NIL
Ball State University – Official Athletics Site
CLEVELAND – – For their strong play over the course of the 2025 Mid-American Conference season, redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons and sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak were honored by the MAC’s 11 head coaches Tuesday (May 6) with the release of the league’s postseason honors. Along with earning First Team All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season, Timmons […]
CLEVELAND – – For their strong play over the course of the 2025 Mid-American Conference season, redshirt senior catcher McKayla Timmons and sophomore shortstop Maia Pietrzak were honored by the MAC’s 11 head coaches Tuesday (May 6) with the release of the league’s postseason honors.
Along with earning First Team All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season, Timmons was named both the MAC Player of the Year and the inaugural recipient of MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Timmons is the seventh different player in program history to earn MAC Player of the Year honors.
Meanwhile, Pietrzak earned First Team All-MAC honors for the first time in her collegiate career.
With both Timmons and Pietrzak earning First Team All-MAC accolades, the Cardinals have now had 58 all-time first team selections and 37 since the 2009 season, second only to Miami’s 41 during the same span.
The Ball State softball team opens Mid-American Conference Softball Championship play Wednesday at Noon as the No. 4 seed and will take on fifth-seeded Akron at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
MORE ON TIMMONS:
Recognized as one of the top catchers in the nation by both D1Softball.com and SoftballAmerica.com, Timmons paced all Mid-American Conference players with a 1.486 OPS during league play. The effort helped her drive in 27 RBI and score 27 runs to account for 45 total runs (factoring out driving herself in with nine home runs).
Timmons owned a MAC-best .903 slugging percentage and a league-high .583 on base percentage and reached base safely in 24 of Ball State’s 25 league games, including via a hit in 19 of those games. She produced a .403 batting average in MAC play, which ranks eighth among all league players, while her 27 walks in #MACtion were nine more than the next closest player. She was hit by four pitches, giving her 31 free bases against MAC foe.
All those free bases, along with her 29 hits, helped her rank fourth in the league with 10 stole bases. Looking back at her 29 hits, 17 went for multiple bases, including her nine home runs, seven doubles and one triple.
On an individual game basis, Timmons scored at least one run in 17 league games, while driving in at least one RBI in 13. She started league play by driving in what proved to be the game-winning runs with two-run home runs in Ball State’s two wins over Akron (March 14 & 15), while adding another game-winning two-run blast versus Buffalo (April 27).
Along with her offense, Timmons set the defensive tone for the squad with her play behind the plate. Not only did she not commit an error in 93 chances in league play, but she shut down the running game of opposing teams by her presence behind the plate.
Teams have a league-low six stolen base attempts against Timmons in MAC play, with her throwing out one of the runners trying to steal. She also kept runners closer to the first base bag than any other league catcher, with a pair of pickoffs in MAC play.
MORE ON PIETRZAK:
No player scored more runs in MAC play than Pietrzak who crossed the plate 37 times in BSU’s 25 league games, which is nine times more than the next closes player. She boasted a .398 batting average in league play, which tied ninth overall, registering five doubles a triple and four home runs.
Along with her team-leading 33 hits in MAC play, Pietrzak drew 13 walks and was hit by a pitch nine times for a .519 on base percentage. The effort helped her tie for team-high honors with 10 stolen bases in league games.
Pietrzak also scored what proved to be the game-winning run in four of BSU’s 16 league wins, while also collecting three game-winning RBIs. The first came on a two-run triple in the eighth inning at Kent State (April 5). She added a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth in BSU’s first win over Miami (April 12) to give BSU the lead for good in that contest, while plating the eventual winning run with a sac fly in the opening-game victory at Western Michigan (April 16).
Along with earning First Team All-MAC honors for the third consecutive season, Timmons was named both the MAC Player of the Year and the inaugural recipient of MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Timmons is the seventh different player in program history to earn MAC Player of the Year honors.
Meanwhile, Pietrzak earned First Team All-MAC honors for the first time in her collegiate career.
With both Timmons and Pietrzak earning First Team All-MAC accolades, the Cardinals have now had 58 all-time first team selections and 37 since the 2009 season, second only to Miami’s 41 during the same span.
The Ball State softball team opens Mid-American Conference Softball Championship play Wednesday at Noon as the No. 4 seed and will take on fifth-seeded Akron at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio.
MORE ON TIMMONS:
Recognized as one of the top catchers in the nation by both D1Softball.com and SoftballAmerica.com, Timmons paced all Mid-American Conference players with a 1.486 OPS during league play. The effort helped her drive in 27 RBI and score 27 runs to account for 45 total runs (factoring out driving herself in with nine home runs).
Timmons owned a MAC-best .903 slugging percentage and a league-high .583 on base percentage and reached base safely in 24 of Ball State’s 25 league games, including via a hit in 19 of those games. She produced a .403 batting average in MAC play, which ranks eighth among all league players, while her 27 walks in #MACtion were nine more than the next closest player. She was hit by four pitches, giving her 31 free bases against MAC foe.
All those free bases, along with her 29 hits, helped her rank fourth in the league with 10 stole bases. Looking back at her 29 hits, 17 went for multiple bases, including her nine home runs, seven doubles and one triple.
On an individual game basis, Timmons scored at least one run in 17 league games, while driving in at least one RBI in 13. She started league play by driving in what proved to be the game-winning runs with two-run home runs in Ball State’s two wins over Akron (March 14 & 15), while adding another game-winning two-run blast versus Buffalo (April 27).
Along with her offense, Timmons set the defensive tone for the squad with her play behind the plate. Not only did she not commit an error in 93 chances in league play, but she shut down the running game of opposing teams by her presence behind the plate.
Teams have a league-low six stolen base attempts against Timmons in MAC play, with her throwing out one of the runners trying to steal. She also kept runners closer to the first base bag than any other league catcher, with a pair of pickoffs in MAC play.
MORE ON PIETRZAK:
No player scored more runs in MAC play than Pietrzak who crossed the plate 37 times in BSU’s 25 league games, which is nine times more than the next closes player. She boasted a .398 batting average in league play, which tied ninth overall, registering five doubles a triple and four home runs.
Along with her team-leading 33 hits in MAC play, Pietrzak drew 13 walks and was hit by a pitch nine times for a .519 on base percentage. The effort helped her tie for team-high honors with 10 stolen bases in league games.
Pietrzak also scored what proved to be the game-winning run in four of BSU’s 16 league wins, while also collecting three game-winning RBIs. The first came on a two-run triple in the eighth inning at Kent State (April 5). She added a two-run double in the bottom of the fourth in BSU’s first win over Miami (April 12) to give BSU the lead for good in that contest, while plating the eventual winning run with a sac fly in the opening-game victory at Western Michigan (April 16).
2025 Softball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Awards
Co-Coach of the Year: Mandy Gardner-Colegate, Miami
Co-Coach of the Year: Jenna Hall, Ohio
Player of the Year: McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Pitcher of the Year: Skipp Miller, Right-Handed Pitcher, Ohio
Defensive Player of the Year: McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Freshman of the Year: Samantha Bolding, Outfield, Toledo
Nan Harvey Award Winner: Chloe Parks, Second Base, Miami
2025 Softball All-MAC First Team
Meagan Lee, Outfield, Akron
Sophia Wygast, First Base, Akron
Maia Pietrzak, Shortstop, Ball State
McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Reagan Terwilliger, Outfield, Buffalo
Mackenzie Langan, Pitcher, Central Michigan
Carly Sleeman, Catcher, Central Michigan
Chloe Parks, Second Base, Miami
Madilyn Reeves, Pitcher, Miami
Madison Mathews, Third Base, Northern Illinois
Danielle Stewart, Utility Pitcher, Northern Illinois
Jenna Turner, Second Base, Northern Illinois
Brenna Farmer, First Base, Ohio
Skipp Miller, Pitcher, Ohio
Tristen Head, Utility Player, Western Michigan
Payton Kelly, Outfield, Western Michigan
2025 Softball All-MAC Second Team
Abbey Nagel, First Base, Buffalo
Grace Koenig, Third Base, Central Michigan
London Williams, Designated Player, Central Michigan
Megan Claerhout, Utility Player, Kent State
Kendal Leitner, Utility Pitcher, Kent State
Brynn Libler, Shortstop, Kent State
Mckenna Campbell, Catcher, Miami
Shelby Kunkel, Outfield, Miami
Lily Cassell, Pitcher, Northern Illinois
Abby Kennelly, Shortstop, Ohio
Anna Wise, Pitcher, Ohio
Samantha Bolding, Outfield, Toledo
Eli Enriquez, Third Base, Toledo
Kendra VanderLugt, Outfield, Toledo
Co-Coach of the Year: Jenna Hall, Ohio
Player of the Year: McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Pitcher of the Year: Skipp Miller, Right-Handed Pitcher, Ohio
Defensive Player of the Year: McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Freshman of the Year: Samantha Bolding, Outfield, Toledo
Nan Harvey Award Winner: Chloe Parks, Second Base, Miami
2025 Softball All-MAC First Team
Meagan Lee, Outfield, Akron
Sophia Wygast, First Base, Akron
Maia Pietrzak, Shortstop, Ball State
McKayla Timmons, Catcher, Ball State
Reagan Terwilliger, Outfield, Buffalo
Mackenzie Langan, Pitcher, Central Michigan
Carly Sleeman, Catcher, Central Michigan
Chloe Parks, Second Base, Miami
Madilyn Reeves, Pitcher, Miami
Madison Mathews, Third Base, Northern Illinois
Danielle Stewart, Utility Pitcher, Northern Illinois
Jenna Turner, Second Base, Northern Illinois
Brenna Farmer, First Base, Ohio
Skipp Miller, Pitcher, Ohio
Tristen Head, Utility Player, Western Michigan
Payton Kelly, Outfield, Western Michigan
2025 Softball All-MAC Second Team
Abbey Nagel, First Base, Buffalo
Grace Koenig, Third Base, Central Michigan
London Williams, Designated Player, Central Michigan
Megan Claerhout, Utility Player, Kent State
Kendal Leitner, Utility Pitcher, Kent State
Brynn Libler, Shortstop, Kent State
Mckenna Campbell, Catcher, Miami
Shelby Kunkel, Outfield, Miami
Lily Cassell, Pitcher, Northern Illinois
Abby Kennelly, Shortstop, Ohio
Anna Wise, Pitcher, Ohio
Samantha Bolding, Outfield, Toledo
Eli Enriquez, Third Base, Toledo
Kendra VanderLugt, Outfield, Toledo
2025 Softball All-MAC Freshman Team
Andrea Day, Outfield, Akron
Madie Jamrog, Pitcher, Akron
Addie Martin, Third Base, Bowling Green
Emily Gorman, Outfield, Buffalo
Maddison Diekman, Shortstop, Central Michigan
London Williams, Designated Player, Central Michigan
Abby Kennelly, Shortstop, Ohio
Anna Wise, Pitcher, Ohio
Samantha Bolding, Outfield, Toledo
Audrey Miller, Designated Player, Toledo