FINDLAY, Ohio - The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced its 2016 All-GLIAC Softball Teams and Postseason Awards in conjunction with the Conference's annual Softball Tournament at the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay, Ohio. The awards were voted on by the conference softball coaches in ballot format.

Wayne State junior Lyndsay Butler became just the second player in the last 30 years to be a three-time GLIAC of-the-Year award winner joining GVSU's Jennifer Mackson (2002-03-04).  Butler, who was the two-time GLIAC Pitcher of the Year (2014 & 2015), was selected as the 2016 GLIAC Player of the Year after leading the country in batting average during the regular-season at .509.

In league play, Butler led the GLIAC in runs (29), hits (46), triples (4), batting average (.575 - next best at .459), on-base percentage (.607), slugging percentage (.950 - next at .741), total bases (76 - next at 63) and extra-base hits (16).  In addition, she was tied-for-first in home runs (5), third in RBI (23), and tied-for-5th in doubles (7).  In terms of pitching, Butler was second in ERA (1.09 with at least 45 IP), tied-for-second in wins (11), third in strikeouts (88), and tied-for-3rd in both saves (2) and complete games (11).

In terms of national rankings heading into the GLIAC Tournament, Butler is sixth in triples (7), 12th in on-base percentage (.544), 13th in slugging percentage (.848), 16th in triples per game (0.14) and 26th in runs scored (1.06 per game).  In the circle, Butler is fourth in ERA (0.73), ninth in both wins (24) and fewest hits allowed per game (3.95), 12th in shutouts (8), 22nd in strikeouts (195), 28th in saves (3) and 32nd in strikeouts per game (7.9).

Grand Valley State pitcher Allison Lipovsky is the fifth GVSU player to earn GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors after a terrific rookie campaign. The righthander finished her first regular season with a 10-1 overall record and a 0.85 ERA. In 82.2 innings, Lipovsky allowed just 50 hits and only 20 runs (just 10 were earned), walking 31 batters and fanning 75 hitters. Her 0.85 ERA was third-best in the GLIAC, while her 0.79 earned run average in conference games led all pitchers in the league. Lipovsky - who won her first eight collegiate decisions - allowed opponents to hit just .171, the fifth-best in the GLIAC.

Findlay sophomore Chelsea McManaway recorded a 15-6 record on the mound this season and added four saves. She ranks second in the GLIAC and fifth nationally with an earned run average of 0.76 and leads the league in strikeouts with 201, which is also a school record. Her 10.9 strikeouts per game is the fourth-best average in NCAA Division II while her average of only 3.29 hits allowed per game ranks fourth nationally as well.

Hillsdale's Joe Abraham, in his fifth season guiding the Charger program, was named the conference's top coach. His award was announced as part of the All-GLIAC awards ceremony, held between the first two games of the conference tournament in Findlay, Ohio Friday afternoon. Abraham is the first Hillsdale GLIAC Coach of the Year since 1989 and leads the Chargers into the conference tournament as the No. 3 seed, its highest ever.

Abraham led Hillsdale to its best overall record in 25 years in 2016, 26-10, and the team's 19-7 conference record represents the most GLIAC wins the team has ever had in one season. The 2016 Hillsdale College softball team is made up entirely of players Abraham recruited to the program. In five seasons at the helm of the program, Abraham has led Hillsdale to four 20-win seasons and a total record of 108-95, a .532 winning percentage, the third-highest career coaching winning percentage in school history.

For a complete list of the 2016 All-GLIAC Softball Teams click below: