USA TODAY Sports Network 2025 All-SEC softball awards, coach and player of the year
A pair of players who put up monster seasons — helping their teams likely earn home regionals — claimed the two biggest awards from the USA TODAY Sports Network's All-SEC teams.
A panel of six sportswriters who regularly cover SEC softball selected Arkansas' Bri Ellis as the SEC Player of the Year and Tennessee's Karlyn Pickens as SEC Pitcher of the Year.
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Ellis is hitting .487 with 25 home runs, 68 RBIs, a 1.221 slugging percentage and a .659 on-base percentage — leading the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and home runs and tied for fourth in RBIs.
Only Virginia Tech's Cori McMillan has hit more home runs this season than Ellis.
Pickens is 20-7 with a 0.96 ERA, striking out 221 in 167 ⅓ innings.
The only qualifying pitcher nationally with a better ERA is Texas Tech's NiJaree Canady. Pickens' strikeout total is sixth nationally.
Pickens was a unanimous choice for the honor.
Oklahoma coach Patty Gasso was selected as the SEC Coach of the Year.
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The Sooners lost the core of their team that won four consecutive Women's College World Series titles, but they still thrived in their first season of the SEC.
More: SEC Softball Tournament bracket: Full TV schedule, seedings for 2025 championship
Arkansas' Bri Ellis rounds the bases in celebration after hitting a 2-run home rum against Tennessee during an NCAA softball game on Monday, March 24, 2025, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Oklahoma swept Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi State en route to the conference's regular-season title.
Alabama's Audrey Vandagriff and Florida's Taylor Shumaker share SEC Freshman of the Year honors.
Vandagriff hit .404 with 48 runs scored and 48 stolen bases. No other baserunner in the SEC had more than 34 stolen bases.
Shumaker hit .374 with an SEC-high 75 RBIs and tied with teammate Kendra Falby for the conference lead in runs with 63.
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Oklahoma pitcher Sam Landry, who transferred from Louisiana in the offseason, earned SEC Newcomer of the Year honors.
Landry is 18-4 with a 2.10 ERA, striking out 147 in 143 ⅔ innings.
Ellis was one of three unanimous selections for the first team. She was joined by pitchers Teagan Kavan of Texas and Pickens.
Kavan is 21-4 with a 2.24 ERA, with 183 strikeouts in 146 ⅔ innings.
The rest of the first team includes Texas catcher Reese Atwood, Alabama second baseman Kali Heivilin, Tennessee third baseman Taylor Pannell, Texas A&M shortstop Koko Wooley, Florida outfielder Kendra Falby, Oklahoma outfielder Kasidi Pickering and Mississippi State outfielder Sierra Sacco.
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Oklahoma's Ella Parker and Texas' Mia Scott were tied at the designated player spot.
REQUIRED READING: How former OU softball star Tiare Jennings has passed knowledge as Sooners' student coach
Tennessee pitcher Karlyn Pickens (23) throws a pitch during a softball game between Tennessee and Texas A&M at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium at University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, Tenn., May 1, 2025.
USA TODAY Sports Network All-SEC softball team
Catcher: Reese Atwood, Texas
First base: Bri Ellis, Arkansas*
Second base: Kali Heivilin, Alabama
Shortstop: Koko Wooley, Texas A&M
Third base: Taylor Pannell, Tennessee
Outfield: Kendra Falby, Florida
Outfield: Kasidi Pickering, Oklahoma
Outfield: Sierra Sacco, Mississippi State
Designated player: Ella Parker, Oklahoma and Mia Scott, Texas
Pitcher: Teagan Kavan, Texas*
Pitcher: Sam Landry, Oklahoma
Pitcher: Karlyn Pickens, Tennessee*
*-Unanimous selections
Voters: Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman; Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman; Mikey DiLullo, Lafayette Daily Advertiser; Cora Hall, Knoxville News-Sentinel; Noah Ram, Gainesville Sun; Anna Snyder, Tuscaloosa News; Sara Tidwell, Athens Banner-Herald
More: OU softball is SEC Tournament No. 1 seed, but Sooners' loss vs Florida brings up concerns
Ryan Aber covers OU athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Ryan? He can be reached at raber@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @RyAber . Sign up for the OU Sooners newsletter to access more OU coverage. Support Ryan's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com .
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: USA TODAY Sports Network 2025 All-SEC softball awards
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