Leighton Withers is 1st softball Lion in 25 years to be named All-American

May 24—Missouri Southern senior infield utility player Leighton Withers was named as an All-American second-teamer by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association on Wednesday. She became the first softball player in 25 years to earn an All-American distinction.

Withers, from Benton, Arkansas, is the the first since Jennifer Jimerson in 1998 to be named an All-American by any organization. Previously this season, Withers was named a first-team All-Region selection by the D2CCA.

She also was a second-team All-Region pick by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and a second-team All-MIAA selection.

Withers started all 56 games for Southern this season and helped lead the Lions softball team (41-15) to its most successful season in decades.

Withers tied the MSSU school record for single-season home runs (11) with Sarah Williams (2016) and hit .368 this season with 28 runs, 57 hits, 14 doubles, three triples and 46 RBIs. She drew 32 walks and suffered 13 HBPs for a .710 slugging percentage, .505 on-base percentage and 1.215 OPS.

Withers set school career records in HBPs (30) and was second in slugging percentage (.643), third in home runs (22) and on-base percentage (.461), tied for fifth in RBIs (122), tied for sixth in extra base hits (63), tied for seventh in walks (56), eighth in doubles (34), ninth in batting average (.349), 11th in total bases (249) and 20th in putouts (453).

Baseball honors

The Missouri Southern baseball team landed four players on the D2CCA All-Central Region teams, which were also announced Wednesday.

Pitcher Cole Woods, shortstop Henry Kusiak and second baseman Nate Mieszkowski were named to the D2CCA first team and will be eligible for All-American honors that will be announced Thursday, June 1st.

Aurora senior Matt Miller was a second-team D2CCA selection at first base.

Woods (10-3) had a 3.71 ERA this season with a 1.13 WHIP, 9.9 strikeouts and 2.3 walks per nine innings pitched during a program-record 17 starts. The Claremore, Oklahoma, senior, a right hander, pitched 99.1 innings with 109 strikeouts, while holding opponents to a .236 average.

He was recently named by the National College Baseball Writers Association as Pitcher of the Year in the Central Region and also was a MIAA first-team pick this season.

Kusiak, a Fox Lake, Illinois, junior, hit .313 this season with a .960 OPS in 249 at bats while playing in all 62 games for the Lions. He had 78 hits, including 18 doubles, a triple and 13 home runs. He had 58 RBIs, scored 63 runs, drew 29 walks and stole five bases. Defensively, he logged 154 assists, 69 putouts and helped turn 30 double plays at shortstop. He also was named a second-team NCBWA selection this year along with being an All-MIAA and MIAA Gold Glove selection.

Mieszkowski, a Grayslake, Illinois, sophomore, hit .374 this season with a 1.089 OPS. He had 99 hits with a school-record 265 at-bats. He had 19 doubles, four triples and 14 home runs. Mieszkowski logged 66 RBIs, drew 34 walks, stole 11 bases and scored 81 runs.

He is the MSSU single-season leader in hits and runs scored and on the defensive side he had 138 assists, 95 putouts and helped turn 33 double plays.

MIeszkowski was also named to the NCBWA All-Region first team this year and was an All-MIAA pick at second base this year. He holds the distinction of being the only Lion ever to be named as a NCBWA Hitter of the Week.

Miller, a senior, hit .333 this season with a 1.162 OPS in 234 at-bats. He scored 67 runs, had 78 hits, including 13 doubles, three triples and a school-record 25 home runs and 80 RBIs. He also drew also 33 walks and stole four bases. Defensively, he had 417 putouts, 15 assists and helped turn 34 double plays.

Miller closed out his senior season as the MSSU career leader in at-bats, home runs, RBIs, total bases, extra base hits and put outs. He owns the school single-season records in home runs, RBIs and total bases. He also was a MIAA Gold Glove selection at first base in 2021.