ELON, N.C. – The Elon University softball team had four members of its squad selected to the 2014 Southern Conference Preseason Teams as announced by the conference office on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The Phoenix was tabbed to finished seventh overall by the league’s head coaches with 14 points.
Senior outfielder Carleigh Nester was chosen to the Preseason All-Conference first team along with sophomore Emily Cameron as a utility player. Fellow seniors Johanna Spencer and Lauren Oldham were tabbed to the Preseason All-SoCon second team at third base and second base, respectively.
Nester was a first team All-SoCon selection for the first time in 2013 and is the Phoenix’s returning leader in a number of offensive categories. The Kernesville, N.C., native batted .370 with 11 home runs, 34 runs batted in, 14 doubles and 14 stolen bases last season. She also had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage for the second straight year and was a NFCA All-South Region selection.
Cameron hit .269 in her 39 games last season while playing a number of positions on the field. The Kennesaw, Ga., native hit a home run in the Phoenix’s season opener against then eighth-ranked Georgia last season to help Elon upset the Bulldogs, 5-2.
Spencer finished third on the team in batting average a year ago after hitting .341 and was also tied for third in RBI with 26. The Halifax, Va., native also had six doubles and a triple to her stat line.
Oldham started all 51 games she played in 2013 with 35 of them coming at second base. The Pittsboro, N.C., native led the team in assists with 71 and in triples with three. She also had an eight-game hitting streak last season, the third longest on the team.
Georgia Southern was predicted as the league favorite with seven first-place votes and 49 points overall. UNCG was picked second followed by last year’s regular-season champion, Appalachian State, in third.
UNCG’s Lindsay Thomas was chosen as the league’s Preseason Player of the Year while Georgia Southern’s Sarah Purvis received the nod for the Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
Elon will begin its 2014 campaign on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Charleston Southern Tournament as the maroon and gold face UNC Wilmington and Maryland Eastern Shore.
Preseason Poll
Team (First Place Votes) Points 1. Georgia Southern (7) 49 2. UNCG 40 3. Appalachian State (1) 35 4. Chattanooga 31 5. Furman 24 6. Samford 20 7. Elon 14 8. Western Carolina 11
Preseason Player of the Year
Lindsay Thomas, Catcher, UNCG
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern
Preseason First-Team All-Conference
P Sarah Purvis, Georgia Southern P Raeanne Hanks, UNCG C Lindsay Thomas, UNCG 1B Lindsay Loudermilk, Appalachian State 2B Taylor Jenkins, Furman SS Kourtny Thomas, Georgia Southern 3B Sarah Beth Roberts, Chattanooga OF Carleigh Nester, Elon OF Allison Geiner, UNCG OF Sam Taylor, Chattanooga DP Katelyn Bedwell, UNCG UT Emily Cameron, Elon Preseason Second-Team All-ConferenceP Lauren Collier, Furman P Mollie Hanson, Samford C Sarah Warnock, Appalachian State 1B Taylor Sigmon, Western Carolina 2B Lauren Oldham, Elon SS Alyssa Taylor, Chattanooga 3B Johanna Spencer, Elon OF Ambree Muller, Furman OF Nikki Legg, Furman OF Tatiana Alcala, UNCG OF Stephanie Rieck, Chattanooga DP Shelby Morrill, Georgia Southern