Mariah Rodriguez – All-Big Ten First team
From Ohio State:
“Rodriguez, from Orange, Calif., finished fifth in the Big Ten with a .358 batting average and eighth with 48 total hits. She raised her batting average over 150 points from a COVID-shortened freshman season in 2020 and in the process led the Buckeyes with 17 multi-hit games. Over the final 10 games of the season, she had at least one hit in seven games and batted .368 with a home run as the Buckeyes went 6-4 with series wins over Illinois and Michigan State.
In her final at-bat of a 13-5 victory over Rutgers in April, Rodriguez hit her first collegiate home run to secure the six-inning walk-off victory. In her next at-bat of the following game, she hit another home run and finished the weekend series with a .375 average and .750 slugging percentage.
Rodriguez also had a stellar season defensively at second base. She finished with a .960 fielding percentage and totaled 110 putouts with 80 assists. Her play, along with the rest of the infield, helped the Buckeyes finish fourth nationally in double plays per game (0.60).”