University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Megan Hill Tabbed C-USA Preseason Player of the Year
1/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 13, 2010
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - Southern Miss senior outfielder Megan Hill was named the Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year in a vote by the league's nine head coaches, Wednesday, and released by the league office.
Hill, the only unanimous preseason pick, returns for her final season with a .356 career batting average and 30 home runs, which both rank in the Top 12 in the conference record books. The Hattiesburg, Miss., native also has a .674 career slugging percentage and hopes to build on these numbers into her final season as a Golden Eagle.
Hill garnered the only softball preseason honor for Southern Miss.
East Carolina's Toni Paisley earned the Preseason Pitcher of the Year award. Paisley, a redshirt junior, chalked up 55 career wins and 538 strikeouts during his career, while ranking fifth on the C-USA career ERA list at 1.41.
Senior ECU third baseman Cristen Aona made the C-USA Preseason team after driving in 31 runs, posting a .441 slugging percentage and tallying six home runs in her 2009 campaign. The final Pirate to earn a spot on the preseason team is senior outfielder Christina Merrida. Merrida started 54-out-of-55 games in center field for the Pirates and was fourth on the team in batting average at .291 while boasting a .349 average in conference play.
Tulsa had three players on the C-USA preseason team led by outfielder Lauren Lindsay. The senior started all 55 games in 2009, and set four single-season school records which included: batting average (.406), on-base percentage (.486), runs (49) and hits (76). The Oklahoma City, Okla., native holds the school record in slugging percentage (.631), on-base percentage (.438) and runs scored (129). Infielder Vanessa Vice was the next Golden Hurricane to get the nod after batting .326, knocking in 25 RBI and crossing the plate 19 times a year ago. Vice's .324 career batting average ranks fourth in school history and her .402 on-base percentage ranks third. Rounding out the Tulsa selections is pitcher Jackie Lawrence. In the circle, Lawrence collected 43 career wins, and thrown three no hitters while ranking among the Top 10 in eight school categories.
Infielder Catherine Douglass and outfielder Martina Landrum earned preseason honors for UAB. Last year as a freshman, Douglass batted .311, tacked on 31 RBI and was second on the team in slugging percentage at .503. Landrum led the Blazers in batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.461) and finished first in C-USA with 38 steals as the lead-off hitter. The redshirt senior started all 55 games in centerfield and had a 1.000 fielding percentage in conference play and .980 overall.
UTEP catcher Camilla Carrera and utility player Chelsea Troupe made the C-USA preseason team. Carrera led the conference in batting average (.412), doubles (19), home runs (13) and total bases (133). The sophomore also ranked first on the team in runs (44), hits (73) and RBI (44) and became the first Miner in program history to lead the team in batting average, hits, doubles and slugging percentage in back-to-back seasons. Troupe holds freshman records for runs, hits, doubles, batting average, total bases and walks, while breaking the school record for stolen bases with 15. The Oceanside, Calif., native ranked third in C-USA slugging percentage, on-base percentage, hits, doubles, home runs and total bases a year ago.
Tiffany Lane of UCF and Alianna Telles of Marshall round out the infield for the squad. Lane batted .350 a year ago and tied for the NCAA Division I lead in triples with eight. Telles started all 51 games at shortstop and led the team with two triples, 17 walks and 38 runs scored. Jennifer Klinkert was named the preseason all-league designated hitter and was also recognized as an infielder by the coaches' voting. As a freshman in 2008, Klinkert led all C-USA freshmen in home runs, RBI, total bases and walks.
Player of the Year
Megan Hill, Southern Miss
Pitcher of the Year
Toni Paisley, East Carolina
Preseason All-Conference Team
C - Camilla Carrera, UTEP
IF - Tiffany Lane, UCF
IF - Cristen Aona, ECU
IF - Catherine Douglass, UAB
IF - Alianna Telles, Marshall
IF - Vanessa Vice, Tulsa
OF - Megan Hill, Southern Miss
OF - Lauren Lindsay, Tulsa
OF - Martina Landrum, UAB
OF - Christina Merrida, East Carolina
P - Toni Paisley, East Carolina
P - Jackie Lawrence, Tulsa
UT - Chelsea Troupe, UTEP
DH - Jennifer Kinkert, Houston
