Brenau Softball Wins 17 Awards at SSAC Banquet

Columbus, GA - The Southern States Athletic Conference held a banquet last night to recognize all the softball teams, and the players that contributed to their success. The #11 Golden Tigers were ranked among the Top 25 in the NAIA, while being placed 2nd in the East Division of the conference, and 3rd in the overall SSAC. Brenau University's Softball Team walked into the banquet hall with a 39-7 overall record, and 23-5 conference record. With the Golden Tigers' having a successful season thus far, many of their players were recognized for the role that they had played; 17 conference awards were presented to members of the Brenau team, ranging from All-Academic to Player of the Year.

Student-athletes that understand the importance of prioritizing, as well as balancing, their academic and athletic responsibilities are awarded for their excellence. In order to be selected for the SSAC All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must have completed 2 terms of attendance, while attaining a grade point average of 3.25 or higher. The Softball Team represented Brenau University in great fashion as Ellen Black (Toccoa, GA), Brooke Bryant (Royston, GA), Taylor Kelly (Toccoa, GA), Anna Maness (Seagrove, NC), Jacqueline McWhorter (Columbus, GA), Tiffany Schandera (Columbus, GA), and Morgan Smith (Covington, GA) were all named to the All-Academic Team.

Moreover, Brooke Bryant also received the Musco Lighting Champions of Character Award. This award is given to one student-athlete on each team, for each sport. The recipients were selected by the coaches, following regular season play. These student-athletes are selected based on the criteria outlined in the NAIA Champions of Character Program which is based on the following: respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.

A few of the newest players on the Golden Tigers' roster were acclaimed for their performance on the field, during their first year of collegiate play. Katie Bolin (Danielsville, GA) and Jenny Shepherd (Martinez, GA) were chosen to be members of the SSAC All-Freshman Team. Bolin who entertains fans with her full throttle intensity, play after play, has showed much promise, and provides enthusiasm for the program, in years to come. Shepherd saw every chance she had on the field as an opportunity to prove that she had the talent needed to compete along side any other opponent within this competitive conference. In doing so, they were recognized as top players in this season's freshman class.

Although Ellen Black (Toccoa, GA) was injured in the later part of the season, she was still recognized for her performance earlier in the year. She was named a member of the SSAC All-East Divisional Team. While Black was still performing on the field, she was ranked 1st in the nation for Runs Batted In, at one point in the season. This junior has proven to be quite the utility player for the Golden Tigers; she helped the team out in right field, as well as on the mound. Even with her sitting out, due to an injury, she still currently holds 5 national rankings. Some of these rankings include: 7th in Home Runs per Game (0.371), and 9th in Runs Batted In per Game (1.371).

Several players of the Brenau Softball Team were selected for the SSAC 1st Team All-Conference: Morgan Smith (Covington, GA), Anna Maness (Seagrove, NC), Jenny Shepherd (Martinez, GA), and Tiffany Schandera (Columbus, GA). Smith, a junior catcher, earned 9 Homeruns and 43 RBIs. Maness, a sophomore pitcher, struck out 162 batters, over the course of the season. She is currently ranked 11th in the nation in Opponent Batting Average (0.163), Hits Allowed per 9 (5.15), and Earned Run Average (1.060), while also ranking 12th in the NAIA for wins. Furthermore Shepherd and Schandera were also chosen to be members on this team, both receiving prestigious awards later in the ceremony.

Shepherd received the honor of being named SSAC Co-Freshman of the Year. This freshman pitcher had an impressive season, from the mound to the plate. While pitching, she won 10 games, and only lost 2; she threw to 268 batters, and managed to strike out 92 of them. At bat, she has currently earned 6 Homeruns, along with 42 RBIs. Shepherd has demonstrated her level of talent, providing her with high expectations in the seasons to come.

Schandera, a sophomore 3rd baseman, snatched the title SSAC Player of the Year. While post season play is just beginning, she still leads the conference with her batting average (0.47), earning 69 hits. Furthermore, Schandera racked up quite a few national rankings, throughout the season. Currently, she has 4 rankings within the top 10 of the NAIA: she ranks 3rd in Runs Scored per Game (1.364), ranks 4th in Total Doubles (20), ranks 6th in total Runs Scored (60), and ranks 7th in Doubles per Game (0.455). Schandera also has 9 more rankings that placed her as one of the elite players in the nation.

After being awarded for their talent and discipline, the Golden Tigers look forward to the opportunity to prove themselves once again, as they play against University of Mobile. The game is scheduled for today @ 4pm.