Four Razorbacks earn postseason awards
FAYETTEVILLE— The Southeastern Conference announced its 2010 softball awards Wednesday and three Razorbacks were among those honored. Seniors Jessica Bachkora and Miranda Dixon were second-team All-SEC selections while freshman second baseman Courtney Breault was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Fellow senior Sandra Smith was awarded a spot on the SEC All-Defensive team. Bachkora was also named the 2010 SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
The All-SEC teams were voted on by the league’s 11 head coaches.
Bachkora led Arkansas in nearly every offensive category throughout the entire season. In conference play, she ranks in the top 10 in slugging percentage, on-base percentage, runs, doubles, total bases, walks and home runs. The senior finished conference play with a .341 average, including team-high 28 hits, eight doubles and six home runs. With her 15th home run of the season against Auburn last weekend, she set a new single-season record for home runs in a season.
Dixon had a team-best .364 average during conference play, a mark almost 50 points better than she batted overall during the 2010 regular season. She also collected 28 hits and six home runs against SEC opponents, tied with Bachkora in both categories. She drove in a team high 29 RBIs during conference action, which ranks her second in the SEC. She was named SEC Player of the Week, May 5, following the Razorbacks series win against Georgia.
The honor is the first for both Dixon and Bachkora.
Breault is the fourth Razorback to garner all-freshman honors in program history, joining teammates Bachkora and Dixon, who were recognized in 2007, and Brittany Griffiths, who was honored last season. The Roseville, Calif., native started all 28 conference games at second base for Arkansas, finishing the season with a .313 average against SEC opponents. She drove in 20 of her 32 RBIs during conference play and boasted a .943 fielding percentage during those games. Breault was named SEC Freshman of the Week, May 3, after leading Arkansas to a series victory over Ole Miss.
Smith, a native of Tulsa, Okla., earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive team with her stellar play at third base. After starting the first 18 games of the season at first, Smith transitioned back to third where she spent the final 38 of the games of the season. She finished conference play with 54 assists and a perfect fielding percentage in 78 chances.
Bachkora becomes the first Razorback softball player to earn the honor of being named Scholar Athlete of the Year. The Overland Park, Kan., native owns a 3.94 GPA as a Kinesiology and Biomechanics major with a Business minor. She two-time member of the SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll and the ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District first team.
The Razorbacks are the No. 8 seed for this week’s SEC Tournament and will open play Thursday with a 6:30 p.m. first-round contest against No. 3/4 Alabama, the tournament’s No.1-seeded team. The SEC Tournament appearance this season marks the eighth in program history.
Second Team All-SEC:
P – Rachele Fico, LSU
P – Ivy Renfroe, Tennessee
IF – Whitney Larsen, Alabama
IF – Kyndall White, Auburn
IF – Aja Paculba, Florida
IF – Lauren Grill, Ole Miss
OF – Jessica Bachkora, Arkansas
OF – Michelle Moultrie, Florida
OF – Rachel Mitchell, LSU
OF – Raven Chavanne, Tennessee
C – Megan Yocke, Kentucky
DP/U – Miranda Dixon, Arkansas
Freshman All-SEC:
P – Rachele Fico, LSU
P – Ivy Renfroe, Tennessee
IF – Kayla Braud, Alabama
IF – Courtney Breault, Arkansas
IF – Brittany Walker, Florida
IF – Lauren Gibson, Tennessee
OF – Keima Davis, Alabama
OF – Jessica Cooley, Mississippi State
OF – Raven Chavanne, Tennessee
OF – Kat Dotson, Tennessee
C – Brittany Schutte, Florida
DP/U – Kelsey Horton, Florida
SEC All-Defensive:
P – Kelsi Dunne, Alabama;
Rachele Fico, LSU
C – Megan Yocke, Kentucky
1B – Brianna Hesson, Georgia
2B – Aja Paculba, Florida
SS – Molly Johnson, Kentucky
3B – Jessica Mouse, LSU;
Sandra Smith, AR
LF – Megan Wiggins, Georgia
CF – Kirsten Shortridge, LSU
RF – Rachel Mitchell, LSU;
Kat Dotson, Tennessee
Player of the Year:
Charlotte Morgan, Alabama
Pitcher of the Year:
Kelsi Dunne, Alabama
Coach of the Year:
Pat Murphy, Alabama
Co-Freshmen of the Year:
Kayla Braud, Alabama; Rachele Fico, LSU; Kat Dotson, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year:
Jessica Bachkora, Arkansas
