Marshall University Athletics
Brooklyn Ulrich Named Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year
1/29/2025 11:00:00 AM | Softball
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Marshall Softball's Brooklyn Ulrich has been named the 2025 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Player of the Year, announced by the league Wednesday.
The Herd's redshirt junior has already earned several preseason accolades, including being named the No. 84 overall player nationally and the fifth-ranked second baseman entering 2025 by D1Softball.Â
Ulrich returns to the Herd in 2025 after leading the team with a .349 average, 69 hits, and 48 RBI - a number which co-led the Sun Belt Conference alongside teammate Bella Gerlach a season ago. She was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference First Team and the NFCA All-Central Region First Team last year.Â
In SBC-only games last year, Ulrich hit .451 with 11 of her 13 overall home runs, and a conference-high .988 slugging percentage. Ulrich hit two grand slams in 2024, the first Marshall player to hit multiple in the same season since 2007. Ulrich had a fielding percentage of .971 at second base with 116 putouts and 100 assists.Â
"Preseason awards are an accomplishment from the year prior's work," Head Coach Morgan Zerkle said. "Brooklyn did an amazing job in 2024 and will continue to shine for the Herd this season and next. We are all so proud of her."
The honor encapsulates the meteoric rise for Ulrich, who made seven appearances primarily in a pinch-running role as a freshman in 2022. An injury granted a medical redshirt allowing her to retain freshman status in 2023, where became the primary option at second base with three home runs and 14 RBI, hitting .189.
As a team, Marshall has been picked ninth under second-year Coach Zerkle. The Herd had a .315 team batting average last year, which was second in the conference behind Louisiana, the regular season champions. The team finished tied for ninth in 2024 with an SBC Quarterfinal appearance.
The full preseason awards and poll are listed below.Â
2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year
Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall (R-Jr., 2B – Mesa, Ariz.)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Madison Azua, Texas State (So., P – Round Rock, Texas)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
Bella Henzler, James Madison (Jr., C – Allison Park, Pa.)
Georgia Hood, Coastal Carolina (So., 1B – Mount Gambier, Australia)
Sam Roe, Louisiana (Sr., 1B – Destin, Fla.)
Brooklyn Ulrich, Marshall (R-Jr., 2B – Mesa, Ariz.)
Taylor McKinney, Troy (Sr., 2B – Montgomery, Ala.)
Delaney Keith, Coastal Carolina (Jr., 3B – Nampa, Idaho)
Cecilia Vasquez, Louisiana (Jr., SS – New Waverly, Texas)
Meagan Brown, ULM (So., OF – Katy, Texas)
Reed Butler, James Madison (Gr., OF – Pomfret, Md.)
Emma Davis, Georgia Southern (Jr., OF – Grayson, Ga.)
Maddie Hayden, Louisiana (Sr., OF – West Monroe, La.)
Ciara Trahan, Texas State (Sr., OF – Sante Fe, Texas)
Payton List, James Madison (R-So., DP – Beaver, Pa.)
Madison Azua, Texas State (So., P – Round Rock, Texas)
Maddie Nichols, ULM (Jr., P – West Monroe, La.)
2025 Sun Belt Conference Softball Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Texas State (5) – 134
2. Louisiana (6) – 131
3. South Alabama – 106
4. Troy – 103
5. James Madison (1) – 99
6. Coastal Carolina – 94
7. ULM – 76
8. Georgia Southern – 51
9. Marshall – 50
10. Southern Miss – 44
11. App State – 33
12. Georgia State – 13
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