Softball Announces End of the Year Award Winners
5/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The Southern Miss softball team announced its end of the year awards. The Golden Eagle players cast their votes for Rookie of the Year, Most Improved, Most Valuable Player and the Eagle Award.
True freshman Kaelyn Christofferson and sophomore transfer Bailey Stokes tied for the Rookie of the Year award, while true freshman Samantha Reynolds was voted Most Improved. The team MVP was given to Morgan McKeever and the Eagle Award, given to the player who best exhibited what it means to wear the Black and Gold, was bestowed to Sarah Evans.
Christofferson played in 49 games as a true freshman, making 46 starts on the year. She recorded a .298 batting average, going 34-for-114 with three doubles, five runs batted in and 20 runs scored. Christofferson notched a .325 slugging percentage and a .316 on-base clip. She was a perfect 5-for-5 in stolen bases, leading the team in stolen bases and stolen base percentage. Christofferson was second on the team in sacrifice bunts and tied for third in runs scored. She ranked fourth on the team in batting average and hits - both tops among freshmen. In addition, Christofferson was fifth on the team in games played and games started. She hit her first collegiate double on the road against South Alabama, while also legging out doubles against Ole Miss and Middle Tennessee. Christofferson recorded a season-high three hits against Houston Baptist, going 3-for-4 with a season-best three runs scored. She also had multiple hits against Jackson State, Middle Tennessee and Florida Atlantic (2x), while scoring multiple runs against Jackson State and Alcorn. Christofferson recorded stolen bases against Houston Baptist, Mississippi Valley State, Alcorn, UTEP and Western Kentucky. As a rookie, she hit .302 in Conference USA play, going 16-for-53 with a double, five runs scored and four RBI. Off the field, Christofferson was named to the 2014-15 Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.
Stokes, a transfer from Jones County Junior College, played in 43 games, making 34 starts on the season. She recorded a .253 batting average, going 19-for-75 with five doubles, four home runs, six runs scored and 13 runs batted in. Stokes drew a team-best 31 walks for an on-base percentage of .463. She broke into the Southern Miss Single Season Records, tying for sixth with 31 walks. Stokes notched a .480 slugging percentage as 47.4 percent of her base hits were for extra bases. She led the team in home runs and sacrifice flies, while finishing fourth on the team in doubles and fifth in stolen bases. Both her on-base percentage and slugging percentage would have led the team if she met statistical minimums. Defensively, Stokes ranked second in putouts, third in total chances, fourth in assists and fifth in fielding double plays. She had a banner game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, two home runs, three runs scored and six RBI. In the game, she tied the single-game record with two homers, six RBI and 12 total bases. Stokes added multi-hit games against Alcorn and Florida Atlantic, while driving in multiple RBI against Alcorn. She finished the Alcorn game 2-for-3 with a double, a home run, a run scored and three RBI. Stokes had doubles against Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky, while adding a home run against Florida Atlantic. She drew at least one walk in 21 games with multiple walks in nine games and a season-high three walks against UTSA.
Reynolds, a 2014-15 Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll honoree, played in 48 games, making 36 starts as a true freshman. She batted .263 on the year, going 25-for-95 with three doubles, a triple, seven runs batted in and 20 runs scored. She drew 15 walks and was hit by a pitch to notch a .369 on-base percentage to go along with a .316 slugging percentage. Reynolds was third on the team in runs scored, triples and walks, while ranking fourth in on-base percentage and sacrifice bunts and fifth in stolen bases. She had a season-long eight-game reached base safely streak - the longest by a Southern Miss freshman. Reynolds scored a season-high two runs against Lamar, Mississippi Valley State and UTEP. She recorded her first collegiate multiple hit game with three base hits on the road against Ole Miss. Reynolds also had multiple hits against UAB. She drove in a season-best two runs at UTEP. All three of her doubles on the year came against Ole Miss, recording first collegiate double in game one of the doubleheader and following with a pair of doubles in the nightcap against the Rebels. Reynolds registered her first collegiate extra-base hit against Mississippi Valley State, legging out a triple.
McKeever finished the season ranked 18th in the NCAA (second in Conference USA) in toughest to strikeout, striking out just six times in 182 plate appearances (.033) with just three Ks in Conference USA play. She was the only player on the team to play and start in all 52 games on the season. McKeever batted .341, going 56-for-164 with five doubles, two triples, 28 runs scored and 17 RBI. She drew 13 walks and was hit by a pair of pitches for a .394 on-base percentage to go along with a .396 slugging percentage. Primarily used as a leadoff hitter, McKeever batted a team-high .532 (33-for-62) when leading off an inning. The junior led the team in batting average, on-base percentage, runs scored, hits, triples, total bases, total plate appearances, at bats, games played, games started and multiple hit games. McKeever reached base safely in 43 of 52 games (.827) and 46 games overall (.885), boasting a team-best 22-game reached base safely streak. She registered base hits in 35 of 52 games (.673), recording a team-long 13-game hitting streak. The Tucson, Ariz. native hit .511 (23-for-45) during 13-game hitting streak with four doubles, 11 runs scored, six RBI, five walks and just one strikeout. McKeever notched a season-high three hits six times against Southeastern Louisiana, Detroit, Alcorn, North Texas, Mississippi State and UTEP. She scored a season-best three runs against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn and UTEP, while adding a pair of runs scored against UTSA, North Texas and UTEP. McKeever had a season-high two RBI against Southeastern Louisiana, Detroit, Mississippi State and UTEP. She recorded doubles against Incarnate Word, UTSA, Alcorn, North Texas and Louisiana Tech, while notching triples against Mississippi State and UTEP. In Conference USA play, McKeever raised average to .354, going 28-for-79 with three doubles, a triple, four runs batted in, 14 runs scored, five walks and a hit by pitch to go along with a .400 on-base percentage and .418 slugging percentage. Off the field, she was named to the 2014-15 Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.
Evans played in all 52 games on the season, making 49 starts. The utility player saw time in the outfield, at first base, second base, third base and shortstop, making starts at each position. She tallied a .299 batting average, going 43-for-144 with 12 doubles, two triples, one home run (a grand slam), 26 runs scored and 21 RBI. Evans drew 13 walks and was hit by a team-high seven pitches for an on-base percentage of .384, while notching a .431 slugging percentage. She led the team in slugging percentage, doubles, triples, hit by pitch and games played; second on the team in on-base percentage, runs scored and runs batted in; third on the team in batting average, hits, total bases, total plate appearances, at bats and games started; fourth on the team in sacrifice bunts; and fifth on the team in home runs. Evans was second on the team with 12 multiple hit games. The Livingston, Texas native had a season-high three hits against Houston, Houston Baptist, Detroit and Alcorn. She drove in a season-best four RBI on one swing, hitting a grand slam against Southeastern Louisiana at the Lion Classic II. Evans also had three RBI against Lamar and North Texas, while adding two runs batted in on the road against UTEP. She scored a season-high three runs against Houston Baptist, while notching two runs scored against Florida Gulf Coast, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Mississippi Valley State and Alcorn. The junior had a season-best two doubles against Detroit, while notching two-baggers in 10 other games. Evans recorded triples against UAPB and Alcorn. She had a season-long six-game hitting streak and nine-game reached base safely streak on the year, finishing the season reaching base in the final five games of the year.
Southern Miss Softball Team Awards
Co-Rookies of the Year - Kaelyn Christofferson and Bailey Stokes
Most Improved - Samantha Reynolds
MVP - Morgan McKeever
Eagle Award - Sarah Evans