CLERMONT, Fla. – The Sun Conference handed out its postseason softball awards Wednesday during the annual banquet on the eve of the Sun Conference Championship.
Thomas University led the way with five All-Sun Conference picks, including Player of the Year Kelsey Connolly. The junior catcher batted .421 during the regular season with 11 doubles, 10 home runs, and 55 RBIs, and she hit .407 with five homers and 28 RBIs in 21 conference games.
Regular-season champion Warner earned three All-Conference selections, including Pitcher of the Year Chelsie Valentine, and Katie
Clemente was named Coach of the Year after leading the Royals to a 16-5 record in conference play and the top seed in this week’s tournament. Valentine, a senior right-hander, is 13-7 with a 1.31 ERA and 18 complete games entering this week’s tournament. She was 11-4 with a 1.12 ERA in conference play.
Ave Maria and USCB also had three All-Conference picks apiece, while Southeastern, Keiser, and Webber International had two each.
Southeastern pitcher Stef Guercio was named the Freshman of the Year after going 16-6 with a 1.56 ERA in 28 games (22 starts) during the regular season. Guercio was 5-2 with a 1.29 ERA in Sun Conference games.
Ave Maria third baseman Marissa Conde was selected as the Champion of Character Award winner. Conde is a Biology major with a 3.35 GPA in the pre-med track and has been the driving force behind the Gyrene softball team’s service initiatives. Conde headed up a year-long clothing drive on campus to collect clothes for St. Matthew’s House in Immokalee, Fla., led a Christmas Toy Drive for underprivileged youth and raised funds for an Easter basket donation of nearly 50 gifts for children and adults. She also has worked on multiple initiatives to serve Guadalupe Soup Kitchen.
Warner and Thomas each landed two players on the eight-player All-Defensive Team, while Ave Maria, Keiser, USCB and Southeastern each had one pick.
In addition, 28 players were named to the All-Academic Team by maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA after at least two full semesters at their current institutions. Ave Maria led the way with eight All-Academic selections.
The Sun Conference Championship begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at Legends Way Ballfields with No. 4 seed Ave Maria facing No. 5 seed USCB in the opener.
2017 All-Sun Conference Softball Team
C: Kelsey Connolly, Thomas
C: Alyssa Colding, Ave Maria
INF: Marinna Shadley, Ave Maria
INF: Marissa Becker, USCB
INF: Kristen Garceau, Keiser
INF: Jessica Adams, Warner
INF: Kaitlin Stoltz, Thomas
OF: Cheyenne Blaha, Southeastern
OF: Brittany Daniels, Thomas
OF: Gaby Mora, Thomas
OF: Torey Scott, Warner
P: Chelsie Valentine, Warner
P: Lindsie Scholwinski, Southeastern
P: Abby Pac, USCB
DP: Sadie Mosher, Ave Maria
UTIL: Kelsey Brodbeck, Keiser
At-Large: Brandi Hazen (INF), Webber International
At-Large: Taylor Boykin (OF), USCB
At-Large: Laura Borders (OF), Webber International
At-Large: Lauren West (P), Thomas
All-Defensive Team
C: Alyssa Colding, Ave Maria
1B: Cassidy Miller, Keiser
2B: Marissa Becker, USCB
3B: Heather Faulk, Southeastern
SS: Chantal Crockett, Warner
LF: Megan Hammett, Warner
CF: Taishadlene Kirindongo, Thomas
RF: Brittany Daniels, Thomas
Player of the Year: Kelsey Connolly, Thomas
Pitcher of the Year: Chelsie Valentine, Warner
Freshman of the Year: Stef Guercio, Southeastern
Champion of Character: Marissa Conde, Ave Maria
Coach of the Year: Katie Clemente, Warner
All-Academic Team
Michella Davis, Ave Maria
Cresencia delPino, Ave Maria
Brooke Pierron, Ave Maria
Deanna Stirtzinger, Ave Maria
Alyssa Colding, Ave Maria
Rachel Curtiss, Ave Maria
McKayla Jeter, Ave Maria
Marinna Shadley, Ave Maria
Cassidy Miller, Keiser
Avery Miller, Keiser
Taylor Stoltz, Southeastern
Heather Faulk, Southeastern
Jessica Castiglione, St. Thomas
Michelle Murch, St. Thomas
Whitney Cooper, Thomas
Ashley Sikes, Thomas
Kelsey Connolly, Thomas
Kathryn Lopes, Thomas
Dominique Mack, Thomas
Amber Davis, Thomas
Alex Adams, USCB
Kayla Boyle, USCB
Abby Pac, USCB
Torey Scott, Warner
Ashton Sparkman, Warner
Laura Borders, Webber International
Brandi Hazen, Webber International
Alyssa Householder, Webber International