The Heart of America Athletic Conference announced the 2023 Softball All-Conference teams this past week, which featured several Eagles.

Altogether, Central boasted eight All-Conference selections, led by the Heart Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference selection Kelena Oots. Head Coach Pat Reardon was named the Heart Coach of the Year for the second straight season. 

Oots, a junior outfielder from Kansas City, Mo., tallied a .381 batting average through 26 conference games this year, which included 37 hits and three doubles, and two triples. In addition, she picked up 12 stolen bases in 13 attempts and had a perfect fielding percentage as Central's starting centerfielder. 

Coach Reardon was named Coach of the Year for the eighth time in his career. Reardon led Central to a 21-5 conference record and the Heart Regular Season Championship in 2023. The Eagles clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, where they ran the table to claim their second-straight tournament title. 

Jordyn Ball, Joely Crider, Katelyn Kiser, and Kaysie Jolley joined Oots as Heart First Team All-Conference selections. 

Ball had a phenomenal freshman season in the circle for CMU, as she boasted a 10-2 record and a 1.39 earned run average during Central's conference stretch. During that time frame, Ball threw 11 complete games, six shutouts, and a perfect game against Peru State on April 22. She was also named the Heart and NAIA National Pitcher of the Week. 

Crider appeared and started in all 26 conference games for CMU, batting .384 with 28 hits, including nine doubles, a triple, and two home runs. She also drove in 18 runners, drew 16 walks, and tallied a .616 slugging percentage during the Eagles' run in the conference. 

Kiser batted .325, including 26 hits, seven doubles, and two home runs in Heart action. She was named the Heart Player of the Week on two different occasions. 

Jolley rounded out the First Team All-Conference selections for CMU. The freshman from Nampa, Idaho, finished conference play with a .416 batting average, which included six doubles, a triple, and a home run. She tallied a .675 slugging percentage while starting in all 26 conference games in 2023. 

Madison White was the lone representative for CMU on the Heart All-Conference Second Team. White finished her junior year in conference action with 24 hits, including six doubles, two triples, and two home runs. The native of Columbia, Mo., also drove in 20 RBI. 

Elizabeth Palumbo and Madison Roberts both earned Honorable Mention nods from the conference. Palumbo batted .341 with 28 hits which included tying for the team lead in doubles with nine. Roberts appeared and started in all 26 games for the Eagles in Heart play, recording five doubles, a triple, and a home run.