Wingate’s Chester, Lenoir-Rhyne’s Hanes Named to All-America Teams

Salem, Va.----Wingate University junior catcher Mandi Chester (Charlotte, N.C.) has been named to the 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America second team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Wednesday night. Lenoir-Rhyne College freshman pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va.) earned third team All-America honors.

The three All-America teams were honored at the 2006 NCAA Division II Championship banquet Wednesday night.

Chester is the first Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America in the school's 17-year fast-pitch softball history. Earlier this month, she was one of a region-high six Wingate players on the 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NCAA Division II All-South Atlantic Region teams. She is one of only three South Atlantic Region players to earn All-America honors. Chester is the only SAR honoree to make either the first or second All-America team.

A graduate of Independence High School, Chester had the best year of her three-year Wingate career in 2006. Her season batting average of .386 was 106 points higher than her 2005 season batting average. Chester set personal season-highs in batting average, at bats (166), runs (42), hits (64), doubles (12), home runs (14) and RBI (52).

In addition, she established personal season-bests in total bases (118), slugging percentage (.711), walks (17), on-base percentage (.439), put outs (305) and assists (28). In 2006, Chester made only two errors in 335 chances as she compiled a sterling .994 fielding percentage.

Chester was third on the Wingate team with 14 home runs and 52 RBI. She was one of three Bulldogs to break the single-season Wingate record for home runs in a season. Chester had 20 multiple hit games and 15 multiple RBI games this year.

In 2006, Chester was named to the All-South Atlantic Conference first team. She made the all-tournament team at both the regional and conference tournaments. The SAC Scholar-Athlete Award winner for softball, Chester was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III softball second team in 2006.

A three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Chester did not make an error in 2005 (297 chances). She has started 143 of the 144 games she has played in the Wingate blue-and-gold.

Wingate won the 2006 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference tournament and earned a bid in the NCAA Division II play-offs, setting a school record for wins with 47 victories. The Bulldogs completed the 2006 season 47-11 overall. Chester is one of six starting position players who will return for the 2007 season.

Cal State Bakersfield, Humboldt State, San Francisco State and Emporia State had three players each named All-America to pace the 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America teams. Bakersfield tied Lock Haven and Shippensburg with the most first team selections as the three squads placed two players each on the first squad.

The other two South Atlantic Region players to earn 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America honors were named to the third team. Georgia College and State University junior third baseman Keidra Baitey (Stockbridge, Ga.) and Lenoir-Rhyne College freshman pitcher Casey Hanes (Richmond, Va.) both earned third team All-America laurels.