Blomberg and Kuszak Earn All-Big Ten Honors
May 08, 2024 | Softball
Two Badgers collect all-conference honors
MADISON, Wis. – Hilary Blomberg and Ava Kuszak of the Wisconsin Softball team have earned 2024 All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced Wednesday morning.
With standout seasons, freshman Hilary Blomberg was named First Team All-Big Ten and was an Unanimous All-Freshman Team selection, and sophomore Ava Kuszak earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. The honors are a first for both Blomberg and Kuszak.
Blomberg finished the regular season with some of the top freshman numbers in program history in her rookie campaign. The Verona native slashed a .349 BA/.548 SLG%/.390 OB%/.938 OPS line in her first season with the Badgers. The .349 batting average is tops amongst the team and Top-20 in the Big Ten. Blomberg's batting average and slugging percentage will crack the Top-10 in the Badger record book, in addition to a Wisconsin record setting 13 doubles (so far) in a season by a freshman. Defensively, Blomberg received time behind the plate, outfield, and at first base over the course of the season. She also tallied nine innings of work in the circle, and earned her first collegiate save on April 27 in an 8-6 victory over Indiana.
Going from playing in 24 games and starting in 13 as a freshman, Ava Kuszak became an every day player in her sophomore campaign. Kuszak has started and played in all 49 games this season while starting the first half of the season at second base before making the move to shortstop. Kuszak finished with the second-best batting average (.331) on the team in the regular season. The sophomore also led the team with a .628 slugging percentage, 30 runs, 31 RBI, and tallied 15 doubles for tops on the team and sixth in the Big Ten. She was also second on the team with nine home runs.
Rounding out the 2024 Big Ten accolades, Tessa Magnanimo was named an All-Sportsmanship honoree. The fifth year tallied the most innings this season, 153.2, than her first four years combined (127.0). On April 27 in a win over Minnesota, Magnanimo threw the program's 12th no-hitter. She also threw four complete game shutouts, and one combined shutout for the second-most shutouts in the Big Ten and ranks 55th nationally.
2024 Big Ten Conference Softball Postseason Honors
Player of the Year: Jess Oakland, So., SS, Minnesota
Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Miller, Gr., RHP, Northwestern
Freshman of the Year: Bridget Nemeth, RHP, Penn State
Coach of the Year: Kate Drohan, Northwestern
FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Sarah Stone, Jr., IF, Indiana
Jena Young, Fr., IF, Iowa
Jaeda McFarland, Gr., OF, Maryland
Lauren Derkowski, Jr., P, Michigan
Maddie Erickson, So., IF, Michigan
Elle Sieler, Jr., OF, Michigan
Keke Tholl, Sr., IF, Michigan
Taylor Krapf, Jr., C, Minnesota
JESS OAKLAND, So., IF, Minnesota
Billie Andrews, Sr., IF, Nebraska
Kelsey Nader, So., OF, Northwestern
ASHLEY MILLER, Gr., P, Northwestern
Kansas Robinson, So., IF, Northwestern
Kami Kortokrax, Jr., IF, Ohio State
BRIDGET NEMETH, Fr., P, Penn State
Kyleigh Sand, Sr., IF, Rutgers
MORGAN SMITH, Sr., OF, Rutgers
Hilary Blomberg, Fr., DP, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN*
Taylor Minnick, Jr., OF, Indiana
Aly VanBrandt, Fr., IF, Indiana
Rylie Moss, Jr., OF, Iowa
Sydney Lewis, So., DP, Maryland Mazie MacFarlane, Gr., OF, Maryland Diamond Williams, Gr., IF, Maryland Courtney Wyche, Gr., P, Maryland
Ella Stephenson, Fr., OF, Michigan Hannah Hawley, So., IF, Michigan State Morgan DeBord, Gr., OF, Minnesota Sydney Strelow, Gr., IF, Minnesota Sydney Gray, Sr., IF, Nebraska
Taylor Heckman, Sr., OF, Ohio State Allison Smith, Sr., P, Ohio State
Gaby Garcia, Sr., C, Penn State
Maddie Gordon, Jr., OF, Penn State
Kaitlyn Morrison, Sr.+, IF, Penn State
Mattie Boyd, 5th-yr., P, Rutgers
Ava Kuszak, So., IF, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Aidsyn Caryl, IF, Illinois
Alex Cooper, UTL, Indiana
Aly VanBrandt, UTL, Indiana
Jena Young, IF, Iowa
Ava Cosatles, UTL, Michigan
ELLA STEPHENSON, OF, Michigan Samantha Bland, IF/OF, Nebraska Emma Raye, C/IF, Northwestern Jasmyn Burns, C/UTL, Ohio State Bridget Nemeth, RHP, Penn State
HILARY BLOMBERG, C, Wisconsin
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
P: Morgan Smith, Sr., Rutgers
C: Emma Raye, Fr., Northwestern
1B: Sammy Diaz, Sr., Iowa
2B: Sydney Strelow, Gr., Minnesota
SS: Jess Oakland, So., Minnesota
3B: Alex Cooper, Fr., Indiana
OF: Morgan DeBord, Gr., Minnesota
OF: Moriah Polar, Fr., Purdue
OF: Jaeda McFarland, Gr., Maryland
SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Abby Ryniec, Illinois
Brooke Benson, Indiana
Sammy Diaz, Iowa
Megan Mikami, Maryland
Ellie Sieler, Michigan
Macy Lee, Michigan State
Jacie Hambrick, Minnesota
Mckinley Malecha, Nebraska
Lauren Boyd, Northwestern
Kirsten Eppele, Ohio State
Amanda Mack, Penn State
Kate Claypool, Purdue
Megan Herka, Rutgers
Tessa Magnanimo, Wisconsin
ALL CAPS indicates unanimous selections
* - additional players due to ties in voting
With standout seasons, freshman Hilary Blomberg was named First Team All-Big Ten and was an Unanimous All-Freshman Team selection, and sophomore Ava Kuszak earned Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. The honors are a first for both Blomberg and Kuszak.
Blomberg finished the regular season with some of the top freshman numbers in program history in her rookie campaign. The Verona native slashed a .349 BA/.548 SLG%/.390 OB%/.938 OPS line in her first season with the Badgers. The .349 batting average is tops amongst the team and Top-20 in the Big Ten. Blomberg's batting average and slugging percentage will crack the Top-10 in the Badger record book, in addition to a Wisconsin record setting 13 doubles (so far) in a season by a freshman. Defensively, Blomberg received time behind the plate, outfield, and at first base over the course of the season. She also tallied nine innings of work in the circle, and earned her first collegiate save on April 27 in an 8-6 victory over Indiana.
Going from playing in 24 games and starting in 13 as a freshman, Ava Kuszak became an every day player in her sophomore campaign. Kuszak has started and played in all 49 games this season while starting the first half of the season at second base before making the move to shortstop. Kuszak finished with the second-best batting average (.331) on the team in the regular season. The sophomore also led the team with a .628 slugging percentage, 30 runs, 31 RBI, and tallied 15 doubles for tops on the team and sixth in the Big Ten. She was also second on the team with nine home runs.
Rounding out the 2024 Big Ten accolades, Tessa Magnanimo was named an All-Sportsmanship honoree. The fifth year tallied the most innings this season, 153.2, than her first four years combined (127.0). On April 27 in a win over Minnesota, Magnanimo threw the program's 12th no-hitter. She also threw four complete game shutouts, and one combined shutout for the second-most shutouts in the Big Ten and ranks 55th nationally.
2024 Big Ten Conference Softball Postseason Honors
Player of the Year: Jess Oakland, So., SS, Minnesota
Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Miller, Gr., RHP, Northwestern
Freshman of the Year: Bridget Nemeth, RHP, Penn State
Coach of the Year: Kate Drohan, Northwestern
FIRST TEAM ALL-BIG TEN
Sarah Stone, Jr., IF, Indiana
Jena Young, Fr., IF, Iowa
Jaeda McFarland, Gr., OF, Maryland
Lauren Derkowski, Jr., P, Michigan
Maddie Erickson, So., IF, Michigan
Elle Sieler, Jr., OF, Michigan
Keke Tholl, Sr., IF, Michigan
Taylor Krapf, Jr., C, Minnesota
JESS OAKLAND, So., IF, Minnesota
Billie Andrews, Sr., IF, Nebraska
Kelsey Nader, So., OF, Northwestern
ASHLEY MILLER, Gr., P, Northwestern
Kansas Robinson, So., IF, Northwestern
Kami Kortokrax, Jr., IF, Ohio State
BRIDGET NEMETH, Fr., P, Penn State
Kyleigh Sand, Sr., IF, Rutgers
MORGAN SMITH, Sr., OF, Rutgers
Hilary Blomberg, Fr., DP, Wisconsin
SECOND TEAM ALL-BIG TEN*
Taylor Minnick, Jr., OF, Indiana
Aly VanBrandt, Fr., IF, Indiana
Rylie Moss, Jr., OF, Iowa
Sydney Lewis, So., DP, Maryland Mazie MacFarlane, Gr., OF, Maryland Diamond Williams, Gr., IF, Maryland Courtney Wyche, Gr., P, Maryland
Ella Stephenson, Fr., OF, Michigan Hannah Hawley, So., IF, Michigan State Morgan DeBord, Gr., OF, Minnesota Sydney Strelow, Gr., IF, Minnesota Sydney Gray, Sr., IF, Nebraska
Taylor Heckman, Sr., OF, Ohio State Allison Smith, Sr., P, Ohio State
Gaby Garcia, Sr., C, Penn State
Maddie Gordon, Jr., OF, Penn State
Kaitlyn Morrison, Sr.+, IF, Penn State
Mattie Boyd, 5th-yr., P, Rutgers
Ava Kuszak, So., IF, Wisconsin
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Aidsyn Caryl, IF, Illinois
Alex Cooper, UTL, Indiana
Aly VanBrandt, UTL, Indiana
Jena Young, IF, Iowa
Ava Cosatles, UTL, Michigan
ELLA STEPHENSON, OF, Michigan Samantha Bland, IF/OF, Nebraska Emma Raye, C/IF, Northwestern Jasmyn Burns, C/UTL, Ohio State Bridget Nemeth, RHP, Penn State
HILARY BLOMBERG, C, Wisconsin
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
P: Morgan Smith, Sr., Rutgers
C: Emma Raye, Fr., Northwestern
1B: Sammy Diaz, Sr., Iowa
2B: Sydney Strelow, Gr., Minnesota
SS: Jess Oakland, So., Minnesota
3B: Alex Cooper, Fr., Indiana
OF: Morgan DeBord, Gr., Minnesota
OF: Moriah Polar, Fr., Purdue
OF: Jaeda McFarland, Gr., Maryland
SPORTSMANSHIP HONOREES
Abby Ryniec, Illinois
Brooke Benson, Indiana
Sammy Diaz, Iowa
Megan Mikami, Maryland
Ellie Sieler, Michigan
Macy Lee, Michigan State
Jacie Hambrick, Minnesota
Mckinley Malecha, Nebraska
Lauren Boyd, Northwestern
Kirsten Eppele, Ohio State
Amanda Mack, Penn State
Kate Claypool, Purdue
Megan Herka, Rutgers
Tessa Magnanimo, Wisconsin
ALL CAPS indicates unanimous selections
* - additional players due to ties in voting
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