University of North Carolina Athletics
Three Tar Heels Earn All-ACC Honors
May 12, 2016 | Softball
GREENSBORO – Carolina's Kristen Brown, Kendra Lynch and Taylor Wike were each named to 2016 All-ACC softball teams on Thursday, as elected by the conference coaches. Brown and Lynch earned spots on the All-ACC First Team, while Wike garnered Second Team honors.
“I am thrilled for Kristen, Kendra and Taylor on their achievement of all-conference,” said head coach Donna J. Papa. “As a group they have been consistent performers. Being named all-conference by the ACC coaches is an honor for these players. All three are tough competitors and have been a big part of the heartbeat of this team.”
Senior shortstop Kristen Brown is the only Atlantic Coast Conference player to earn her fourth All-ACC selection in 2016, marking her third straight First-Team selection after a Second Team nod in 2013. Brown is the third Tar Heel in program history to earn four all-conference awards, joining First-Team All-American Brandy Arthur (1995-98) and former Olympian Natalie Anter (1999-2002).
“Kristen has had an amazing career here and has set a very high standard for others to follow,” said Papa. “She has broken numerous UNC softball records and is now tied for the ACC home run record.”
A native of Levittown, New York, Brown has broken nearly every offensive record in the book, holding UNC's career records for slugging percentage (.722), home runs (65), total bases (463), runs scored (180), RBIs (201), walks (103), sacrifice flies (11) and intentional walks (14). The Tar Heel slugger tied the all-time ACC career record for home runs this past Sunday, launching the 65th long ball of her career to match NC State's Renada Davis (2015) for the most in conference history.
The ACC Player of the Week on Feb. 22, Brown holds the top-two single-season marks in school history in home runs and RBIs, tied the single-season sac flies record this year, and is just two walks shy of the single-season mark for bases on balls.
Brown ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in 12 different statistical categories this season, including leading the league in on base percentage (.538), home runs (18) and sac flies. Additionally, her 22 walks in conference play were tops in the league. Her 18 homers this season rank ninth in the nation, while her off-the-charts slugging percentage (.840) places her 14th in the NCAA.
Junior pitcher Kendra Lynch joins Brown on the All-ACC First Team, claiming her first career all-conference honor after blossoming into the Tar Heels' ace in 2016. Named ACC Pitcher of the Week three times this season, including earlier this week after her stellar performances at Georgia Tech over the weekend, Lynch leads the conference in wins (26), starts (42), appearances (48) and innings pitched (270.1), while ranking fifth in strikeouts (159). A native of Indianapolis, her 26 victories in the regular season rank third in the NCAA this year and fifth all time at UNC. She ranks second all time in single-season innings and starts, and will tie the appearances record the next time she throws a pitch.
“Kendra has achieved new heights on the mound this year as she has been our go-to pitcher,” said Papa. “She is currently third in the country in wins. She is a tough out at the plate and has helped us with her bat in clutch situations.”
Lynch contributed greatly on both sides of the ball, proving one of the Tar Heels' most dangerous bats in the lineup in addition to her firepower from the circle. The junior trailed only Brown on the team with a .635 slugging percentage during ACC play, and ranked in the top 10 in the conference in doubles, home runs and total bases in league games. Lynch is second on the team with 12 home runs and is tied for sixth all time in career homers.
Sophomore Taylor Wike earned all-conference honors for the second time, following an appearance on the First Team last season along with being named a finalist for 2015 National Freshman of the Year. Wike turned it on at the plate during conference games, hitting .324 with seven doubles, a triple and three home runs, slugging .577. Wike ranked second in the ACC during league games in doubles and was fifth with 21 runs scored. A patient hitter, she tied the single-season walks record last year and is once again in the top 10 with 29 free passes. Before the close of her sophomore campaign, she is already 13th all time on the career list and is on pace to shatter the career walks record before the end of her junior year.
“Taylor, along with Kristen, anchors our infield up the middle,” said Papa. “She has made some game-saving plays this season and is a tough out at the plate.”
A talented second baseman, Wike threw the tying run out at the plate in the seventh inning to seal the win against No. 18 Notre Dame, and made a game-ending diving catch-turned-double play to close out the win over UNCG. The Hiddenite, North Carolina, native leads the Tar Heels with nine double plays turned this season.
In addition to the pair of all-conference teams, the ACC gave out four individual honors following the regular season. Regular-season champion Florida State took home three of the awards, as junior Alex Powers was named ACC Player of the Year and Jessica Burroughs earned ACC Pitcher of the Year. Virginia Tech catcher Lauren Duff was named ACC Freshman of the Year, and Florida State skipper Lonni Alameda earned ACC Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season.
The fifth-seeded Tar Heels begin the ACC Softball Championship this afternoon, taking on #4-seed Boston College in an ACC Quarterfinal beginning at 1:30 p.m. The winner will face either #1-seed Florida State or #8-seed Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. on Friday. The ACC Championship game takes place on Saturday, May 14, at 2 p.m.
ACC Player of the Year: Alex Powers, Jr., 1B, Florida State
ACC Pitcher of the Year: Jessica Burroughs, Jr., P, Florida State
ACC Freshman of the Year: Lauren Duff, C, Virginia Tech
ACC Coach of the Year: Lonni Alameda, Florida State
| All-ACC First Team | All-ACC Second Team |
| Tatiana Cortez, So., C, Boston College Jessie Daulton, Sr., SS, Boston College Jessica Burroughs, Jr., P, Florida State Ellie Cooper, Jr., 2B, Florida State Meghan King, Fr., P, Florida State Morgan Klaevemann, So., OF Florida State Alex Powers, Jr., 1B, Florida State Jessica Warren, So., 3B, Florida State Maryssa Becker, Jr., P, Louisville Kristen Brown, Sr., SS, North Carolina Kendra Lynch, Jr., P, North Carolina Micaela Arizmendi, Sr., 1B, Notre Dame Erin Hershman, So., OF, Pittsburgh Lauren Duff, Fr., C, Virginia Tech Maggie Tyler, Sr., P, Virginia Tech |
Jessica Dreswick, So., P, Boston College Annie Murphy, So., OF, Boston College Carsyn Gordon, Fr., OF, Florida State Courtney Ziese, Sr., DH, Georgia Tech Megan Hensley, Fr., DP, Louisville Jordan McNary, Jr., OF, Louisville Hailey Smith, Sr., 3B, Louisville Taylor Wike, So., 2B, North Carolina Molly Hutchison, Jr., C, NC State Morgan Reed, So., SS, Notre Dame Karley Wester, Jr., OF, Notre Dame Ali Wester, Fr., 2B, Notre Dame Jenna Modic, Sr., DP, Pittsburgh Maggie Sevilla, Sr., 2B, Pittsburgh Allison Davis, So, OF, Virginia |
