: NCAA College Softball News
Tuesday, May 19Robin Mackin Injured and Out for the Season
Tuesday, May 19
Two Canadians (Rafter and Yee) Make ACC All-Conference Softball Team
Thirteen ACC Student-Athletes Earn NFCA All-Region Softball Honors
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May 14, 2009
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Thirteen ACC student-athletes have been included on the 2009 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region Softball squads as announced today by the NFCA. Eight were honored in the Southeast Region while five were named to the Mid-Atlantic Region team.
ACC Champion Georgia Tech placed Jen Yee, Whitney Haller and Tiffany Johnson on the All-Southeast team while Virginia Tech’s Jessica Everhart, Charisse Mariconda and Jenna Rhodes were named to the All-Mid Atlantic team. North Carolina’s Breanna Brown, Lisa Norris and ACC Player of the Year Danielle Spaulding were honored on the All-Southeast Region team.
Florida State’s Kaleigh Rafter and ACC Pitcher of the Year Sarah Hamilton picked up All-Southeast Region honors while Maryland’s Breanna Shaw and Kerry Hickey picked up All-Mid Atlantic Region honors.
First Team Southeast Region
Sarah Hamilton, P, Florida State
Kaleigh Rafter, C, Florida State
Tiffany Johnson, UT/P, Georgia Tech
Jen Yee, 2B, Georgia Tech
Whitney Haller, 1B, Georgia Tech
Breanna Brown, OF, University of North Carolina
Danielle Spaulding, UT/P, University of North Carolina
Lisa Norris, P, University of North Carolina
First Team Mid-Atlantic Region
Breanna Shaw, 2B, University of Maryland, College Park
Kerry Hickey, UT/P, University of Maryland, College Park
Jessica Everhart, OF, Virginia Tech
Charisse Mariconda, 3B, Virginia Tech
Jenna Rhodes, OF, Virginia Tech
Tuesday, May 19
Canadian Jen Yee of Georgia Tech wins ACC Player of the Week Honors
Tiffany Johnson And Jen Yee Sweep ACC Weekly Awards
May 4, 2009
GREENSBORO, N.C. Georgia Tech senior Tiffany Johnson and redshirt junior Jen Yee have been named Atlantic Coast Conference softball Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, the league office announced. Johnson's arm and Yee's bat helped Tech sweep Maryland Saturday and clinch the ACC regular season title.
In game two of the doubleheader against the Terrapins, Johnson pitched a five-inning perfect game as the Yellow Jackets won 8-0. She struck out nine batters and needed just 61 pitches (43 strikes) in the win. Johnson, an Atlanta, Ga., native had just one three-ball count all day en route to her second career no-hitter. The last no-hitter in Georgia Tech history was a combined one between Johnson and Sarah Wood in an 11-1 win over Lipscomb on March 3, 2007. The last perfect game in Yellow Jacket history was hurled by Jessica Sallinger against Florida State on March 26, 2005.
Yee led the offensive onslaught by reaching base safely in eight of her nine plate appearances. She was 3-for-4 with two home runs, five RBI and also drew five walks. The North Delta, British Columbia, native had a two-run home run and a three-run home run in game one against Maryland to move into a tie for first place in the ACC. After beginning game one 3-for-3 with the two round-trippers, Yee walked five consecutive times before grounding out in the fifth inning of game two.
The Yellow Jackets will be the No. 1 seed in the single-elimination ACC Tournament which begins Friday, May 8, in Raleigh, N.C. on the campus of NC State University. Georgia Tech will play eighth-seeded Virginia in the first round at 5 p.m. and the winner of that game advances to the second semifinal game on Saturday, May 9, at 3:30 p.m. Tech swept the Cavaliers a couple of weeks ago in Charlottesville, Va
Tuesday, May 19
Kaleigh Rafter Earns ACC Player of the Week Honors for FSU
Rafter Earns Second Weekly Softball ACC Honor This Season
April 27, 2009
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Following a sweep over Virginia on Senior Weekend in the final home series of the regular season on JoAnne Graf Field, it was fitting that Florida State senior Kaleigh Rafter picked up her second Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honor this year. The Seminoles have now garnered five individual weekly conference awards this season.
The starting catcher was instrumental in the 12-4 win in game two on Saturday as she recorded a grand slam, her 10th home run of the season, to pull the Noles ahead 7-4 in just the second inning.
In the three victories, Rafter notched seven RBI, three hits, including a double and a home run to boost her season batting average to .364. She now ranks fifth in the ACC with 10 home runs and sixth with 40 RBI.
Her success over the weekend also propelled her into the Florida State Single Season Top 10 in two categories: home runs and putouts. She is tied for fourth in homers and currently fifth for putouts with 441.
Rafter and the Seminoles will close out the regular season with a three-game series against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., on May 2-3.
Tuesday, May 19
Canadian Kaleigh Rafter of Florida State University makes All-ACC team
RALEIGH, N.C. - Florida State was honored with four All-ACC Team members and the ACC Pitcher of the Year award to cap off the most successful conference season in the program's 17-years in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Sophomore Sarah Hamilton was named to the first team with Kaleigh Rafter on top of picking up the yearly pitching accolade while juniors Terese Gober and Carly Wynn nabbed second team honors.
"I'm really proud of our girls making the All-ACC teams," Florida State head coach Lonni Alameda said. "That paired with [Sarah] Hamilton earning the pitcher of the year honor really speaks well for our program. I'm so proud of the team's hard work this season and we're excited to get out there tomorrow."
Hamilton, a Tallahassee native and first-time All-ACC Team recipient, led the league with an impressive 0.52 ERA in ACC games while giving up just seven runs, five of them earned, with 105 strikeouts in 67 innings. The righty also tops the Florida State staff with a career-high 0.89 ERA and 255 punch outs which ranks her tied for eighth on the FSU Single Season Top 10 list. The last time a Nole earned an individual yearly award was in 2004 when Jessica van der Linden was named the ACC Player of the Year.
Rafter, a fellow first-time All-ACC member for the Seminoles, has been a crucial asset to the squad this season starting all 54 games behind the plate. The redshirt senior has recorded a team-high 11 doubles, 10 home runs and 40 RBI with 57 total hits and 23 runs scored. In just one season in the Garnet and Gold, Rafter has left her mark in the Single Season Top 10 currently at No. 3 with 477 putouts, tied for fourth in home runs and just one double away from cracking that category.
Team captain 2008 All-ACC First Team member, Wynn has once again been a driving force on the Seminole squad this season. Starting all games in centerfield, the junior is batting .343 with 23 hits, two of which are doubles and three homers, eight RBI and 16 runs scored in ACC competition.
Rounding out the All-ACC honorees for Florida State is Gober, a first-time winner who leads the squad with a 24-8 overall record. In the circle against ACC opponents, the junior averages a 1.52 ERA while giving up just 23 runs, 16 earned, with 76 strikeouts.
Tuesday, May 19
Canadian Joey Lye of Williams College Earns All-New England Honors
May 12, 2009
Lye, Simpson earn All-New England honors
STARKVILLE, MISS. — Williams College senior Joey Lye (Scarborough, ONT) and classmate Morgan Simpson (McLean, VA) earned All-New England honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association recently.
Lye was named to the NFCA's New England Region First Team as an at-large selection, while Simpson was tabbed as a Second Team selection at the utlility position.
Lye's career ended last week in the NESCAC Tournament, but before she was done the Ephs shortstop set five career records at Williams and finished among the top 10 in 11 different offensive categories. She was named the NESCAC Player of the Year.
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| Joey Lye '09 |
Her 2009 batting average of .563 currently leads the nation (Div, III) and is a Williams single-season record, of which she holds four, including stolen bases (22), which she also set this season. In 2009, Lye led the Ephs in runs scored (43), hits (63), total bases (73), walks (13), on-base percentage (.608), and assists (74) as well as the aforementioned batting average and stolen bases.
Lye finished her career as the all-time leader in batting average (.457), runs scored (150), hits (211), total bases (267) and stolen bases (62). That in 148 games played, third best all-time.
Simpson batted a career-best .425 this season with nine doubles, two triples and four home runs. She drove in 30 runs, which tied for the team lead, and scored 27. She also led the Ephs with a .660 slugging percentage.
From the circle, Simpson was 5-2 with a 3.79 ERA. In 44 1/3 innings, she allowed 50 hits and 18 walks while striking out 30.
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Wayne State Softball Signs Three For 2010 Campaign (incl Bailey Reid from Guelph Gators)
Jan. 6, 2009
The Wayne State softball team has added three players during the 2008-09 early signing period. Head coach Gary Bryce, who is in his 28th year at WSU, made the announcement. All three players will be able to take the field starting in the fall of 2009.
With five seniors on the 2009 Warrior softball squad, Bryce and assistant coach Pat Kent needed to bring in a quality class to help re-load a program that has been to the NCAA tournament five times in the last seven years.
WSU class of 2013
Makelle Barski is an infielder/outfielder from Trenton High School. She was a Second Team All-North Region (which includes Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania) honoree in 2008 by the NFCA after batting .385 with a .513 on-base percentage. A member of the National Honor Society, Makelle is planning to major in pre-med with a minor in spanish.
Bailey Reid is an infielder/outfielder from Guelph, Ontario, who plays for the Guelph Gators. She helped the Gators and coach Dave Vallance capture the gold medal at the 2008 Ontario Summer Games. Reid batted .281 in 61 games during the summer of 2008 with 18 RBI and was second on the squad with 317 innings played. She is planning to major in kinesiology or education
Kassie Snyder is a shortstop/third baseman from Marine City High School. She earned All-MAC (Macomb Area Conference) honors as a sophomore and junior. Snyder batted .372 in 2008 with a .670 slugging percentage and a .429 on-base percentage to earn All-Blue Water Area team honors. In addition, she scored 27 runs and hit seven home runs, five doubles and a triple. Snyder helped MCHS to a second-place league finish in 2008 and is already the school record-holder for career home runs. She plans to major in nursing.
Monday, February 9
ASA Announces Top 50 Watch List for the 2009 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA), the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, has selected its initial “Watch List” for the 8th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honors in Division I women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
THREE (3) Canadians have been named to this Top 50 pre-season list:
Danielle Lawrie (Washington) – Junior - Pitcher – Langley, British Columbia
Robin Mackin (Nebraska) – Junior - Pitcher - Newmarket, Ontario
Jen Yee (Georgia Tech) - Junior - Second Base – North Delta, British Columbia
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Canadian Danielle Lawrie NCAA Division I College Softball Player of the Year!