DAHLONEGA — Prior to the start of the Peach Belt Conference Softball Tournament, seven University of North Georgia softball players were named All-Conference as announced at the tournament banquet Thursday night in Memorial Hall. In addition, Kylee Smith was named the Pitcher of the Year while head coach Mike Davenport was awarded the Coach of the Year.
The Nighthawks' seven All-Conference honorees are again the most across the conference, one ahead of Columbus State, who had a conference leading four first team nods.
Kylee Smith is in the midst of a historic season in the circle for the top-ranked Nighthawks. A sophomore from Suwanee, Georgia, she is 28-1 overall on the season with 16 complete games, 10 shutouts, two no-hitters and a 0.73 ERA. Smith leads NCAA Division II in wins, is second in strikeouts, third in strikeouts per seven innings, fourth in ERA and fifth in shutouts. She has allowed just 18 earned runs in 172.2 innings of work with 263 strikeouts and 36 walks issued. She is also tied for the league lead with three saves. Smith continues the rich history of UNG pitching, bringing the award back to Dahlonega for the seventh time as the fifth Nighthawk to win the honor.
Davenport's Nighthawks are 53-2 heading into the PBC Tournament and 19-1 in league play. North Georgia won their fifth straight regular-season championship in 2018 and will defend their PBC Tournament title for the fifth time. North Georgia has more wins than any other NCAA softball program, Division I, II and III. They lead Division II in team ERA, shutouts and win/loss percentage and are fourth in fielding percentage and 12thin scoring. Davenport has now won 50 or more games for the third time in the last four years and extends his PBC record with his seventh Coach of the Year award and fourth in the last five years.
Joining Smith on the All-Conference first team were Shelby Hammontree as the first-team catcher and Amber Johns as an At-Large selection. The Nighthawks on the All-Conference Second Team were Kaylyn Anthony, Alishia Frierson, Hobby Gregory and Sydney Sprague.
North Georgia will open play in the league tournament tomorrow at Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium against eighth-seeded Georgia Southwestern at 4 p.m. in the third game of the day.
