Case Western Reserve University junior infielder Karen Potts was named the University Athletic Association Softball Position Player of the Year, highlighting a trio of Spartans named to All-UAA Softball teams.
Potts, who was also recognized with All-UAA First Team honors, becomes the fourth consecutive CWRU student-athlete to receive Position Player of the Year honors. She joins Katelyn Lamm (2025), Stevie Rieger (2024), Amanda Reily (2023), and Maren Waldner (2018) as Spartans who received the honor after it was introduced in 2017.
Senior infielder Elizabeth Berry and first-year pitcher Josephine Alspaw were each selected to the Second Team.
Potts leads the team in batting average (.411), on-base percentage (.487), slugging percentage (.814), runs scored (52), hits (53), runs batted in (37), doubles (14), home runs (12), walks (12), and stolen bases (29). She has started every game for the team this season at shortstop, committing just 10 errors in 182 chances. In conference play, Potts ranked third in the UAA in batting average with a .483 mark, topped the association in slugging percentage at .948, had the highest on-base percentage of .568, and slugged a league-high seven home runs in 18 games. Potts, who was the UAA Rookie of the Year in 2024, is earning her third All-UAA honor after receiving Second Team honors in 2025.
Berry finished the regular season second on the team with a batting average of .342, starting every game at third base for the Spartans. In 39 games this year, she has 40 hits in 117 at-bats, slugging seven doubles, one triple, and two home runs. Berry is second on the squad with 36 RBI and third on the team with a .412 on-base percentage. In conference play, she hit .411 with a 1.085 on-base plus slugging, driving in 21 runs which ranked second in the league. This is her second career All-UAA selection after receiving Second Team honors in 2024.
In her first season of collegiate pitching, Alspaw tied for the team lead with 28 appearances in the circle. She has a 9-3 record with a team-low 3.22 earned run average across 69 and two-third innings. Alspaw has struck out 70 batters and allowed a .241 batting average in her time in the circle. In league play, she went 6-1 across 13 appearances with a 3.19 ERA in 41 and two-third innings, striking out 37 batters. Her six wins in league play were tied for second in the association. This is Alspaw's first career All-UAA honor.
The Spartans will be making their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament this weekend, traveling to Swarthmore, Pennsylvania for the Regional Round. CWRU will take on Muskingum on Thursday, May 14 at 1:30 p.m. to start the double-elimination tournament. Swarthmore and Messiah are the other two teams in the pod.
