FOREST, Va. (BC Athletics) – Bridgewater College Head Softball Coach Megan Pleskovic has been named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference’s Coach of the Year to headline the league’s all-conference awards handed out on Tuesday.

Pleskovic takes home the coaches’ honor as voted on by her peers, while her squad took home a program record eight All-ODAC selections. Jazmyne Smith and Mackenzie Cauthorn each landed on the first team, while Caroline Malandra, Andrea Savage, McKenna Mueller and Kaelyn Ramsey earned spots on the second team. Evelyn Rhoads and Lexi Schaaf rounded out the honors after earning spots on the third team.

In her sixth year at the program’s helm, Pleskovic’s group made a statement, finishing with the program’s highest win total since 2012 and placing second in the ODAC Regular Season Standings. The Eagles also splashed onto the national scene this season, ranking inside the top 50 in the NPI ratings and being one of just two teams in the nation to gather wins over the ODAC’s nationally ranked pair in Virginia Wesleyan and Randolph-Macon (Christopher Newport). Bridgewater also had one of the best seasons on record, ranking second in program history with 88 stolen bases and topping the list with a .969 fielding percentage.

Smith earns her second-straight first-team selection after seeing action in 38 games for the Eagles this season. Smith was a mainstay at first base for BC and set a career high with 13 walks this season. In her fifth season in crimson and gold, Smith finished with 101 RBI, 44 doubles and 21 home runs, all among the best marks in the history of the program. Smith’s 0.34 doubles per game paced the ODAC this season.

Cauthorn gets her first All-ODAC nod after a historic season in the circle for BC. The junior tied the single-season strikeout record with 118 strikeouts and tossed two no-hitters during the season on the way to 14 wins and a program-best 10 shutouts. Her single-season shutout record landed her in third place nationally in the category behind fellow First Team All-ODAC selection Gracie Ellis. The most impressive part of all is that she did so without cracking the program’s top 10 list in innings pitched on the year.

Malandra became a mainstay in the BC lineup throughout the year, including serving in the lead-off role in the ODAC Tournament. The sophomore set career highs across the board offensively, including a .318 batting percentage and hitting her first two home runs of her career in 2025. Malandra earned a spot on the second team as a utility player, as she saw action at second base and third base for the Eagles this past season.

Savage earned a spot on the second team with her consistent effort at the plate and flashy defense at the hot corner. The junior set career bests in fielding percentage and strikeouts at the dish in her third season, including seven putouts in a win over Averett in the regular season’s final weekend.

Mueller garners her second All-ODAC selection after recording career highs in many offensive categories, including a .300 batting average and 20 RBI. The BC shortstop also tallied 12 stolen bases, more than twice her single-season high from her previous two seasons. Mueller saw action in all 43 games for the Eagles for her third-straight season.

Ramsey also earns her first all-conference honor in her outfielder role for the Eagles. The junior set career highs across the board offensively, highlighted by ranking second in the ODAC with five home runs. Her .522 slugging percentage and nine stolen bases were both over twice her previous single-season highs in those categories.

Rhoads earned a place on the third team after combining with Cauthorn for the Eagles’ one-two punch in the circle. The freshman finished the season with 22 consecutive innings without allowing a run and ranked inside the top-50 nationally in WHIP (0.98), walks per seven innings (0.93), and strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.0).

Schaaf rounded out the record-breaking all-conference listings for the Eagles as the sophomore saw action in 32 games for BC, primarily behind the plate. Schaaf tallied career highs across the board offensively, highlighted by a .286 batting average and her first collegiate home run against EMU. The contest against EMU also saw Schaaf tally a career-high eight total bases and five RBI.

The Eagles finished with the program’s best record in over a decade with a 29-14 overall record and a 19-5 mark in league action.

— BC Athletics —