(NAPERVILLE, IL) -- University of South Dakota junior pitcher Mel Johnson has been named the Great West Conference Pitcher of the Year in softball, the league announced on Thursday.

Johnson (Sioux Falls, S.D.) was also a All-Great West Conference first-team selection and one of five Coyotes to earn all-conference honors, as freshman Melissa Blackburn (Sioux Falls, S.D.), senior Michelle Jones (Rapid City, S.D.), senior Callie Roan (Sioux City, Iowa) and sophomore Alexa Rudeen (Sioux City, Iowa) were each selected to the All-GWC second team. Johnson is enjoying a solid year both on the mound and at the plate for USD. Johnson leads USD with a 14-12 record and a 3.43 ERA. She has three shutouts – including a big 1-0 shutout of 2009 NCAA tournament qualifier North Dakota State – to lead the USD staff. Johnson also leads USD in innings pitched (159), strikeouts (125) and complete games (18). Johnson is 2-2 with a 2.59 ERA in four conference games starts. Johnson is 10-4 in her last 14 decisions.

At the plate, Johnson is tied for the team lead with a .286 average to go with four doubles, five homers and 16 RBI. She also has a .429 slugging percentage.

Blackburn has had a solid freshman campaign on the mound for USD, recording three wins and a 3.51 ERA in 95 2/3 innings. She has struck out 40 and walked only 24 during that time. She recorded a big 1-0 shutout win over Houston Baptist during a conference doubleheader in March. In 18 1/3 innings in the conference games, Blackburn had a 1-1 record with a 1.91 ERA. Jones is hitting .263 and leads USD with seven homers and 31 RBI and a .467 slugging percentage. Jones also has seven doubles and a triple and leads USD with 22 runs scored and in total bases (70).

Jones is hitting .364 with runners in scoring position. Jones is hitting .366 in USD’s last 22 games with five homers and 20 RBI during that stretch, all team bests.

Roan is hitting .250 with six homers, second on the team, and 15 RBI this season. She is second on the team with a .457 slugging percentage. She also has four doubles and a triple and leads USD with 16 sacrifice bunts (she is fourth all-time in USD history in that category). Roan also leads USD with an on-base percentage of .383. In the field, she also leads with 74 assists. In conference play, Roan had a .462 slugging percentage to go with a homer.

Rudeen is tied for the team lead in batting average (.286), and leads the team in hits (44), doubles (15) and is second on the team with 23 RBI. She also has started and appeared in all 48 games and has a fielding percentage of .972. Rudeen is hitting .287 with 21 RBI and nine doubles with runners on base. Rudeen also has five game-winning RBI this season for USD. In six conference games, Rudeen hit .350 with four doubles, one homer and a team-high six RBI.

USD (19-28-1) opens Great West Conference Championship play on Sunday, May 16 against Houston Baptist. Game time is 12:30 p.m. in Farmer’s Branch, Texas.