Stein Claims Top Big 12 Softball Academic Honor
IRVING, Texas– For the second year in a row, a Kansas softball player has earned the top Big 12 academic honor after former first baseman Maddie Stein was selected as the 2015 Big 12 Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the league on Tuesday afternoon.
Stein follows in the footsteps of former KU outfielder Alex Jones, who earned the honor in 2014, and became the third Jayhawk to receive the academic distinction from the conference office.
A 2015 graduate from KU, Stein received a degree in sports management. After graduation, Stein headed south to Oklahoma to pursue a master’s degree while working with the Sooners’ faculty academic representative. Stein was recognized as a Prentice Gautt Award recipient. To honor the lifetime service of Prentice Gautt, the late Associate Commissioner of the Big 12, the conference established 24 postgraduate scholarships to be awarded to two seniors from each institution who have demonstrated their commitment to excellence in academics and have pledged to continue their education in graduate school.
Much like her first three seasons in the Crimson and Blue, Stein continued to etch her name all over KU’s record books her final collegiate season on the softball diamond. The biggest highlight of 2015 for Stein was claiming Kansas’ all-time RBI record. The Oklahoma City, Oklahoma native tallied her 141st run batted in, the game-winning run, against Georgia State (3/22), which surpassed former teammate Maggie Hull-Tietz’s record of 140. Stein also finished her career with the Jayhawks third in batting average (.349), tied for third in doubles (47), tied for fourth in hits (219) fifth in total bases (307) and ninth in slugging percentage (.490).
A National Fastpitch Coaches Association Midwest All-Region selection, Stein helped the Jayhawks to a 40-15 record in 2015, marking the first 40-win campaign for Kansas since 1992. Stein also earned All-Big 12 Second Team and Defensive Team honors en route to leading KU to its second NCAA Tournament appearance.
Stein started every game of the 2015 campaign and hit .339 with 36 runs scored, 58 hits, including a Big 12-leading 17 doubles. She ended the season with 41 RBIs and her career with 150. Stein registered a .544 slugging percentage and a .423 on-base percentage, while posting a .997 fielding percentage after committing just one error.
Second on the team in multi-hit efforts with 15, Stein recorded eight multi-RBI performances. She owned the longest hitting streak of the season after collecting a hit in 12-straight games. Two of Stein’s six home runs were grand slams, including a game-winning bases-loaded homer against Omaha (3/15).
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