GEORGETOWN, Texas - Announced on the eve of the Southern Collegiate Conference Tournament Thursday night, April 26, a record seven Ladies appeared on the 2018 All-Conference squad.
"Although we constantly focus on team goals and emphasize team success, it is always nice to see individuals get recognition for their efforts," explained Head Coach Mark Suire. "Each of these players are deserving of their selection, and all have contributed positively to the level of success that we have been able to achieve."
For the third season in a row, Centenary received a First Team honoree. Senior Anna Dunn (outfielder) was named All-Conference for the third time in her four-year career. She was named Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, also grabbing Second Team All-Conference accolades. As a junior, she was named Honorable Mention.
Receiving Second Team honors were juniors Sydney Hurley as a catcher and Payton LeBlanc at second base. LeBlanc, in her second season with the Ladies, also received Second Team All-Conference recognition last season.
Senior Kelsey Ancelot (outfielder) and juniors Nichole Aldridge (pitcher), Wendy Gillet (designated player), and Margeaux Smith (utility) made the Honorable Mention squad. This is the third All-Conference nod for both Gillet and Aldridge, while Ancelot received First Team honors last season.
Dunn grabbed First Team accolades after leading the conference during the regular season with 13 home runs - the second most for a single season in SCAC history. Dunn leads the conference in home runs, total bases, and slugging while ranking third by a mere percentage point in average. In the nation, Dunn ranks 13th in total bases (93), 14th in slugging percentage (.912), and 227th in batting average (.422).
After a career week April 9-15, capped by a four-game sweep of Dallas, Dunn was named both the SCAC and National Fastpitch Coach's Association (NFCA) Hitter of the Week. Dunn went 16-for-26 with 20 RBIs, 11 runs scored, five home runs, and three doubles in seven games. In the final game of a doubleheader against Dallas on Saturday, April 14, her two home runs was the first time a Centenary hitter hit two round trippers in one game in five seasons.
Hurley finished the regular season third in the conference with five home runs. She also enters the SCAC Tournament on an eight game hitting streak. LeBlanc finished second on the team in stolen bases (10) and fifth in average (.329). In eight games from April 9-15, LeBlanc raised her season average more than 150 points, going 16-for-26 with a hit in all eight games. She also added five walks, a hit by pitch, and 15 runs scored. She hit both her first collegiate home run and double in Centenary's 9-4 win against Dallas April 14.
The Honorable Mention honorees include Ancelot, who led the team and finished third in the conference with 23 stolen bases. Aldridge led the Ladies in the circle in both wins (seven) and strikeouts (35) while finishing second with a 3.54 ERA. Gillet leads the conference with 14 doubles, sitting 79th in the nation with 0.42 doubles per game. Smith, who was used primarily as an infielder to begin the season, appeared in the circle five times with two starts in the month of April. She finished the season 4-3 with a save and a team-leading 3.18 ERA. From the plate, Smith had 15 hits, 16 RBIs, 16 runs scored, and her first two collegiate home runs.
Fourth-seeded Centenary kicks off the 2018 SCAC Tournament Friday, April 27, against fifth-seeded Trinity. First pitch is set for 11 a.m.
