February 2, 2010

ROCK HILL, S.C. – Mars Hill College was picked to finish fifth in the South Atlantic Conference in a vote of the league’s head coaches, the conference announced. The Lions, who finished tied for second with Lenoir-Rhyne last season, tied Carson-Newman with five players on the preseason All-Conference team.

First baseman Ashley Seawell (Asheboro, N.C.), second baseman Rebekah Huff (Mars Hill, N.C.) and outfielder Anna James (Bellevue, Wash.) were named to the first team, while outfielders Ashley Angell (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and Natalie Haithcox (Asheboro, N.C.) were named to the second team.

Seawell hit .389 last season with nine home runs and 40 RBI. Huff hit .281 with 12 stolen bases. James hit .326 with 20 RBI.

Angell hit .343 and had 13 stolen bases. Haithcox, the SAC Freshman of the Year and an All-American in 2008, missed all but six games last year due to injury.

Carson-Newman College, which won the 2009 Food Lion SAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Divison II Southeast Super Regional championship, is the favorite to win the 2010 South Atlantic Conference.

Mars Hill opens the 2010 softball season next Tuesday with a double header at Montreat. The first game will start at 1 p.m.

2010 SAC SOFTBALL COACHES POLL

Poll                          1st           

1. Carson-Newman    4              72

2. Lenoir-Rhyne        1              69

3. Wingate               3              68

4. Newberry              1              51

5. Mars Hill                               43

6. Catawba                               40

7. Lincoln Memorial                   26

8. Tusculum                             21

9. Brevard                                 15

2010 SAC SOFTBALL ALL CONFERENCE TEAM

FIRST TEAM
Catcher - Sarah Atkins, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher - Amanda Huckestein, Newberry
Pitcher - Brittany Blankenship, Wingate
1st Base - Ashley Seawell, Mars Hill
2nd Base - Rebekah Huff, Mars Hill
Shortstop - Kat Rivers, Lenoir-Rhyne
3rd Base - Whitney Kee, Carson-Newman
Outfield - LaRonda McClain, Wingate
Outfield – Leah Price, Carson-Newman
Outfield - Anna James, Mars Hill
Utility - Debra Grijalva, Wingate

SECOND TEAM
Catcher – Devin Sponseller, Lincoln Memorial
Pitcher - Dawon Millwood, Lenoir-Rhyne
Pitcher – Allison Smith - Wingate
1st Base - Sarah Little, Carson-Newman
2nd Base – Allie Marshall, Catawba
Shortstop – Jessie Howard, Carson-Newman
3rd Base – Maddie Fletcher, Brevard
Outfield - Ashley Angell, Mars Hill,  
Outfield – Natalie Haithcox, Mars Hill
Outfield – Whitney Durham, Carson-Newman
Utility – Sara Powell, Newberry

Mars Hill College is a NCAA Division II institution and a member of the South Atlantic Conference. The league is comprised of schools in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

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