The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 16 Softball puts seven players on All-Big 12 teams
05.10.2022 | Softball
Seniors Janae Jefferson (unanimous), Mary Iakopo & Hailey Dolcini all earned first-team honors.
AUSTIN, Texas – For the second straight season, No. 16 Texas softball (37-16-1) tied a program record with seven players listed among the various All-Big 12 teams as announced by the league office on Wednesday.
Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (unanimous pick & fourth-straight first-team selection), senior catcher/first baseman Mary Iakopo (third career All-Big 12 nod) and senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini (first career All-Big 12 selection) each earned All-Big 12 Conference First Team accolades, while sophomore shortstop Alyssa Washington and freshman third baseman Mia Scott were tabbed to the All-Big 12 Conference Second Team. The Longhorns also led the league with three inclusions (all unanimous) on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team in Scott, catcher/first baseman Katie Cimusz and pitcher Sophia Simpson.
The seven selections tied the 2002, 2003, 2011 & 2021 Longhorns for the most All-Big 12 nods in a single year in program history, while this also marks the 16th straight season that Texas has boasted at least four selections.
Jefferson has kept on producing at her usual three-time NFCA All-American pace during her final campaign in the Burnt Orange & White. The Humble, Texas, native currently ranks eighth in all of NCAA Division I in total hits (72) and ninth in doubles (18). She also rates third in the Big 12 Conference in runs scored (60) and stolen bases (15), fourth in batting average (.416), fifth in the league in total bases (103) and sixth in on-base percentage (.493). Jefferson currently tops the Longhorns with 23 multi-hit games this year and is currently riding a season-long, 20-game reached base streak dating back to March 26. She's made plenty of statistical history this year by becoming both the Texas and Big 12 career hits leader, the Longhorns all-time games played & started leader and just the second UT player to reach the 200-run scored milestone. Jefferson recently registered her 49th double to also break the Texas career doubles record formerly held by Jodi Reeves and Kaitlyn Washington.
Iakopo has put together an outstanding "super senior" campaign for the Longhorns, ranking fifth in the Big 12 Conference in RBIs (48) & RBIs-per-game (0.94), sixth in total bases (96) and eighth in slugging percentage (.640), while hitting at a .340 clip with 35 runs scored, 13 doubles, 10 HR's and a 1.065 OPS. The Carson, Calif., native has registered 16 multi-hit and 14 multi-RBI efforts in 2022 and posted a 14-game reached base streak from March 18-April 14. Included among her standout performances this year was a three-run walk-off HR to complete Texas' seventh-inning rally from a 5-3 deficit to a 7-5 victory over Iowa State (April 1). For her standout efforts against both Louisiana and Iowa State, Iakopo earned her first selection as the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (April 5). Over her standout career, combining both Oregon and Texas, Iakopo has hit at a .334 clip with 231 career hits, 49 HR's and 198 RBIs in 257 total games.
Dolcini made her presence felt from the circle for the Longhorns as a "super senior," registering an 18-7 overall record with a 2.23 ERA, 11 complete games, four solo shutouts and 180 strikeouts over a staff-high 153.2 innings of work. The Ferndale, Calif., native currently ranks third in the Big 12 Conference in strikeouts, fourth in the league and 13th in all of NCAA Division I in hits-per-seven innings (3.92) and is limiting opponents to just a miniscule .156 batting average. As of May 10, the Senior CLASS Award Top 10 national finalist has won 14 of her last 18 decisions dating back to March 12, including victories over Minnesota, No. 23 Louisiana, No. 20 LSU, Lamar, Texas State, Kansas (two), Iowa State (two), No. 1 Oklahoma, Texas Tech (two) & Baylor (two). For her efforts this season, Dolcini has twice been chosen as the Wilson/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week and three times as the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Week.
After opening the season at third base, Washington eventually became the Longhorns everyday shortstop on February 27 against UTSA. The Abilene, Texas, native made the most of her opportunities by hitting .306 with 38 hits, including 13 of the extra-base variety, 19 walks and 29 RBIs. Washington hit safely in 28-of-47 games played and reached base safely in 36-of-47 games. She also registered nine multi-hit and six multi-RBI efforts, including two-hit performances against No. 2 Alabama and No. 6/7 Oklahoma State. Her finest offensive game of the season came back on March 6 against Miami (OH) as Washington went 2-for-2 with a double, a HR and a career-high six RBIs while almost single-handedly powering the Horns past the Redhawks, 7-6.
Scott has erupted on the softball scene during her initial season on the Forty Acres, ranking second in the Big 12 Conference in both triples (four) and steals (21), fourth in doubles (13), fifth in hits (57), seventh in runs scored (49) and eighth in batting average (.370). The Angleton, Texas, product has registered 17 multi-hit and seven multi-RBI efforts in 2022 while managing a 16-game reached base streak from Feb. 19-March 12. In her Longhorns debut back on Feb. 16 against McNeese State, Scott tied a school single-game record with two triples as part of a 2-for-3 performance with two runs scored and a RBI. Arguably her biggest hit of the season came on April 16 as Scott blasted a crucial three-run, sixth-inning double to help Texas end No. 1 Oklahoma's 40-game winning streak. She also posted multi-hit games against nationally-ranked teams Florida State, UCF & LSU.
In 44 games (43 starts) over her rookie campaign, Cimusz has earned significant playing stints behind the plate and at first base while also spending time in the outfield and at designated player. The Humble, Texas, product owns a .271 batting average with 32 hits, seven doubles, seven HR's and 25 RBIs while drawing 14 walks and swiping five stolen bases. Cimusz has posted nine multi-hit games, including two-hit efforts against No. 2 Alabama and No. 20/18 LSU, and seven multi-RBI performances. She also reached base safely in 28-of-44 games played and tallied an 18-game reached base streak from Feb. 19-March 16. For hitting .429 with four HR's and seven RBIs over a seven-game stretch against Tulsa, Sam Houston, No. 2 Alabama and Miami (OH), Cimusz received her first career selection as the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week (March 8).
Looked to for important innings from the circle during her first season at Texas, Simpson delivered by registering a 7-4 overall record with a 4.01 ERA over 15 starts, five complete games, a solo shutout and 92 strikeouts (10th in the Big 12) over 73.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .245 batting average. The Mont Belvieu, Texas, product owns wins over McNeese State, UTSA, Texas State, Nicholls State, Kansas, UT Arlington and Texas Tech, while throwing very well in a razor-thin, 2-1 loss to No. 3 UCLA back on Feb. 19. She made Longhorns program history back on Feb. 27, during an 8-0 (6 inn.) victory over UTSA, by tossing her first collegiate and the 52nd all-time no-hitter in program history to go with a career-high 12 strikeouts.
Third-seeded Texas (37-16-1) opens the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Thurs., May 12, against sixth-seeded Texas Tech (6 p.m. CT/Big 12 Now on ESPN+).
2022 ALL-BIG 12 SOFTBALL TEAM & AWARD WINNERS
Coach of the Year: Patty Gasso, Oklahoma*
Player of the Year: Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma*
Co-Pitchers of the Year: Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma & Kelly Maxwell, Oklahoma State
Defensive Player of the Year: Grace Lyons, Oklahoma
Freshman of the Year: Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma*
*Denotes unanimous selection
All-Big 12 First Team
McKenzie Wilson, Baylor
Jocelyn Alo, Oklahoma*
Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma*
Jayda Coleman, Oklahoma
Tiare Jennings, Oklahoma*
Grace Lyons, Oklahoma*
Hope Trautwein, Oklahoma
Miranda Elish, Oklahoma St.*
Kelly Maxwell, Oklahoma St.*
Hailey Dolcini, Texas
Mary Iakopo, Texas
Janae Jefferson, Texas*
All-Big 12 Second Team
Aliyah Binford, Baylor
Dariana Orme, Baylor
Mikayla Ramos, Iowa St.
Carli Spelhaug, Iowa St.
Olivia Bruno, Kansas
Alyssa Brito, Oklahoma
Katelynn Carwile, Oklahoma St.
Chyenne Factor, Oklahoma St.
Kiley Naomi, Oklahoma St.
Sydney Pennington, Oklahoma St.
Mia Scott, Texas
Alyssa Washington, Texas
All-Freshman Team
Taylor Strain, Baylor*
Kaci West, Baylor*
Angelina Allen, Iowa St.*
Kaylee Pond, Iowa St.*
Olivia Bruno, Kansas*
Jordy Bahl, Oklahoma*
Brianna Evans, Oklahoma St.*
Katie Cimusz, Texas*
Mia Scott, Texas*
Sophia Simpson, Texas*
