LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Following one of the most successful seasons in school history, members of the Anderson University softball team continue to collect postseason honors, as Jessica Neidigh, Danielle Swygert, Molly Child and Abby Child were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II All-Southeast Region teams on Thursday.
Nationally, this year's NFCA squads were comprised of 207 players from 102 schools across eight NFCA regions with first and second teams selected for each region.
Ninth-ranked Caldwell led all schools with six total nods, while No. 1 West Texas A&M, No. 8 Alabama-Huntsville, No. 12 California (Pa.), No. 20 LIU Post and Rollins (received votes in last poll) all boasted five total inclusions. The 12th-ranked Vulcans guided the way in first-team selections with five overall. No. 3 Cal State Monterey Bay, No. 7 Angelo State and the 20th-rated Pioneers followed closely behind with four first-team choices each.
Neidigh, a junior, and sophomore Molly Child were named to the first team, while seniors Swygert and Abby Child received second-team nods. The four players helped the Trojans set school-records for wins in a season each of the last three campaigns.
Neidigh, who was a First-Team All-America selection following last season, holds the school record for base hits in a season (90) and has earned postseason accolades in each of her three seasons after being named first-team all-conference in both 2012 and 2013 and SAC Freshman of the Year in 2012. The Trojans' leadoff hitter ranked second in the league with 60 runs scored and paced the SAC with 26 stolen bases. She has been caught stealing just once in her career, as the Lawrenceville, Ga. native is 63-of-64 on the base paths. She ranked fourth in the SAC with 70 hits on the season, with an 11-game, a seven-game and a six-game hitting streak. Neidigh was ninth in batting average (.376) and 12th in on-base percentage (.441) in the league.
Molly Child is a two-time First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference selection, and has started more than 100 consecutive contests for head coach Tommy Hewitt's squad during her career. She was also named First-Team All-Region by Daktronics after being named to the 2014 Food Lion SAC All-Tournament Team. She was 5-for-14 (.357) during the tournament, including a pair of key doubles, and scored four runs while driving in three runs. She led the SAC with 62 runs scored and 130 total bases, while ranking in the top five in six additional offensive categories. The hard-hitting outfielder belted a pair of grand slams during the regular season and posted a team-high 18-game hitting streak.
Swygert, a two-time Daktronics First-Team All-Region selection, ranked third in the conference in doubles (15), fourth in the league in RBI (55), fifth in batting average (.393) and slugging percentage (.681), and sixth in hits (64). Swygert belted five home runs over the final 14 games of the season, while recording a 10-game hitting streak and a seven-game hitting streak during the campaign. The native of Sharpsburg, Ga., earned back-to-back First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference accolades and was named SAC Freshman of the Year following the 2011 campaign.
Abby Child, who earlier was named Second-Team All-Region by Daktronics for the second time in her career, is also a two-time All-South Atlantic Conference honoree. She set a school-record for resilience and endurance by starting 204 consecutive contests at shortstop and tops the AU record books with 47 career home runs, 136 walks and 197 RBI.
Child led the SAC with a career-best 15 home runs this season
and also led the league in RBI (62) and slugging percentage (.745),
while ranking third in runs scored (55) and sixth in both hits (64)
and doubles (14).
NFCA member coaches in the eight regions selected this year's
All-Region teams and all honorees now become eligible for selection
to one of three NFCA Division II All-American squads to be
announced the night of Wed., May 21.
NFCA All-Southeast Region
First Team
P - Carley Tysinger, Catawba
P - Victoria Sink, North Georgia
C- Taylor Laskey, Wingate
1B - Kim McMillan, North Georgia
2B - Jessica Neidigh, Anderson (SC)
3B - Haily Jarman, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS - Alexis Mercer, Armstrong
OF - Kelli Hensley, Carson Newman
OF - Whitney Okvist, Georgia College
OF - Molly Child, Anderson (SC)
DP - Lacye Walker, Armstrong
UT - Kaitlyn White, USC Aiken
Second Team
P - Courtney Poole, North Georgia
P - India Kornegay, USC Aiken
C - Casey Googe, Columbus State
1B - Danielle Swygert, Anderson (SC)
2B - Lauren Bessent, Flagler
3B - Sara Kelley, Carson Newman
SS - Abby Child, Anderson (SC)
OF - Kelsey Akers, Mount Olive
OF - Brianna Mulkey, Lincoln Memorial
OF - Meagan May, North Georgia
DP - Kayla Saliga, Wingate
UT - Chandler Stooksbury, Young Harris
