GWU's Burns, Meenaghan and Baker Earn Big South Postseason Honors
May 09, 2013 | Softball
Rock Hill, S.C. - Gardner-Webb's Savannah Burns, Samantha Meenaghan and Morgan Baker all received Big South Conference postseason honors, it was announced Wednesday night at the Big South Conference Softball Awards Banquet at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.
Burns was tabbed the Big South Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year and also earned a spot on the Big South All-Academic Team, while Meenaghan was named to the All-Conference First-Team and Baker landed on the All-Conference Second-Team.
Named the 2013 Big South Softball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Burns also earns her first-ever spot on the Big South All-Academic Team this season, as the sophomore has a team-high cumulative grade point average of 3.9219 overall while working towards a degree in Business Administration. Burns, who last year was both a 2012 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Scholar-Athlete and a member of the Big South Presidential Honor Roll, finished the regular season hitting .320 on the year with 40 hits and 22 RBIs. The shortstop from Vale, N.C. has totaled two home runs, two triples and six doubles thus far this season, while starting 41 games in the infield for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Burns has turned in a .448 slugging percentage and a .401 on-base percentage so far this season and hit a stellar .316 in Big South Conference play.
For the third straight year, Meenaghan was voted as a Big South First-Team All-Conference member by the League's head coaches. Meenaghan finished the regular season ranked second in the conference with 42 hits and a batting average of .477 in Conference play. The junior currently ranks fourth in the Big South and first on the team with a .430 batting average on the year overall, which also ranks second for the highest individual batting average in a single season in GWU's Division I single-season record books.
The second-baseman from Atlantic Beach, Fla. ranks seventh in the League overall and first on the team with 64 hits on the season, while also finishing fourth in Big South play with 55 total bases. Meenaghan finished the conference regular season ranked in the top-10 in League play with 21 runs scored and an on-base percentage of .438 percent in conference action. The 2011 Big South Freshman of the Year leads GWU with an on-base percentage of .449 on the season and has a team-high 29 runs scored and 86 total bases on the year.
Also receiving All-Conference recognition for the third straight season is Baker, who was named to the Big South All-Conference Second-Team. Baker, who leads GWU with eight home runs on the season, sits in eighth-place overall in the Big South with a slugging percentage of .611 on the year and ranks ninth in the Big South with a team-high 38 RBIs overall. The redshirt-junior first-baseman, who is also tied for ninth in the Big South with a team-high 11 doubles, ranks second on the team with 40 hits, 77 total bases and an an on-base percentage of .409 on the year. In conference play this season, Baker finished third in the Big South with seven doubles, eighth in the League with 23 RBIs and 10th in the Big South in total bases with 48 in League play. The Big South Conference Choice Hotels Player of the Week on February 25th has started all 42 games at first-base this season for the Runnin' Bulldogs. Baker was named to the Big South All-Conference First-Team in both 2012 and 2011.
The Runnin' Bulldogs, who are the No. 7 seed in this year's Big South Softball Championship Tournament, will open up its postseason conference tournament action against No. 2 Campbell on Thursday, May 9th, at 5 p.m. at Terry Field at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C.
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First Team All-Conference
Kori Nishitomi, OF, Longwood
Katie Zavodny, OF, Liberty
Stephanie Jones, OF, Campbell
Raven Lee, 1B, Campbell
Samantha Meenaghan, 2B, Gardner-Webb
Ericka Nesbitt, SS, Campbell
Kory Hayden, 3B, Coastal Carolina
Megan Baltzell, C, Longwood
Kiana Quolas, P, Coastal Carolina
Rachael Walters P, Radford
Brooke Short, DP, Longwood
Marci Christian, UTL, Charleston Southern
Second Team All-Conference
McKenzi Corn, OF, Winthrop
Jana Matthews, OF, Charleston Southern
Morgan Eye, OF, Radford
Morgan Baker, 1B, Gardner-Webb
Carly Adams, 2B, Longwood
Emily Murphy, SS, Longwood
Stephanie Sbardella, 3B, Charleston Southern
Courtney Klingler, C, Campbell
Courtney Roberts, P, Campbell
Ashley Bagwell, P, Coastal Carolina
Chelsey Schoenfeldt, DP, Winthrop
Cat Tarvin, UTL, Presbyterian College
All-Freshman Team
Courtney Klingler, C, Campbell
Courtney Roberts, P, Campbell
Emily Murphy, SS, Longwood
Rachael Walters, P, Radford
Briana Chiusano, OF, Coastal Carolina
Carly Adams, 2B, Longwood
Emily Naegele, C, Radford
Erin Ruff, DP/UTL, Presbyterian
Morgan Noad, C, Coastal Carolina
Becky Mantel, CF, Radford
Kassidy McCoy, 3B, Liberty
Casey Burns, 1B, Radford
All-Academic Team
Brittany Arnn, P, Campbell
Jennifer Giles, P, Charleston Southern
Kiana Quolas, P/OF, Coastal Carolina
Savannah Burns, SS, Gardner-Webb
Megan Robinson, 2B, Liberty
Amy Putnam, OF, Longwood
Morgan Durham, 2b, Presbyterian College
Ryndee Ruch, OF, Radford
Chelsey Schoenfeldt, P/DP, Winthrop
Scholar-Athlete of the Year - Savannah Burns, Gardner-Webb
Player of the Year - Brooke Short, Longwood
Pitcher of the Year - Kiana Quolas, Coastal Carolina
Freshman of the Year - Courtney Klingler, Campbell
Coach of the Year - Drew Peterson, Campbell
