The Big South Conference announced on May 5 that five members of the Radford Highlanders women’s softball team have received end-of-season awards. Dakota Redmon was named Pitcher of the Year and earned First Team All-Conference honors, while Peyton Simmons, Amanda Lee, Morgan Cooper, and Malli Groves were also recognized for their performances.
These awards highlight individual achievements during the season and reflect positively on the team’s performance in conference play. The recognition comes as the Highlanders prepare for postseason competition.
Redmon repeated as Pitcher of the Year after winning the title in 2025, becoming only the third player in program history to do so. She led both her team and the conference with a 2.83 earned run average (ERA), including a 1.49 ERA against conference opponents. Redmon also recorded five shutouts this season and ranks among national leaders in several pitching categories. Over her career at Radford, she has achieved eight shutouts, placing her among the top ten in program history.
Simmons was selected to both Second Team All-Conference and All-Freshman teams after leading off for Radford in all 48 games this season with a .399 batting average—the highest by a freshman since 2024—and scoring 21 runs. Lee was recognized for both athletic and academic accomplishments, making Second Team All-Conference and All-Academic teams while maintaining a 3.92 GPA as she works toward her teaching degree.
Cooper earned Second Team All-Conference honors for a second consecutive year by posting an ERA of 3.23 overall (2.16 in conference) and achieving national rankings in several pitching statistics without recording any wild pitches during regular season play. Groves made the All-Freshman team after driving in a team-high 34 runs across all games this year.
The Highlanders are set to compete as third seed at the upcoming Big South Tournament beginning Thursday against USC Upstate.
