USCB’s Browder and Cook Highlight All-Conference Team
Michael Pierce
CLERMONT, Fla. - The Sun Conference announced the 2013 All-Conference Softball team at the conference tournament banquet hosted by the National Training Center on Wednesday evening. The team featured 20 student-athletes representing all nine league teams with South Carolina Beaufort leading the way with four honorees. USCB nearly swept the individual accolades, taking the home Pitcher of the Year, Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.
USCB head coach Ty Rietkovich was named the league Coach of the Year. Rietkovich led the Sand Sharks to a 38-4 overall record in the program’s second season of competition. USCB enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed after posting a 14-2 mark in league play this year.
Player of the Year honors went to USCB shortstop C.J. Browder. A junior from Covington, Tenn., Browder’s name is littered across the national leaderboards in most offensive categories, including a number two ranking in both RBIs/game (1.55) and total bases/game (3.15). Browder is also fourth in home runs/game (0.4) and seventh in home runs (16), RBIs (62) and slugging percentage (.955).
Browder’s teammate Kristy Cook garnered Pitcher of the Year recognition. Cook has pitched in 24 games for the Sand Sharks, earning a perfect 18-0 overall record, including a 7-0 mark in conference play. Cook fanned 113 batters in 125.2 innings in the circle and posted a 1.84 earned run average. She pitched 13 complete games and six shutouts on the year.
Webber International’s Jessica McCellan was tabbed as the league’s Champions of Character Award winner. McCellan came to Webber International from the College of Central Florida in Ocala and has helped support the Circle of Love Mission in Auburndale. McCellan is one of the hardest working Lady Warriors on and off the field. She has a full-time job at the Lake Wales, Race Track, while maintaining a 3.58 gpa in all of her classes. Jessica is one of the first players at practice and game and is always one of the last to leave the field. She also does about 15 hours of community service every year on top of everything she has going on.
Tournament play begins at 9 a.m. on Thursday with No. 4 seed Warner taking on No. 5 Thomas. The tournament champion receives an automatic bid to the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round, which will be held at 10 campus sites around the country May 13-15.
2013 Softball All-Conference Team
C - Dee Espinosa (ERAU)
C - Jen Hedrick (SEU)
IF - Sarah Huey (ERAU)
IF - C.J. Browder (USCB)
IF - Taylor Nicolosi (TU)
IF - Maureen Sandidge (WIU)
IF - Katie Rietkovich (USCB)
IF - Tiffani Upchurch (WU)
OF - Kingsley Avery (AMU)
OF - Brinley Benson (SEU)
OF - Tabatha Martin (WU)
OF - Ashley Peterson (WIU)
P - Kristy Cook (USCB)
P - Alexa Fair (TU)
P - Brenda Emerson (STU)
DP - Sam Rich (SEU)
At-Large (IF) - Maddie Byrd (USCB)
At-Large (IF) - Savannah Smith (ERAU)
At-Large (IF) - Natalie Sacramento (STU)
At-Large (OF) - Sarah Aylesworth (NU)
Player of the Year
C.J. Browder (USCB)
Pitcher of the Year
Kristy Cook (USCB)
Champions of Character Award
Jessica McCellan (WIU)
Coach of the Year
Ty Rietkovich (USCB)
Academic All-Conference
Beth Vaccarezza (AMU)
Melanie Lee (ERAU)
Stephanie Self (NU)
Amanda Self (NU)
Nicci Hopps (SEU)
Chelsey Blasingame (USCB)
Maddison Byrd (USCB)
Kelli Rietkovich (USCB)
Caitlin Vaughn (USCB)
Alyssa Bork (TU)
Lindsay Tompkins (TU)
Stefani Bonilla (WU)
Laura Lovell (WU)
Lindsey Martin (WU)
Hayley Padgett (WU)
Tiffany Porter (WU)
Jelisa Potter (WU)
Tiffani Upchurch (WU)
Allison Geiger (WIU)
Jessica McClellan (WIU)