage, Swift leads the team with a .505 on base percentage throughout all 29 conference matchups. Swift has crossed the plate 22 times for the Coo while bringing in 18 RBIs. In 96 at bats, she has recorded 42 hits with 10 doubles and one triple while leading the team in walks with 14. On the base path, Swift has gone 4-for-5 in stolen bases throughout the conference season. She holds a .959 fielding percentage with 49 catches and 44 putouts.

Van Der Zwaag earned first team honors this season for her efforts in the circle, at first base as well as at the plate. In 29 conference games, Van Der Zwaag maintained a .315 batting average along with a .596 slugging percentage. In 89 at bats, she recorded 28 hits along with four doubles and seven homeruns. Van Der Zwaag crossed the plate 16 times for Sioux Falls while leading the team with 27 RBIs. In the circle, she recorded nine wins and four losses throughout the conference season while finishing conference play with a 4.61 ERA. Van Der Zwaag pitched eight complete games for a total of 84 innings pitched. As a first baseman, she recorded 118 putouts and 132 catches while maintaining a .992 fielding percentage.

Second Team Honors

Kennedy Thomas received second team honors for her success at the plate and in the field. Thomas led the team with a .736 slugging percentage while holding a batting average of .356 throughout the conference season. In 87 at bats, Thomas leads the Cougars with eight homeruns. She's also recorded 31 hits with nine doubles while crossing the plate 20 times for USF and bringing in 24 RBIs. At first base, Thomas has recorded 87 catches along with 81 putouts for a .989 fielding percentage.

Gold Glove Team

Van Der Zwaag was also named to this year's NSIC Gold Glove Team as a first baseman. She sits amongst the top-20 in the conference with her .992 fielding percentage

Up Next

The Cougars hit the road to open the NSIC Tournament tomorrow May 3 against Concordia-St. Paul. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00am.

For all things Cougar Softball, be sure to down the USF Cougars app as well as follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.