Gwen McGinnis Repeats as SSC Pitcher of the Year as Awards Announced

MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference presents the 2026 softball postseason awards. 37 student-athletes from 10 member institutions are recognized as All-Conference. Tampa leads the way with 9 award winners, including Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year.

University of Tampa's Gwen McGinnis was named the SSC Pitcher of the Year, as she was joined by Cam Feast as first-team selections. Kenzie Reynolds was second-team All-SSC while Kinnah Kreidler and Feast were also named to the all-defensive team.

SSC Softball All-Conference History: All-SSC Teams| Players & Coaches of the Year

Tampa's Gwen McGinnis is honored as the 2026 SSC Pitcher of the Year, winning the award for the second-straight season. The Tallahassee, Florida native made 34 appearances in the circle, including 23 starts where she threw 23 complete games. The senior ended the regular season with a 24-4 record, 176.0 innings pitched, 136 strikeouts, a .180 batting average against, a .80 ERA, and a .76 WHIP. McGinnis leads the nation in ERA, and is top-10 in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8:00), WHIP, and walks allowed per seven innings (0.68). She remains the seventh Spartan athlete to earn Pitcher of the Year laurels, and third consecutive honoree from Tampa.

Cam Feast, a junior outfielder from Fort Myers, Fla., earned First-Team All-Sunshine State Conference honors while also being named to the SSC All-Defensive Team after leading Tampa with a .418 batting average in 2026. Feast started 40 games and totaled 46 hits, including seven doubles, three triples, and one home run while driving in 22 runs and posting a .496 on-base percentage. Defensively, Feast was flawless in the outfield, recording a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 40 putouts and two assists without committing an error.

Kenzie Reynolds, a junior shortstop from Tampa, Fla., collected Second-Team All-SSC recognition after serving as one of the Spartans' top defensive and offensive contributors throughout the 2026 season. Reynolds started all 40 games she appeared in, batting .280 with 21 hits, 15 runs scored, and seven RBI while adding four stolen bases. Defensively, Reynolds anchored the middle infield with 70 putouts and 93 assists, helping Tampa record six double plays during the season.

Kinnah Kreidler, a junior catcher from New Port Richey, Fla., earned a spot on the SSC All-Defensive Team following a standout 2026 campaign behind the plate for the Spartans. Kreidler started all 46 games at catcher and hit .287 with eight doubles, four home runs, and 28 RBI while drawing 30 walks. Defensively, she posted a .992 fielding percentage with 233 putouts and 23 assists while helping control opposing baserunners throughout the season.

The league office recognizes Emma Chisholm from Florida Tech as the 2026 SSC Player of the Year presented by Athletic Solutions. The junior from Valrico, Florida, finished the regular season leading the conference in home runs (19), batting average (.434), slugging percentage (.882), and OPS (1.393). The catcher's banner season ranks her second all-time in SSC single-season home runs and top-five in slugging percentage. Defensively, Chisholm totaled 247 putouts and 2 assists in 290 chances for a .976 fielding percentage. She joins Cheyanne Nelson (2021) and Elisa Bartolo (1995) the only Panthers named Player of the Year in softball.

Abigail Hynes of Saint Leo gathers Freshman of the Year honors. The designated player from Cape Coral, Florida, finished the regular season ranked Top-10 in the SSC in slugging percentage (.600) and RBIs (48). Defensively, Hynes sported a fielding percentage of .986 with 201 putouts and 13 assists. She is the eighth Lion to win Freshman of the Year, the first since 2023.

Saint Leo's Erin Kinberger is voted SSC Coach of the Year for the fourth time by her peers. Kinberger led the Lions to a .967 (29-1) conference winning percentage, the No. 1 NFCA ranking, an SSC championship, and an NCAA regional hosting bid. She remains the third Saint Leo skipper to win Coach of the Year.

All-conference selections and individual award winners are determined by a vote of Sunshine State Conference head coaches with oversight and approval from member institution Athletic Directors.

Player of the Year: Emma Chisholm, Florida Tech

Pitcher of the Year: Gwen McGinnis, Tampa

Freshman of the Year: Abigail Hynes, Saint Leo

Coach of the Year: Erin Kinberger, Saint Leo