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CLEVELAND – Ohio softball graduate student pitcher Skipp Miller was named the 2026 recipient of the Mid-American Conference Nan Harvey Sportswoman of the Year Award, the league announced today (May 6). Meanwhile, seniors Belle Hummel and Colleen Bare earned First Team All-MAC honors, and senior Shelby Westler and junior Brenna Farmer were named to the All-MAC Second Team. 

Miller (Bradford, Ohio) becomes the second Bobcat to be awarded the Nan Harvey Sportswoman of the Year Award, joining Michaela Doresy who earned the distinction in 2019. The Nan Harvey Sportswoman of the Year Award is given to a MAC player, coach, or staff member who demonstrates the type of commitment, leadership, toughness and tenacious attitude that Harvey epitomized as an integral part of the University at Buffalo family for over two decades.

Miller has been a staple on the Bobcats for the last five years. After missing her freshman year to a torn ACL weeks before the start of the season, Miller returned to become a force in the circle for the Bobcats the last four seasons. Over her time, she has won numerous MAC Pitcher of the Week awards and was the MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year and the 2025 MAC Pitcher of the Year. She is a three-time First Team All-MAC selection and has been on the MAC All-Tournament Team and the MAC All-Freshman Team. She has tossed two seven-inning no hitters and has recorded 500 career strikeouts, placing her fourth all-time in program history. However, through all those successes has come the struggles. Over her time, Miller has dealt with numerus knee injuries and surgeries and has always battled back, including this season, where despite competing in pain, she still leads the Bobcats in ERA, wins, innings pitched and strikeouts.

Despite this season's physical battles, Miller is still the pillar of the Bobcats' pitching rotation and her toughness wears off on them as well. In her final season at Ohio, Skipp Miller has held down the circle as she has done her entire career. In Conference play, Miller has made 16 starts in 19 appearances, going 10-4 with one save and nine complete games. She holds a 4.50 ERA, tossing 93.1 innings, allowing 60 earned runs on 107 hits. She walked 49 and struck out 55, while opponents are hitting .280 against her. While fielding her position, Miller had a 1.000 fielding percentage, not recording an error, while registering 12 catches, one put out and 11 assists.

This is the first time Hummel (Cincinnati, Ohio) earned First Team All-MAC honors. Hummel played and started every game for Ohio this season, becoming a force at the plate and putting together one of the best offensive seasons in program history. In conference play, Hummel hit .441 with 41 hits, 10 doubles, three home runs, 38 runs scored and 16 RBI. She had a 1.172 OPS and a .645 slugging percentage with 60 total bases. During the conference season, she drew 17 walks and had a .527 on base percentage. In the field, she held a .966 fielding percentage, with 58 catches, two errors, 55 putouts and one assist, while also helping turn one double play. In league play, she had 14 multi-hit games, 13 multi-run games and three multi-RBI games.

Hummel was named the MAC Player of the week earlier this season and put together a 14-game hitting streak. She set the Ohio single season record in runs scored and on May 1 in the top of the first inning against UMass, Hummel's third home run of MAC play made her the Ohio single season hits lead, surpassing the previous mark of 78 set by Katie Yun in 2019. Entering the 2026 MAC Tournament, Hummel is currently five hits away from the MAC Single Season Hits Record and five runs away from the MAC Single Season Runs record.

This is the first time Bare (Pickerington, Ohio) has earned a spot on a MAC postseason team. Bare played and started every game for Ohio this season at second base. Overall, Bare hit .333 in 27 MAC games, recording 29 hits, while scoring 29 runs. She registered seven doubles and a team-high 11 home runs in conference play, while driving in 21. She recorded a 1.219 OPS, a .793 slugging percentage and a .426 on base percentage. In the field, she recorded 103 catches, 47 putouts, 49 assists and had seven errors for a .932 fielding percentage, while helping turn two double plays. She recorded eight multi-hit games, five multi-RBI games and went 3-for-4 with a double, home run, run scored and RBI against Central Michigan earlier this season. 

This is the second time Farmer (Mt. Blanchard, Ohio) has earned an All-MAC selection. This season during MAC play, Farmer played and started all 27 games at first base. Farmer hit .301, with 25 hits, 18 runs scored, eight doubles, four home runs and 21 RBI. She drew 17 walks and recorded a .980 OPS, a .542 slugging percentage and a .438 on base percentage. In the field, Farmer registered a .995 field percentage, with 192 catches, 185 putouts, six assists and one error and helped turn two double plays. During MAC play, Farmer recorded five multi-hit games and five multi-RBI games and this past weekend at UMass, Farmer went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI in the Bobcats' win. 

This is the first time Westler (Marion, Ohio) has earned a spot on the All-MAC Second Team. Westler started every game at third base for the Bobcats this season. At the plate, Westler hit .362 with 34 hits, 10 doubles, six home runs, 42 RBI and 22 runs scored. She recorded a 1.048 OPS with a .680 slugging percentage and a .388 on base percentage. During conference play at the hot corner, Westler recorded a .967 fielding percentage, with only two errors, while recording 61 catches, 21 putouts and 38 assists, while helping turn one double play. This season against Miami, Westler put together a stellar series where she it .538 with four extra base hits, 13 RBI and a grand slam, while not recording an error in the field to lead Ohio to the series in. Westler was then named DI Softball Mid-Major Player of the Week and the NCAA Softball Starting Third Baseman of the week for her performance. On May 1 at UMass, Westler became the Ohio Single Season RBI leader with her 61st RBI of the season.  

These five Bobcats and the rest of the No. 4 Ohio Softball team open play at the 2026 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Wednesday, May 6 when the Bobcats take on No. 5 Central Michigan. First pitch is set for Noon ET at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio and can be seen on ESPN+. 

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