South Atlantic Softball All-Conference Awards Announced

ROCK HILL, SC - Carson-Newman College senior first baseman Lisa Rogers, who led the South Atlantic Conference with a .434 batting average, and Lenoir-Rhyne freshman pitcher Casey Hanes, who led the league in earned run average, were named Softball Player and Pitcher of the Year, the league announced today.

Rogers (Rossville, GA) wins the Player of the Year award for the second year in a row. She also led the league in on-base percentage (.510) and was second in the league in slugging percentage (.682). She had 32 runs batted in with nine home runs.

Hanes, a freshman from Richmond, Va., set a SAC record with a 0.40 ERA for the season. She went 24-6 with 15 shutouts.

Wingate third baseman Hallie Pettigrew (Uniontown, Ohio), who was second in the league in batting average at .426, was named Freshman of the Year.

Lenoir-Rhyne College coach Shena Hollar, who led the Bears to the SAC regular-season title, was named Coach of the Year, winning the honor for the first time in her career.

Wingate University placed a league-high eight on the All-Conference team, including seven on the First Team.

Carson-Newman had five All-SAC selections, while Lenoir-Rhyne had four. Presbyterian and Catawba each had three selections, while Tusculum and Newberry each had one.

Wingate catcher Mandi Chester, a First-Team All-Conference selection, was named SAC Scholar Athlete for softball.

Chester, a junior from Charlotte, NC, has a 3.64 GPA, majoring in Mathematics and Education.

Chester hit .380 this season for the Bulldogs, and was third in the conference in RBIs per game, trailing two of her teammates. In 2005, she did not make an error in 297 chances.

She is a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and is a volunteer tutor in her math classes. She also donates her time at the Charlotte homeless shelter and has participated in Operation Christmas Child every year since she was in middle school. She also is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Wingate and is a catching and hitting coach for local recreational leagues.

Regular season statistical champions and senior awards were also announced.

2006 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL AWARD WINNERS

FIRST TEAM
Catcher - Mandi Chester, Wingate
Pitcher - Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher - Megan Elliott, Carson-Newman
1st base - Lisa Rogers, Carson-Newman
1st base - Sarah Carleton, Wingate
2nd base - Megan McPhail, Wingate
Shortstop - Grace Cunningham, Wingate
3rd base - Hallie Pettigrew, Wingate
Outfield - Taylor Queen, Lenoir-Rhyne
Outfield - Kimee Lewis, Wingate
Outfield - Joy Henry, Wingate
Utility - Ashley Ford, Presbyterian

SECOND TEAM
Catcher - Kim Thorne, Carson-Newman
Pitcher - Ashley Green, Wingate
Pitcher - Meredith O'Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne
1st base - Jacqueline White, Catawba
2nd base - Whitney Hickam, Carson-Newman
2nd base - Hillary Hampton, Catawba
Shortstop - Rachel Bailey, Presbyterian
Shortstop - Nicole Ringwall, Tusculum
3rd base - Amber Palmer, Carson-Newman
Outfield - Kellyn Henderson, Presbyterian
Outfield - Ashlee Rhoades, Catawba
Outfield - Jessica Jackson, Newberry
Utility - Angela Beard, Lenoir-Rhyne

COACH OF THE YEAR: Shena Hollar, Lenoir-Rhyne
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Hallie Pettigrew, Wingate
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Lisa Rogers, Carson-Newman
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Mandi Chester, Wingate

SOFTBALL STAT CHAMPIONS

Lisa Rogers, Carson-Newman - Batting Avg., .434; On-Base Pct., .510
Sarah Carleton, Wingate - Slugging Pct., .781; Homers Per Game, 0.28; Runs Scored Per Game, 1.07; RBIs Per Game, 1.35
Rachel Bailey, Presbyterian - Doubles Per Game, 0.39
Kimee Lewis, Wingate - Triples Per Game, 0.19
Nicole Ringwall, Tusculum - Stolen Bases Per Game, 0.54
Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne - Earned Run Average, 0.40
Megan Elliott, Carson-Newman - Pitching Victories, 28
Meredith O'Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne - Strikeouts Per Game, 10.59
Wingate - Batting Avg., .377; Slugging Pct., .536; On Base Pct., .412; Runs Per Game, 6.90; RBIs Per Game, 6.50
Catawba - Homers Per Game, 0.89
Newberry - Stolen Bases Per Game, 1.40
Lenoir-Rhyne - Earned Run Avg., 0.59; Strikeouts Per Game, 9.17

SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE SENIOR AWARDS

Carson-Newman
Lisa Rogers
Hillary Howard
Kasi Sponhaltz
Megan Elliott
Kimberly Thorne

Catawba
Ashlee Rhoades
Jessica Hull

Lenoir-Rhyne
Kim Crowley
Chrissy Lunsford

Mars Hill
Lindsay Hert
Lyn Loomis
Carissa Rice
Jessica Valentine
Ramona Mendez
Newberry
Ashleigh Anderson
Sarah Lynch
Betsy Shealy

Presbyterian
Olivia Hazel
Haley Brooks
Kate Fite
Samantha Slater
Shannon Vining

Tusculum
Nicole Ringwall
Jennifer Doering

Wingate
Sarah Carleton
Grace Cunningham
Laura Gray
Lauren Powell