The South Atlantic Conference Announces Softball 2019 Award Winners

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Wingate's Aubrey Reep was voted the 2019 South Atlantic Conference Softball Player of the Year, while Allison Rager from Carson-Newman was named the Conference's Pitcher of the Year.  In addition, Lincoln Memorial's Sierra Hucklebee was named Freshman of the Year and Lincoln Memorial head coach Ritchie Richardson was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the SAC Office announced today.

Reep, a junior pitcher/outfielder from Eastover, N.C., had an outstanding season in the circle and at the plate, as one of the league's top pitchers and top hitters. She finished the regular season as the league leader in strikeouts with 161 and shutouts with six. She ranks third in wins with 15 and is sixth in earned run average with a 2.57. At the plate, she batted .351 for the year with nine doubles, eight home runs, 38 runs scored, and 45 runners batted in. She ranks fifth in the conference in RBI, sixth in runs, seventh in on-base percentage (.462), and ninth in home runs. She was named SAC AstroTurf Player and Pitcher of the Week four times this season.

Rager, a senior right-handed pitcher from Elkview, W.Va., compiled a 14-6 record with two saves for the Eagles this season. She threw 14 complete games, posting a 2.13 earned run average with 104 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 128 innings of work. She was named SAC AstroTurf Pitcher of the Week for her efforts on April 9.

Hucklebee, a freshman infielder from Knoxville, Tenn., had an outstanding start to her collegiate career. She batted .345 for the season with 15 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 37 runs scored and 35 RBI. She also stole nine bases and had a .418 on-base percentage with a .599 slugging percentage. Hucklebee's stellar play earned her SAC AstroTurf Player of the Week on April 16.

Richardson earns his first conference Coach of the Year honor after leading the Railsplitters to their first-ever SAC Regular Season Championship. Under his guidance, Lincoln Memorial has been ranked as high as No. 18 nationally and is currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA Southeast Region Poll. After missing the conference tournament the last two years, Richardson's Railsplitters will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed with a program-best 34-12 regular season record. 

The SAC Softball Awards will be presented at the 2019 SAC Softball Championship at Catawba's Whitley Field on the campus of Catawba College on Saturday, April 27, between games two and three.

2019 SAC Softball All-Conference

All-SAC First Team

OF – Abby Fiessinger, Carson-Newman
OF – McKenzie Barneycastle, Newberry
OF – Emma Swenson, Wingate
1B – Mary Claire Coyne, Wingate
2B – Ty-Kella Goins, Lincoln Memorial
SS – Natalie Willis, Newberry
3B – Hannah Davis, Newberry
DP – Kayson Boatner, Anderson 
UTL – Aubrey Reep, Wingate
C – Kylee Leonhardt, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Rachel Weidner, Wingate
P – Allison Rager, Carson-Newman

All-SAC Second Team

OF – Savannah Moorefield, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Chloe Pelham, Coker
OF – Taylor Battle, Tusculum
1B – Haley Simonds, Newberry
2B – Sydney Ditto, Queens 
SS – Talon LaClair, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B –  Emma Webb, Lincoln Memorial
DP – McKenzie McCullen, Queens
UTL – Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman
C – KaraLynne Levi, Carson-Newman
P – Courtney Pearson, Queens
P – Taylor Forehand, Coker

Honorable Mentions

OF – Grace Cochran, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Jordan Floyd, Wingate
OF – Julia Bomhardt, Newberry
1B – Kelsie Hocutt, Lincoln Memorial
2B – Kasey Grant, Anderson 
SS – Sierra Hucklebee, Lincoln Memorial
3B – Sammi Jo Loney, Wingate
DP – Hannah Smith, Mars Hill
UTL – Paige Meyer, Newberry
C – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
P – Isabelle Mullen, Coker
P – Selice Daley, Newberry

Freshman of the Year

Sierra Hucklebee, Lincoln Memorial

Player of the Year

Aubrey Reep, Wingate

Pitcher of the Year

Allison Rager, Carson-Newman

Coach of the Year

Ritchie Richardson, Lincoln Memorial 

SAC Statistical Champions

Team Batting Average – Wingate (.332)
Team Slugging Percentage – Wingate (.525)
Team On-Base Percentage – Lincoln Memorial (.411)
Team Runs Scored Per Game – Lincoln Memorial (6.61)
Team Home Runs Per Game – Mars Hill (1.28)
Team Triples Per Game – Queens (0.36)
Team Doubles Per Game – Lincoln Memorial (2.35)
Team Stolen Bases Per Game – Newberry (1.55)
Team ERA – Coker (2.37)
Team Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio – Coker (2.81)

Batting Average – Abby Fiessinger, Carson-Newman (.442)
On-Base Percentage – Haley Simonds, Newberry (.523)
Slugging Percentage – Ragan Broome, Mars Hill (.846)
Home Runs Per Game – Ragan Broome, Mars Hill (0.37)
RBIs Per Game – Hannah Davis, Newberry (1.23)
Runs Scored Per Game – Savannah Moorefield, Lenoir-Rhyne (1.16)
Triples Per Game – Taylor Battle, Tusculum (0.19)
Doubles Per Game – Abby Fiessinger, Carson-Newman (0.46)
Stolen Bases Per Game – Julia Bomhardt, Newberry (0.59)
ERA – Isabelle Mullen, Coker (1.81)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings – Aubrey Reep, Wingate (8.50)
Pitching Victories – Brandi Parks, Lenoir-Rhyne (18)

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