Koerselman headlines Bearkat All-SLC selections
5/8/2017 3:01:00 PM | Softball
FRISCO – Senior third baseman Tori Koerselman earned first team all-Southland Conference honors and another trio of Sam Houston State Bearkats picked up honorable mention nods as league officials announced the all-SLC teams in a release on Monday.
Koerselman earned her honor as the league's top third baseman, while Hannah Marino (designated player), Tiffany Thompson (shortstop) and Lindsey McLeod (pitcher) were all honorable mention choices.
McNeese's Erika Piancastelli was named the SLC Player and Hitter of the Year for the third straight season, while the Cowgirls' Rachel Smith was named the league's top pitcher. Abilene Christian's Sidney Holman took home honors as the SLC's top freshman and Southeastern Louisiana's Mahalia Gibson was named Newcomer of the Year.
James Landreneau was named the SLC Coach of the Year after leading McNeese to a regular-season league title in his first year at the helm of the Cowgirls' program.
It is the second straight season the Bearkats have landed the SLC's top third baseman. The Huntsville native has been one of the league's most consistent players and top hitters from the opening of the year and will enter this week's Southland Conference Tournament ranked sixth in the league in batting average with a .381 mark.
Along with a sparkling batting average, Koerselman also ranks 13th in the league in slugging percentage (.490) and seventh in on-base percentage (.448). Her 56 hits are the sixth-most of any player in the league and her 14 stolen bases ranks her 11th.
Additionally, she has been one of the toughest players in the country to strike out in 2017, going down on strikes just eight times in 166 plate appearances. Koerselman doesn't have a strikeout in her last 11 games and has only struck out twice in 21 games since March 24.
She leads the Bearkats with 14 multi-hit games, including eight games with at least three hits, and has driven in 20 runs despite hitting in the leadoff spot for the majority of the season. Koerselman put together her best week of the season two weeks ago at Southeastern Louisiana where she reached base safely in 11 of 12 plate appearances, earning the league's Hitter of the Week honor.
Meanwhile, Marino followed up her recent Hitter of the Week nod by earning honorable mention all-league honors at designated player, despite having just 54 at-bats on the season. But the Huntsville senior made the most of those trips to the plate, hitting .352 with four homers and 21 RBI, which was third on the team.
She slugged .593 with a .470 on-base percentage and found a key role as a pinch hitter, picking up 10 of her 21 RBI in that role. Marino finished the year with a great weekend at Houston Baptist, going 5-for-8 with four RBI, including driving in all three runs in Saturday's win that clinched a berth in the SLC Tournament.
Thompson also earned an honorable mention nod from the league after a freshman season that saw her hit .319 with a team-best seven homers and 30 RBI. She is the first Bearkat freshman to lead the team in RBI since 2011 and the first to lead in homers since 2005.
The Montgomery native had an early stretch in the season that saw her put up five multi-RBI games from Feb. 25 to March 1, totaling 12 RBI in those games. She has driven in 13 runs in her final eight games to close out the regular season and leads the team with 10 multi-RBI games, including three games with four RBI.
McLeod also earned the first postseason honor of her career with an honorable mention nod in the circle. She led the team for the second straight season in wins (11), strikeouts (109) and saves (3).
She has twice been named the league's Pitcher of the Week and leads the league in opponent's batting average (.196) while sporting a 2.88 ERA. Her totals in wins, strikeouts and saves also rank in the league's top 10.
The Kats will next be in action on Wednesday when they kick off the Southland Conference Tournament against Central Arkansas. First pitch of the opening day of the event is set for 1:30 p.m. in Conway, Ark.
