Five PBC Softball Players Named All-American

AUGUSTA, GA – Five Peach Belt Conference softball players have been named All-Americans as both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Daktronics have released their teams. North Georgia’s Sarah Phillips is the only PBC player to appear on both teams while teammate Courtney McGuire was named to the first team by the NFCA. GCSU’s Mandy Chandler was also named first team by the NFCA while USC Aiken’s Jessica Strickland was named third team. GCSU’s Sherquita Bostick was named to the Daktronics third team.

Phillips has been named an NFCA First-Team All-American and second team on Daktronics after posting a record of 37-1 overall, having won 34 straight games and taking home PBC Tournament and Southeast Dahlonega Regional Tournament Most Outstanding Player Honors. She was also named First-Team Peach Belt All-Conference and First-Team All-Southeast Region. The sophomore ace brings a 1.05 earned run average into the Division II World Series, with 238 strikeouts in 246.0 innings of work. The Powell, Ohio, native has recorded four complete game shutouts on the season, including in the Region Championship game against Augusta State. Phillips has allowed no earned 20 different times during the season, her last coming in the World Series clincher in a 1-0 victory over Carson-Newman in the Super Regional Championship.

Courtney McGuire has been named an NFCA First-Team All-American after hitting .380 as a right fielder with 11 home runs, 46 runs batted in, and 11 doubles. The junior slugger was named First-Team All Peach Belt Conference before earning First-Team All-Region honors for Daktronics and NFCA. McGuire had a season high four RBI in back-to-back games against Eckerd on March 14, and recorded a season high three walks against Carson-Newman in the first game of the 2009 Super Regional in Dahlonega. The Atlanta, Georgia, native leads the Peach Belt Conference with 57 runs scored, while sitting second in runs batted in with 46, and third in home runs with 11.

Mandy Chandler was 27-15 in the circle this season with a paltry 1.80 ERA for the Lady Bobcats. The senior struck out a PBC record 417 batters over her 280 2/3 innings this year, with opponents hitting just .181. The NFCA All-America honor is Chandler’s first in her stellar career. Georgia College took second in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Standings, matching its highest finish. Chandler set the PBC mark in single-season strikeouts as well as career wins and whiffs this season, and stands at 1,207 good for fifth in NCAA Division II history. The 417 this season ranks ninth in the NCAA Division II recordbooks.

Jessica Strickland earns her third All-America honor, setting a new USC Aiken record. Arguably one of the best players to put on a USC Aiken softball uniform, Strickland holds seven career records including highest slugging percentage and on-base percentage. This season, Strickland broke the all-time hits record, breaking the nine-year-old mark on March 25 with a single against Francis Marion. She ended the season with a .393 batting average, the highest in her four seasons at USC Aiken. She hit 14 doubles, two triples and 12 home runs for 41 runs batted in and 40 runs scored. Strickland was also walked 28 times and struck out a team-low seven times in her 140 at bats.

Sherquita Bostick is honored by Daktronics for the second straight year after being named to the second team last season. She became only the second PBC player ever to win the PBC Player of the Year award for a second time and the first to do so in consecutive seasons, claiming the award in 2008 and 2009. Bostick hit .361 this season with 13 home runs and 43 RBI. She also scored 56 runs and slugged .761. This season, she earned spots on both the NCAA Southeast Regional and PBC All-Tournament teams.

NFCA All-America

First Team
P – Mandy Chandler, GCSU
P – Sarah Phillips, North Georgia
OF – Courtney McGuire, North Georgia

Third Team
Jessica Strickland, USC Aiken

Daktronics All-America

Second Team
P – Sarah Phillips, North Georgia

Third Team
OF – Sherquita Bostick, GCSU