BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor won five American Southwest Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete awards and placed nine more student-athletes on the ASC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete teams, released Thursday.
The Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Teams recognize student-athletes who achieve a high level of academic achievement (a 3.20 grade-point average or better) while competing as a starter or important reserve on their team. From that list – limited to one nominee per school in each ASC championship sport – the sports information directors from the ASC member institutions and affiliate members select a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete in each sport. Note: Acrobatics and Tumbling and Beach Volleyball are not ASC-sponsored sports so they are not reflected in this list of award winners.
American Southwest Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athletes
Shane Melick - Baseball
Senior | Mathematics & Chemistry | 4.00 | Oro Valley, AZ
Melick started in 36 games adding 51 hits in 141 at-bats for a season total batting average of .362 this year. He recorded ten doubles and 11 homeruns on the year with a .989 fielding percentage. Melick also earned First Team All-ASC honors this season as a first baseman.
Andrew Young – Men's Cross Country
Junior | Pre-Med | 4.00 | Woodbridge, CA
Young competed in four races this season, highlighted by a 9th place finish in the ASC Championship. He recorded an 8K time of 26:12.1 at that event. Young also earned Second Team All-ASC honors and represented the Cru at the NCAA Regional Meet.
Avery Hill – Women's Golf
Senior | Marketing | 3.974 | Keller, TX
Avery competed in eight tournaments this season tallying three third-place finishes. She also helped her team to an ASC Championship win. Avery recorded her best score at the Legends Cup with a 147 (+3) mark and made the cut as an individual for the final two rounds at the NCAA Championship Tournament.
Kelsey White – Women's Soccer
Graduate Student | Pre-Dental | 4.00 | Keller, TX
Kelsey, a First Team All-ASC and CSC Academic All-District honoree, started in all 19 games for the Cru this season. She added two goals along with two assists, playing for a total of 1515 minutes. She graduated with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average last year and maintained that grade-point average through a master's program this season.
Erin Kittredge – Women's Tennis
Senior | Business | 3.967 | McKinney, TX
Kittredge was named the Most Valuable Player, First Team All-Conference Singles, and First Team All-Conference Doubles for the ASC this year. She tallied 10 wins in the first flight of singles this season, going 4-0 in conference action. She also added 10 wins in doubles with partners
Emily Higgs and
Kaylee Jo Alexander to help her team become the ASC regular season champions for the first time in program history.
American Southwest Conference Distinguished Scholar-Athlete Team Members
Maurice Pinnock – Men's Basketball
Senior | Computer Science | 3.774 | League City, TX
Pinnock earned Third Team All-ASC honors this season, along with being named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. He played in 26 games totaling 493 minutes. Pinnock finished the season with a .492 field goal percentage along with a .837 free throw percentage. He averaged 10 points and three boards per game this season, finishing with 259 total points scored.
Josie Bruder – Women's Basketball
Junior | Sport Management | 3.885 | Plano, TX
Bruder was named Second Team All-ASC and CSC Academic All-District this year. She led the Cru with 279 points scored this season, averaging 12.1 points per contest. She added 96 rebounds, 79 of those defensive, with 19 total assists. Bruder also added 23 steals and 18 blocks on the season. She tallied a team-high 40 three-pointers and shot .887 from the foul line with 63 made free throws.
Presley Wall – Women's Cross Country
Senior | Clinical Psychology | 4.00 | Decatur, TX
Wall competed in five races in the 2024 season, highlighted by a second-place finish in the ASC Championship with a 6K time of 23:44.8. Her season-best 6K was at the Watson Collegiate where she recorded a 23:17.1. Wall also earned First Team All-ASC, helping the Cru to the 2025 ASC title and an appearance in the NCAA postseason.
Ethan Rayfield – Football
Junior | Pre-Med | 3.871 | San Antonio, TX
Rayfield played in all 12 games of the 2024 season at safety, totaling 34 tackles, 21 solo and 13 assisted. He added three interceptions on the year.
Cole MacMillan – Men's Golf
Freshman | Supply Chain Mgmt. | 4.00 | Round Rock, TX
Cole competed in eight tournaments in his freshman season, highlighted by a first-place finish in the ASC Championship, recording a score of 214 (-2). He also tied for first in the ASC Men's Preview with a final score of 147 (+3). MacMillan recorded a top-25 finish in every tournament he competed in this season and helped the Cru to a conference title and appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament. He was also named First Team All-ASC and ASC Freshman of the Year.
Peyton Hoyt | Men's Soccer
Junior | Biology | 3.86 | Fort Collins, CO
Hoyt played in 982 minutes over 14 contests at defender for the Cru. He added goals against Howard Payne and LeTourneau, totaling 14 shots on the season and earning First Team All-ASC honors. Hoyt also serves as Vice President for UMHB's SAAC and was nominated for Community Service Athlete of the Year.
Bailey Frenzel – Softball
Senior | General Studies | 4.00 | Orange, TX
Frenzel started in all 40 games this season, earning her a Second Team All-ASC honor. She hit .360 on the year, leading the Cru with a .604 slugging percentage. Frenzel ranked third on the team with 40 hits, adding a team-high 32 RBI. She scored 12 runs this season with seven home runs and six doubles. She totaled 67 bases and earned 19 walks at the plate. As a first baseman, Frenzel totaled 157 putouts with 11 assists and 12 double plays.
Eli Sam – Men's Tennis
Freshman | Biochemistry | 4.00 | The Woodlands, TX
Eli earned Second Team All-ASC in Flight 3 Doubles with partner
Sam Rahm. He went 9-6 in doubles play with a 4-1 mark in conference play, recording a record of 7-7 in singles action.
Kendall Harrington – Volleyball
Sophomore | Nursing | 3.714 | Midland, TX
Harrington earned Second Team All-ASC this season, playing in 109 sets for the Cru. She hit 247 kills with 508 assists and 32 service aces, averaging 2.89 points per set. She added 13 double-doubles and five triple-doubles with 321 digs and 66 blocks. Harrington is also a member of the UMHB Beach Volleyball team and helped the Cru to its second consecutive AVCA title this season.
