Softball Picks Up Awards at PBC Tourney Banquet

FLORENCE, SC – North Georgia was front and center at the 2009 PBC Tournament Softball Banquet Thursday evening, taking home four First-Team All-Conference honors while Mike Davenport was the named the PBC Coach the Year on the eve of the PBC Tournament.

Mike Davenport took home Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year honors as his Saints won the regular season with a 17-1 record in the conference, while currently sitting as the #2 team in the nation with a 39-3 overall record.

The North Georgia team was also honored for their regular season championship as Kaelin Farrington and Laura Voyles accepted the trophy for the team. The Saints remain the top team in the latest NCAA Division II Southeast Region Poll.

Four North Georgia players garnered First-Team honors, while Sarah Phillips was named the Peach Belt Conference Pitcher of the year. Courtney McGuire, Leslee Smith, and Pilar Harden all received First-Team All-Conference awards.

Sarah Phillips led the Peach Belt Conference in wins with 28, posting a league-best 28-1 record on the season. She ranked second in the conference with a 1.17 earned run average, while still sitting on a streak that has seen her win 25 consecutive games. She has 10 shutouts, 14 games without allowing an earned run, and has allowed two or fewer hits in 13 games this season. The sophomore has 184 strikeouts in 185.0 innings, including striking out eight or more batter on seven different occasions.

Courtney McGuire was named PBC First-Team All-Conference after hitting .375 with a league-leading 11 home runs during the 2009 season. The junior scored a Peach Belt Conference best 52 runs, while adding 41 runs batted in to rank second in the conference. McGuire was also second in the league in triples with four, and coaxed 24 walks, while adding 48 hits, including seven doubles. She had three different six-game hitting streaks during the season, and had a trio of three-hit games, while recording multiple hit games on 13 different occasions. She had back-to-back games with four runs batted in, and was named the Peach Belt Conference Player of the Week during the season. McGuire sported an on base percentage of .471, and had a slugging perentage of .750. She was also second in the conference in total bases with 96.

Leslee Smith was second in the Peach Belt Conference with a .400 batting average while adding a league-best best 48 runs batted in. She had an 18-game hitting streak during the season, and had five games with three runs batted in, and a pair of games where she drove in five runs. The junior struckout just nine times on the season and added 11 doubles and eight home runs to her 52 hits. Smith was fourth in the conference in total bases with 87, and had an on base percentage of .452 and a slugging percentage of .669.

Pilar Harden hit .387 on the season to rank third in the Peach Belt Conference, while finishing fourth in the league in runs batted in with 36. She was fifth in the PBC with 86 total bases, and was a perfect 9-9 in stolen base attempts. As a true freshman, Harden played and started in all 42 games for the Saints, recording an on base percentage of .416, while adding a slugging percentage of .628. She had 11 doubles, two triples, and six home runs in her 53 total hits.

The 2009 All-Conference team is listed below as selected by the league's head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

First Team

1b - Nicole Huddleston, Armstrong Atlantic State

2b - Christie Thompson, Columbus State

3b - Jelena Shaw, UNC Pembroke

SS - Kacee Camp, Augusta State

C - Jessica Strickland, USC Aiken

C - Sara Moore, Columbus State

OF - Sherquita Bostick, GCSU

OF - Courtney McGuire, NGCSU

OF - Pilar Harden, NGCSU

OF - April Jowers, Columbus State

OF - Sam Floyd, Armstrong Atlantic State

P - Sarah Phillips, North Georgia

P - Mandy Chandler, GCSU

P - Toni Flessate, USC Aiken

P - Emily Headrick, Armstrong Atlantic State

DP/UT - Leslee Smith, North Georgia

DP/UT - Jessica Thornton, Augusta State

DP/UT - Laura Hauff, Francis Marion

Second Team

1b - Tonya Medders, GCSU

2b - Gabby Buck, Georgia Southwestern

3b - Megan Lakes, USC Aiken

SS - Lauren Locklear, USC Aiken

C - Alysha Krier, Augusta State

C - Anna Parker, GCSU

OF - Morgan Patrick, UNC Pembroke

OF - Jessica Birchmeier, Francis Marion

OF - Jessica Strong, Armstrong Atlantic State

P - Sara DeMuth, Augusta State - Michaela Wolf, Francis Marion

P - Lauren Bubeck, Francis Marion

P - Hayley Leissner, Lander

DP/UT - Ginny Walsh, Columbus State

Player of the Year

Sherquita Bostick, GCSU

Pitcher of the Year

Sarah Phillips, North Georgia

Freshman of the Year

Kacee Camp, Augusta State

Coach of the Year

Mike Davenport, North Georgia