 |  |
Phillips and McGuire Named 1st Team All-American
SALEM, VA – The best NCAA Division II
players in the country assembled Wednesday evening for the
announcing of the NFCA Division II All-American Teams announced on
the eve of the opening day of the National Championships.
North Georgia, the number one team in the country, was center
stage, placing two players on the first team as Sarah Phillips and
Courtney McGuire were honored at the event.
Sarah Phillips has been named an NFCA First-Team All-American
after posting a record of 37-1 overall, having won 34 straight
games and taking home PBC Tournament and Southeast Dahlonega
Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player Honors, while being
named First-Team Peach Belt All-Conference, and First-Team
All-Southeast Region. The sophomore ace brings a 1.05 earned run
average into the Division II World Series, with 238 strikeouts in
246.0 innings of work. The Powell, Ohio, native has recorded four
complete game shutouts on the season, including in the Region
Championship game against Augusta State. Phillips has allowed no
earned 20 different times during the season, her last coming in the
World Series clincher in a 1-0 victory over Carson-Newman in the
Super Regional Championship.
Courtney McGuire has been named an NFCA First-Team All-American
after hitting .380 as a right fielder with 11 home runs, 46 runs
batted in, and 11 doubles. The junior slugger was named First-Team
All Peach Belt Conference before earning First-Team All-Region
honors for Daktronics and NFCA. McGuire had a season high four RBI
in back-to-back games against Eckerd on March 14, and recorded a
season high three walks against Carson-Newman in the first game of
the 2009 Super Regional in Dahlonega. The Atlanta, Georgia, native
leads the Peach Belt Conference with 57 runs scored, while sitting
second in runs batted in with 46, and third in home runs with
11.
Phillips, McGuire, and the rest of the top-ranked North Georgia
team will go to battle Thursday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. in the
opening round of the Division II National Championships, taking on
16th-ranked Dixie State.
