NDSU Softball Places Eight on All-Summit League Teams
5/5/2026 11:00:00 AM | Softball
FARGO, N.D. – North Dakota State softball had eight Bison placed to the All-Summit League teams on Tuesday, as the Summit League announced the 2026 All-Summit League Softball Teams and Individual Awards.
Star Cortez, Bella Dean, and Jessica Delatorre were selected to the All-Summit League First Team, while Amai Hanta and Jocelyn McClary were tabbed with All-Summit League Second Team honors. Zoe King, Lileigh Nieto and Taylinn Warren were also named to the Honorable Mention All-Summit League team.
Dean earns her second all-league honor after a second-team selection in 2023. The senior led the Bison in Summit League play this season, hitting .489 with 23 hits, three doubles and a home run. Dean also had 15 walks, posting a .594 on base percentage and a 1.211 ops. At the plate she recorded 21 RBI and on the bases she had one stolen base and 10 runs scored.
Cortez also earns her second all-league honor after an honorable mention selection last year. The junior has started every game in center field, where she recorded three outfield assists in league play and eight overall during the regular season, tying a school record. At the plate, Cortez hit .293 in league play with nine walks and a .388 obp. Cortez had 11 RBI and 14 runs scored, while also going 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts in league action.
Delatorre earns her first all-league accolade, after the sophomore catcher hit .422 with 19 hits, including six home runs, in 15 league games. She also had five walks, posting a .472 obp and a team-best 1.294 ops. Delatorre was also a strong arm behind the plate, with 10 caught stealing over the course of the season and three in league play. Opponents were just 50 percent, 3-for-6, in stolen base attempts on Delatorre in league play, the best percentage for a catcher in the league.
Hanta picks up her second all-league honor after an honorable mention selection last year. The sophomore led the Bison with 24 hits in league play, hitting .429. Hanta also had 10 walks, posting a .529 obp and a 1.065 ops. Hanta had one double, one triple and one home run. She also had six RBI and 21 runs scored. On the bases, she finished with 13 stolen bases, seven more than second best in the Summit League in league play.
McClary started her freshman season with 19.0 scoreless innings and produced a solid first season in league play to earn all-league honors. The freshman posted five wins with a 3.33 earned run average. She tossed eight complete games in the Summit League and logged 61.0 innings with 21 strikeouts, all within the top 10 of the league's pitchers.
King, Nieto and Warren all picked up their first career all-league honors. King, a senior for the Bison, did not have an error in the field at first base in league play, while also hitting .327 at the plate with five extra base hits, nine RBI and six runs. Nieto had three outfield assists in left field and hit .304 during the league campaign with five doubles, 11 RBI, 13 runs, five steals and 13 walks, posting a .459 obp and .872 ops. Warren had 17 assists and 32 putouts at second base, all while hitting .33 at the plate with six RBI, 10 runs scored, three steals and five walks, posting a .404 obp.
NDSU's eight all-league honors are tied for the second most in program history with the 2015 and 2019 teams. The three first-team selections are the most for NDSU since 2019.
2026 All-Summit League Softball Teams and Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Ella Cook, St. Thomas
Pitcher of the Year: Maddia Groff, Omaha
Defensive Player of the Year: Marra Cramer, Omaha
Freshman of the Year: Bria Riebel, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year: Mike Heard, Omaha
First Team
P – Maddia Groff, Omaha
P – Tegan Livesay, North Dakota
P – Alexis Wiggins, Omaha
C – Jessica Delatorre, North Dakota State
INF – Laken Lienhard, St. Thomas
INF – Bella Dean, North Dakota State
INF – Taylor Sedlacek, Omaha
INF – Bailey Sample, Omaha
INF – Abby Gentry, South Dakota State
OF – Avery Wukawitz, St. Thomas
OF – Marra Cramer, Omaha
OF – Star Cortez, North Dakota State
OF – Sammy Schmidt, Omaha
DP/UTL – Ella Cook, St. Thomas
Second Team
P – Jocelyn McClary, North Dakota State
P – Ava Kleinfeldt, St. Thomas
P – Delilah Robles, Kansas City
C – Kameron Monson, St. Thomas
INF – Cassidy Carby, St. Thomas
INF – Bria Riebel, South Dakota State
INF – Katherine Johnson, Omaha
INF – Emma Vike, South Dakota State
INF – Brooke Carey, South Dakota
OF – Akayla Barnard, South Dakota State
OF – Lauren Parker, Kansas City
OF – Jaedyn Valdez, North Dakota
OF – Emma Christensen, South Dakota State
DP/UTL – Amai Hanta, North Dakota State
Honorable Mention
P – Madison Evans, South Dakota
C – Taya Hopfauf, North Dakota
C – Rylinn Groff, Omaha
INF – Taylinn Warren, North Dakota State
INF – Megan Johnston, Kansas City
INF – Alyson Edwards, Omaha
INF – Zoe King, North Dakota State
INF – Delaney White, South Dakota
INF – Makenna Alexander, North Dakota
OF – Ava Rongisch, Omaha
OF – Autumn Iversen, South Dakota
OF – Lileigh Nieto, North Dakota State
OF – Sara Iburg, South Dakota
DP/UTL – Amanda Vacanti, South Dakota State
Star Cortez, Bella Dean, and Jessica Delatorre were selected to the All-Summit League First Team, while Amai Hanta and Jocelyn McClary were tabbed with All-Summit League Second Team honors. Zoe King, Lileigh Nieto and Taylinn Warren were also named to the Honorable Mention All-Summit League team.
Dean earns her second all-league honor after a second-team selection in 2023. The senior led the Bison in Summit League play this season, hitting .489 with 23 hits, three doubles and a home run. Dean also had 15 walks, posting a .594 on base percentage and a 1.211 ops. At the plate she recorded 21 RBI and on the bases she had one stolen base and 10 runs scored.
Cortez also earns her second all-league honor after an honorable mention selection last year. The junior has started every game in center field, where she recorded three outfield assists in league play and eight overall during the regular season, tying a school record. At the plate, Cortez hit .293 in league play with nine walks and a .388 obp. Cortez had 11 RBI and 14 runs scored, while also going 5-for-5 in stolen base attempts in league action.
Delatorre earns her first all-league accolade, after the sophomore catcher hit .422 with 19 hits, including six home runs, in 15 league games. She also had five walks, posting a .472 obp and a team-best 1.294 ops. Delatorre was also a strong arm behind the plate, with 10 caught stealing over the course of the season and three in league play. Opponents were just 50 percent, 3-for-6, in stolen base attempts on Delatorre in league play, the best percentage for a catcher in the league.
Hanta picks up her second all-league honor after an honorable mention selection last year. The sophomore led the Bison with 24 hits in league play, hitting .429. Hanta also had 10 walks, posting a .529 obp and a 1.065 ops. Hanta had one double, one triple and one home run. She also had six RBI and 21 runs scored. On the bases, she finished with 13 stolen bases, seven more than second best in the Summit League in league play.
McClary started her freshman season with 19.0 scoreless innings and produced a solid first season in league play to earn all-league honors. The freshman posted five wins with a 3.33 earned run average. She tossed eight complete games in the Summit League and logged 61.0 innings with 21 strikeouts, all within the top 10 of the league's pitchers.
King, Nieto and Warren all picked up their first career all-league honors. King, a senior for the Bison, did not have an error in the field at first base in league play, while also hitting .327 at the plate with five extra base hits, nine RBI and six runs. Nieto had three outfield assists in left field and hit .304 during the league campaign with five doubles, 11 RBI, 13 runs, five steals and 13 walks, posting a .459 obp and .872 ops. Warren had 17 assists and 32 putouts at second base, all while hitting .33 at the plate with six RBI, 10 runs scored, three steals and five walks, posting a .404 obp.
NDSU's eight all-league honors are tied for the second most in program history with the 2015 and 2019 teams. The three first-team selections are the most for NDSU since 2019.
2026 All-Summit League Softball Teams and Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Ella Cook, St. Thomas
Pitcher of the Year: Maddia Groff, Omaha
Defensive Player of the Year: Marra Cramer, Omaha
Freshman of the Year: Bria Riebel, South Dakota State
Coach of the Year: Mike Heard, Omaha
First Team
P – Maddia Groff, Omaha
P – Tegan Livesay, North Dakota
P – Alexis Wiggins, Omaha
C – Jessica Delatorre, North Dakota State
INF – Laken Lienhard, St. Thomas
INF – Bella Dean, North Dakota State
INF – Taylor Sedlacek, Omaha
INF – Bailey Sample, Omaha
INF – Abby Gentry, South Dakota State
OF – Avery Wukawitz, St. Thomas
OF – Marra Cramer, Omaha
OF – Star Cortez, North Dakota State
OF – Sammy Schmidt, Omaha
DP/UTL – Ella Cook, St. Thomas
Second Team
P – Jocelyn McClary, North Dakota State
P – Ava Kleinfeldt, St. Thomas
P – Delilah Robles, Kansas City
C – Kameron Monson, St. Thomas
INF – Cassidy Carby, St. Thomas
INF – Bria Riebel, South Dakota State
INF – Katherine Johnson, Omaha
INF – Emma Vike, South Dakota State
INF – Brooke Carey, South Dakota
OF – Akayla Barnard, South Dakota State
OF – Lauren Parker, Kansas City
OF – Jaedyn Valdez, North Dakota
OF – Emma Christensen, South Dakota State
DP/UTL – Amai Hanta, North Dakota State
Honorable Mention
P – Madison Evans, South Dakota
C – Taya Hopfauf, North Dakota
C – Rylinn Groff, Omaha
INF – Taylinn Warren, North Dakota State
INF – Megan Johnston, Kansas City
INF – Alyson Edwards, Omaha
INF – Zoe King, North Dakota State
INF – Delaney White, South Dakota
INF – Makenna Alexander, North Dakota
OF – Ava Rongisch, Omaha
OF – Autumn Iversen, South Dakota
OF – Lileigh Nieto, North Dakota State
OF – Sara Iburg, South Dakota
DP/UTL – Amanda Vacanti, South Dakota State
Players Mentioned
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