Player of the Year Hefner Leads SAC Softball Awards Winners

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman shortstop Brittany Hefner has been named the 2013 SAC Softball Player of the Year, headlining the list of conference award winners which was released on Wednesday.

Hefner, who helped Carson-Newman finish tied for third in the regular-season conference standings, had a monstrous season at the plate for the Eagles. She hit .463 with 19 home runs –the second-most in a season in conference history – and a league-record 75 RBI. She also led the conference with a .523 on-base percentage and a .993 slugging percentage.

Hefner had nine three-hit games during the regular season and recorded four or more RBI on eight occasions.

Joining Hefner on the list of honorees was Catawba's Carley Tysinger, who earned both the SAC Pitcher of the Year and SAC Freshman of the Year awards after winning 22 games and posting a 1.10 ERA. Both of those numbers led the conference.

Tysinger also led the league with 282 strikeouts – 147 more than the second-highest total. She allowed opponents to hit just .150 against her this season.

Along with Hefner, the All-SAC First Team infield consisted of Anderson first baseman Danielle Swygert, Anderson second baseman Nessica Neidigh and Mars Hill third baseman Robyn Stanek. All three finished in the top five in the conference in batting average, while Neidigh led the league with 59 runs scored and Swygert ranked second in RBI with 55.

Carson-Newman's Bri Shoemake earned first-team accolades at catcher after finishing the regular season with a .361 average and 28 RBI. She also threw out 50-percent of potential base stealers.

Making up the first-team outfield were Wingate's Kelsey Maffucci, Carson-Newman's Kelli Hensley and Anderson's Molly Child. Hensley hit .386, Child .361 and Maffucci .355, while Child ranked second in the conference with 46 runs scored and Hensley was seventh in stolen bases with 13.

Child also ranked in the league's top 10 in doubles, RBI, home runs, walks and on-base percentage.

Anderson's Bailey Smith was voted as the first-team designated player, and Carson-Newman's Elayna Siebert was selected to the team at the utility position. Siebert led the conference with six triples and hit .342, while Smith ranked sixth in the league with eight home runs and 10th in slugging percentage at .582.

Rounding out the All-SAC First Team is Lenoir-Rhyne pitcher Maryann Hoskins, who was second in the conference in ERA at 1.65 and strikeouts with 135. She won 13 games during the regular season and also tallied a league-best three saves.

The All-SAC Second Team was also announced on Wednesday, featuring an infield of Catawba catcher Tara Gibbs, first basemen Jesssica Fellmeth of Lenoir-Rhyne and Kaytlin Stroinski of Tusculum, Wingate second baseman Hayley Whitley, TC shortstop Lindsey Umberger, and L-R third baseman Haily Jarman. Fellmeth and Stroinski tied in the voting for second-team first baseman.

Tusculum's Miranda Beeler, LMU's Brianna Mulkey and Newberry's Gabby Bedard made up the second-team outfield, while Wingate's Kayla Saliga was the team's designated player and Brevard's Alyssa Miller was its utility player.

The All-Conference Second Team was completed by pitchers Taylor Morris of Mars Hill and Stacey Houser of Wingate.

Finally, Tusculum's Julie Huebner was selected as the SAC Coach of the Year after leading her team to the program's first-ever regular-season conference title. The Pioneers went 13-5 in league play and 30-17 overall in the regular season. She is the first coach in TC softball history to earn the conference's Coach of the Year award.

2013 SAC Softball Awards

SAC Player of the Year: Brittany Hefner, Carson-Newman

SAC Pitcher of the Year: Carley Tysinger, Catawba

SAC Freshman of the Year: Carley Tysinger, Catawba

SAC Coach of the Year: Julie Huebner, Tusculum

All-Conference First Team

C - Bri Shoemake, C-N %$

1B - Danielle Swygert, AU

2B - Jessica Neidigh, AU ^

SS - Brittany Hefner, C-N

3B - Robyn Stanek, MHC

OF - Kelsey Maffucci, WU

OF - Kelli Hensley, C-N

OF - Molly Child, AU

DP - Bailey Smith, AU

Util - Elayna Siebert, C-N

P - Carley Tysinger, CAT

P - Maryann Hoskins, L-R

All-Conference Second Team

C - Tara Gibbs, CAT

1B - Jessica Fellmeth, L-R *^%

1B - Kaytlin Stroinski, TC *

2B - Hayley Whitley, WU

SS - Lindsey Umberger, TC

3B - Haily Jarman, L-R #&

OF - Miranda Beeler, TC

OF - Brianna Mulkey, LMU ^&

OF - Gabby Bedard, NEW

DP - Kayla Saliga, WU

Util - Alyssa Miller, BC

P - Taylor Morris, MHC

P - Stacey Houser, WU

[2013 SAC Softball Stat Champions]