The USA South Athletic Conference has announced its 2019 All-Conference awards for softball. And the 2019 East Division Regular Season Champion Lady Bishop softball team (20-13) received numerous first team honors as well as the coach of the year.
https://usasouth.net/sports/sball/2018-19/releases/20190409g1fu11
Head Coach John Brackett was named USA South Coach of the Year for the first time since 1996 as he led his team to a 12-4 conference record for 1st place in the East Division as well as the second straight 20-win season and third in the past 4 seasons.
"In his 28th season at N.C. Wesleyan, Brackett collects his second USA South Coach of the Year honor, the first since 1996. That year was the last time the Battling Bishops saw a regular season conference title until this season when Brackett guided the team to the East Division championship with a 12-4 League record. Overall, it is the fifth regular season Conference championship for the N.C. Wesleyan softball program. The Battling Bishops exceeded preseason expectations as they were picked to finish third in the USA South Preseason Coaches Poll's East Division voting. Brackett now takes his squad into the USA South tournament as the East Division's top-seeded team." - USA South Conference
Brackett had 5 players named to either the first or second team East Division while sophomore pitcher/1B Beth Braswell was also named to the All-Conference Overall 1st team. As a hitter, Braswell hit .323 with a team-best 8 home runs and 30 RBIs while she also led the team with 12 wins in the circle along with one save, 116 strikeouts and a 2.08 ERA over 114 innings.
Other than Braswell, senior outfielder Hannah Ivester was also named to the All-East Div. first team along with sophomore 1B Bryona Knight and 1B/C Summer Phillips. Sophomore catcher/3B Kayla Molivas was also named to the all-East Division Second team while fellow sophomore Meredith Smith was named to the All-Sportsmanship team.
Ivester hit .340 on the season with a team-high 33 hits and a .448 on-base percentage while Knight also hit .340 on the season. Phillips hit .327 with 3 homer and 15 RBIs to book her trip to the first team while Molivas hit a team-high .343 to make the second team.
Unfortunately, the Lady Bishops' terrific season came to an end with a first round series loss to Meredith College last Thursday in Rocky Mount as the Angels came back to stun the Bishops knocking NCWC out of the tournament.
| First Team East Division |
1B - Bryona Knight, N.C. Wesleyan
2B - Makenzie Pennell, Pfeiffer
3B - Brianne Coleman, Salem
SS - Vada Blue Sherrill, Pfeiffer
C - Sara Brown, Pfeiffer
DP - Miranda Barker, Salem
Util - Summer Phillips, N.C. Wesleyan
OF - Hannah Ivester, N.C. Wesleyan
OF - Allyson Loy, Greensboro
OF - Candice Smith, William Peace
P - Beth Braswell, N.C. Wesleyan
P - Kiana Millsaps, Pfeiffer
At-Large - Kaitlyn Aherron, Averett
At-Large - Hannah Thompson, Averett