Women’s Softball: Elon’s Watson, Nester Named to SoCon Preseason All-Conference Teams

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference honored Elon softball outfielders Tomeka Watson and Carleigh Nester by naming the duo to its 2013 preseason all-conference teams, the league office announced today, Jan. 30. The Phoenix was selected to finish fifth by the league’s coaches in the preseason coaches poll with 32 points.

Watson earned her third straight first-team preseason selection after leading the team in a number of categories, including home runs (seven), batting average (.371), hits (56) and stolen bases (27). The senior from Jackson, Ga., also had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage and earned first-team All-SoCon honors last season.

Nester was a second-team preseason selection for the second consecutive year. The Kernersville, N.C., native was the only Phoenix player to start all 51 games last season and ranked second to Watson in many offensive categories. The junior hit .338 on the year with 53 hits and led the squad with 10 doubles and two triples.

Georgia Southern, last season’s regular season and tournament champion, tallied seven first place votes for a total of 63 points as the SoCon preseason favorite. Appalachian State senior Allie Cashion was named the preseason Player of the Year while GSU’s Sarah Purvis was named the preseason Pitcher of the Year.

The Phoenix will open its 2013 season in Athens, Ga., on Friday, Feb. 8, versus Ohio State in the opening game of the Red and Black Showcase Tournament hosted by the University of Georgia. That game is slated to begin at 12:30 p.m.

Preseason Poll

   Team (First Place Votes)         Points
   1. Georgia Southern (7)           63
   2. Chattanooga (2)                58
   3. College of Charleston          50
   4. Appalachian State              38
   5. Elon                           32
   6. UNCG                           31
   7. Western Carolina               22
   8. Samford                        20
   9. Furman                         10
 

Preseason Player of the Year
Allie Cashion, Outfield, Appalachian State

Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern

Preseason First-Team All-Conference

   P      Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern
   P      Stephanie Saylors, College of Charleston
   C      Madison Dickey, Samford
   1B     Kasey Tydingco, Chattanooga
   2B     Sara Poteat, Chattanooga
   SS     Lizzy Vaughn, College of Charleston
   3B     Kelsey Hodgson, College of Charleston
   OF     Allie Cashion, Appalachian State
   OF     Cheyenne Willis, Chattanooga
   OF     Tomeka Watson, Elon
   DP     Shemekia Scotton, Western Carolina
   UT     Aisha Figueroa, UNCG

Preseason Second-Team All-Conference

   P      Taylor Deason, Chattanooga
   P      Hope Klicker, College of Charleston
   C      Sarah Warnock, Appalachian State
   1B     Eileen Horsmon, UNCG
   2B     Meghan Smith, Appalachian State
   SS     Abby Adams, Samford
   3B     Sarah Beth Roberts, Chattanooga
   OF     Stephanie Rieck, Chattanooga
   OF     Carleigh Nester, Elon
   OF     Nikki Legg, Furman
   DP     Lauren Collier, Furman
   UT     Hope Klicker, College of Charleston

One thought on “Women’s Softball: Elon’s Watson, Nester Named to SoCon Preseason All-Conference Teams

  1. Congratulations to those two players. Elon softball is a program on the rise. The new complex is one of the best around. Good luck to Coach Bocock, I’m sure they will do well this year.

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