Fayetteville, N.C. - The USA South Athletic Conference has released its postseason awards in the sport of softball, and N.C. Wesleyan is pleased to announce that a trio of Battling Bishop players have earned recognition.
Beginning in the outfield, senior Kaitlyn Checkan was named to the All-East Division First Team after batting .375 and leading the team in runs scored (35), walks (24), and on-base percentage (.509) at the leadoff spot. All three stats ranked in the league's top-10 overall, while the Cary, N.C. native also tied for the conference lead with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in centerfield.
Joining Checkan as a First Team selection was freshman pitcher Beth Braswell. A native of Princeton, N.C., Braswell enjoyed stellar year in the circle with a 10-4 overall record and the 5th best ERA in the conference at 1.80 on the season. Her ERA dropped to 1.64 in USA South contests, while at the plate, she batted a solid .380 and led the Bishops with 31 RBIs, which ranked in the league's top-10 overall.
Rounding out Wesleyan's honorees was sophomore Ashlyn Gosnell of Havelock, N.C., who was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Elsewhere around the league, the Maryville College trio of Morgan Brewer, Taylor Campbell and Katlyn Smith were named Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Rookie Pitcher of the Year, respectively. Piedmont College's Melissa Eckman earned Pitcher of the Year, while Salem College's Scott Long was named Coach of the Year to round out the individual awards.
The Bishops recently completed regular season play with a 21-13 overall record. With a 10-6 mark in league action, Wesleyan finished tied for 3rd-place in the conference standings with Averett University and Ferrum College. Via USA South tiebreak procedures, AU was awarded the #3 seed, NCWC the #4 seed, and FC the #5 seed for the 2018 USA South Tournament. The Bishops will now travel to Averett for a best-of-three series that begins on Friday, with the winner advancing to LaGrange, Georgia the following weekend.
To view the entire 2018 USA South Softball All-Conference Team, please visit http://usasouth.net/sports/sball/2017-18/releases/20180330le04oz.