Hefner earns Southeast Region Player of the Year honors, three others join her on all-region squads

Carson-Newman junior shortstop Brittany Hefner (Talbott, Tenn.) has been named the Daktronics’ Southeast Region Player of the Year by the district’s sports information directors.

Hefner was Carson-Newman’s only first team selection for both the Daktronics’ all-region team and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-region team.

Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and Kelli Hensley (Knoxville, Tenn.) took home second team honors from both Daktronics and the NFCA, while Elayna Siebert (Knoxville, Tenn.) made the Daktronics’ second team.

Hefner, the South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year and a first team all-region selection as well, was the conference and nation’s leader for RBI with 75. That total reset the single season record for both the SAC and Carson-Newman. Hefner obliterated a school record for home runs in a year with 19 – setting that school record in early March before the season reached its midpoint.

Hefner finished second in the SAC on the single season homerun chart. She nearly won the first ever triple crown in SAC history, she was second in the league in batting average with a .451 figure. A two-time SAC player of the week – Hefner was just the fifth player in NCAA Division II history to hit three grand slams in a single season. She had a school record 141 total bases this

year and matched a Carson-Newman single game record with eight RBI against Lees McRae.

Shoemake, a second team all-region pick for both Daktronics and the NFCA, collected her second all-SAC first team honor of her career after coming in fifth in the league and third on her team with a .369 batting average. Shoemake raised that average to .400 in conference play only. Shoemake is top 10 in the league in hits (52) and runs scored (33).

Shoemake successfully caught runners stealing 50 percent of the time and threw out 18 runners – the best figure in the league.

She is second on the team with 15 multi-hit games and is one of two Eagles this year to pound out four hits in a single contest. Shoemake has ranked the 14^th toughest player to strikeout in the nation and the most difficult to fan in the SAC

In spite of a late season injury, Hensley turned it on in conference play. Hensley batted .386 in all games, which was fifth in the league, but raised it 40 points to .426 in just conference games – the third best tally in the league.

The freshman gets on base 42 percent of the time in all games and 46 in conference only (15^th and 12^th in the league respectively).

Hensley has 12 multi-hit games, including three, four-hit days. Hensley hits an Eagle best .595 as a leadoff hitter, which has been crucial to getting her aboard to steal 13 bases on 14 attempts

Siebert isfifth in the nation and first in the league with six triples. She also has a double and home run to her name with a .351 batting average. As a utility player, she has a .980 fielding percentage with one error playing second base and the outfield.

Siebert ranks eighth in conference play alone with 21 hits. When just factoring in conference games. She’s ninth in OBP with a .481 mark and 12th in slugging percentage at .562.

2013 Daktronics Softball All-Southeast Region
DISTRICT 3 – Southeast Region
Pitcher of the Year: Carley Tysinger, Catawba
Player of the Year: Brittany Hefner, Carson-Newman

First Team
C – Kim McMillan, North Georgia
1B – Danielle Swygert, Anderson
2B – Jessica Neidigh, Anderson
3B – Kacie Patterson, Armstrong
SS – Brittany Hefner, Carson-Newman OF – Taylor Merritt, North Georgia
OF – Kori Waugh, Columbus State
OF – Whitney Britt, Queens
P – Megan Barnwell, Armstrong
P – Carley Tysinger, Catawba
P – Mollie Russell, Columbus State
DP – Taylor Cloninger, UNC Pembroke
UT [non pitcher] – Brea Hartley, UNC Pembroke
UT [pitcher] – Shelby Duff, Armstrong

Second Team
C – Bri Shoemake, Carson-Newman
1B – Kaytlin Stroinski, Tusculum
1B – Beth Overman, Mount Olive
1B – Hannah Reppert, Armstrong
2B – Lauren Bessent, Flagler
3B – Haily Jarman, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B – Tristan Faile, Francis Marion
SS – Alexis Mercer, Armstrong OF – Kelli Hensley, Carson-Newman
OF – Brianna Mulkey, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Kelsey Maffucci, Wingate,
OF – Whitney Little, Flagler
P – Hannah Light, King
P – Dani Gallucci, Georgia College
P – India Kornegay, USC Aiken
DP – Maloree Escue, Flagler
UT [non pitcher] – Molly Whittington, Flagler UT [non pitcher] – Elayna Siebert, Carson-Newman
UT [pitcher] – Kristen Carr, Columbus State

NFCA All-Region Teams