Spartans Garner Conference Honors
Head coach Leslie Kanter was named co-Coach of the Year and three players were recognized
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Twenty-eight student-athletes have been named to the 2017 All-Sunshine State Conference Softball Teams as announce by the conference office today. Saint Leo University, the 2017 SSC champions, took home the Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Freshman of the Year.
SSC softball coaches awarded Coach of the Year honors to Leslie Kanter of the University of Tampa and Erin Kinberger of Saint Leo. Kinberger earns Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, while Kanter is awarded for the fifth time in her career.
Kacie Kelly, a freshman 2nd baseman for Saint Leo from Jacksonville, Florida, has been named SSC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Kelly led the SSC in Batting Average (.445), On-Base Percentage (.505) and Hits (77). The infielder was also Top-10 in Slugging Percentage (.523), Runs Batted In (34), Doubles (13), and At Bats (173).
Stephanie Adkins repeats as Pitcher of the Year after posting a 21-7 record for Saint Leo in 33 appearances. The senior from Orlando, Florida led the conference in Earned Run Average (1.47), Strike Outs (163), and Wins. She was second in Opposing Batting Average (.215), Saves (2), and Strike Outs Looking (38). Adkins becomes the seventh athlete to earn Pitcher of the Year twice, the first from Saint Leo.
For UT, senior infielder Bre Setree repeats as First Team honoree and finishes her Spartan career with three All-SSC selections while sophomore Pitcher Makaleigh Dooley (First team) and junior right fielder Elly Pillers (Honorable Mention) were recognized for the first time in their careers. The three players were the only Spartans to start and play in all 41 games this season.
Setree broke the school record for career doubles and sits atop the list with 39 and led Tampa in batting average (.374), hits (46), doubles (11), triples (4), walks (15), slugging percentage (.602; third in the conference), on-base percentage (.444) and longest reached base streak (17 games). The senior also added 15 runs and 18 RBI while being tied for second in home runs with three.
Dooley was recognized for her performance in the pitching circle for the Spartans. In her team-leading 30 appearances (24 starts), the sophomore pitcher concluded the year with a 16-7 overall record, 8-3 in SSC play and added two saves. Dooley tossed 166.1 innings of work and had a career-best 1.94 ERA (third in the conference), conceding 60 runs, with 46 being earned. For the season, she struck out 115 batters (fourth in the conference) while only walking 27.
In her first season on the team, Pillers set the second-longest hit streak in school history at 16 games and led the team with 20 runs scored. She was second on the team in batting average (.333), on base percent (.404), at-bats (126), hits (42), walks (14) and finished the season with a team-low nine strikeouts.
Player of the Year = Kacie Kelly, Saint Leo
Pitcher of the Year = Stephanie Adkins, Saint Leo
Freshman of the Year = Kacie Kelly, Saint Leo
Coach of the Year = Erin Kinberger, Saint Leo; Leslie Kanter, University of Tampa
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2017 All-SSC Softball First Team |
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Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
|
|
1B |
Jasmine Harris |
Barry |
Sr. |
Miami, Fla. |
|
|
2B |
Kacie Kelly |
Saint Leo |
Fr. |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
|
|
3B |
Ciera Schumaker^ |
Saint Leo |
Jr. |
Titusville, Fla. |
|
|
SS |
Karolina Flores |
Lynn |
Fr. |
Moreno Valley, Calif. |
|
|
C |
Madison VonHagel |
Barry |
Jr. |
Mckinney, Texas |
|
|
UT |
Tampa |
Sr. |
St. Petersburg, Fla |
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|
DP |
Alex Mace |
Florida Southern |
Fr. |
Winter Haven, Fla. |
|
|
AL |
Brianne Lint |
Rollins |
Jr. |
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. |
|
|
OF |
Dana Edmundson |
Nova Southeastern |
Jr. |
Panama City, Fla. |
|
|
OF |
Shannon Bell |
Florida Southern |
Jr. |
Plant City, Fla. |
|
|
OF |
Alayna Gallagher+ |
Barry |
Jr. |
Safety Harbor, Fla. |
|
|
OF |
Rachael Heath*$ |
Saint Leo |
Sr. |
Zephyrhills, Fla. |
|
|
P |
Stephanie Adkins*# |
Saint Leo |
Sr. |
Orlando, Fla. |
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|
P |
Tampa |
So. |
Tampa, Fla. |
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2017 All-SSC Softball Second Team |
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Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
|
|
1B |
Hailee Keisling*+= |
Rollins |
Sr. |
Safety Harbor, Fla. |
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|
2B |
Dakota Villella |
Nova Southeastern |
Sr. |
Hollywood, Fla. |
|
|
3B |
Erica Morrissey |
Florida Southern |
Sr. |
Lakeland, Fla. |
|
|
AL |
Victoria Rios |
Lynn |
So. |
Miami, Fla. |
|
|
SS |
Cheyanne Head* |
Barry |
Sr. |
Surrey, B.C. |
|
|
C |
Zierra Flodman |
Florida Southern |
So. |
Eagle, Neb. |
|
|
UT |
Danielle Bottley |
Saint Leo |
Sr. |
Stockton, Calif. |
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|
OF |
Chelsea Reed^ |
Rollins |
Sr. |
Lake Mary, Fla. |
|
|
OF |
Sarah Harrison |
Rollins |
Fr. |
Geneva, Fla. |
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|
OF |
Lynsey Duncan |
Barry |
Fr. |
Gilbert, Ariz. |
|
|
OF |
Desirae Klumpp |
Florida Southern |
So. |
Ontario, Canada |
|
|
P |
Kayla Sheffield |
Lynn |
Fr. |
Auburndale, Fla. |
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|
P |
Alison Mitts |
Saint Leo |
Jr. |
Belleville, Ill. |
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2017 All-SSC Softball Honorable Mention |
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Pos. |
Name |
School |
Yr. |
Hometown |
|
|
OF |
Tampa |
Jr. |
Tampa, Fla. |
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* = 2016 All-SSC First Team
^ = 2016 All-SSC Second Team
# = 2016 Pitcher of the Year
$ = 2016 Player of the Year
+ = 2015 All-SSC Second Team
= = 2014 Freshman of the Year
1Rachael Heath (2016), Ashley Urbanik (2008), Denyve Duncan (2004), Desiree Croteau (2000).
2Denyve Duncan and Desiree Croteau were named SSC Freshman of the Year in 1998 and 2002, respectively.
3Kristen Frame was named Freshman and Pitcher of the year in 2010
4Rollins (2011), Lynn (2005), and Florida Southern (2004) won Player, Pitcher, Freshman, and Coach of the Year honors in the same season.
5Keisling was named Freshman of the Year in 2014, Second Team in 2015, and First Team in 2016