THE FLATS – Georgia Tech softball’s Sara Beth Allen, Mallorie Black, Grace Connelly, Chandler Dennis, Madison Dobbins, Ella Edgmon, Emma Kauf, Blake Neleman, Kinsey Norton and Sophia Voyles have each been selected to the 2023 All-ACC Academic Team, the Atlantic Coast Conference announced on Tuesday. The announcement of 10 honorees marks the most for the White and Gold in a single season in program history.
The 10 Yellow Jackets receive the honor for a combination of their academic excellence and on-field contributions. Kauf highlighted the squad with her third such selection while Dennis has also made multiple appearances, earning her second nod. The remaining eight Jackets were recognized for the first time in their careers.
Each student-athlete named to the All-ACC Academic Softball Team has maintained a career GPA of 3.0 or higher and posted a 3.0 GPA or higher in the most recent semester. Along with each honoree’s academic achievements, athletic contributions played a role in each selection as all five position players participated in at least 50% of the team’s games while both pitchers appeared in a minimum of 20% of the contests throughout the 2023 season.
Allen brought an explosive bat through the season, adding pop to the lineup with a team-leading 13 home runs to finish eighth in the league along with 35 RBI on the year. Launching dingers for three straight days in the ACC/B1G Challenge early in the season, the slugger continued to make her presence felt with a walk-off home run for a 7-6 victory over Penn State and more round trippers against Tech’s toughest competition, including previous No. 5 Clemson, then No. 7 Florida State and former No. 10 Duke. Her bombs against the latter two foes gave the White and Gold a late lead against the top-10 opponents, while her blast against the former secured the most runs the Tigers had surrendered on the season at the time. As a result, challengers pitched around Allen as she ranked third in the ACC in walks per game (0.65). Allen concluded her junior season with 31 hits and five doubles as she slugged .564 with a .389 on-base percentage.
Black was another source of power for the White and Gold, tying for second on the squad with seven dingers on the year after coming into the season with just three over her career. The Cumming, Ga., native’s highlight of the season came at Georgia State as she blasted two home runs, including her first career grand slam, for a seasonal team-high of five RBI. Black finished second on the team with eight multi RBI games by the season’s end, also notably turning in a 2-for-3 outing with a triple in Tech’s ranked win over then No. 18 Auburn.
During Connelly’s first season as Tech’s mainstay at second, the sophomore came through in the biggest moments as she led the squad with a pair of grand slams. The Suwanee, Ga., native was instrumental for the Yellow Jackets in the I-75 Tournament, going yard twice to propel the White and Gold to a 3-0 weekend. Connelly came up big once more against recent No. 10 Duke, hammering a go-ahead solo shot in the top of the seventh. Prone to diving stops in the field, the second baseman also went on a tear with eight RBI over a week’s span, finishing with 31 for the year, the third most on the team. On the season, Connelly tied for second on the squad with 39 hits along with six doubles, a triple and six home runs. Connelly batted .242 with a .404 slugging percentage in 2023.
Dennis turned in another solid year in the circle, leading the Jacket pitching staff with 13 wins to land amongst the top 10 in the ACC. The right hander burst out of the gates to open the year, tossing a complete game, one-hit shutout with eight punchouts against Saint Francis. Ranking fifth in the league with three saves, the Suwanee, Ga., native went on to eclipse 100 strikeouts on the year, sitting down 111 batters through 130.1 innings of work for five complete games and a 4.03 ERA by the year’s end. Dennis put together multiple strong outings in 2023, going 2-0 with 10 strikeouts and no runs allowed in the I-75 Tournament, fanning a season-high tying eight batters in three separate appearances and putting away previously No. 18 Auburn for the win in Georgia Tech’s lone ranked victory of the season.
Dobbins burst onto the scene in the early goings of her sophomore season, exploding for five doubles in a three-game span during the Queen City Classic. The Dacula, Ga., native went on to finish second on the squad in batting average (.336), hits (39), doubles (8) and triples (2) for the year. Dobbins had no trouble reaching base through the season, also averaging a .406 on-base percentage and a .517 slugging percentage, swiping 12 bags after getting on. Her sneaky power came through in the crucial Pitt series, going yard twice in a game two victory. Dobbins put together a flawless night at the plate this season as well, going 4-for-4 with a double, a triple and four RBI against UNI.
A mainstay in the Tech’s outfield, Edgmon put together a solid sophomore campaign as she most notably finished seventh in the ACC in steals per game with 18 on the year. Overall, the Dunlap, Tenn., native finished with 26 hits, five doubles and a dinger for 12 RBI at the plate for a .306 average. Edgmon exploded in a vital series at Pitt, landing ninth on the SportsCenter Top 10 for a diving catch and batting .556 through the series. The outfielder went 5-for-9 with a crucial two-RBI double that sparked a seven-run rally and what proved to be the game-winning solo shot in the top of the 10th in game two against the Panthers.
Kauf tallies yet another award for her decorated season as she’s already been named CSC Academic All-District, All-ACC Second Team and to the ACC All-Tournament Team this year. The lauded Jacket batted .500 in the ACC tournament as she went 4-for-8 with a pair of RBI, leading Georgia Tech to the quarterfinals and an upset of host Notre Dame. Living up to her lofty expectations as a preseason top-10 catcher and top-100 player by D1Softball (No. 8/85) and Extra Inning Softball (No. 10/81), Kauf finished top 10 in the conference in triples per game (third), doubles per game (sixth) and runs per game (seventh). The steady presence led the Jacket bats in nearly every category through the year, fronting the squad by batting .354 with 56 hits, 14 doubles and four triples while slugging .627 with a .446 on-base percentage. Kauf also went yard seven times this season to rack up 33 RBI. Kauf’s team-best tears this season included a seven-game hitting streak and a 13-game stretch of reaching base.
Neleman concluded the 2023 season among the White and Gold’s greats, owning the second most career strikeouts in program history with 561 as she’s also in the top 10 in the Tech record books with six career saves. Owning eight complete games and a pair of shutouts on the year, the senior hurler ranked fifth in the conference in strikeouts with 153. Amongst the ACC, Neleman also landed in the top 10 in hits allowed per seven innings (5.57) and innings pitched (147). The Marietta, Ga., native posted a team-best 3.95 ERA on the season, allowing a .214 opponent batting average. Highlights throughout the season for Neleman included a career-high tying 13 strikeouts against UConn, a 1.45 ERA with 15 strikeouts in the I-75 Tournament, seven punchouts in 6.2 innings pitched against then No. 18 Auburn, a complete-game shutout with two hits allowed against Kennesaw State, a 2-0 record and a 1.11 ERA against Boston College including a one-hitter, and another complete-game shutout against Jacksonville State.
Adding vital depth to Tech’s pitching staff, Norton finished the season as a top closer, tying second on the squad with a pair of saves. The Woodstock, Ga., native made two starts through 18 appearances on the year, totaling 21 strikeouts in 26 innings of work. Opponents batted .278 overall against her.
Voyles was a key reliever for the Jackets throughout the 2023 season, making 20 appearances, including four starts. Most notably, the reliable arm picked up a pair of wins in the Queen City Classic, dealing 11 innings with seven strikeouts. Voyles allowed just one hit through 3.2 scoreless innings in her victory over Kennesaw State. The Dalton, Ga., native also picked up a save in ACC play, closing out the final scoreless inning against Virginia. On the season, Voyles tallied 37 punchouts in 41.2 innings of work.
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