Alanna DiVittorio Named Southland Softball Player of the Year
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – McNeese State senior outfielder Alanna DiVittorio was named the 2014 Southland Conference Softball Player and Hitter of the Year by vote of the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors, the league office announced Tuesday in conjunction with the release of the all-conference softball teams.
Pitcher of the year honors went to McNeese State sophomore Jamie Allred. Central Arkansas pitcher Kylee Studioso was selected newcomer of the year while Nicholls outfielder Taylor Terrio was tabbed freshman of the year. McNeese State coach Mike Smith received coach of the year honors for the second consecutive year.
DiVittorio, a first-team all-conference selection, is the first Cowgirl to earn both player and hitter of the year honor since Heather Moreaux took both awards in 2000. DiVittorio, a native of Harahan, La., led the league in Southland play in runs scored (32), stolen bases (29), on-base percentage (.590), walks (24) was second in batting average (.459), sixth in hits (34) and 12th in slugging percentage (.595). She is the second Cowgirl to be named player of the year and third to be named hitter of the year. DiVittorio became the 12th player in Southland history to be named player and hitter of the year in the same season.
Allred became the first McNeese State player to be tabbed conference pitcher of the year since Angela Harrison in 1994. The sophomore ace from Hallsville, Texas, was named conference pitcher of the week five times during the regular season. In conference play, Allred led the league in shutouts with seven and was second in strikeouts with 121, including 37 batters looking. She pitched 112.1 innings in conference while holding opponents to a league-leading .170 batting average. Allred made 17 starts and picked up 15 wins while registering a 1.00 earned run average. On the season, Allred was 25-7 with three of her wins coming against nationally ranked teams (No. 7 Alabama, No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 21 Alabama-Birmingham). She led the conference with a 1.50 ERA, 204.2 innings pitched and was second in strikeouts (195).
Taylor Terrio was tabbed as the league’s top freshman as she also earned first-team all-conference honors. Terrio becomes the first Colonel to win freshman of the year honors. In conference play, the freshman from Paulina, La., led the league with a .463 batting average and was tied for first in hits with 37. She ranked fourth in on-base percentage (.494), eighth in total bases (48) and 11th in slugging percentage (.600). On the season, she was tied for first in hits with 65 and finished fifth with a .389 batting average.
Kylee Studioso, a first-team all-conference selection, played a major role in ensuring that Central Arkansas would make the conference tournament for the third consecutive year. Studioso joins Holli Hill, who won newcomer of the year in 2010, as the second player in UCA history to ever win the award. The junior from Edmond, Wash., led the Southland in league play with 131 strikeouts in 94.2 innings. She posted an 11-4 record in 17 games while registering four shutouts and holding conference opponents to a .207 batting average. On the season, she led the league in strikeouts (212), appearances (38) and finished second in wins with 16.
Smith received coach of the year honors for the second consecutive year after leading the Cowgirls to their fourth Southland regular-season championship and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. Smith, who is in his third year at the helm of McNeese, becomes the first coach to win back-to-back awards since former Southland member Texas State Ricci Woodard (2001, 2002). McNeese posted a 20-6 mark in conference play, marking the first time the Cowgirls reached 20 wins in league play since 2010. McNeese’s 38-15 overall record marks the sixth consecutive season the Cowgirls have reached the 30-win mark.
Fifteen players made a return appearance to the all-conference teams led by DiVittorio and junior teammate Ashley Modzelewski, who are both making their third consecutive appearance. Thirteen additional players are making their second all-conference appearance led by McNeese sophomores Allred and Emily Vincent, Northwestern State seniors Brianna Rodriguez, Tara McKenney and Kaylee Guidry and juniors Brittany Virgoe and Cassandra Barefield, Houston Baptist sophomore Kirsten Schwirtlich and senior Lauren Schwirtlich, Central Arkansas sophomore Sarah Bigej, Southeastern Louisiana sophomore Katie Lacour, Sam Houston State sophomore Tiffany Castillo and Nicholls sophomore Danielle Phillips.
McNeese and Northwestern State led all teams with seven all-conference selections. Sam Houston, Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist each had four selections. Stephen F. Austin picked up three all-conference selections while Nicholls and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had two. UIW, Lamar and Southeastern Louisiana and had one all-conference selection apiece.
The 2014 Southland Conference Softball Tournament is slated to get underway Thursday at North Oak Park in Hammond, La., with game one starting at 11 a.m. McNeese State won its fourth regular-season title and is the No. 1 seed. Defending champion Northwestern State is the No. 2 seed and will be in search of its fifth tournament title. The tournament fields a six-team double elimination format with the winner punching its ticket to the NCAA tournament.
2014 All-Southland Conference Softball Teams
|
First Team |
|
|
|
|
Pos. |
Name |
University |
Class |
Hometown |
|
1B |
Shalie Day |
Stephen F. Austin |
Jr. |
Ashdown, Ark. |
|
2B |
Sarah Bigej2 |
Central Arkansas |
So. |
Happy Valley, Ore. |
|
3B |
Brittany Virgoe2 |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Anaheim, Calif. |
|
SS |
Kirsten Schwirtlich2 |
Houston Baptist |
So. |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
|
C |
Ashley Modzelewski3 |
McNeese State |
Jr. |
Sour Lake, Texas |
|
UT |
Tina Schulz |
Lamar |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
|
DP |
Alyssa Burnett |
Houston Baptist |
Fr. |
Sugar Land, Texas |
|
OF |
Alanna DiVittorio3 |
McNeese State |
Sr. |
Harahan, La. |
|
OF |
Taylor Terrio |
Nicholls |
Fr. |
Paulina, La. |
|
OF |
Katie Lacour2 |
Southeastern La. |
So. |
Port St. Joe, Fla. |
|
P |
Jamie Allred2 |
McNeese State |
So. |
Hallsville, Texas |
|
P |
Kylee Studioso |
Central Arkansas |
Jr. |
Edmond, Wash. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team |
|
|
|
|
1B |
Brianna Rodriguez2 |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Rowlett, Texas |
|
2B |
Cali Burke |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Mesquite, Texas |
|
3B |
Sam Forrest |
Central Arkansas |
So. |
Broken Arrow, Okla. |
|
SS |
Valerie Perez |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Sr. |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
|
C |
Tiffany Castillo2 |
Sam Houston State |
So. |
Port Lavaca, Texas |
|
UT |
Cadie Weaver |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
Splendora, Texas |
|
DP |
Emily Vincent2 |
McNeese State |
So. |
Sulphur, La. |
|
OF |
Lauren Schwirtlich2 |
Houston Baptist |
Sr. |
Corpus Christi, Texas |
|
OF |
Lauren Langner |
McNeese State |
Jr. |
Pearland, Texas |
|
OF |
Tara McKenney2 |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Red Oak, Texas |
|
P |
Carlie Thomas |
Stephen F. Austin |
Sr. |
Huntington, Texas |
|
P |
Kaylee Guidry2 |
Northwestern State |
Sr. |
Walker, La. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Third Team |
|
|
|
|
1B |
Sarah Allison |
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
College Station, Texas |
|
2B |
Danielle Phillips2 |
Nicholls |
So. |
Resaca, Ga. |
|
3B |
Shay Orsak |
Houston Baptist |
So. |
Katy, Texas |
|
SS |
Tayler Gray |
Sam Houston State |
Jr. |
Huntsville, Texas |
|
C |
Brittney Morse |
A&M-Corpus Christi |
Fr. |
Yuma, Ariz. |
|
UT |
Mikaela Flores |
UIW |
Fr. |
Lockhart, Texas |
|
DP |
Cassandra Barefield2 |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
|
OF |
Briana Whisenhunt |
Central Arkansas |
Fr. |
Crandall, Texas |
|
OF |
Marisa Taunton |
McNeese State |
Fr. |
Beaumont, Texas |
|
OF |
Brittney Jones |
Northwestern State |
Jr. |
Bryan, Texas |
|
P |
Shelby Lancaster |
Sam Houston State |
Sr. |
Tomball, Texas |
|
P |
Rachel Smith |
McNeese State |
Fr. |
Baytown, Texas |
2 Two-time all-conference selection
3 Three-time all-conference selection
Honorable Mention –
First Base: Jamise Jackson, A&M-Corpus Christi.
Second Base: Taylor Goree, McNeese State.
Third Base: Megan Moore, Southeastern Louisiana.
Catcher: Jessie Taylor, Central Arkansas; Cheyenne DelaGarza, Northwestern State.
Utility Player: Lyndi Smith, Abilene Christian; Kim Kennedy, McNeese State.
Designated Player: Hilary Adams, Sam Houston State; Amber Sather, Southeastern Louisiana.
Outfield: Taylor Brown, Abilene Christian; Candyce Carter, Lamar; Kellye Kincannon, Northwestern State; Alisa Hamilton, Stephen F. Austin.
Pitcher: Haley Baros, Sam Houston State; Hannah Null, Abilene Christian.
Individual Awards
Player of the Year: Alanna DiVittorio, McNeese State
Hitter of the Year: Alanna DiVittorio, McNeese State
Pitcher of the Year: Jamie Allred, McNeese State
Freshman of the Year: Taylor Terrio, Nicholls
Newcomer of the Year: Kylee Studioso, Central Arkansas
Coach of the Year: Mike Smith, McNeese State