Mackenzie Cox Named to 2024 LSWA All-Louisiana Softball Team
Senior RF Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) was named to the 2024 All-Louisiana Softball Team, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) announced on Wednesday.
New Orleans - Senior RF Mackenzie Cox (Alexandria, La.) was named to the 2024 All-Louisiana Softball Team, the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) announced on Wednesday.
Cox, who earned a spot on the Second Team, continued to collect awards following a stellar senior season and career with the Ladies. She landed on the All-Louisiana Team for the second time in her career after earning Honorable-Mention honors in 2022. She was one of only five players from a non-division 1 school to make the team.
Cox was named to the 2024 NFCA Division III All-Region Team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association last month as she became the first Centenary player to be named All-Region since 2018, named First-Team All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, earned a spot on the 2024 SCAC Championship All-Tournament Team, and was named SCAC Hitter of the Week once during the season.
Cox was one of the top players this season in the conference and country as she led the SCAC in hits (61), runs (48), and triples (4), was second in total bases and walks, and third in batting average (.466), OBP (.541), and slugging (.618). She ranked in the top 20 in the country in hits and top 50 in batting average. Cox ranked second in the country in stolen bases (49) and was only caught four times. She posted 21 multi-hit games with a season-best 15-game hitting streak.
Cox went 5-8 in her two SCAC Tournament games with three RBI, a double, a run scored, and a stolen base. She was named First-Team All-SCAC on Friday, earning first-team all-conference honors for the fourth-straight season. Cox was named to the All-Tournament team for the second time in her stellar career after earning a spot on the team in 2022.
See below for complete release courtesy of Ed Cassiere, Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Communications - Xavier University
Sophomore hitmaker Mihyia Davis carved her niche on the 2024 All-Louisiana collegiate softball team.
Davis, a center fielder for the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is the first non-pitcher in this sport's 38-year All-Louisiana history to win Freshman of the Year, then win a major award the next season. Davis is the state's 2024 Hitter of the Year.
The other major award winners:
• Pitcher of the Year: LSU right-hander Sydney Berzon.
• Newcomer of the Year: Brooke Ellestad, who plays third base for the Ragin' Cajuns.
• Freshman of the Year: McNeese outfielder/pitcher Alexis Dibbley.
• Coach of the Year: Southeastern Louisiana's Rick Fremin.
A Louisiana Sports Writers Association panel of media and college sports publicists selected the All-Louisiana team and the major awards.
Davis, a left-handed hitter from Lovelady, Texas — her first name is pronounced MY-uh — produced 91 hits this season to rank No. 2 in NCAA Division I. Davis hit .419, stole 23 bases and was chosen Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.
Berzon, a right-handed sophomore from Buffalo, N.Y., repeated as first-team All-Louisiana and as a National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American. Berzon made the NFCA second team this season. Berzon in 2024 was 20-9 with four saves, a 1.78 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 204 innings. Berzon pitched an SEC Tournament-record 14 innings in LSU's 2-1 victory May 8 against Alabama.
Ellestad, a junior from Kimberly, Wis., and a transfer from St. Thomas (Minn.), hit .351 with 54 RBIs — the most by a Cajun since 2017 — and nine home runs. Ellestad was Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year.
Dibbley, from Moss Bluff, La., excelled as a hitter and pitcher to help McNeese win the Southland Conference regular-season championship and finish 40-20. Dibbley hit .351 with six home runs and 22 RBIs, slugged .596 and was 4-2 as a pitcher with one save in 52 innings. Dibbley did not commit an error and was Southland Freshman of the Year.
Fremin, in his ninth year at Southeastern, led the Lions to their first-ever Southland Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The Lions tied 20 single-season program records, led NCAA Division I in stolen bases for the eighth time in nine years and was runner-up at the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional. Southeastern was second to McNeese in the Southland regular season and 47-15 overall.
Longtime powers UL Lafayette and LSU again produced stellar seasons that resulted in NCAA Tournament bids. The Cajuns were 45-19 and Sun Belt regular-season champion, and LSU was 44-17 and runner-up of the NCAA Stanford Super Regional.
UL Lafayette, LSU, Southeastern and McNeese accounted for all the first-team players. McNeese had two, and the Cajuns, LSU and Southeastern had four apiece.
The other first-team All-Louisiana players are the Cajuns' Ellestad, Sam Landry at pitcher and Alexa Langeliers at second base, LSU's Taylor Pleasants at shortstop, Ciara Briggs in the outfield and Kelley Lynch at utility, Southeastern's Cora Blanchard at pitcher, Bailey Krolczyk at catcher, Ka'Lyn Watson in the outfield and Audrey Greeley at designated player, and McNeese's Shaelyn Sanders at pitcher and Corine Poncho at first base.
Pleasants, Briggs and Greeley are All-Louisiana for the fourth time. Pleasants earned her fourth first-team selection, and Briggs notched her third in a row. Davis, Landry and Krolczyk also are repeat first-team players. Landry and Krolczyk are All-Louisiana for the third time.
There are 14 on the second team, and the Cajuns led with four selections: Chloe Riassetto at pitcher, Victoria Valdez at catcher, Sam Roe at first base and Laney Credeur at designated player. Southeastern's second-team players are Ellie DuBois at pitcher and Maria Detillier at third base, and Louisiana Tech placed two on the second team: pitcher Allie Floyd and outfielder Alexis Gilio.
Also on the second team are Macie LaRue of Bossier Parish Community College at pitcher, Olivia Coaker of Louisiana Christian at second base, Haley Fontenot of LSU-Alexandria at shortstop, Taylor Williams of Northwestern State at utility and outfielders Mackenzie Cox of Centenary and Ali Newland of LSU.
Eight student-athletes received honorable mention.
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