SPARTANBURG, S.C. - UNC Greensboro had three student-athletes named to the All-Southern Conference softball teams, with Alex Emeterio earning a first-team nod and Amber Harrell and Eileen Horsmon taking second-team honors, the league office announced Tuesday. Horsmon was also named to the All-Freshman Team.
Emeterio, a sophomore, was the first-team first baseman. A preseason second-team selection, Emeterio is hitting a team-best .371 on the season with 11 doubles, five home runs and 30 RBI. Emeterio is slugging a career-best .547 and leads the Spartans with a .462 on-base percentage and 23 walks. In SoCon play, she hit .409 on the year. This season, she has entered UNCG's career top 10 lists in career batting average, career slugging percentage and career walks, all in just under two seasons. She was the SoCon Player of the Week on April 26. The Murietta, Calif., native was an All-Freshman selection last season.
Harrell took one of the two second-team spots for pitchers. The senior is a career-best 13-14 on the year with a 2.87 ERA and a career-high 197 strikeouts, and could become just the second player in school history to reach 200 in a single season. This season, Harrell became UNCG's career strikeout leader and the first pitcher in school history to surpass 600 for her career. In SoCon play, Harrell went 7-6 with a 1.35 ERA, striking out 107 batters and walking just 32. The McDonough, Ga., native has been named the SoCon Pitcher of the Week three times on the season.
In addition to taking SoCon All-Freshman honors, Horsmon was the second-team designated player.
UNCG's second-leading hitter on the season at .314, Horsmon has five doubles, five homers and 17 RBI. In Southern Conference play, she hit .315 with a pair of homers and eight RBI. The Dunkirk, Md., native becomes UNCG's first freshman to earn all-conference honors since Jennifer Bonilla was a second-team pick in 2004.
The three all-conference picks are UNCG's most since 2005 and the most under head coach Jennifer Herzig.
UNCG enters this week's Southern Conference Championship with a 25-28 overall mark. The Spartans went 12-11 in SoCon play - their first winning league record since 2003 - to tie for fourth in the league, their highest finish under Herzig and best since 2003.
The Spartans face top-seeded Chattanooga on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. in the first round of the SoCon tournament in Chattanooga, Tenn.
All-Conference Teams
First Team
Pitcher: Lana Mackey, Furman
Pitcher: Brianna Streetmon, Georgia Southern
Catcher: Kaitlyn Piazzolla, Elon
1st Base: Alex Emeterio, UNCG
2nd Base: Tia Blosser, Chattanooga
Shortstop: Nina Iduate, Georgia Southern
3rd Base: Tiffany Baker, Chattanooga
Outfield: Stephanie Field, Furman
Outfield: Emerald Graham, Elon
Outfield: Lyndsey Stiles, Chattanooga
Designated Player: Kristie Shifflett, College of Charleston
Utility Player: Megen Smith, Georgia Southern
Second Team
Pitcher: Amber Harrell, UNCG
Pitcher: Kandice Irwin, Chattanooga
Catcher: Michelle Lighton, Appalachian State
1st Base: Kelley Dillon, College of Charleston
2nd Base: Amber Shifflett, College of Charleston
Shortstop: Megan Rembielak, Appalachian State
3rd Base: Katie Boyd, Appalachian State
Outfield: Tomeka Watson, Elon
Outfield: Sarah Rappe, Appalachian State
Outfield: Amanda Lonergan, College of Charleston
Designated Player: Eileen Horsmon, UNCG
Co-Utility Players: Alex Adams, Samford and Ashlee Crewe,
Elon
All-Freshman Team
Allie Cashion, Appalachian State
Frannie Seader, Appalachian State
Tomeka Watson, Elon
Kayla Suskauer, Furman
Eileen Horsmon, UNCG
Alex Adams, Samford
Kasey Tydingco, Chattanooga
Robyn Burnette, Western Carolina
Jordan Fulton, Western Carolina
Haley Pace, Western Carolina
Player of the Year
Nina Iduate, Georgia Southern
Pitcher of the Year
Brianna Streetmon, Georgia Southern
Freshman of the Year
Tomeka Watson, Elon
Coach of the Year
Frank Reed, Chattanooga
- UNCG -