Eastern Illinois University announced on May 5 that senior Lizzie Stiverson has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, marking the third consecutive year an EIU player has received this honor. The conference released its end-of-year awards on Tuesday.
The achievement highlights a successful season for Eastern Illinois softball, with head coaches Kristi Paulson and Dan Paulson also earning OVC Coach of the Year honors after leading the Panthers to a school record 23 conference wins. The team finished their regular season with a 23-3 record in conference play, securing their third straight OVC regular season championship and recording more than 30 wins for the fourth consecutive year.
In total, four Panthers players were selected to the All-OVC first team: Lizzie Stiverson, Sophia Olman, Alisha Frederick, and Bryanna French. Rylan Gick was named to the second team while Stiverson, Gick, and Chloe Wamboldt earned spots on the All-OVC Newcomer squad.
Stiverson’s performance at third base included a .386 batting average overall with ten doubles, one triple, four home runs, forty runs scored and twenty-eight runs batted in. In conference play alone she hit .470 with five doubles and four home runs. She is now EIU’s fourth winner of this award following Megan Burton (2021) and Kendall Grover (2024 & 2025). “The transfer third baseman from Illinois increased that production in OVC only play hitting .470 with five doubles, four home runs, 19 RBI and 30 runs scored,” according to university officials.
Other notable performances include Sophia Olman’s selection as first-team catcher after driving in thirty-seven of her forty RBIs against conference opponents; Alisha Frederick’s conversion from infielder to outfielder resulting in a .361 average during OVC games; Bryanna French earning recognition as an at-large pitcher; Rylan Gick being honored both as second-team pitcher and newcomer; and Chloe Wamboldt excelling at shortstop with key contributions late in the season.
Eastern Illinois will begin its campaign in this year’s Ohio Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday afternoon against an opponent yet to be determined based on opening round results. Last year they won both regular season and tournament titles before advancing to NCAA Regional competition.
