LAKE WALES, FL. – Eighteen softball players were honored on Thursday (April 30) afternoon as The Sun Conference announced the 2009 Softball All-Conference Team at the opening ceremony of The Sun Conference Softball Tournament. Bobcats Gina Guffanti, Melissa King, and Kelly Deibler secured three of those selections.
The top honorees were Warner's head coach Shawn Gary who was named Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year, Warner's Hope Franklin who was tabbed as Player of the Year and St. Thomas' Kelly Deibler garnered her second Pitcher of the Year award.
Deibler, a senior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. was named conference Pitcher of the Year after leading the Bobcats and the conference in average strikeouts per 7 innings, averaging 11.6 for the season with 99 strikeouts and a 9-1 record. She maintained a 1.55 ERA while holding opposing batters to a paltry .210 average. Deibler repeats as the conference Pitcher of the Year as she took home the honor as a freshman in 2006.
The conference recognition for King, a freshman from Platation, Fla., can be attributed to her ability to hit for extra bases and bat runs in. She led the Bobcats with 10 doubles and compiled a team high 22 RBI's. Her 0.55 RBI's per game was the 13th best average in the conference. When King was not bringing in runners or hitting for extra bases she was reliable on defense. In 40 games she commited 3 errors, good for the 5th lowest total in the conference.
Guffanti was named to the All-Conference Team as a utility player and her ability to make in impact on field from several different positions supports that decision. Guffanti made plays from the mound striking out oppossing batters, catching fly balls in the outfield, swong the bat pretty well for the Bobcats. While on the mound Guffanti pitched 82-innings for the Bobcats, the most on the team and mantained a 2.39 era third best on the team.
Gary picked up his second consecutive Coach of the Year Award after leading the Royals to back-to-back conference titles with a program history best overall record of 33-4 and an impressive 14-1 conference record.
Franklin, a junior outfielder from Frostproof, Fla. batted .350 for the season, led the offense with six homeruns and tied to lead the team in doubles (8) and RBI's (30). She was equally impressive in the field as she sported a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage this season. Franklin, who earned conference Player of the Week honors twice this season, also led the team in runs (33) and total bases (66).
All-Conference Team
C Danielle Fennimore (WU)
C Dominica Jordan (SCAD)
C Joy Fuller (WIU)
IF Lisa Santos
IF Courtney Mienkina (SCAD)
IF Kasey Keown (SCAD)
IF Staci Fernandez (WU)
IF Brooke Gary (WU)
IF Melissa King (STU)
OF Hope Franklin (WU)
OF Whitney Carroll (WU)
OF Carleigh Shannon (SCAD)
OF Jaime Voelkel (SCAD)
P Kelly Deibler (STU)
P Rebecca Powell (WU)
P Kristen LeFan (WIU)
P Kristen Stewart (WIU)
UT Gina Guffanti (STU)
