TAMPA – For the second time in her career, Sydney McKinney has been tabbed the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year, it was announced Wednesday morning as part of the regular season awards.

The American Athletic Conference regular season champions, Wichita State (43-9, 16-2) brings home Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year Sami Hood, Rookie of the Year Alex Aguilar and Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2023.

McKinney is the third straight Shocker to take home the league's top honor and first player in conference history to win it multiple times. She finishes her career as a four-time First Team All-Conference selection – a first in school history.

Wichita State placed four on the All-Conference First Team with McKinney (unanimous), Zoe Jones, Addison Barnard and Lauren Lucas; and four more on the All-Conference Second Team with Aguilar, Lauren Howell, Lainee Brown and Hood.

In conference games only, McKinney led the American in batting average (.477), hits (31) and runs scored (30). For the season she is tops in the country in batting average (.527) and hits (97) and a top 10 finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year.

Just a freshman, Hood becomes the second Shocker to earn American Defensive Player of the Year honors. A day one starter at second base, Hood has committed just five errors in 52 games.

Aguilar, a unanimous pick for Rookie of the Year and the All-Rookie Team, joins teammate Barnard as the second Shocker to win American Rookie of the Year honors. Aguilar was a perfect 8-0 in league play with a 1.54 ERA in 50.0 innings. She tossed three complete game shutouts and posted a strikeout-walk ratio of 25-7.

Head Coach Kristi Bredbenner, associate head coach Elizabeth Economon and assistant coach Presley Bell were voted Coaching Staff of the Year unanimously. The trio also won the award in 2021. Behind the leadership of the staff, Wichita State has put together one of the best seasons in school history.

Barnard adds her third straight First Team All-Conference selection after an impressive stretch in 18 league games. Eight of her 14 home runs came in conference play, while hitting .429 with seven doubles and 27 runs scored.

After picking up second team honors last season, Jones finds herself on the first team as a senior. Her 13 home runs and 53 RBI are second on the team and in the American. The Texas Tech transfer has enjoyed back-to-back breakout seasons since joining the Shockers a season ago.

Lucas drove in 22 runs in conference play behind three triples and two home runs. For the season, Lucas ranks Top 10 nationally in RBI with 58 and triples with seven. Her .393 batting average and 15 doubles are also career highs. This is her second straight first team honor.

Another Power 5 transfer that has shined at Wichita State is Howell. The Arkansas transfer has reinvented herself in 2023 behind a team-best 18-3 record in 122.0 innings. She has a 2.35 ERA behind 10 complete games and 81 strikeouts.

The battery mate for Aguilar and Howell is Brown at catcher. Brown has started every game this season behind the plate and set career highs in batting average (.271), home runs (6) and RBI (21).

Freshman Taylor Sedlacek rounds out the award haul on the All-Rookie Team with Aguilar and Hood. Sedlacek is hitting .289 with five doubles, five home runs and 21 RBI in 48 starts.

No. 20 Wichita State opens the American Athletic Conference Championship on Friday in the quarterfinals vs. the winner of Tulsa/Houston at 11 a.m. CT/12 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

Player of the Year
Sydney McKinney, Wichita State
 
Pitcher of the Year
Sarah Willis, Jr., UCF*
 
Defensive Player of the Year
Kathy Garcia-Soto, South Florida
Sami Hood, Wichita State
 
Rookie of the Year
Alex Aguilar, Wichita State*
 
Coaching Staff of the Year
Wichita State*
 
All-Conference First Team
P – Sarah Willis, UCF*
P – Gabriella Nori, South Florida
C – Jada Cody, UCF
1B – Zoe Jones, Wichita State
1B – Shannon Doherty, UCF
2B – Micaela Macario, UCF
3B – Turiya Coleman, Houston*
SS – Sydney McKinney, Wichita State*
SS – Imani Edwards, Tulsa
OF – Kennedy Searcy, UCF
OF – Haley Morgan, Tulsa
OF – Addison Barnard, Wichita State
OF – Lauren Lucas, Wichita State
DP/U/P – Vivian Ponn, South Florida
DP/U/Non-P – Bree Cantu, Houston*
 
All-Conference Second Team
P – Alex Aguilar, Wichita State
P – Lauren Howell, Wichita State
C – Lainee Brown, Wichita State
IF – Jasmine Williams, UCF
IF – Kathy Garcia-Soto, South Florida
IF – Marissa Trivelpiece, South Florida
IF – Sami Hood, Wichita State
OF – Chloe Evans, UCF
OF – Taylor Edwards, East Carolina
OF – Jordyn Kadlub, South Florida
OF – MacKenzie Denson, Tulsa
DP/U – Aubrey Evans, UCF
DP/U – Kylee Nash, Tulsa
 
All-Rookie Team
P - Alex Aguilar, Wichita State*
2B - Sami Hood, Wichita State
3B - Mackenzie Kila, East Carolina
SS - Kathy Garcia-Soto, South Florida
OF - Neely Taylor, Memphis
OF - Taylor Sedlacek, Wichita State
DP/U - Aubrey Evans, UCF

* denotes unanimous selection