SAC Softball All-Conference Team, Awards Announced

ROCK HILL, SC - Lenoir-Rhyne College catcher Karie Pushard, who helped lead the Bears to a conference championship by batting a team-best .368 and pitcher Meredith O'Connor, who set a conference record with 298 strikeouts, were named Softball Player and Pitcher of the Year, the league announced today.

Pushard, a junior from Harrisburg, N.C. (Central Cabarrus HS), ranked sixth in the league in slugging percentage (.648) and fifth in on-base percentage (.459). She committed just one error all season.

O'Connor, a junior from Charlotte, N.C. (Appalachian St. University), went 22-2 on the mound with a 1.08 ERA and allowed opponents to hit just .142 against her.

Karie Pushard

Meredith O'Connor

Allie Marshall

Mandi Chester

David Williams

Catawba College second baseman Allie Marshall (Pleasant Garden, NC/SE Guilford), who was second in the league in runs batted in and home runs, was named Freshman of the Year.

Mars Hill College coach David Williams, who led the Lions to their first winning record since the South Atlantic Conference became an all-sports league in 1990, was named Coach of the Year. The Lions are 32-20 overall and tied for sixth place in the conference standings with a 6-8 record.

League champion Lenoir-Rhyne led the way with seven All-Conference selections, including six on the first team.

Carson-Newman placed five on the All-Conference team, with two on the first team. Wingate had three selections, with one first team honoree. Catawba had two, with both making the first team. Newberry also had two, with one first team pick. Mars Hill, Presbyterian and Tusculum each had one All-Conference selection, with Tusculum getting a first team pick.

The SAC All-Conference teams are selected by the head coaches.

Wingate catcher Mandi Chester, a, was named SAC Scholar Athlete for softball for the second year in a row.

Chester, a senior from Charlotte, NC (Independence), has a 3.673 GPA, majoring in middle grades education.

Chester hit .386 this season for the Bulldogs and had 28 RBIs in 28 games played. In 2006, she was a Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-American as well as ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District.

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.

2007 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL AWARD WINNERS

FIRST TEAM
Catcher - Karie Pushard, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher - Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher - Meredith O'Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne
1st base - Leah Krohn, Lenoir-Rhyne *
1st base - Chrissy Wilkison, Tusculum *
2nd base - Allie Marshall, Catawba
Shortstop - Brooke Starnes, Lenoir-Rhyne
3rd base - Jessica Howard, Carson-Newman
Outfield - Hillary Hammond, Carson-Newman*
Outfield - Jessie Whitesides, Catawba*
Outfield - Taylor Queen, Lenoir-Rhyne*
Outfield - Joy Henry, Wingate*
Utility - Sara Powell, Newberry

SECOND TEAM
Catcher - Kristina Osborn, Mars Hill
Pitcher - Stephanie Templeton, Carson-Newman
Pitcher - Paige Cassady, Presbyterian
2nd base - Whitney Hickam, Carson-Newman
Shortstop - Courtney Lindler, Newberry
3rd base - Hallie Pettigrew, Wingate
Outfield - Katie Speaks, Carson-Newman
Outfield - Brittany Cherry, Lenoir-Rhyne
Utility - LaRonda McClain, Wingate
* tie

COACH OF THE YEAR - David Williams, Mars Hill
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR - Allie Marshall, Catawba
PITCHER OF THE YEAR - Meredith O'Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne
PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Karie Pushard, Lenoir-Rhyne
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE - Mandi Chester, Wingate

SOFTBALL STAT CHAMPIONS
Jessie Howard, Carson-Newman - Batting Avg., .441; On-Base Pct., .480
Leah Krohn, Lenoir-Rhyne - Slugging Pct., .745; Homers Per Game, 0.30;
Jessie Howard, Carson-Newman - Runs Scored Per Game, 1.20
Whitney Hickam, Carson-Newman - RBIs Per Game, 1.36
Kristina Osborn, Mars Hill - Doubles Per Game, 0.42
Kimee Lewis, Wingate - Triples Per Game, 0.13
Jessie Howard, Carson-Newman - Stolen Bases Per Game, 0.68
Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne - Earned Run Average, 1.01
Ashley Green, Wingate - Pitching Victories, 25
Meredith O'Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne - Strikeouts Per Game, 11.97
Carson-Newman - Batting Avg., .352; Slugging Pct., .517; On Base Pct., .421; Runs Per Game, 7.23; RBIs Per Game; 6.57
Lenoir-Rhyne - Homers Per Game, 1.16; Earned Run Average, 1.05; Strikeouts Per Game, 9.99
Presbyterian - Stolen Bases Per Game, 179

SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE SENIOR AWARDS

Carson-Newman
Hillary Hammond

Catawba
Lindsay Ettinger
Jenn Mehl

Lenoir-Rhyne
Linsday Dehart
Brooke Starnes

Mars Hill
Tiffany Self
Katie Bryden

Newberry
Courtney Lindler
Christina Kirby
Jenny Raines

Presbyterian
Rachel Bailey
Megan Wheelus
Jessica Flanagan
Jessica Peterka

Tusculum
Cortney Schwartz
Jenica Fernandez
Brie Griffin
Kassie Killion
Judith Saavedra
Chrissy Wilkison

Wingate
Kimee Lewis
Megan McPhail
Katie Parmalee
Brittney Taylor
Ashley Green
Joy Henry
Mandi Chester