Hubble named HCAC’s top player with four others from softball honored

CARMEL, Ind. – The Defiance College softball program has five players who earned All-Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference recognition this season, led by Kalin Hubble (Anderson, Ind./Anderson), the Player of the Year. The HCAC office announced its 2021 softball all-conference teams and major award winners on Tuesday morning after a vote of the league's head coaches.

Hubble, a junior utility player who spent most of her time at third base this past season, was picked as the HCAC's top position player after leading Defiance in batting average (.437), home runs (nine), doubles (16), extra-base hits (26), total bases (100), walks (10), runs batted in (45), on-base percentage (.475) and slugging percentage (.794). She set single-season school records for doubles and RBIs, along with breaking the Yellow Jackets' career mark for homers (now at 21).

Currently, Hubble leads the conference in home runs and RBIs while ranking tied for first in sacrifice flies (three), second in slugging percentage, third in hits (55), fourth in doubles, fourth in at-bats (126), fifth in batting average and fifth in runs scored (35). She was twice chosen as the HCAC Player of the Week in 2021. In 2019, Hubble was the HCAC Freshman of the Year and a first team all-conference performer.

Last Friday, Hubble also picked up Second Team All-Central Region accolades in NCAA Division III from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Nationally, Hubble is tied for 13^th in total RBIs and tied for 15^th in doubles.

Joining Hubble as First Team All-HCAC selections this season are teammates Sophie Moller (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North), a junior catcher, and Marissa Roberts (Warren, Ohio/LaBrae), a sophomore outfielder/first baseman.

Moller batted .350 with three doubles, two homers and 32 RBIs during the year, drawing nine walks with only seven strikeouts in 137 plate appearances. She led DC in putouts with 171, making only three errors in 198 total chances for a .985 fielding percentage. Moller also tied for the team lead in sacrifice hits with seven. She threw out 15 base runners trying to steal, topping the conference, and ranks among the HCAC leaders in sacrifice flies (tied for first), sacrifice bunts (tied for second) and RBIs (tied for fourth).

Roberts also enjoyed a record-breaking campaign as she established Defiance's single-season standard for hits with 58. Roberts posted a .423 batting average with 11 doubles, a .451 on-base percentage and .504 slugging percentage while pacing the squad in plate appearances (145), at-bats (137) and runs scored (36). In the conference, she is first in at-bats, tied for first in hits and tied for third in runs scored.   

The Yellow Jackets' lone player to be named Second Team All-HCAC is sophomore outfielder Josilyn Guzman (Woodhaven, Mich./Woodhaven). Guzman stole a team-best seven bases while hitting .350 with six doubles, three home runs, nine walks and 19 RBIs. She registered a .405 on-base percentage and .475 slugging percentage in her second campaign for the purple and gold. 

Representing DC on the HCAC honorable mention list is senior pitcher/first baseman Taylor Biggs (Cincinnati, Ohio/Oak Hills). In the circle this past season, Biggs led her squad in pitching appearances (24), starts (19), wins (eight), saves (one), innings (116.2), strikeouts (87) and strikeouts per game (5.22). Of the strikeouts she recorded, 33 were looking, which ranks second in the conference. Biggs was tabbed as the HCAC Pitcher of the Week on back-to-back occasions in late March and early April.

In all, there were 41 players honored, including 16 on each of the first and second teams. Besides Hubble being the Player of the Year, other special awards announced were for Pitcher of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year, which were all claimed by HCAC regular-season champion Transylvania University.

Defiance finished 16-21-1 overall and an even 8-8 in conference play (tied for fifth place) in 2021. The Jackets just missed getting one of the five HCAC Championship tournament bids, losing out on a tiebreaker.