Stanek, Booze Earn Preseason All-SAC Honors

ROCK HILL, S.C. - The Mars Hill softball team was picked to finish in eighth place in the South Atlantic Conference according to the 2015 SAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.  In addition, senior Robyn Stanek was named to the preseason first team while junior Jamie Booze earned second team accolades.

Stanek earned first team honors at third base after batting .338 with 46 hits, 12 doubles 11 home runs and 34 RBI a year ago. Stanek, the SAC Scholar-Athlete recipient in 2014, tied a team record with 10 total bases in a 10-9 victory over Wingate and her 19-game hitting streak from March 15-April 10 is the second-longest in school history.

Booze was selected to the second team as a utility player after splitting time at first base and in the pitching circle. At the plate, she hit .277 with 36 hits, seven doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI. Booze led the Lions pitching staff with nine wins after going 9-3-1 with a 4.01 ERA in 18 appearances. She had three complete games, including a two-hitter against Mountain East Conference tournament champion UVA-Wise.

Mars Hill received 64 points for eighth with Lincoln Memorial earning seventh place with 82 points and Brevard in ninth with 43 points. No. 25 Wingate was selected as the preseason favorite with 122 points and seven first place votes. Anderson, the defending regular season co-champion and tournament champion, was picked to finish in second place followed by Lenoir-Rhyne in third.

The Lions open the 2015 season at home against Southern Wesleyan on Saturday, February 7 at 1 p.m.

Rk    Team (first-place votes)               Points

1.     Wingate (7)                                          122

2.     Anderson (3)                                        120

3.     Lenoir-Rhyne (1)                                  119

4.     Tusculum (1)                                          89

        Carson-Newman                                     89

6.     Catawba                                                  86

7.     Lincoln Memorial                                      82

8.     Mars Hill                                                64

9.     Brevard                                                    43

10.  Queens                                                     38

11.  Coker                                                        37

12.  Newberry                                                  35

All-SAC First Team - Softball

C – Taylor Laskey, Wingate

1B – Sydney Landreth, Lenoir-Rhyne

2B – Mellena Helms, Wingate

SS – Kaytlin Stroinski, Tusculum

3B – Robyn Stanek, Mars Hill

OF – Kristen Stinnard, Catawba

OF – Molly Child, Anderson

OF – Taylor Rosenbalm, Queens

DP – Ashley Oliver, Lenoir-Rhyne

UTIL. – Amanda Snow, Lincoln Memorial

P – Maryann Hoskins, Lenoir-Rhyne

P – Stacey Houser, Wingate

All-SAC Second Team

C – Sarah Kenley, Lenoir-Rhyne

1B – Ashlee Ellen, Coker

2B – Jessica Neidigh, Anderson

SS – Alexis, Burrell, Wingate

3B – Katherine Shumaker, Catawba

OF – Elayna Siebert, Carson-Newman

OF – Courtney Czentnar, Anderson

OF – Carolyn Williamson, Tusculum

DP – Casey Whitaker, Brevard

UTIL. – Jamie Booze, Mars Hill

P – Carley Tysinger, Catawba

P – Lauren Rudesheim, Anderson