By: by Scott Lipsky
MACON, Ga. – Just two days prior to the start of the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament, Kennesaw State Owls softball had four of their players receive All A-Sun Conference honors for their play during the 2010 season, the conference announced on Tuesday. Jessica Cross and Ashlee Burkett received All A-Sun First Team honors, while Burkett was named the A-Sun Freshman of the Year, joining teammates Sharon Swanson and Abbey Meixel on the Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Team.
Cross, a redshirt sophomore, received First Team recognition for the second time in her career due to her all-around strong play, both at the plate and in the pitcher’s circle. The Tunnel Hill, Ga. native, bounced back strong from an injury shortened season in 2009 after being named to the team as a freshman in 2008. As of Tuesday, she is eighth in the conference with a 1.98 earned run average to lead the Owls in that category, on her way to a 14-10 record.
Over 29 appearances as a pitcher this season, she had six complete games and three shutouts. Her offense was extremely impressive, as well, as she ranks third in the conference in home runs and RBIs with 11 and 35, respectively. She also ranks 10th in the A-Sun in Slugging Percentage with a gaudy .527, and is also tied for ninth with 79 total bases. She also ranks seventh in the league in strikeouts as a pitcher, with 117.
Cross’ fellow honorees are all underclassmen, underscoring the emphasis placed on so many of the young players on head Scott Whitlock’s club this season. Meixel, Cross’ fellow starter in the Owls’ rotation, went 10-10 during her first collegiate regular season, registering a 2.98 earned run average. Some of her most impressive outings came during the last few weeks of the regular season. Prior to shutting out North Florida, 2-0, in the final game on the schedule last Saturday, she struck out 11 in a tough, complete game, 2-0 loss at the hands of Jacksonville on April 29. It was the second of two occasions in which she struck out double digit batters in a game on her way to 107 on the season.
Burkett, the Owls’ first ever A-Sun Freshman of the Year, emerged as one of their most impressive talents as the season wore on. Her .342 batting average currently places her tied for ninth in the conference, and she had two hitting streaks of eight games or longer during the season. Overall, she ranks in the top 10 in nine offensive categories in the conference.
Her hitting came in timely situations, as well, as she went 7-for-10 during a stretch of three crucial conference games on April 16 and 17 that included a win over USC Upstate and a sweep over East Tennessee State. She hit the game-winning, solo home run in the top of the seventh in the second game against ETSU to cap-off a 3-0 stretch for the Owls that solidified their position in A-Sun standings.
Swanson was solid both at the plate and in the field. She started 40 games for the Owls, becoming the regular in left field by early March. Her .304 batting average ranked second on the team to Burkett, and her 24 runs batted in were behind only Burkett and Cross on the roster this season.
She is responsible for perhaps the most significant runs of the year, as she hit a three-run home run in the third inning of the first game of the Owls’ doubleheader against North Florida on May 8. The runs would prove to be the only ones that were scored on either side during the game, and the win clinched a berth in the A-Sun Tournament for Owls.
Defensively, Swanson was extremely dependable, as well, going all season long without committing an error.
This is the fourth time in five years that the Owls have had multiple players named to the All A-Sun First Team. They had three apiece in 2006 and 2007 before garnering two honorees in 2008. Their three All A-Sun Freshmen are the most the team has had since joining the conference in 2006, topping the two they had last season in April Harper and Catherine Tarvin.
Kennesaw State Owls All-Conference Honorees- All-Time:
All A-Sun First Team:
2006:
Kelley Cowart, Cambria McKay, Keri McKee, Jennifer Nolan
2007:
Kelley Cowart, Brittany Matthews, Keri McKee
2008:
Jessica Cross, Brittany Matthews
2010:
Jessica Cross, Ashlee Burkett
All A-Sun Second Team:
2006:
Lisa Lamb, Brittany Matthews
A-Sun Freshman of the Year:
2010:
Ashlee Burkett
All A-Sun Freshman Team:
2007:
Klair Wells
2009:
Catherine Tarvin
April Harper
2010:
Ashlee Burkett
Abbey Meixel
Sharon Swanson
