ROCK HILL, S.C. – After earning it's second South Atlantic Conference regular-season softball title last weekend, six Anderson University players have earned All-Conference honors while head coach Tommy Hewitt garnered SAC Coach of the Year, senior Kayson Boatner earned Player of the Year and sophomore Laken Maxwell was named Pitcher of the Year, as announced by the conference office on Wednesday.
Hewitt, in his 17th season at the helm of the Trojan program, earned his second Coach of the Year honor (2014) after guiding the Trojans to their first-ever outright title and a 37-7 overall record. Heading into the 2022 SAC Tournament as the first seed, the top-ranked team in the NCAA Southeast Region and the No.14 ranked team in the NFCA poll his squads have averaged nearly 30 wins per year, posting 508 victories during his 17 year tenure, including a school-record 43 victories in 2014.
Since joining the South Atlantic Conference for the 2011 campaign, Hewitt's Trojans have compiled a 394-175 (.692) overall record, winning two SAC regular season titles (2014, 2022), two SAC Tournament titles (2014, 2019) and five trips to the NCAA Tournament with a sixth on the horizon.
Senior first baseman Kayson Boatner, pitcher Laken Maxwell and freshman Maddie Carpenter were named First-Team All-SAC, while sophomore Hannah Whitaker and senior Harlie Duncan earned second-team accolades. Junior outfielder Olivia Rose Wheeler earned third-team honors, while Boatner was named SAC Player of the Year and Maxwell named the SAC Pitcher of the Year, as the first-seeded Trojans prepare to face eighth-seeded Limestone in Friday's opening round of the SAC Tournament.
Maxwell posted a league best 20-4 overall record with a stellar 1.66 ERA. The 1.66 ERA also leads the SAC and ranks fifth in the NCAA national rankings. She ranks tied for third in saves with two and ranks second in strikeouts with 228 total k's, which ranks seventh in the NCAA. Maxwell has struck out at least 10 batters in 15 games, while striking out a career-high 18 against SAC opponent Mars Hill. On April 2nd, she became Anderson's All-Time Season Strikeout Leader with 186 total strikeouts. The native of Bowdon, Ga., has been named SAC Pitcher of the Week on four occasions and was named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA National Player of the Year Watchlist.
Boatner currently ranks first in AU's All-Time Season Slugging Percentage and first in the NCAA national ranking with a 1.069 slugging percentage.
The native of Phenix City, Ala., also ranks first in AU's All-Time Season Home Run category, blasting 23 home runs, which ties the South Atlantic Conference single season record and currently tops all home runs hit in a season in all three NCAA divisions. Kayson needs three more home runs to break the SAC career record of 63, held by former AU standout Cailah Niles.
Boatner's 155 total bases this season broke AU's All-Time single season record for Total Bases and ranks first in the NCAA.
The senior first baseman, hit 19 doubles which places her second on AU's All-Time single season list and third in the NCAA. Her current batting average of .448 ranks third in AU's All-Time Single season list with a national ranking of 22. Kayson's 61 season RBI ranks first in the SAC and T-4th in AU's All-Time Season RBI category.
Boatner was voted preseason All-SAC first team and has won SAC Player of the Week twice. Most notably, she was named National Player of the Week on three occasions and named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA National Player of the Year Top-50 watchlist.
Carpenter earned All-SAC first team honors. The native of Hickory, N.C., started 42 contests, mostly as the DP, but did see action in the outfield recording 14 putouts while committing no errors. Carpenter batted .331 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and a team's second-best 34 RBI. Carpenter earned SAC Player of the Week honors in the seventh weekend of the 2022 season.
Duncan earned second team honors after posting a 16-3 overall record in the circle. The native of Tolono, Ill. broke AU's All-Time Career Wins record with 59 on March, 29th versus SAC opponent Tusculum. Duncan's overall win career total has now reached 64. Duncan holds a 2.52 ERA, pitching 125 innings and striking out 98.
Whitaker earned second team honors after capping off a solid sophomore season at shortstop. The native of Liberty, S.C., batted a team second-best .353 with eight doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 28 RBI. Whitaker started all 44 games and crossed the plate 33 times for the Trojans.
Wheeler, earned third team honors as an outfielder after making 43 starts in center for the Black and Gold. Wheeler's clutch hitting helped the Trojans post their 20-4 conference slate. The native of Corryton, Tenn. batted .298 overall while posting a .373, including five double, two triples and a home run in conference action. Wheeler also drove in 16 RBI and scored 12 runs during SAC play. Overall, Wheeler recorded 39 putouts and four assists while committing just two errors to post a .956 fielding percentage.
Individually, Boatner earned Statistical Champion in the following categories, slugging percentage (1.069), home runs per game (0.52), RBI per game (1.39) and doubles per game (0.43).
Individually, Maxwell earned Statistical Champion in the following categories, ERA (1.66) and pitching victories (20).
As a team, Anderson led the league in slugging percentage (.571), home runs per game (1.41) and ERA (2.01)
2022 SAC Softball All-Conference
All-SAC First Team
OF – Savannah Moorefield, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Natalie Corbin, Carson-Newman
OF – Madison Henry, Lincoln Memorial
1B – Kayson Boatner, Anderson
2B – Emily Harris, Carson-Newman
SS – Leah Sohm, Carson-Newman
3B – Heaven Maness, Wingate
DP – Maddie Carpenter, Anderson
UTL/Non-P – Hannah Towery, Newberry
UTL/P - Sydney Kale, Wingate
C – Kylee Leonhardt, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Laken Maxwell, Anderson
P – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
All-SAC Second Team
OF – Mary Vandergriff, Carson-Newman
OF – Cassidy Wall, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Mallena Wright, Newberry
1B – Macey Hughes, Carson-Newman
2B – Julia Mardigian, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS – Hannah Whitaker, Anderson
3B – Hannah Jennings, Lenoir-Rhyne
DP – Anna Alloway, Tusculum
UTL/Non-P – Ashley Parnell, Limestone
UTL/P - Emily Sappington, Tusculum
C – Mackenzie Turner, Newberry
P – Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial
P – Harlie Duncan, Anderson
All-SAC Third Team
OF – Olivia Rose Wheeler, Anderson
OF – Mya Maddox, Tusculum
OF – SieAnna Cameron, Carson-Newman
1B – Sierra Brogdon, Newberry
2B – Sara Stroud, Wingate
SS – Kayla Smith, Queens
3B – Jordyn Thompson, Queens
DP – Carmen Holt, Carson-Newman
UTL/Non-P – Farley Park, Mars Hill
UTL/P - Hali Scott, Wingate
C – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
P – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Jordan Dunn, Queens
Freshman of the Year
Cassidy Wall, Lenoir-Rhyne
Player of the Year
Kayson Boatner, Anderson
Pitcher of the Year
Laken Maxwell, Anderson
Coach of the Year
Tommy Hewitt, Anderson
SAC Statistical Champions
Team Batting Average – Carson-Newman (.360)
Team Slugging Percentage – Anderson (.571)
Team On-Base Percentage – Carson-Newman (.423)
Team Runs Scored Per Game – Carson-Newman (7.42)
Team Home Runs Per Game – Anderson (1.41)
Team Triples Per Game – Carson-Newman (0.48)
Team Doubles Per Game – Carson-Newman (2.15)
Team Stolen Bases Per Game – Carson-Newman (2.46)
Team ERA – Anderson (2.01)
Team Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio – Wingate (4.60)
Batting Average – Emily Harris, Carson-Newman (.494)
On-Base Percentage – Emily Harris, Carson-Newman (.534)
Slugging Percentage – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (1.069)
Home Runs Per Game – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (0.52)
RBIs Per Game – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (1.39)
Runs Scored Per Game – Sara Stroud, Wingate (1.22)
Triples Per Game – Sara Stroud, Wingate (0.13)
Doubles Per Game – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (0.43)
Stolen Bases Per Game – Mya Maddox, Tusculum (0.78)
ERA – Laken Maxwell, Anderson (1.66)
Strikeouts Per Seven Innings – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne (11.1)
Pitching Victories – Laken Maxwell, Anderson (20)
