Fayetteville, N.C. - The 2013-14 season serves as the 50th for the USA South Athletic Conference. In an effort to relive 50 Years of great student-athlete performances, each current league institution was given the opportunity to submit names of student-athletes who competed within the Conference and excelled not only on their campuses, but in the Conference as a whole. The league has continued its recognition of these teams with  the sport of softball, and N.C. Wesleyan is proud to have placed 22 Bishops on the squad.

The sport of softball began in the Conference in a slow-pitch format with its first championships awarded in 1982 before transitioning into fast-pitch three years later. It is not unusual to see multiple Conference teams receive a NCAA berths, with at least two Conference teams being selected to play in the NCAA Tournament in six of the last seven seasons. Recently, the Conference Tournament has been very competitive as a different team has received the Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for four consecutive years.

N.C. Wesleyan has experienced much success within the league, beginning with a 1982 season that saw the Bishops earn the inaugural tournament crown... the first of ten regular season and/or tourney championships the program has won (five regular season, five tournament). Additionally, the program has earned a pair of NCAA Tournament berths.

Below are the names and a brief summary of accolades for those Battling Bishops named to the 50th Anniversary Team. On behalf of the Department of Athletics, we congratulate each of these women on this noteworthy recognition.

• Kathy Deyo (First Team All-Conference, Two-Time MVP)
• Sharon Fitzpatrick (First Team All-Conference, MVP)
• Kim Breeden (First Team All-Conference, MVP, season/career records for stolen bases and walks)
• Lisa Derbin (First Team All-Conference, season record for wins)
• Carrie Shank (All-Conference, MVP)
• Tammy Bowen (First Team All-Conference, Three-Time MVP, three season pitching records)
• Kim Olsen (All-Conference, NCWC Hall of Famer)
• Jennifer Littlejohn (First Team All-Conference, MVP)
• Leslie Kobasa (First Team All-Conference, co-record for triples in a season, career record for triples)
• Sara Svejda (First Team All-Conference, co-record for triples in a season)
• Jill Livezey (All-Conference, season records for doubles and fielding assists, NCWC Hall of Famer)
• Laura Boggs (First Team All-Conference, season records for at-bats and sacrifice flies)
• Kristy Coull (First Team All-Conference, Two-Time MVP, season records for winning percentage and ERA)
• Candace Hall (First Team All-Conference, '98 Rookie of the Year, three season/career pitching records)
• Chontae Uptegrow (First Team All-Conference, MVP, career record for at-bats)
• Amy Dodson (First Team All-Conference, '00 Rookie of the Year, Three-Time MVP, five season/career pitching records)
• Shelley Hinson (First Team All-Conference, MVP, season records for fielding percentage and sacrifice hits)
• Courtney Tucker (First Team All-Conference, Two-Time MVP, career record for RBIs and putouts)
• Whitney Moshier (First Team All-Conference, MVP, career record for sacrifice hits)
• Ashlee Bass (All-American, First Team All-Conference, Three-Time MVP, nine season/career batting records)
• Libby Fulford (First Team All-Conference, '05 Rookie of the Year, Three-Time MVP, eight season/career pitching records)
• Meredith Mills (First Team All-Conference, Two-Time MVP)

To view the complete USA South 50th Anniversary Team in softball, please click HERE!

To view more ways the USA South is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, please click HERE!