LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Saginaw Valley State University had three softball student-athletes make the list when the National Fastpitch Coaches Association named its 2023 NCAA Division II All-Region Teams. Junior pitching ace Emily Depew, junior infielder Alexis Gills, and senior outfielder Jackie Popko were all on the Midwest Region second team.
Depew adds this accolade to her first-team All-GLIAC award from last week. She has been the Cardinals ace all season with team-high marks in every pitching category. She has a 17-6 record with 20 complete games, 126 strikeouts, and a fantastic 1.78 ERA. She is tied for the top mark in the conference for complete games and ranks second in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Depew is top-10 in multiple career categories including starts (6th, 69), victories (5th, 49), innings pitched (7th, 453.1), complete games (T6th, 48), and strikeouts (5th, 454).
"Depew is a battler in the circle," lauded Schalk. "As easy-going as she seems off the field, when she is on the rubber, she wants to win. Additionally, she has been open to some new thoughts from the coaching staff, which shows that she is always looking to get better."
Gills was a second-team All-GLIAC selection and has also set career highs in multiple categories this season. The junior from Byron Center, Michigan, has the best batting average on the team at .402, a mark that is third in the GLIAC. Her 35 runs, 53 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, and 29 RBI are all career bests.
"AJ has had a monster season for us," said Schalk. "She moved from third to first base and hasn't looked back since. She only knows one speed and that's all out. She's had some big-time hits in clutch situations for us this season."
Popko was named a first-team All-GLIAC outfielder for the fourth-consecutive season this year. The Senior from Macomb, Michigan, tops the league in stolen bases with 31 and runs with 48. She is tied for third with 26 walks. Her .319 batting average comes from her in the lead-off role for the Cardinals. Popko adds 44 hits, eight doubles, a triple, five home runs, and 28 RBI to her stat line. She is the all-time leader in career runs scored for SVSU with a current tally of 169.
"Popko is the ultimate competitor," said SVSU head softball coach Ryan Schalk. "She has an outstanding work ethic and is the leader in our outfield as a fifth-year player. She is a menace on the bases and will take the extra bag in a blink of an eye."
The SVSU trio will lead the team into the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional with a 2:30 p.m., EST, game against Ohio Dominican on the campus of Grand Valley State on Thursday afternoon.