Carson-Newman's Rogers, Lenoir-Rhyne's Hanes Take SAC Softball Honors
April 19, 2006

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ROCK HILL, SC – Carson-Newman College senior first baseman Lisa Rogers, who led the South Atlantic Conference with a .434 batting average, and Lenoir-Rhyne freshman pitcher Casey Hanes, who led the league in earned run average, were named Softball Player and Pitcher of the Year, the league announced today.

Rogers (Rossville, GA) wins the Player of the Year award for the second year in a row. She also led the league in on-base percentage (.510) and was second in the league in slugging percentage (.682). She had 32 runs batted in with nine home runs.

Hanes, a freshman from Richmond, Va., set a SAC record with a 0.40 ERA for the season. She went 24-6 with 15 shutouts.

Wingate third baseman Hallie Pettigrew (Uniontown, Ohio), who was second in the league in batting average at .426, was named Freshman of the Year.

Lenoir-Rhyne College coach Shena Hollar, who led the Bears to the SAC regular-season title, was named Coach of the Year, winning the honor for the first time in her career.

Wingate University placed a league-high eight on the All-Conference team, including seven on the First Team.

Carson-Newman had five All-SAC selections, while Lenoir-Rhyne had four. Presbyterian and Catawba each had three selections, while Tusculum and Newberry each had one.

Wingate catcher Mandi Chester, a First-Team All-Conference selection, was named SAC Scholar Athlete for softball.

Chester, a junior from Charlotte, NC, has a 3.64 GPA, majoring in Mathematics and Education.

Chester hit .380 this season for the Bulldogs, and was third in the conference in RBIs per game, trailing two of her teammates. In 2005, she did not make an error in 297 chances.

She is a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and is a volunteer tutor in her math classes. She also donates her time at the Charlotte homeless shelter and has participated in Operation Christmas Child every year since she was in middle school. She also is a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Wingate and is a catching and hitting coach for local recreational leagues.

Regular season statistical champions and senior awards were also announced.

COACH OF THE YEAR – Shena Hollar, Lenoir-Rhyne
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Hallie Pettigrew, Wingate
PITCHER OF THE YEAR – Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne
PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Lisa Rogers, Carson-Newman
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE – Mandi Chester, Wingate

SOFTBALL STAT CHAMPIONS

• Lisa Rogers, Carson-Newman – Batting Avg., .434; On-Base Pct., .510
• Sarah Carleton, Wingate – Slugging Pct., .781; Homers Per Game, 0.28; Runs Scored Per Game, 1.07; RBIs Per Game, 1.35
• Rachel Bailey, Presbyterian - Doubles Per Game, 0.39
• Kimee Lewis, Wingate - Triples Per Game, 0.19
• Nicole Ringwall, Tusculum - Stolen Bases Per Game, 0.54
• Casey Hanes, Lenoir-Rhyne - Earned Run Average, 0.40
• Megan Elliott, Carson-Newman - Pitching Victories, 28
• Meredith O'Connor, Lenoir-Rhyne - Strikeouts Per Game, 10.59
• Wingate – Batting Avg., .377; Slugging Pct., .536; On Base Pct., .412; Runs Per Game, 6.90; RBIs Per Game, 6.50
• Catawba - Homers Per Game, 0.89
• Newberry – Stolen Bases Per Game, 1.40
• Lenoir-Rhyne – Earned Run Avg., 0.59; Strikeouts Per Game, 9.17