MIAMI, Fla. (May, 3, 2022) – The 2023 All- Sun Conference Softball and Superlative Award Winners were announced on Wednesday as voted on by the league’s nine head coaches.
Coastal Georgia’s
Bryce Peacock was named this year’s Sun Conference Player of the Year. The native of Baxley, Georgia, earned top spots in the SUN leaderboards being in No. 1 with a batting average of .473, a slugging percentage of .764, an on base percentage of .574, and ops of 1.338. She also has 29 runs scored (No. 7 in the conference) and 52 hits (No. 5 in the conference). Her earned run average is No. 4 in the SUN in 22 appearances as the junior posted four shutouts. She held opposing batters to a .207 batting average (No. 3 in the conference), striking out 122 batters.
Coastal Georgia’s
Hayley Dickerson was tabbed the Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year. The native of Rincon, Georgia notches an 19-5 record with a 1.11 ERA in the 138.1 innings of action. Her earned run average is No. 3 in the conference and No. 16 in the NAIA as the senior posted seven shutouts (No. 1 in the conference) in 17 complete games. She has held opposing batters to a .221 batting average (No. 6 in the conference) striking out 118 batters.
Peacock and Dickerson join fellow Mariners
Mackenzie Kagee, Sarah Thinger, Aniston Johnson, Melani Jones, and
Kayla Rowell as members of the league’s first team.
Webber International’s
Taylor Thomas was named the Sun Conference Freshman of the Year. The first-year Warrior finishes the 2023 regular season with an earned run average of 2.19 with 118 innings played. She completed 12 games and started in 20. In the field she totaled six putouts and 12 assists.
Jaelynn Vialpando (Thomas),
Chapel Cunningham (Southeastern),
Leah Gonzalez (Southeastern),
Breanna Reye (Florida Memorial),
Holly Campbell (Thomas),
Ryanne Saluter (Ave Maria),
Averie Sheppard (Thomas),
Erica Stahl (Southeastern),
Sophia Negron (St. Thomas),
Ciara Justice (Florida Memorial),
Madalyn Morton (Warner),
Autumn Hunter (Southeastern), and
Lizzy Small (Keiser) were also named first-team all-conference.
Coastal Georgia Head Coach Mike Minick was named the league’s Coach of the Year, leading the Mariners to a 37-10 overall record and a 21-3 mark in league action en route to the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Sun Conference Softball Championship. Under Minick, CCGA earned the program’s first NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 ranking in school history and in 2019 won their first-ever Regular-Season Championship.
Southeastern’s Stahl was named this year’s Sun Conference Champion of Character. Erica is a player who has epitomized what SEU Softball is since even before she arrived at SEU. She displays each of the five core values of the NAIA in terms of character, integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. Daily, she is seen modeling servant leadership before and after practices as she shows up early to get extra work in and invites teammates to do so as well. She is always eager to pitch in and help others with tasks they are completing pre and post practice and she never has a mentality of "that's not mine to do." Even as she walks in this manner, she wants and expects others around her to do so as well. In her time away from the field, she has walked out these very same values in her commitment to excellence in the classroom. In her journey towards PT school, Erica plugged in on campus to serve and grow by serving as a student ambassador for PrePT students at SEU and as an officer for the Human Performance and Sports Studies Club, working to organize events on campus to promote these programs and increase learning experiences for students in these areas of study. While doing all of this, Erica also committed to completing her degree in the Honors College at SEU. This semester she saw the culmination of a two-year journey towards the completion of her thesis in which she studied the impact of college athletics on the body both during an athlete's playing career and following the end of their career. She was able to share this research in her thesis presentation and provided great education for our university as it relates to athlete care at our institution. Erica has also been a part of our team Leadership Council the last two years. In addition to leading our team on the field, she has been involved in leading our team off the field in numerous ways, one of which is spiritual formation. In the last two years she has taken great interest in connecting with teammates to have opportunities to encourage them in their faith journey. Because of how well she connects to all teammates, she has had significant opportunities in these areas. She has been such an integral role in the culture of the team because she is others-focused, always looking for how she can bring others in or meet others' needs.
The 2023 Sun Conference Championship begins on Thursday, May 4. The double-elimination tournament, hosted at the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater, Florida, will open with four games on Thursday featuring Warner (No. 5 seed) versus Keiser (No. 4 seed) at 11:00 a.m., Thomas (No. 6 seed) versus St. Thomas (No. 3 seed) at 1:30 p.m. The top seeds, Coastal Georgia (No. 1 seed) and Southeastern (No. 2 seed) await the winners of each opening round contest later that day. CCGA will face the winner of WU and KU (4:00 p.m.) and SEU will face the winner of TU and STU (6:30 p.m.)
2023 Sun Conference Softball All-Conference Teams
First Team
Catcher Jaelynn Vialpando Thomas Sr. Albuquerque, N.M.
Catcher MacKenzie Kagee Coastal Georgia So. Jesup, Ga.
INF Chapel Cunningham Southeastern So. Chattanooga, Tenn.
INF Leah Gonzalez Southeastern So. St. Cloud, Fla.
INF Breanna Reye Florida Memorial Sr. Hollywood, Fla.
INF Sarah Thinger Coastal Georgia Jr. Tampa, Fla.
INF Holly Campbell Thomas Gr. Lake Park, Ga.
INF Aniston Johnson Coastal Georgia Jr. Alma, Ga.
INF Ryanne Saluter Ave Maria Jr. Hughesville, Md.
OF Averie Sheppard Thomas Jr. Chattanooga, Tenn.
OF Erica Stahl Southeastern Sr. Plant City, Fla.
OF Sophia Negron St. Thomas Sr. Orlando, Fla.
OF Melani Jones Coastal Georgia Sr. Titusville, Fla.
OF Ciara Justice Florida Memorial So. Winter Haven, Fla.
DP Kayla Rowell Coastal Georgia Sr. Brunswick, Ga.
UTL Bryce Peacock Coastal Georgia Jr. Baxley, Ga.
Pitcher Hayley Dickerson Coastal Georgia Sr. Rincon, Ga.
Pitcher Madalyn Morton Warner Sr. Williamsburg, Va.
Pitcher Autumn Hunter Southeastern Jr. Winneconne, Wis.
Pitcher Lizzy Small Keiser So. Sarasota, Fla.
Second Team
INF Jamie Mead Southeastern Gr. Adelaid, South Australia
INF Gabriella Gilbert St. Thomas Jr. Hollywood, Fla.
INF Lauren Sekinger Southeastern Fr. New Orleans, La.
INF Marisa Michi Ave Maria Jr. Chicago, Ill.
OF Haleigh Harrell Southeastern Gr. Lakeland, Fla.
OF Molly Reid Keiser Jr. Tampa, Fla.
OF Kimmie Cheung Webber International Jr. Wesley Chapel, Fla.
Pitcher Claire Sekinger Southeastern So. New Orleans, La.
Pitcher Abbigail Smith St. Thomas Sr. Palmetto, Fla.
UTL Annie Nudera Ave Maria Jr. Plainfield, Ill.
2023 Softball Postseason Award Winners
Player of the Year: Bryce Peacock (Coastal Georgia)
Pitcher of the Year: Hayley Dickerson (Coastal Georgia)
Freshman of the Year: Taylor Thomas (Webber International)
Champion of Character: Erica Stahl (Southeastern)
Coach of the Year: Mike Minick (Coastal Georgia)