Carson-Newman’s Macauley Bailey was voted the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Softball Player and Freshman of the Year, while Lenoir-Rhyne’s Morgan Beeler was named the Pitcher of the Year. 

Wingate’s Jamie Stanclift was tabbed the SAC Coach of the Year, the SAC office announced Wednesday.

Bailey, a freshman from Cross Plains, Tennessee, had one of the best seasons at the plate for a freshman in Carson-Newman softball history. 

She ranks first for Carson-Newman in home runs (12), RBIs (58) and slugging percentage (.800). She ranks first in the conference in RBIs and fourth in home runs. 

Bailey sits at sixth in all of NCAA Division II with her 58 RBIs. 

She was named to the NFCA’s National Player of the Year Watchlist and swept the SAC Varsity Gems Player of the Week and Tennessee Sportswriters’ Association State Player of the Week honors for two consecutive weeks. 

Beeler, a senior from Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, leads the SAC in wins (20), strikeouts (180) and saves (five). She finished second with a 2.01 ERA. 

She had four complete-game shutouts this season, including her second career no-hitter. It came against No. 18 Wingate on March 14. 

🚨No-hitter alert 🚨

Hear from Morgan Beeler after the Bears first no-hitter at Bears Field since April 2016. #GOBEARS | @LRSoftball pic.twitter.com/LkiTgidsyo

— #GOBEARS (@LRbears) March 15, 2023

Beeler was named to the NFCA Pitcher of the Year watchlist and was the SAC Varsity Gems Pitcher of the Week four times.

Stanclift earns the SAC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Bulldogs to a SAC regular-season title with a 18-6 conference record. 

Under her guidance, the Bulldogs have been ranked as high as No. 16 nationally and are ranked in the NCAA Softball Southeast Region Poll. 

Stanclift’s Bulldogs will enter the tournament as the No. 1 seed with a 40-11 regular-season record. 

The 2023 SAC Softball All-Conference teams can be found below:

All-SAC First Team

OF – SieAnna Cameron, Carson-Newman
OF – Cassidy Wall, Lenoir-Rhyne
OF – Kaylan Brown, Lenoir-Rhyne
1B – Kayson Boatner, Anderson
2B – Savanna Brooks, Wingate
SS – Katelyn Rackard, Lenoir-Rhyne
3B – Talon LaClair, Lenoir-Rhyne
DP – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman
UTL/Non-P – Macey Hughes, Carson-Newman
UTL/P - Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne
C – McKenzie Henry, Lincoln Memorial
P – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne
P – Avery Adkins, Emory & Henry

All-SAC Second Team

OF – Kaylee Hobgood, Wingate
OF – Madison Henry, Lincoln Memorial
OF – Ariana Fair, Coker
1B – Santana Anderson, Limestone
2B – Carmen Holt, Carson-Newman
SS – Heaven Maness, Wingate
3B – Ragan Liles, Wingate
DP – Mackenzie Turner, Newberry
UTL/Non-P – Katie Wilbur, Limestone
UTL/P - Riley Tucker, Catawba
C – Molly Mattas, Newberry
P – Raechel Cutcher, Wingate
P – Olivia Chestnut, Newberry

All-SAC Third Team

OF – Leah Evans, Newberry
OF – Mackenzie Williams, Emory & Henry
OF – Kallyn Newport, Tusculum
1B – Lora Beth Wood, Lenoir-Rhyne
2B – Julia Mardigian, Lenoir-Rhyne
SS – Brianna Gallagher, Catawba
3B – Madison Chappell, Limestone
DP – Katie Tuggle, Lincoln Memorial
UTL/Non-P – Hannah Stevens, Wingate
UTL/P - Carson Hobbs, Anderson
C – Raelynn Kramer, Wingate
P – Alexandra Baquie, Catawba
P – Emma Frost, Lincoln Memorial

Freshman of the Year
Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman

Player of the Year
Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman

Pitcher of the Year
Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne

Coach of the Year
Jamie Stanclift, Wingate

SAC Statistical Champions

Team Batting Average – Lenoir-Rhyne (.359)

Team Slugging Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne (.576)

Team On-Base Percentage – Lenoir-Rhyne (.426)

Team Runs Scored Per Game – Wingate (6.92)

Team Home Runs Per Game – Lenoir-Rhyne (1.39)

Team Triples Per Game – Carson-Newman (0.29)

Team Doubles Per Game – Newberry & Tusculum (1.76)

Team Stolen Bases Per Game – Carson-Newman (1.55)

Team ERA – Wingate (2.25)

Team Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio – Mars Hill (3.89)

Batting Average – Riley Tucker, Catawba (.465)

On-Base Percentage – Kara Long, UVA Wise (.529)

Slugging Percentage – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (.920)

Home Runs Per Game – Kayson Boatner, Anderson (0.37)

RBIs Per Game – Hannah Davis, Newberry (1.23)

Runs Scored Per Game – Macauley Bailey, Carson-Newman (1.38)

Triples Per Game – Sammy Jimenez, Tusculum (0.12)

Doubles Per Game – Riley Tucker, Catawba (0.42)

Stolen Bases Per Game – Ariana Friar, Coker (0.51)

ERA – Sydney Kale, Wingate (1.64)

Strikeouts Per Seven Innings – Lauren Rakes, Lenoir-Rhyne (9.8)

Pitching Victories – Morgan Beeler, Lenoir-Rhyne (19)