Conference Carolinas

Mount Olive Voted Number One in Women’s Softball Coaches Preseason Poll

1/23/2014 12:00:00 AM

High Point, NC – Conference Carolinas Softball Coaches have selected the University Mount Olive, the reigning conference champions, as the preseason favorite entering the 2014 season. 

Coming off the 2013 Conference Carolinas Championship and its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, Mount Olive returns eight All-Conference Carolinas players, including all six who won all-conference honors last year. The Trojans bring back three starting pitchers and all but one starting position player.

In the circle, Lauren Smith was named Most Valuable Player of last year's Conference Carolinas Tournament after posting a 2-0 record and a save in the title game. Smith, a 2012 all-conference selection, was joined on the All-Tournament Team by pitchers Carly White and Madison Johnston. White was also named to the 2013 All-Conference Carolinas Softball Team and is a three-time All-Conference Carolinas Women's Volleyball selection.

All four returning Trojan infielders have earned at least one All-Conference Carolinas award. Third baseman Kalie Smith is a two-time all-conference selection, first baseman Beth Overman and second baseman Katie Moore were named to last year's all-conference team, while shortstop Jennifer Jones earned all-conference honors in 2012.

In the outfield, centerfielder Savannah Becker was named to the 2013 All-Conference Carolinas First Team and kept Mount Olive's season alive with a game-tying rbi-single during a 13-pitch at bat with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in the Trojans' 10-inning 3-2 win over North Greenville in the first championship game of the conference tournament. Left fielder Kelsey Akers batted .474 in the conference tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Also returning are designated hitter Tiffany Hawley, who was named to the 2013 All-Conference Carolinas First Team and hit a two-run double in a five-run fifth inning in the Trojans' 5-3 win over North Greenville in the championship game of last year's tournament. Catcher Erin Brogan moved into the starting lineup in late March and batted .306 for the season.

Head coach Jaime Kylis-Higginbotham was named Conference Carolinas Softball Coach of the Year for the second year in a row and third time in her career.

King University was selected to finish second in the Conference Carolinas Preseason Coaches' Poll a season after taking the league's regular season title with a mark of 17-3 in conference play. Head coach Jenn Testa will try to lead the Tornado to their third conference title in as many years in the league after winning the tournament championship in 2012.

The Tornado return nine starters from their regular season championship team, including Conference Carolinas Pitcher of the Year Hannah Light. Light led the league, and ranked 17th in NCAA Division II with 236 strikeouts as a junior while tallying a conference-best 23 wins. Offensively, King returns three all-conference performers junior Chrissy Melcher and senior Cassie Ringstaff were first team honorees while fellow senior Fallon Thomas earned second team recognition. Melcher led the league with 84 his, 44 runs, 18 doubles and 130 total bases while hitting .404. Catcher Hannah Smith also looks to improve on a freshman campaign where she hit .313.

"We are extremely excited about the 2014 season," Testa said. "For the first time since I have been here, we have experience and depth at a lot of key positions. This group has worked tremendously hard in both our fall and preseason practices, and I'm excited to see that effort transition to the dirt on February 7."

Limestone College softball will return two pitchers and six starting position players, including All-Conference Carolinas First-Team catcher sophomore Erika Hansen (Richmond, Va.) who had a team-high .330 batting average and 18 RBIs. The

Saints finished the 2013 campaign with a 22-22 record overall and a 14-6 mark in conference play.

Senior centerfielder Amanda Hayes and senior shortstop Ashley Cox will lead the Saints in the field. Hayes had a team-best .391 on-base percentage, aided in part by a team-high 20 hit-by-pitches. She also compiled a team-best .984 fielding percentage and stole 16 bases in 17 attempts. Cox finished with a .308 batting average, which included a team-leading 45 hits, 32 runs scored and a second-best 13 stolen bases.

Junior Kelly Shearer and senior Chelsea Smith will lead the Saints from the circle in 2014. Shearer appeared in 10 games, starting three with a team-best 2.15 earned run average. She had one complete game as she compiled a 3-1 overall record. Smith finished the 2013 season with a 1-1 overall record with one complete game. Senior Taylor Wigmore will also see time in the circle this season. 

North Greenville, finished fourth in the poll with Erskine fifth followed by Pfeiffer, Barton, Belmont Abbey, and Lee-McRae College respectively rounding-out the poll standings.

Conference Carolinas Softball Pre-Season Poll       

(# of First Place Votes in Parenthesis)