CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN! Bailey recognized by NFCA and D2CCA
Chattanooga, Tenn. – A day after winning TUCCI/NFCA Division II National Freshman of the Year, Carson-Newman freshman phenon Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) has further stuffed her trophy case.
Chattanooga, Tenn. – A day after winning TUCCI/NFCA Division II National Freshman of the Year, Carson-Newman freshman phenon Macauley Bailey (Cross Plains, Tenn.) has further stuffed her trophy case.
Both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association have bestowed Bailey with All-America status, making the freshman designated player a consensus All-American. She garnered first team accolades from the NFCA and a spot on the second team from the D2CCA.
Bailey and Anderson first baseman Kayson Boatner are the only two consensus All-Americans from the SAC this year. Catawba's Riley Tucker was recognized by the NFCA, while Talon LaClair of Lenoir-Rhyne was named to the third team by the D2CCA.
The Cross Plains, Tenn.-native becomes Carson-Newman's first-ever All-American designated player, its fourth freshman All-American and its 22nd overall.
Bailey joins Abby Fiessinger (2017), Lacie Rinus (2017) and Bri Shoemake (2010) as the only freshman to garner All-America status. However, of the quartet, Bailey is the only one with a first-team honor.
The honors follow an already productive postseason for Bailey where she has been named TUCCI/NFCA Division II National Freshman of the Year, All-Region first team by both the NFCA and D2CCA, SAC All-Tournament, first-team All-SAC, SAC Player of the Year and SAC Freshsman of the Year.
Bailey is the first player in South Atlantic Conference history to take home both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season.
HER
— Carson-Newman Athletics (@CN_Eagles) May 23, 2023
NATIONAL FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR ������
Take a bow @MacauleyBailey
�� https://t.co/07lcClVn9E@cnsball x @NFCAorg x @tucci_limited x #TalonsUp pic.twitter.com/3YruALQewO
Bailey becomes Carson-Newman's 19th SAC Player of the Year and sixth Freshman of the Year. While Bailey is the first Eagle to take home Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season, former C-N All-American Lacie Rinus brought home Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors in 2017. Rinus also went on to be named SAC tournament MVP that season.
The Cross Plains, Tenn.-native is the Carson-Newman's first Freshman of the Year honoree since Rinus won in 2017. She is the first Player of the Year since Rinus picked up that plaudit in 2018. Carson-Newman's 19 Player of the Year honorees are the most in the league.
Bailey has consistently been in the top five nationally throughout the season in RBI. She finished with 67, which is sixth in the nation both overall and but first in terms of games played. She was eight RBI away from matching Carson-Newman's Brittany Hefner and her single-season SAC and school record of 75.
She drove in a run in 21 of her last 29 games and had 17 games this year where she drove in multiple runs. Her 67 RBI are good for the fourth-most in a single-season in school history, and two away from third place and Hall of Famer Whitney Hickam (2008).
Bailey has set a litany of freshman records. She had the most RBI of any freshman in school history, as well as the most home runs (15), longest hitting streak (18) and the highest slugging percentage (.818). Her home runs are good for the second-highest single-season total in school history overall, while the hitting streak is tied for fourth and the slugging percentage sits in seventh.
From March 1 through April 11, Bailey hit successfully in 18 straight games. In that span she drove in a run in all but two games, collecting 32 RBI overall in that stretch.
Bailey was named SAC and TSWA Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on March 12 and 19.
