ROCK HILL, S.C. — The Lincoln Memorial University softball team's historic season hasn't gone unnoticed. It showed in the All-South Atlantic Conference teams, which were released by the league officials Thursday, as the Lady Railsplitters hauled in eight awards.
 
Of those, Sierra Hucklebee was tabbed SAC Freshman of the Year while Ritchie Richardson was named Coach of the Year to become the first individuals to receive those honors since LMU joined the SAC in 2007.
 
On the All-SAC first team for the third consecutive year was Ty-Kella Goins; meanwhile, Emma Webb garnered All-SAC second team accolades and Grace Cochran, Kelsie Hocutt, McKenzie Henry and Hucklebee were all slated as All-SAC honorable mentions.
 
This group of Lady Railsplitters have helped pace LMU (34-12) to a long list of firsts for the softball program this season, including appearing in the national poll and regional rankings as Lincoln Memorial currently sits at No. 24 and No. 2, respectively.
 
No. 24 LMU's 34 wins marks its first 30-win season since 2013 when that current team finished 30-22; however, it ended SAC play three spots from the bottom of the pack with a 7-11 record. This year's team wrapped up 12-8, which was the best conference finish since 2014, but the 12 wins this season placed the Lady Railsplitters at No. 1 after they used a regular-season doubleheader finale sweep of Catawba to win their first-ever SAC title outright.
 
All of these feats have come under the direction of second-year LMU head coach Richardson, who is not new to the growing process as he won his 1,000th victory in LMU's first-ever sweep of Lenoir-Rhyne April 13 and has completely flipped the credibility for the Lady Railsplitter softball program. The Hall of Fame coach transformed a program that was barely .500 (24-22) in his first season a year ago, missing the SAC Tournament for the second consecutive season into a nationally-ranked and lethal attack that is now respected across the SAC as the Lady Railsplitters went from being picked eighth in the preseason poll to winning the conference.
 
Richardson brought in players like Hucklebee to help change the culture and her SAC Freshman of the Year honor speaks to how she did just that. The shortstop from Gibbs High School in Corryton, Tenn., has been a force in every facet for the Lady Railsplitters. Hitting in the No. 2 hole, Hucklebee, who was also an All-SAC honorable mention, has busted 15 doubles — 11 coming in conference play — while hitting .345 and having a .599 slugging percentage on the season. She was also named Astroturf SAC Player of the Week once and was a perfect 9-for-9 on the bases, showing off her wheels. In conference play, Hucklebee, or better known as 'Red,' had the gas on the pedal at all times, hitting .324 with a .372 on-base percentage and .521 slugging percentage while striking out just 11 times in 142 at-bats. Her .345 batting average is a team-third best as are her 35 RBI, 49 hits and 37 runs scored, while her 15 doubles rank second and her three triples is tied for first and five home runs are tied for third-team best. She started all but one game, coming in midway through to finish it off and is first on the team with 13 sacrifice hits and three away from tying the record set in 1988.
 
Knotted with Hucklebee with five homers and three triples — plus with 17 walks apiece — is the All-SAC first team member Goins. As mentioned above, this high honor isn't a new one to the now three-time All-SAC first team second baseman from Ramseur, N.C. The speedy Goins is more than deserving as she leads the conference and Division II players with her 21 doubles, with 12 of those coming in SAC play. Starting in all 46 games, the leadoff hitter paced the team with her .381 batting average, .652 slugging percentage and .453 on-base percentage, while hitting a dazzling .347 in conference paired with a .410 on-base percentage and .639 slugging percentage. The junior, who had just two errors in 100 putouts and 63 assists for a .988 fielding percentage, also leads the Lady Railsplitters in runs scored (46), hits (59) and total bases (101), while being nearly perfect on the bases (9-for-10).
 
Webb, a Knoxville, Tenn., native, garners her first All-SAC honors in her second team plaudit. The third baseman has had a standout sophomore campaign as she hit a sizzling .418 in conference play, while sitting second among her team with a .378 batting average. Webb also used a .582 slugging percentage and .466 on-base percentage against SAC opponents, batting in 12 of her 21 RBI and smacking eight of her third-team best 13 doubles. Appearing in all but two games, Webb was second in hits (54) and fourth in runs scored (32), and also had a key solo home run in conference play while stealing one base (1-for-1) and having just three errors in 51 putouts and 71 assists for a .979 fielding percentage to receive All-SAC honors.
 
Before having four honorable mentions, LMU had only one Lady Railsplitter land on the All-SAC honorable mention team.  
 
Like Webb, Cochran accepts her first All-SAC honor as an honorable mention. The Grimesland, N.C., native, was extraordinary in conference play, batting .351 with a .471 on-base percentage and .421 slugging percentage for a standout sophomore campaign. Overall, the right fielder sported a .339 clip at the plate while reaching base via a .472 percent of the time, while having a .452 slugging percentage. Cochran, who saw the field in all but one game, drew a team-second best 25 walks and smacked across a team-tying, third-best 13 doubles as she struck out just 12 times in 115 at-bats and had a .953 fielding percentage.
 
Hocutt isn't new to the All-SAC teams. The senior from Wendell, N.C., sported not only a .989 fielding percentage but was in the top five among the Lady Railsplitters with her .309 batting average. She was second behind her six home runs and 36 RBI. In conference play, Hocutt was lights out, hitting a blistering .348 behind her .410 on-base percentage and .551 slugging percentage. Starting all the Lady Railsplitters' games but one, the first baseman drew a team-third best 18 walks and wore a team-second best six pitches. She was one of five players with a double-digit amount of doubles as she busted 10 and had 43 hits in the final regular-season of her college career.
 
The final honorable mention is the catcher Henry, who has had quite the freshman season. The William Blount High School alumna brought her defensive presence, tossing out a program-tying best 12 runners attempting to steal while picking off a program-best six. Starting behind the plate in all but one game, Henry has put her name in the record books offensively, as well, batting in a conference-second best 51 RBI — fifth in program history — and knocking over a team-high 12 home runs, which is tied for ninth and four away from the single-season record set in 2007. She drew a team-high 26 walks and had a .285 batting average behind a .613 slugging percentage and .396 on-base percentage, scoring 39 runs and having the exact same amount of hits.
 
It's these seven All-SAC Lady Railsplitters that will now take their historic season into the SAC Softball Championship, attempting to bring home LMU's first-ever SAC Tournament title. The journey will begin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the SAC Softball Championships being played at Whitley Softball Field in Salisbury, N.C. as No. 1 LMU faces No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne.


2019 SAC Softball All-Conference
 
All-SAC First Team
OF – Abby Fiessinger, Carson-Newman
OF – McKenzie Barneycastl, Newberry
OF – Emma Swenson, Wingate
1B – Mary Claire Coyne, Wingate
2B – Ty-Kella Goins, Lincoln Memorial
SS – Natalie Willis, Newberry
3B – Hannah Davis, Newberry
DP – Kayson Boatner, Anderson 
UTL – Aubrey Reep, Wingate
C – Kylee Leonhardt, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Rachel Weidner, Wingate
P – Allison Rager, Carson-Newman
 
All-SAC Second Team
OF – Savannah Moorefield, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Chloe Pelham, Coker
OF – Taylor Battle, Tusculum
1B – Haley Simonds, Newberry
2B – Sydney Ditto, Queens 
SS – Talon Laclair, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B –  Emma Webb, Lincoln Memorial
DP – McKenzie McCullen, Queens
UTL – Lacie Rinus, Carson-Newman
C – KaraLynne Levi, Carson-Newman
P – Courtney Pearson, Queens
P – Taylor Forehand, Coker
 
Honorable Mentions
OF – Grace Cochran, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Jordan Floyd, Wingate
OF – Julia Bomhardt, Newberry
1B – Kelsie Hocutt, Lincoln Memorial
2B – Kasey Grant, Anderson 
SS – Sierra Hucklebee, Lincoln Memorial
3B – Sammi Jo loney, Wingate
DP – Hannah Smith, Mars Hill
UTL – Paige Meyer, Newberry
C – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
P – Isabelle Mullen, Coker
P – Selice Daley, Newberry
 
Freshman of the Year
Sierra Hucklebee, Lincoln Memorial
 
Player of the Year
Aubrey Reep, Wingate
 
Pitcher of the Year
Allison Rager, Carson-Newman
 
Coach of the Year
Ritchie Richardson, Lincoln Memorial