Sophomore Sara Groenewegen became the University of Minnesota softball team's first Big Ten player of the year in 24 years when the conference announced its postseason awards Wednesday.
Groenewegen, a British Columbia native, led the Gophers (46-8, 20-3) with a .435 batting average, six home runs and a .524 on-base percentage in the Big Ten. Last year's Big Ten pitcher of the year also had a 28-4 overall record with 332 strikeouts, four shutouts and a 1.52 ERA.
The last Minnesota player to be named Big Ten player of the year was Kari Blank in 1991.
The second-seeded Gophers received a bye in the Big Ten tournament in Columbus, Ohio, this week.