PBC YEARBOOK
four runs in 3 2/3 innings of work, walking three and striking out two.
Three PBC Softball Players Named NFCA All-Americans
LOUISVILLE, KY – North Georgia’s Courtney Poole and Stephanie
Hartness and Montevallo’s Kelsey Vining were all named first-team
All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association this
week. It is the fifth straight year that the PBC has had at least three
NFCA All-Americans.
Hartness,
a junior outfielder, led the
Nighthawks in
every offensive
category to
earn Peach
Belt Conference Player of
the Year. The
junior hit .469
with 92 hits,
19 doubles,
three triples,
nine home
runs, 52 RBI,
60 runs scored.
She walked
29 times and
struck out just
twice in 196 at
bats, recording a .538
on-base and
.735 slugging
percentage.
Poole, the
2015 Schutt
Sports/NFCA
National Player
of the Year, led
the NCAA - in all divisions - in victories (53) for the second straight
year, is second in Division II in ERA (0.76) and shutouts (24), and is
fourth in strikeouts (445). The PBC Pitcher of the Year’s 53 victories are
the most ever in a single season in NCAA history. This was her second
straight first-team honor.
Vining continues to earn post season awards and becomes the
first player in the program’s history to receive this honor. Over the
last season, Vining ranked at the top of the Peach Belt Conference in
offensive and defensive statistical categories. Vining also finished the
2015-16
season ranked as one of the top offensive players in the country, ranking
in the top 10 in three offensive categories. Vining had a league leading
.483 batting average this season and sat at the top of the conference
with 41 stolen bases.
North Georgia Places National-Best Three Softball
Players on D2CCA All-America Team
ROLLA, Mo. | The University of North Georgia softball team led the
nation with three
selections to the
2016 Division
II Conference
Commissioners
Association
All-America
Softball Team.
Nighthawk
standouts Stephanie Hartness,
Meredith Heyer,
and Courtney
Poole were all
named to the
First Team. UNG
was the only
program in the
country to land
more than two
players on the
first and second
team.
Poole was
honored as the
Ron Lenz Pitcher
of the Year for
the second
consecutive year
after posting a
53-4 record for
UNG breaking the all-time NCAA wins record for a single season. Poole
sported the third-lowest earned run average in Division II at 0.76 and
struck out an eye-popping 445 batters this year. 2016 marks the fourth
time a North Georgia pitcher has won the honor, the most in the history
of the award. North Georgia’s Sarah Phillips was tabbe