Eastern Illinois softball player
Olivia Price has been named the Panthers 2022-23 Female Athlete of the Year after helping guide the Panthers to the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament bid.
Price was a key factor in the Panthers finishing second in the OVC regular season standings and winning the OVC Tournament. During that tournament run Price pitched 21.0 innings, going 3-0 with an 0.33 E.R.A. and .169 opponent batting average. She had back-to-back shutouts in her final two games, including six strikeouts and no walks in the title game.
For the year she appeared in 31 games (23 starts) and was 16-6 with a 1.87 E.R.A., 12 complete games, six shutouts and two saves. In 138.1 innings of work she struck out 90 while walking only 23. She also tallied the eighth no-hitter in program history.
She was named the OVC Tournament MVP after earning OVC Pitcher of the Year and OVC first team honors. Price would go on to win the OVC Female Athlete of the Year Award announced in late May becoming the fourth EIU female athlete in school history to win the honor.
As a team EIU made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance at the NCAA Division I level playing in the Evanston Regional hosted by Northwestern. EIU finished the season at 34-21 overall.
Price was one of four candidates for the award joined on the list by Giovana Larregui Lopez from volleyball, Akiya Kollore from track & field and Lariah Washington from basketball.
EIU is releasing its end-of-year awards this week with the Male & Female Athletic Director's Award set for Thursday & Friday. Giovana Larregui Lopez from volleyball was named the EIU Female Newcomer of the Year on Monday. Ryan Ignoffo was named the EIU Male Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.
