GSC Announces 2018 Softball All-Conference Awards
2018 SOFTBALL ALL-GSC TEAMS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Gulf South Conference has announced the 2018 softball all-conference awards, as voted on by the league’s coaches. Valdosta State’s
Jessica Mohl has been named GSC Player of the year. North Alabama’s
Megan Garst was selected as GSC Pitcher of the Year, while Alabama Huntsville’s
Kiara Akles and West Georgia’s
Alley Taylor share GSC Co-Freshman of the Year honors. North Alabama head coach Ashley Cozart has been named GSC Coach of the Year.
Mohl receives softball’s top award this year after finishing the regular season with a .456 batting average, tallying 57 runs scored, eight home runs, and 43 RBIs on the season. She leads the GSC in runs scored, hits, doubles, and triples. The senior is also tied for 10th in the nation in hits. Mohl led the Blazers to their 39-11 overall record. The squad also finished 23-9 in conference, garnering the second seed in the upcoming GSC Championship and their fifth place rank in the South Region.
Garst is the GSC Pitcher of the Year after finishing the regular season with a 1.27 ERA, the best in the league. She also leads the conference in strikeouts and wins. Nationally, the sophomore ranks eighth in hits allowed per seven innings. She is also a four-time GSC Pitcher of the Week. Under her leadership, North Alabama went 42-5, including a 29-3 conference record. The Lions finished at the top of the league standings and sit first in the South Region.
Akles and Taylor share the GSC Freshman of the Year award after incredible debuts, as both were also named First Team All-GSC. Akles finishes the season with a .313 batting average, 11 home runs, and 42 RBIs. The multifaceted freshman also pitched 95 innings for the Chargers, tallying a 10-3 record on the mound. Taylor had a statistically impressive season for the Wolves, leading the squad with a .401 batting average and a .612 slugging percentage. She also contributed 29 RBIs, 41 runs scored, and five home runs on the season. Her batting average is good for 11th in the league, while her 59 hits rank her eighth.
The is the second time in three seasons that Cozart has won GSC Coach of the Year. North Alabama had a dominant regular season under her guidance, finishing with a 42-5 overall record. Seven of her players receive All-GSC recognition this year, including the GSC Pitcher of the Year. The Lions also top the league standings with an impressive 29-3 conference record, garnering the top seed in the GSC Championship.