A league-high three University of North Georgia softball players have been recognized by the coaches of the Peach Belt Conference as members of the league's 12-player preseason All-Conference team as announced on Tuesday by the conference office. Kim McMillan (1B), Taylor Merritt (OF) and Courtney Poole (P) each garnered the preseason distinction from the league after all three were named to the league's All-Conference team in 2013.
McMillan started all 50 games for UNG last season and capped a stellar year by being named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association Third Team All-American. She also garnered All-Region honors after finishing in the top-10 in the PBC in 10 different offensive categories including leading the conference with 28 extra base hits, 115 total bases and is tied for tops in the conference with 15 doubles. For the season, McMillan batted a team-best .391 and collected 61 hits, 43 runs, 42 RBI's and 13 home runs.
Merritt was also named an All-Region selection after finishing the season in the conference's top-10 in four offensive categories including tied for seventh in sacrifice hits, seventh in batting average, sixth in runs scored and seventh in on-base percentage. Merritt, who played in 44 games, was second on the team with a .360 batting average and was second with 45 hits while her 36 runs scored placed her second on the squad in the category.
Poole was named the PBC's Freshman of the Year in 2013 after ending the regular-season in the top-10 in multiple pitching categories this year, including tied for a conference-best 22 wins with an earned run average of 2.00 and 194 strikeouts in 189.1 innings of work. She recorded 21 complete games in 26 starts.
The University of North Georgia softball team kicks off the 2014 season on Saturday, February 1 when the team travels to Columbus, Ga. to take part in the Peach Belt/Sunshine State Conference Challenge.
2014 Peach Belt Conference Preseason All-Conference Team
First Base
Friday
November 15th, 2024
7:40PM
