May 20, 2010

DAHLONEGA, GA – The North Georgia softball team was front and center on Thursday morning when the Daktronics All-Southeast Region teams were announced. The Saints garnered six first-team nods, including Sarah Phillips as the Region Pitcher of the Year.

North Georgia had the most first-team selections as the No. 1 team in the land placed six players on the first-team, including Sarah Phillips, Laura Voyles, Leslee Smith, Katherine Martin, Pilar Harden, and Lauren Dykes.  

Currently the nation’s leader in wins at 41-0, Phillips picks up her second straight Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year award following back-to-back PBC Pitcher of the Year honors. She is only undefeated pitcher in the country with more than 10 decisions as the junior is leading top-ranked and unbeaten North Georgia into the NCAA Southeast Super Regionals this weekend. She has a 0.81 earned run average in 268.0 innings of work, and has recorded 263 strikeouts, while opponents are hitting .166 against the right-hander.

As the leadoff hitter for the Saints, Laura Voyles has played and started all 48 games for the Saints this season, hitting .338 with 50 runs scored, 33 runs batted in, and 11 home runs. She has an on-base percentage of .469 with 11 multiple hit games, and eight games with multiple runs batted in, including one of four performances this season on the team with five RBI in a single game.

Leslee Smith continues to be one of the premier power hitters in the Southeast as the senior is hitting .343 with 12 home runs, 54 runs batted in, and 26 runs scored. As a 2009, and now 2010 First-Team All-Region Performer, Smith has just nine strikeouts on the year in 140 at-bats, while recording a slugging percentage of .714.

As arguably the best defensive first-basemen in the country, Katherine Martin has emerged offensively and defensively for the Saints, hitting .363 with 33 runs scored, and 24 runs batted in, while the freshman has committed just three errors for a .990 fielding percentage.

As a 2009 Second-Team All-Region performer, Pilar Harden emerges on the first-team this season after hitting .316 with five home runs, six doubles, and 26 runs batted in for the Saints. She has eight multiple hit games, seven multiple RBI games, and a perfect fielding percentage in center field with two assist and 43 putouts.

Lauren Dykes is leading the No. 1 team in the country in batting average as the true freshman is hitting .391 with four home runs, 41 runs scored, and 27 runs batted in. Dykes has 13 stolen bases on the year, and an on base percentage of .421 as the Dallas, Ga., native had a team-high 11-game hitting streak during the season.  

The teams are sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition, while the teams were nominated and voted on by the Southeast Region’s Sports Information Directors. Members of the first team are eligible for All-American nominations.

North Georgia (48-0) will put their undefeated mark on the line this Friday night as they welcome Lenoir-Rhyne (53-7) to town for the best of three weekend set in the NCAA Southeast Super Regionals for the right to play in the 2010 NCAA Division II College World Series.

 

2010 Daktronics Softball All-Southeast Region

Pitcher of the Year: Sarah Phillips, North Georgia
Player of the Year: Kat Rivers, Lenoir-Rhyne

First Team
P: Sarah Phillips, North Georgia
P: Amanda Huckestein, Newberry
P: Alex Smith, Lenoir-Rhyne
C: Sarah Atkins, Lenoir-Rhyne
1B: Katherine Martin, North Georgia
2B: Laura Voyles, North Georgia
3B: Jelena Shaw, UNC Pembroke
SS: Kat Rivers, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF: Lauren Dykes, North Georgia
OF: Brittany Cherry: Lenoir-Rhyne
OF: Pilar Harden, North Georgia
DP: Leslee Smith, North Georgia
UT: Toni Flessate, USC Aiken

Second Team
P: Michaela Wolf, Francis Marion
P: Dawon Millwood, Lenoir-Rhyne
P: Brittany Blankenship, Wingate
C: Rocky Hemmer, Columbus St.
1B: Ashley Seawell, Mars Hill
2B: Carlee Carpenter, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B: Baillie Temples, Armstrong Atlantic
SS: Holly Berry, UNC Pembroke
OF: Aissa Gatewood, Newberry
OF: Brittney Hatem, Flagler
OF: Chelle Phillips, Francis Marion
DP: Ashley Duckworth, Lenoir-Rhyne
DP: Michaela Wolf, Francis Marion
UT: Larissa Shannon, Erskine