May 13, 2013

Hefner earns Southeast Region Player of the Year honors, three others join her on all-region squads

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Carson-Newman junior shortstop Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) has been named the Daktronics’ Southeast Region Player of the Year by the district’s sports information directors.

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Carson-Newman junior shortstop Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) has been named the Daktronics' Southeast Region Player of the Year by the district's sports information directors.

Hefner was Carson-Newman's only first team selection for both the Daktronics' all-region team and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-region team.

Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Kelli Hensley (Knoxville, Tenn.) took home second team honors from both Daktronics and the NFCA, while Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) made the Daktronics' second team.

Hefner, the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and a first team all-region selection as well, was the conference and nation's leader for RBI with 75. That total reset the single season record for both the SAC and Carson-Newman. Hefner obliterated a school record for home runs in a year with 19 – setting that school record in early March before the season reached its midpoint.

Hefner finished second in the SAC on the single season homerun chart. She nearly won the first ever triple crown in SAC history, she was second in the league in batting average with a .451 figure. A two-time SAC player of the week – Hefner was just the fifth player in NCAA Division II history to hit three grand slams in a single season. She had a school record 141 total bases this year and matched a Carson-Newman single game record with eight RBI against Lees McRae.

Shoemake, a second team all-region pick for both Daktronics and the NFCA, collected her second all-SAC first team honor of her career after coming in fifth in the league and third on her team with a .369 batting average. Shoemake raised that average to .400 in conference play only. Shoemake is top 10 in the league in hits (52) and runs scored (33).

Shoemake successfully caught runners stealing 50 percent of the time and threw out 18 runners – the best figure in the league.

She is second on the team with 15 multi-hit games and is one of two Eagles this year to pound out four hits in a single contest. Shoemake has ranked the 14^th toughest player to strikeout in the nation and the most difficult to fan in the SAC

In spite of a late season injury, Hensley turned it on in conference play. Hensley batted .386 in all games, which was fifth in the league, but raised it 40 points to .426 in just conference games – the third best tally in the league.

The freshman gets on base 42 percent of the time in all games and 46 in conference only (15^th and 12^th in the league respectively).

Hensley has 12 multi-hit games, including three, four-hit days. Hensley hits an Eagle best .595 as a leadoff hitter, which has been crucial to getting her aboard to steal 13 bases on 14 attempts

Siebert is fifth in the nation and first in the league with six triples. She also has a double and home run to her name with a .351 batting average. As a utility player, she has a .980 fielding percentage with one error playing second base and the outfield.

Siebert ranks eighth in conference play alone with 21 hits. When just factoring in conference games. She's ninth in OBP with a .481 mark and 12th in slugging percentage at .562.

2013 Daktronics Softball All-Southeast Region

DISTRICT 3 - Southeast Region

Pitcher of the Year: Carley Tysinger, Catawba

Player of the Year: Brittany Hefner, Carson-Newman

First Team

C – Kim McMillan, North Georgia

1B – Danielle Swygert, Anderson

2B – Jessica Neidigh, Anderson

3B – Kacie Patterson, Armstrong

SS – Brittany Hefner, Carson-Newman

OF – Taylor Merritt, North Georgia

OF – Kori Waugh, Columbus State

OF – Whitney Britt, Queens

P – Megan Barnwell, Armstrong

P – Carley Tysinger, Catawba

P – Mollie Russell, Columbus State

DP – Taylor Cloninger, UNC Pembroke

UT [non pitcher] – Brea Hartley, UNC Pembroke

UT [pitcher] – Shelby Duff, Armstrong

Second Team

C – Bri Shoemake, Carson-Newman

1B – Kaytlin Stroinski, Tusculum

1B – Beth Overman, Mount Olive

1B – Hannah Reppert, Armstrong

2B – Lauren Bessent, Flagler

3B – Haily Jarman, Lenoir-Rhyne

3B – Tristan Faile, Francis Marion

SS – Alexis Mercer, Armstrong

OF – Kelli Hensley, Carson-Newman

OF – Brianna Mulkey, Lincoln Memorial

OF – Kelsey Maffucci, Wingate,

OF – Whitney Little, Flagler

P – Hannah Light, King

P – Dani Gallucci, Georgia College

P – India Kornegay, USC Aiken

DP – Maloree Escue, Flagler

UT [non pitcher] – Molly Whittington, Flagler

UT [non pitcher] – Elayna Siebert, Carson-Newman

UT [pitcher] – Kristen Carr, Columbus State

NFCA All-Region Teams

Southeast Region		*First Team*
Pos.	Player	School
P	Mollie Russell	Columbus State
P	Megan Barnwell	Armstrong
C	Kim McMillan	North Georgia
1B	Jessica Fellmeth	Lenoir-Rhyne
2B	Kailtyn White	USC Aiken
3B	Kacie Patterson	Armstrong
SS	Brittany Hefner	Carson Newman
OF	Kori Waugh	Columbus State
OF	Taylor Cloninger	UNC Pembroke
OF	Taylor Merritt	North Georgia
DP	Kristen Carr	Columbus State
U-P	Shelby Duff	Armstrong
U-NP	Larissa Shannon	Erskine

		*Second Team*
Pos.	Player	School
P	Carley Tysinger	Catawba
P	India Kornegay	USC Aiken
C	Bri Shoemake	Carson Newman
1B	Hannah Reppert	Armstrong
2B	Lauren Bessent	Flagler
3B	Haily Jarman	Lenoir-Rhyne
SS	Alexis Mercer	Armstrong
OF	Whitney Okvist	Georgia College
OF	Kelli Hensley	Carson Newman
OF	Kayla Minger	North Georgia
U-P	Taylor Luff	Francis Marion
U-NP	Brea Hartley	UNC Pembroke