Mushinski Tabbed PSUAC Player Of The Year; Six Earn All-Conference Awards

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State Brandywine freshman outfielder Kaylee Mushinski (Allentown, N.J./Allentown) was selected as the Penn State University Athletic Conference Player of the Year by the league's coaches on Thursday. Mushinski was also named to the All-PSUAC First Team, joining teammates Payton Landis (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville), Crystal Cassario (Levittown, Pa./Pennsbury) and Lexi Bussenger (Bangor, Pa./Bangor), while Maddie DeFazio (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) and Karly Rees (Oxford, Pa./Oxford) were Second Team All-PSUAC honorees.

Mushinski started the first 35 games of the season for the Lions, collecting hits in 31 of those games, including 11-straight to begin her college career. Overall, Mushinski is batting .417 after producing the 11th 50-hit season in team history.

The PSUAC RBI leader, Mushinski has driven in 51 runs. She has knocked in a run in 22 of Brandywine's 36 games and produced six three-RBI games and two five-RBI efforts. In addition, she owns a PSUAC-high 22 extra-base hits. She ranks third in the league with a team-best four home runs and is seventh in runs scored with 32.

Landis earned her third-straight all-conference selection and was named to the first team for the first time. She owns a team-high .425 batting average and ranks fifth in the league with 45 hits. Landis also stands sixth among PSUAC hitters with 31 runs batted in, while scoring 17 times.

Landis came on strong during the second half of the regular season, recording 21 hits during the team's final 15 games. That stretch included a 4-for-4 performance at Penn State Schuylkill and nine multi-hit games. Landis produced 16 games of two or more hits overall this spring.

Cassario has been an all-around performer for the second consecutive year, claiming her second first team nod. In the circle, Cassario owns a 7-2 record in 15 appearances (13 starts). She has pitched to a 2.18 earned run average, the lowest mark among PSUAC pitchers. Over 77.0 innings pitched, including eight complete games, Cassario has tallied 34 strikeouts. She tossed the first seven-inning no-hitter in team history on April 3, blanking Penn State DuBois in a 6-0 Brandywine victory.

At the plate, 13 of Cassario's 24 hits have gone for extra bases. She has registered a .364 batting average with 11 doubles and one home run, while driving in 17 runs and scoring 11 times.

Bussenger has sparked the Brandywine offense since being inserted into the starting lineup in mid-April. During Brandywine's final 15 games of the regular season, Bussenger was 25-for-45 at the plate with 27 runs scored and 18 stolen bases. On April 21, Bussenger set a Brandywine single-game record with six hits and tied the program record by scoring five runs, while also knocking in six during a victory at Penn State Scranton.

Overall, Bussenger has collected a .526 batting average in 35 games this season. She leads the team in stolen bases with 27 and is tied for the team lead with 38 runs scored. Bussenger ranks second in the league in both stolen bases and runs scored.

DeFazio is Brandywine's leader in wins as she owns a 10-1 record through 13 appearances. DeFazio has recorded the second-lowest ERA in the league behind Cassario, pitching to a mark of 2.50, while striking out 35 batters in 50.1 innings. Seven of DeFazio's appearances have come in a relief role. She has tallied a 6-0 record with a 1.65 ERA, allowing an earned run only once during those seven appearances.

Rees was selected as an All-PSUAC Second Team catcher for the second-straight season. In 26 games this spring, Rees is batting .507, tallying 34 hits in 67 at-bats. She has also collected 20 runs scored and 16 RBI. Rees ended the regular season by hitting safely in 10-straight games and 13 of her final 14. She produced a trio of three-hit games and 11 multi-hit efforts overall.

In addition, Sarah Moore (New Holland, Pa./Pequea Valley) received the John Fritz Sportsmanship Award. Named after former PSUAC Commissioner John Fritz, the sportsmanship award is given to one player from each team in the league who best displays the core values of the league and sportsmanship to teammates and opponents throughout the season. Moore has posted two victories and a 3.00 ERA in seven appearances in the circle this spring.