The South Atlantic Conference Announces Softball Annual Awards
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Wingate's Mellena Helms was voted the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Softball Player of the Year, while Carley Tysinger from Catawba was named the Pitcher of the Year. In addition, Lenoir-Rhyne's Erin Boone was voted the League's Freshman of the Year and Bears' mentor Shena Hollar was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.
Helms, a senior from Concord, N.C., finished the regular season with a League-best seven triples to rank No. 13 in the nation with 0.16 triples per game. She added nine home runs and seven doubles to rank No. 2 in the South Atlantic Conference with a .681 slugging percentage. She posted a .347 average at the plate to go along with 50 hits and 28 RBI. Helms also scored 46 runs to rank No. 2 in the League and stole six bases.
Tysinger, a junior from Lexington, N.C., earns the honor for the second-straight year after finishing the 2016 campaign ranked No. 4 in the nation with 10 shutouts and 361 total strikeouts. She struck out 10.4 batters per seven innings to rank No. 6 in Division II, while posting 27 wins in the circle to rank No. 6 in the country. Tysinger is the only pitcher in the League this season finish the regular season with an ERA of less than one as she posted a 0.89 ERA to rank No. 9 nationally. She earned AstroTurf SAC Pitcher of the Week honors a League-best six times this season and was named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association National Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 24.
Boone, an outfielder from Creedmoor, N.C., finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the South Atlantic Conference with 76 hits, 58 runs scored and 114 total bases. Her .409 average at the plate was good for No. 2 in the SAC as she added four triples, 15 doubles and five home runs on the year to rank No. 2 in the League with a .409 slugging percentage. Boone drove in 33 runs and posted an on-base percentage .464 during the 2016 campaign.
Hollar earns her sixth South Atlantic Coach of the Year plaudit as she coached her squad its second regular season championship in three years. The Bears posted an overall record of 43-9 and a 20-2 record in South Atlantic Conference play. Lenoir-Rhyne posted the League's top-rated offense with 6.63 runs per game to go along with 5.82 RBI per game and a team batting average of .349. Lenoir-Rhyne is currently ranked No. 19 in Division II and is the No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Atlantic Conference Softball Championship.
2016 South Atlantic Conference Softball All-Conference Agate
1st Team
OF – Erin Boone, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Christina Walker, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Kristen Stinnard, Catawba
1B – Sydney Landreth, Lenoir-Rhyne
2B - Elayna Siebert, Carson-Newman
SS – Madison Carter, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B – Misty Doran, Wingate
DP – Taylor Lail, Mars Hill
UTL – Mellena Helms, Wingate
C – Taylor Laskey, Wingate
P – Carley Tysinger, Catawba
P – Stacey Houser, Wingate
OF – Christina Linton, Newberry
OF – Taylor Rosenbalm, Queens
OF – Riley Morris, Coker
1B – Lindsay Dean, Carson-Newman
2B – Madison Poe, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS – Kinsey Parrish, Brevard
3B – Jordin Phillips, Lenoir-Rhyne
DP – Katherine Shumaker, Catawba
UTL – Maude McCoury, Newberry
C – Sarah Kenley, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Maryann Hoskins, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Jamie Hrobak, Brevard
Honorable Mention
OF – Carolyn Williamson, Tusculum
OF – Naomi Sapp, Wingate
OF – Miranda Beeler, Tusculum
1B – Ashton Whitaker, Queens
2B – Natalie Willis, Newberry
SS – Kristen Toppel, Carson-Newman
3B – Ashley Gallman, Coker
DP – Mackenzie Cates, Lenoir-Rhyne
UTL – Emily Kenley, Lenoir-Rhyne
C – Cailah Niles, Anderson
P – Samantha Smith, Lincoln Memorial
P – Augie Pena, Anderson
Freshman of the Year
Erin Boone, Lenoir-Rhyne
Player of the Year
Mellena Helms, Wingate
Pitcher of the Year
Carley Tysinger, Catawba
Coach of the Year
Shena Hollar, Lenoir-Rhyne
SAC Statistical Champions
Team Batting Average – Lenoir-Rhyne (.349)
Team Slugging Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne (.520)
Team On-Base Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne (.406)
Team Runs Scored Per Game – Lenoir-Rhyne (6.63)
Team Home Runs Per Game – Wingate (0.84)
Team Triples Per Game – Wingate (0.34)
Team Doubles Per Game – Lenoir-Rhyne (1.94)
Team RBIs Per Game – Lenoir-Rhyne (5.82)
Team Stolen Bases Per Game – Tusculum (1.94)
Team ERA – Catawba (1.73)
Team Strikeouts Per Game – Catawba (9.21)
On-Base Percentage – Cailah Niles, Anderson (.503)
Slugging Percentage – Cailah Niles, Anderson (.719)
Home Runs Per Game – Lindsey Dean, Carson-Newman (0.28)
RBIs Per Game – Cailah Niles, Anderson (0.98)
Runs Scored Per Game – Erin Boone, Lenoir-Rhyne (1.12)
Triples Per Game – Mellena Helms, Wingate (0.16)
Doubles Per Game – Taylor Rosenbalm, Queens (0.36)
Stolen Bases Per Game – Taylor Battle, Tusculum (0.58)
ERA – Carley Tysinger, Catawba (0.89)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings – Carley Tysinger, Catawba (10.4)
Pitching Victories – Carley Tysinger, Catawba (27)