Story: Mizzou Athletics:
On the eve of the Tigers first SEC Tournament game at Texas A & M against Auburn, Mizzou sophomore OF Brooke Wilmes and freshman INF Jazmyn Rollin both took home 2019 SEC Postseason Honors, the league office announced on Tuesday, May 7. Wilmes was named First-Team All-SEC while Rollin earned a spot on the All-Freshman squad.
Wilmes was the engine that powered Mizzou’s offense all season long, leading the team in hits (60), doubles (16), triples (2) and batting average (.357). Wilmes was even better in conference play, batting .366, while also leading the squad in hits (30), doubles (7) and slugging percentage (.585). Wilmes’ numbers at the plate were special, but her fighting spirit at the dish that personified the team’s no-quit attitude was on display all season, as she was one of the hardest players in the country to strike out. Wilmes averaged 33.6 at bats between her strikeouts, good for the 14th best mark nationally. Wilmes is the only SEC player currently in the top-25 in the category, and is one of just four power-five conference performers in the top-25.
The sophomore was also stellar defensively after her move from the infield to the outfield, where she played both in center and in right. Despite her lack of experience in the outfield, Wilmes quickly became the leader of the unit. She was perfect defensively after the move, sporting a 1.000 fielding percentage in conference play.
Wilmes’ impressive resume translated into the first First-Team All-SEC performer for the Tigers since 2016, when volunteer assistant coach Emily Crane earned the honor. Wilmes became the first underclassman to land on the SEC’s First Team since Taylor Gadbois in 2014.
Rollin, meanwhile, took the league by storm during her freshman season. Even though she only started 38 of Mizzou’s 54 total regular season games, Rollin led the Black & Gold in several statistical categories, including runs scored (40), walks drawn (21), slugging percentage (.637) and stolen bases (16). Rollin possesses a unique blend of speed and power, which was on display all season, as she became the first Tiger with 10+ homers and 15+ stolen bases in a single season since 2016.
Due to her explosive performance this season, Rollin garnered national recognition, as she was named one of 25 NFCA National Freshman of the Year finalists.
Rollin also extended Mizzou’s impressive streak of at least one player on the Freshman All-SEC squad. The Tigers have been represented on the first-year team the past six seasons, as Rollin joins Tori Finucane (2014), Paige Lowary (2015), Amanda Sanchez (2015), Regan Nash (2016), Braxton Burnside (2017) and Wilmes (2018) as a first-year honoree.