May 11, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. ¬- Five Yellow Jackets and Georgia Tech softball head coach Ehren Earleywine earned Atlantic Coast Conference honors, announced by the league office on Wednesday night. Earleywine was named ACC Coach of the Year, while senior Jessica Sallinger was tabbed ACC Pitcher of the Year and Aileen Morales garnered Co-Freshman of the Year honors.
Sallinger, a native of Kennesaw, Ga., led the ACC in strikeouts (326), wins (24), shutouts (13), opponent batting average (.142) and ranked third in K’s per game (10.28). She tossed two no-hitters during the regular season and is three wins shy of breaking the all-time career wins record in the ACC of 107. She broke the ACC Strikeout Record earlier this season and stands sixth all-time in the NCAA with 1,351.
Morales, a freshman from Columbus, Ga., led the league in stolen bases (44) and is currently third in the nation in stolen bases per game (0.75). She finished second in the ACC in runs scored per game (0.68) and seventh in hits per game (1.07). Along with her Co-Freshman of the Year honors, Morales was named to the All-ACC second team.
Joining Sallinger on the All-ACC first team was junior Christine Sheridan, junior Amy Hosier and sophomore Caitlin Lever.
Sheridan, a native of Pasadena, Md., led the ACC the entire season in batting average and finished the regular season with a .395 average. Not only did Sheridan lead the ACC in batting, but she also led the conference in on base percentage (.483), ranked third in walks per game (0.53), fourth in slugging percentage (.551) and runs scored per game (0.63), fifth in total bases per game (1.59) and eighth in doubles per game (0.18). Her on base percentage and batting average currently stand at third and fourth best for a single season, respectively, in program history.
Hosier, an outfielder from Lakewood, Colo., ranked second on the team with a .361 batting average and finished the regular season third in the ACC. She ranked second in the league with a .466 on base percentage and led the Jackets with 36 runs batted in this season, eighth in the ACC (0.62 per game).
Lever, a native of Amherst, N.Y., finished the season third on the Tech squad with a .326 batting average, ninth in the ACC. The outfielder stole 30 bases and drove in 23 runs for the Jackets. She finished the regular season second in the ACC in stolen bases per game (0.52) and 18th in the nation.
Earleywine led the Yellow Jackets to a second straight 40-win season and carries a .750 career winning percentage in two seasons (93-31). The former USA men’s fastpitch standout led Tech to its first regular season ACC title this year and the top seed at the ACC Tournament.
The Yellow Jackets will open up ACC Tournament play against the winner of No. 4 seed NC State and No. 5 seed North Carolina on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. The action at the ACC Tournament can be followed at ACC Tournament Central.
2005 ACC All-Conference First Team
Jen Chamberlin, N.C. State
Anna Evans, North Carolina
Amy Hosier, Georgia Tech
Natasha Jacob, Florida State
Lindsay Klein, Maryland
Sara Larquier, Virginia
Caitlin Lever, Georgia Tech
Jessica Sallinger, Georgia Tech
Christine Sheridan, Georgia Tech
Abbie Sims, N.C. State
Jenn Wynn. Virginia
2005 ACC All-Conference Second Team
Kelly Brown, Virginia Tech
Elea Crockett, Virginia
Crystal Cox, North Carolina
Megan Evans, Virginia Tech
Heather Gelbard, N.C. State
Casey Hunter, Florida State
Aileen Morales, Georgia Tech
Jessica Taylor, Virginia
Melissa Wood. Florida State
Player of the Year
Sara Larquier, Virginia
Pitcher of the Year
Jessica Sallinger, Georgia Tech
Freshman of the Year
Tiffany McDonald, Florida State
Aileen Morales, Georgia Tech
Coach of the Year
Ehren Earleywine, Georgia Tech
-GT SOFTBALL-
