University of North Carolina Athletics
Softball Presents 2017 Team Awards
July 5, 2017 | Softball
CHAPEL HILL – The Carolina coaching staff has announced its 2017 Team Awards, bestowing a total of 10 honors upon members of the 2017 Carolina softball program. This spring, the Tar Heels finished 40-21 and reached both the ACC Championship and the NCAA Regional Final in the same season for the first time in program history.
Gene Anderson Rookie of the Year Award – Brittany Pickett
The ACC Freshman of the Year and a Top-10 Finalist for NFCA National Freshman of the Year, Brittany Pickett put together one of the best rookie campaigns in program history, excelling in the circle and at the plate. A Second-Team NFCA All-Southeast Region selection, Pickett ranked in the top 10 nationally among freshmen in wins, strikeouts, saves and home runs. In her first season of collegiate softball, Pickett broke UNC's all-time record with six saves and finished in the top 10 all time among UNC freshmen in eight offensive and 12 defensive categories. She broke the rookie record for appearances, tied the rookie home run record, finished second in batters faced and walks and third in on-base percentage, wins, starts and innings pitched.
Johnny Carroll Hustle Award – Taylor Wike
Awarded to the player that gives their maximum effort on a consistent basis, the Hustle Award goes to someone with an admirable work ethic who is willing to go the extra mile during practices and games. One of just two upperclassman returning starters, Taylor Wike earned her third consecutive All-ACC selection and took home NFCA All-Region honors in 2017. The junior made the move to shortstop after two seasons at her more natural position of second base and went on to hit .346 with a team-high 13 doubles and 49 runs to go with 25 walks and 42 RBIs. Making things happen on the basepaths, she led UNC with 10 sacrifice bunts and helped the Heels break their season record for stolen bases with a career-high 18 steals in just 20 attempts.
Tom and Linda Hazen Scholar Athlete Award – Kendra Lynch
Given to the player that maintains the highest GPA for the academic year, this award recognizes self-discipline and a commitment to balance academics and athletics. The Tar Heels' lone returning senior, Kendra Lynch not only excelled on the field—earning Second Team All-America honors—but worked hard in the classroom, taking home All-ACC Academic honors to go with the UNC Athletic Director's Scholar-Athlete Award. Lynch plans to continue her academic and athletic career next year at Florida State University, serving as the Seminoles' volunteer assistant coach while pursuing a Master's degree in Sport Management.
Virginia Augusta Leadership Award – Kendra Lynch & Katelyn Shifflett
Awarded to the player(s) that display leadership qualities on and off the playing field, including being a good role model, being respectful and supportive of teammates, being trustworthy, serving as a facilitator and communicator for the team and being a glue for the team, this year's Leadership Award goes to both Kendra Lynch and Katelyn Shifflett. The pair of upperclassmen helped guide and extremely young team to new heights, navigating the challenges of incorporating 12 new freshmen with a team of just seven returning letterwinners. Under their leadership, the Tar Heels reached 40 wins, advanced to the ACC Championship game for the first time since 2011 and made it to Championship Sunday at the NCAA Oxford Regional.
Frances Brinkley Most Outstanding Offensive Award – Kendra Lynch & Leah Murray
Dedicated in honor of Moyer Smith, the Outstanding Offensive Award goes to the player(s) that were a consistent force at the plate throughout the season. A pair of All-ACC honorees, Kendra Lynch and Leah Murray served as catalysts for Carolina's offense in different ways, as Murray provided consistency and speed while Lynch demonstrated power and veteran leadership. Murray led the ACC with 74 hits and 38 stolen bases, hitting .370 while striking out just six times in 200 at-bats. She ranked 15th in the nation in swipes and 19th in strikeout ratio. The sophomore turned up the heat down the stretch, scoring all of UNC's runs at No. 2 Florida State in the final regular-season series, earning a place on the ACC All-Tournament Team with a pair of multi-hit performances, and hitting .643 (9-14) with four multi-hit games at NCAA Regionals.
A candidate for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, Lynch led the Heels with a .374 average and a .791 slugging percentage, breaking school records for RBIs (68) and total bases (144) while posting the second-most home runs (21) in UNC history. She finished the year ranked fourth in the nation in total bases, sixth in homers and 10th in RBIs, ranking in the top three in the ACC in five offensive categories.
Terry Cox Most Outstanding Defensive Award – Katie Bailiff
Given to the player that has been the most solid on defense, making the routine plays as well as the outstanding ones, this year's Most Outstanding Defensive Award goes to catcher Katie Bailiff. The sophomore made just one error all season in 284 chances behind the plate, ranking eighth in the ACC with a .996 fielding percentage. Finishing eighth in chances and 10th in putouts, Bailiff ranked fifth in the league with eight runners thrown out stealing while also tallying a pair of pickoffs, good for fourth. With eight runners caught in each of her first two seasons, she already ranks ninth in career runners caught with half her career still to play. In addition to her statistics, Bailiff guided a staff of five pitchers, including three freshmen, to an outstanding season, helping rookie pitcher Brittany Pickett to earn ACC Freshman of the Year status as well as All-Region and All-ACC selections.
Dr. W. Paul Biggers Most Valuable Pitcher– Brittany Pickett
The ACC Freshman of the Year and UNC's only All-ACC First Team selection, Brittany Pickett emerged as UNC's go-to starter midway through the season after breaking Carolina's all-time saves record as a reliever early in the year. Pickett earned wins in her first 12 decisions and opened the year a remarkable 20-2 before finishing the season 22-10 with a 2.81 ERA. Pickett limited opponents to just 46 walks with 151 strikeouts over 221.2 innings and pitched in all nine of UNC's shutouts, including five complete games. Leading the ACC in saves (6) and appearances (50), she ranked second in walks per game (1.45), third in wins and fifth in strikeouts.
Tom and Linda Hazen Most Valuable Player – Kendra Lynch
Awarded to the player that has made the most significant impact on the success of the team on a consistent game-to-game basis both offensively and defensively, the 2017 Most Valuable Player is senior Kendra Lynch. The 10th Tar Heel to earn NFCA All-America honors, Lynch put together one of the best offensive campaigns in program history. Her senior season capped off an outstanding career, in which she finished second all time at UNC in career home runs (52), slugging percentage (.644) and RBIs (168), third in total bases (378) ad eighth in walks (81).
Donna J. Papa Coach's Award – Erin Sugg
Bestowed upon the player that most exemplifies the term 'Carolina Softball,' demonstrating excellence, pride, respect, a strong work ethic and dependability, while being both a team player and a competitor, the 2017 Coach's Award goes to senior Erin Sugg. After struggles with Crohn's Disease forced her to leave the team at the end of her freshman year, Sugg stayed with the Tar Heels as a team manager through the fall of her senior year. With her condition in remission, Sugg was invited to rejoin the roster in November 2016 and made her first career appearance against Cal in Puerto Rico. Serving as Carolina's backup catcher as a senior, Sugg played in 17 games, including 13 appearances and six starts behind the plate. A true team player, Sugg embraced every role she was given, providing a strong influence on UNC's successful 2017 campaign.
Maria Powers Most Outstanding Play of the Year – Kellyn Daly vs. No. 22 Arizona State
Dedicated in honor of Christine Kubin, this year's Most Outstanding Play of the Year award goes to Kellyn Daly for her tremendous performance against No. 22 Arizona State at NCAA Regionals. The rookie hurler earned her first career victory on the biggest of stages, leading Carolina past the nationally-ranked Sun Devils in an elimination game to reach the Regional Final. After ASU had taken UNC for nine runs on four dingers the night before, Daly brought a three-hit shutout into the seventh inning and held on for a 3-2 victory in one of the Tar Heels' biggest and most-memorable wins in program history. Daly had tossed a total of just 14 innings before making her second career start in Oxford and had never pitched more than 2.1 innings, but went the distance to send the Heels to Championship Sunday.
