Four Golden Rams named preseason All-SIAC

ATLANTA — The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has announced its 2019 Softball Preseason Team as voted on by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors and four players from the Albany State Golden Rams are named among the first and second teams.

Finishing last season with a perfect conference record and advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament, Albany State enters 2019 as the defending champions after capturing their sixth conference title last season since the introduction of the championship in 1999.

The Golden Rams are tied at four preseason selections with the Kentucky State Thorobreds and Tuskegee Golden Tigers. Last season, Albany State’s quartet — Stewart, Harris, McGowan, and Tucker ­— went undefeated during championship play and capped the school’s first ever undefeated SIAC season finishing 19-1 in conference play. McGowan, the 2018 SIAC Softball Tournament MVP, entered the game in relief for the Golden Rams starting pitcher and escaped the inning with a one-run advantage, allowing Albany State to clinch the title.

Kentucky State claimed four preseason spots that includes shortstop Jittuan Thompson, who led all of NCAA Division II players in runs batted in per game her sophomore season. The Pomona, California native followed up her junior season with the Thorobreds hitting a .345 with 26 RBIs and four homeruns on the season. Thompson is joined by teammates Natalia Boconegra, Casey Grant, and Moana Pinner.

The Golden Tigers are returning four offensive standouts in Sierra Smith, Cecelia Tennessee, Jasmyne Lawrence and Kyah Dumas, who combined for 102 of the team’s 226 RBIs last season. Tuskegee will rely heavily on Tennessee, who led in slugging percentage (.591) and home runs (7), and Lawrence, who finished sixth in the conference for runs (44) and hits (51). Smith led the Golden Tigers hitting .342 on the season.

Spring Hill,who topped their division with an almost perfect 18-1 conference record last season,placed three on this year’s preseason team. The Badgers are returning two all-conference performers in Sarah Johnson and sophomore infielder Delaney Thomas, who led team with .400 (42-of-105) batting average with 30 RBIs and only three strikeouts on the season. Joining them is sophomore pitcher, Hannah Brenton, who built a 15-7 record with a 2.89 ERA and 81 strikeouts over 123.1 innings pitched last season.

After graduating one of their leading scorers, the Tigers picked up three preseason selections and return co-home run leader, Starkeira Daniel, who was topped the conference in triples (6) and ranked fourth in batting average (.430).

Trailing behind the Tigers are the Fort Valley State Wildcats, who picked up two preseason picks in Shakerra Geter and Ashley Simmons-Blair. Despite losing their 2018 SIAC Freshman of the Year, the Wildcats are looking to Simmons-Blair who finished with a perfect stolen base percentage (11-of-11) and Geter who led in doubles (10) to advance this year’s team.

Both Miles and Clark Atlanta picked up one selection each to round out this year’s preseason team.

Miles return outfielder Kristie Looney, who tied for seventh in conference for stolen bases (22) while hitting a .316 on the season.

Clark Atlanta’s utility player Tatianna Kelly returns for her third season after leading the Panthers hitting .408 with 35 RBIs and three home runs on the season.

The 2019 SIAC Softball season is set to begin this weekend featuring a mix of in-conference and out-of-conference play to start the season.