Brentwood, TN – Six Austin Peay State University (APSU) softball legends were named to the Ohio Valley Conference 75th Anniversary Softball Team, Monday.
The 2022-23 academic year marked the 75th anniversary of the Ohio Valley Conference. As part of the celebration of the league’s storied accomplishments, a committee working with current and former schools captured the “best-of-the-best” in each sport and marked the top athletes in league history with the 75th Anniversary Teams across all OVC sports.
The Governors’ six selections on the OVC’s 75th Anniversary Team are tied with UT Martin for the fifth most among all current and former conference schools.
Altogether, Austin Peay State University’s six standouts combined for two OVC Players of the Year, one OVC Pitcher of the Year, one OVC Freshman of the Year, 19 All-OVC selections, three OVC All-Tournament selections, four OVC Medal of Honor recipients, 10 OVC Player of the Week and six OVC Pitcher of the Week selections.
Lexi Osowski-Anderson, Third Base | 2019-22
Lexi Osowski-Anderson was voted the program’s second OVC Player of the Year in 2022, while also earning All-OVC First Team honors twice (2021-22), and All-OVC Second Team and All-OVC Newcomers Team selections as a freshman (2019).
A four-year starter at third base for the Govs, Osowski-Anderson led all OVC players in hits (33) as a sophomore (2020) and batting average (.425) as a junior (2021), while batting .417 overall versus OVC opponents for her career.
The San Diego, California native led the APSU Govs batting average four times, hits three times, home runs three times, runs batted in twice, slugging percentage three times, and on-base percentage three times.
She was also was a three-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region selection, including All-Midwest Region First Team in 2022, while being named a CoSIDA Academic All-American Third Team selection in 2022.
Osowski-Anderson finished her career in the program’s top 10 in 12 different categories, including being the program’s all-time leader in batting average (.393), runs scored (146), hits (243), doubles (54), slugging percentage (.666) and on-base percentage (.462).
Danielle Liermann, Third Base | 2016-19
Danielle Liermann was a three-time OVC First Team selection, including being the only APSU Gov to earn first-team honors at two different positions (third base and utility). Also named the OVC Freshman of the Year (2016), as well as to the OVC All-Newcomers Team that season.
Liermann led the team in runs batted in and slugging percentage all four years for the APSU Govs while leading the team in batting average, hits, and home runs in three different seasons.
She is also the only APSU Gov to earn All-American honors, being named by Softball America as a Second-Team All-American selection following her senior year (2019) and to the National Invitational Softball Championship Region Team as a junior in 2018.
Finished her career ranked in the program’s Top 10 in 10 different categories, including being the all-time leader in home runs (49), runs batted in (175), and total bases (422).
Andrea Miller, Shortstop | 1993-96
Andrea Miller was the first Governor to be voted OVC Player of the Year (1995) as well as being an All-OVC First Team selection three times and to the All-OVC All-Tournament Team in 1995.
Finished the 1995 season ranked in the Top 20 in NCAA Division I for batting average, home runs per game, runs scored per game, and slugging percentage.
Still ranked in the program’s all-time Top 10 in 11 different categories, including being Austin Peay State University’s all-time leader in triples.
Selected to the Austin Peay State University Hall of Fame (2003) and became the first softball player in program history to have jersey (#32) retired (2022). The only player to be named CoSIDA Academic All-American twice (1995-96/Third Team).
Stacey Perkins, Catcher | 1993-94
Stacey Perkins is the only Austin Peay State University softball player selected to the OVC 50th Anniversary Team in 1998, after only having played two seasons for the Governors after transferring from Trevecca, earning First Team All-OVC honors in 1994.
Finished her career batting .291, which ranks 21st all-time in program history, but was a defensive standout and handler of pitchers, being a preverbal coach on the field behind the plate. Ranks 11th all-time in runners thrown out trying to steal, despite only playing two seasons.
Morgan Rackel, Pitcher/Outfielder | 2018-19
Morgan Rackel earned All-OVC First-Team honors both seasons as a Governor, as well as being the only Austin Peay State University pitcher in program history to be named OVC Pitcher of the Year (2018), after transferring from Weatherford College where she earned Second-Team National Junior College Athletic Association All-American honors.
The only pitcher in program history to post two 20+ win seasons, while being only one of three Austin Peay State University pitchers in program history to throw two no-hitters in their careers and the second to do so in an OVC game.
Posted the highest win percentage by a pitcher in program history (.729) while holding opponents to a program record low .215 batting average against and despite only playing two seasons for the Govs, ranks in the program’s Top 10 all-time in 10 different pitching categories, including earned run average, wins shutouts, saves and strikeouts.
Was a two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Third Team selection of the Central Region and is APSU’s only softball player to be named CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American (2019).
Rackel is also the first Governor to play professionally, signing with the Canadian Wild of the National Pro Fastpitch League, while also being a member of the Canadian National Team.
Angela Thompson, Pitcher | 1992-95
Angela Thompson is the only pitcher in program history to be a three-time First Team All-OVC selection and the first of three pitchers in program history to throw two-career no-hitters.
In 1993 was ranked in the Top 20 in NCAA Division I in wins, earned run average, and strikeouts, while ranking in the Top 10 in 1994 in strikeouts per seven innings.
Holds the program’s all-time single-season records for wins (24), earned runs average (0.78), shutouts (10), and opponents’ batting average (.184).
Ranks in the program’s Top 10 all-time in 11 different pitching categories, including being the all-time leader for wins, shutouts, and complete games, completing 103 out of 106 in her career.
