ROCK HILL, S.C. – Coming off a stellar first season in the South Atlantic Conference, the Emory & Henry College Softball Team has seen a pair of players named to the All-SAC Teams. Junior pitcher Avery Adkins (Goodview, Va.) was selected to the all-league first team while sophomore centerfielder Mackenzie Williams (St. Augustine, Fla.) brought home All-SAC Third-Team accolades.
RELATED – 2023 All-SAC Softball Awards
Adkins becomes the first Emory & Henry woman to be selected as an All-SAC First-Teamer in any sport. She led the Wasps in the circle with 19 wins and a save, pitching a school-record 27 complete games. Her 201 innings pitched was also an E&H program-best as well as her 30 starts. She struck out 175 batters with just 21 walks for an 8.33 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At the plate, she boasted a .352 batting average, a .438 on-base percentage and a .604 slugging average. She added 15 runs, on 32 hits with six doubles, five home runs and a triple. Adkins drew 13 walks and drove in 18 with 11 multi-hit games.
Williams earned All-SAC Third Team honors and is the first E&H woman to accomplish that feat. She started all 37 games in centerfield, batting at or near the top of the lineup all season. Williams posted a team-leading .368 batting average while also leading the squad in hits (43), runs (20) and stolen bases (13). Her .448 on-base percentage was also at the top of the chart for the Wasps as she took advantage of five doubles on the year to notch a .410 slugging average. She posted a 13-game on-base streak midway through the season and also had an 11-contest stretch to open the campaign.
Carson-Newman University's Macauley Bailey was selected as the SAC Player of the Year and the SAC Freshman of the Year. Morgan Beeler from Lenoir-Rhyne University was tabbed as the SAC Pitcher of the Year. Wingate University Head Coach Jamie Stancliff was picked by her colleagues as SAC Coach of the Year.
Emory & Henry holds a 21-16 overall record and went 16-8 in the South Atlantic Conference this year. The Wasps, picked 10th in the preseason coaches poll, finished in a tie for second place with LR, but were not eligible for the SAC Tournament this year as a reclassifying member. E&H is scheduled to close out the season on Sunday, April 30 at 1:00 p.m., against Bluefield State University.
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2023 SAC Softball
All-Conference Teams
Player of the Year - Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
Pitcher of the Year - Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
Freshman of the Year - Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
Coach of the Year - Jamie Stanclift, Wingate
First Team
OF – SieAnna Cameron, Carson-Newman
OF – Cassidy Wall, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Kaylan Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
1B – Kayson Boatner, Anderson
2B – Savanna Brooks, Wingate
SS – Katelyn Rackard, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B – Talon LaClair, Lenoir-Rhyne
DP – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
UTL/Non-P – Macey Hughes, Carson-Newman
UTL/P - Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
C – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
P – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Avery Adkins, Emory & Henry
Second Team
OF – Kaylee Hobgood, Wingate
OF – Madison Henry, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Ariana Fair, Coker
1B – Santana Anderson, Limestone
2B – Carmen Holt, Carson-Newman
SS – Heaven Maness, Wingate
3B – Ragan Liles, Wingate
DP – Mackenzie Turner, Newberry
UTL/Non-P – Katie Wilbur, Limestone
UTL/P - Riley Tucker, Catawba
C – Molly Mattas, Newberry
P – Raechel Cutcher, Wingate
P – Olivia Chestnut, Newberry
Third Team
OF – Leah Evans, Newberry
OF – Mackenzie Williams, Emory & Henry
OF – Kallyn Newport, Tusculum
1B – Lora Beth Wood, Lenoir-Rhyne
2B – Julia Mardigian, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS – Brianna Gallagher, Catawba
3B – Madison Chappell, Limestone
DP – Katie Tuggle, Lincoln Memorial
UTL/Non-P – Hannah Stevens, Wingate
UTL/P - Carson Hobbs, Anderson
C – Raelynn Kramer, Wingate
P – Alexandra Baquie, Catawba
P – Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial
SAC Statistical Champions
Team Batting Average – Lenoir-Rhyne (.359)
Team Slugging Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne (.576)
Team On-Base Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne (.426)
Team Runs Scored Per Game – Wingate (6.92)
Team Home Runs Per Game – Lenoir-Rhyne (1.39)
Team Triples Per Game – Carson-Newman (0.29)
Team Doubles Per Game – Newberry & Tusculum (1.76)
Team Stolen Bases Per Game – Carson-Newman (1.55)
Team ERA – Wingate (2.25)
Team Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio – Mars Hill (3.89)
Batting Average – Riley Tucker, Catawba (.465)
On-Base Percentage – Kara Long, UVA Wise (.529)
Slugging Percentage – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (.920)
Home Runs Per Game – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (0.37)
RBIs Per Game – Hannah Davis, Newberry (1.23)
Runs Scored Per Game – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman (1.38)
Triples Per Game – Sammy Jimenez, Tusculum (0.12)
Doubles Per Game – Riley Tucker, Catawba (0.42)
Stolen Bases Per Game – Ariana Friar, Coker (0.51)
ERA – Sydney Kale, Wingate (1.64)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne (9.8)
Pitching Victories – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne (19)