FRISCO, Texas—McNeese graduate transfer Jenna Edwards has been named the 2021 Southland Conference Softball Newcomer of the Year, the league announced Monday in conjunction to announcing its all-conference teams.
 
The native of Winchester, Ky. and the Valparaiso transfer posted is 7-2 in her only season with the Cowgirls. Edwards has a team low 2.67 ERA in 91.0 innings and leads the team with four saves and is second on the team with 67 strike outs. She is the third McNeese player to earn the Newcomer of the Year honor, with the last one coming in 2006.
 
Five other Cowgirls join Edwards on the all-conference team including first team selections in third baseman Haylee Brinlee and shortstop Cori McCrary. Designated player Kaylee Lopez, outfielder Jil Poullard, and pitcher Whitney Tate were named to the second team while catcher Chloe Gomez was named to the third team.
 
Brinlee, the sophomore from Rosepine, La., ended the regular season with a .307 batting average and led the Cowgirls with 10 doubles in SLC games. She picked up 39 hits, 12 doubles, scored 20 runs and tied for a team high nine home runs. Brinlee led the team with 42 RBI and four sacrifice flies and was second on the team with 22 walks and a .527 slugging percent. She posted a .965 fielding percent, committing only six errors in 54 games.
 
The product of McCarley, Miss., McCrary is second on the team with a .310 overall batting average and a .294 average in conference games. She led the team with 52 hits, 14 doubles, 43 runs scored, a .565 slugging percent, and 11 hit by pitches and tied for a team high with nine home runs. McCrary is second on the team with 30 RBI and third on the team with 19 stolen bases. This is her second appearance on the team after being named to the third team in 2019.
 
Lopez, also a sophomore from Indian Bayou, La., leads the team with a .386 batting average and is second on the team with 49 hits, third on the team with 11 doubles, a .472 slugging percent, and a .463 on base percent. She also has 17 RBI, 17 walks, and has scored 14 runs this season.
 
Poullard, a redshirt freshman from Moss Bluff, La. batted .301 on the season with a .981 fielding percent. She is second on the team with 20 stolen bases and 29 runs scored, and third with 43 hits, 18 RBI, and four home runs.
 
Tate, also a redshirt freshman, is a native of Columbia, La. who appeared in 23 games with 17 starts and has eight complete. She leads the pitching staff with 11 wins (11-7), four shutouts, and 121.0 innings pitched…has picked up five wins and one save in her last six appearances. Tate is second on the team with a 2.14 ERA and third with 46 strike outs.
 
True freshman Chloe Gomez is a native of Spring, Tx., batted .266 with 33 hits, four doubles, 17 RBI, and two doubles, In SLC games, Gomez produced a .273 batting average with 18 hits, three doubles, and 10 runs scored. She is fourth on the team with 12 stolen bases.

Player of the Year: Kassidy Wilbur, Stephen F. Austin
Hitter of the Year: Shaylon Govan, Stephen F. Austin
Pitcher of the Year: Kassidy Wilbur, Stephen F. Austin
Freshman of the Year: Jenna Wildeman, Central Arkansas
Newcomer of the Year: Jenna Edwards, McNeese
Coach of the Year: Nicole Dickson, Stephen F. Austin
 

First Team
Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown
1B	Shaylon Govan	Stephen F. Austin	So.	Katy, Texas
2B	Bryana Novegil2	Stephen F. Austin	Sr.	Houston, Texas
3B	Haylee Brinlee	McNeese	So.	Rosepine, La.
SS	Cori McCrary2	McNeese	Sr.	McCarley, Miss.
C	Heidi Jaquez	Houston Baptist	Sr.	Wharton, Texas
UT	E.C. Delafield2	Northwestern State	Jr.	Stonewall, La.
DP	Mackenzie Bennett	Stephen F. Austin	Jr.	Santee, Calif.
OF	Jenna Wildeman	Central Arkansas	R-Fr.	Bentonville, Ark.
OF	Megan McDonald2	Sam Houston	Sr.	Georgetown, Texas
OF	Aeriyl Mass	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Lake Charles, La.
P	Kayla Beaver	Central Arkansas	R-Fr.	Jackson, Tenn.
P	Kassidy Wilbur2	Stephen F. Austin	Jr.	Bridge City, Texas
Second Team
1B	Kaylyn Shepherd3	Central Arkansas	R-Sr.	Mechanicsville, Va.
2B	Mary Kate Brown	Central Arkansas	R-Fr.	Atkins, Ark.
3B	Lindsey Rizzo	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Watson, La.
SS	Camryn Middlebrook	Stephen F. Austin	So.	Round Rock, Texas
C	Hannah Scheaffer	Sam Houston	Fr.	Cypress, Texas
UT	Gaby Garcia	Stephen F. Austin	So.	Southlake, Texas
DP	Kaylee Lopez2	McNeese	So.	Indian Bayou, La.
OF	Donelle Johnson	Abilene Christian	R-Sr.	McKinney, Texas
OF	Jil Poullard	McNeese	Fr.	Moss Bluff, La.
OF	Audrey Greely	Southeastern Louisiana	Fr.	Geismar, La.
P	Jordan Johnson	Central Arkansas	R-So.	Paola, Kan.
P	Whitney Tate	McNeese	Fr.	Columbia, La.
Third Team
1B	Caitlyn Brockway	Houston Baptist	So.	Tomball, Texas
2B	Cayla Jones3	Northwestern State	Jr.	Missouri City, Texas
3B	Alex Hedspeth	Stephen F. Austin	Jr.	Lockhart, Texas
SS	Ashlyn Reavis	Nicholls	Fr.	Paris, Texas
C	Chloe Gomez	McNeese	Fr.	Spring, Texas
UT	Jasie Roberts	Houston Baptist	R-Fr.	Pasadena, Texas
DP	Anna Rodenberg	Southeastern Louisiana	Sr.	Thibodaux, La.
OF	Kaitlyn St. Clair	Northwestern State	Sr.	Cypress, Texas
OF	Sheridan Fisher	Sam Houston	Jr.	Cypress, Texas
OF	Pal Egan	A&M-Corpus Christi	So.	Bakersfield, Calif.
P	Lyndie Swanson	Houston Baptist	R-Fr.	Katy, Texas
P	Heather Zumo	Southeastern Louisiana	Jr.	Baton Rouge, La.

² Two-time all-conference selection
³ Three-time all-conference selection