SAC Announces Softball Award Winners

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Carson-Newman outfielder Kelli Hensley has been named the SAC Softball Player of the Year and Lenoir-Rhyne's Maryann Hoskins the conference's Pitcher of the Year, leading Wednesday's announcement of the league's regular-season award winners.

Hensley finished the regular season with a .494 batting average, which currently stands as the third-best mark in SAC history. She also led the conference in hits with 85 and triples with seven, and ranked second with a .536 on-base percentage, third in runs scored with 49 and fifth in stolen bases with 14.

Hoskins, meanwhile, helped guide Lenoir-Rhyne to a share of the regular-season SAC title by going 19-7 on the mound – with the 19 wins tying for second-most in the conference. She also ranked second in the league with a 1.18 ERA, second in strikeouts with 199 and second in opponent batting average at .183.

Moving across the All-SAC First Team infield are Wingate catcher Taylor Laskey, Anderson first baseman Danielle Swygert, Mars Hill second baseman Jamie Hockaday, Lenoir-Rhyne shortstop Jody Mizelle and L-R third baseman Haily Jarman.

Laskey ranked in the conference's top 10 in doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, while Hockaday led the league with 59 RBI, a .556 on-base percentage and a .737 slugging percentage. Mizelle finished third in hits with 65 and fifth in runs with 46, and Jarman ranked third with 14 doubles and ninth with 37 RBI.

Joining Hensley in the first-team outfield are Anderson's Molly Child and LMU's Brianna Mulkey. Child led the SAC with 13 home runs and ranked third with a .416 batting average, and Mulkey's 19 stolen bases tied for second-most in the conference.

Rounding out the First Team are Wingate's Kayla Saliga at designated player, Brevard's Alyssa Miller at utility, and Hoskins and Wingate's Stacey Houser as pitchers. Saliga's 55 hits are ninth-most in the SAC, Miller ranked in the top 10 in hits, doubles and batting average, and Houser led the league with 21 wins.

Making up the All-Conference Second Team infield are Lenoir-Rhyne catcher Sarah Kenley, L-R first baseman Sydney Landreth, Wingate second baseman Mellena Helms, Anderson shortstop Abby Child and Mars Hill third baseman Robyn Stanek. Queens' Taylor Rosenbalm, Coker's Sydney Weatherford, Catawba's Kristen Stinnard, Anderson's Courtney Czentnar and Tusculum's Carolyn Williamson are the outfielders, Queens' Kaitlyn Bodine is the designated player and LMU's Amanda Snow is the utility player. Catawba's Carley Tysinger and Anderson's Katelynn Howser complete the team as its pitchers.

In addition to her All-SAC accolades, Czentnar was also voted as the Conference's Freshman of the Year after tying for second in the league with 11 home runs and ranking sixth with 41 RBI.

Also earning All-Conference honors as honorable mention selections are Brevard catcher Emily Boykin, Carson-Newman first baseman Caitlyn Lance, Anderson second baseman Jessica Neidigh, Wingate shortstop Alexis Burrell, Carson-Newman third baseman Sara Kelley, Lenoir-Rhyne outfielder Dakota Keller, L-R designated player Ashley Oliver, Catawba utility player Katherine Shumaker, and pitchers Kelly King of Tusculum and Jamie Hrobak of Brevard.

Completing the list of award winners is Anderson's Tommy Hewitt, who was chosen as the SAC Coach of the Year for the first time after leading the Trojans to a share of the conference title and a 38-10 overall record.

2014 SAC Softball Awards

SAC Player of the Year: Kelli Hensley, Carson-Newman

SAC Pitcher of the Year: Maryann Hoskins, Lenoir-Rhyne

SAC Freshman of the Year: Courtney Czentnar, Anderson

SAC Coach of the Year: Tommy Hewitt, Anderson

All-SAC First Team

C – Taylor Laskey, Wingate

1B – Danielle Swygert, Anderson

2B – Jamie Hockaday, Mars Hill

SS – Jody Mizelle, Lenoir-Rhyne

3B – Haily Jarman, Lenoir-Rhyne

OF – Kelli Hensley, Carson-Newman

OF – Molly Child, Anderson

OF – Brianna Mulkey, Lincoln Memorial

DP – Kayla Saliga, Wingate

UTIL. – Alyssa Miller, Brevard

P – Maryann Hoskins, Lenoir-Rhyne

P – Stacey Houser, Wingate

All-SAC Second Team

C – Sarah Kenley, Lenoir-Rhyne

1B – Sydney Landreth, Lenoir-Rhyne

2B – Mellena Helms, Wingate

SS – Abby Child, Anderson

3B – Robyn Stanek, Mars Hill

OF – Taylor Rosenbalm, Queens

OF – Sydney Weatherford, Coker

OF – Kristen Stinnard, Catawba

OF – Courtney Czentnar, Anderson

OF – Carolyn Williamson, Tusculum

DP – Kaitlyn Bodine, Queens

UTIL. – Amanda Snow, Lincoln Memorial

P – Carley Tysinger, Catawba

P – Katelynn Howser, Anderson

All-SAC Honorable Mention

C – Emily Boykin, Brevard

1B – Caitlyn Lance, Carson-Newman

2B – Jessica Neidigh, Anderson

SS – Alexis Burrell, Wingate

3B – Sara Kelley, Carson-Newman

OF – Dakota Keller, Lenoir-Rhyne

DP – Ashley Oliver, Lenoir-Rhyne

UTIL. – Katherine Shumaker, Catawba

P – Kelly King, Tusculum

P – Jamie Hrobak, Brevard

[SAC statistical champions]