Godfrey and Dean Garner Top State Honors; Seven Highlanders Honored
6/9/2009 4:56:11 PM | Softball
RADFORD, Va. – Leigh Godfrey (Perth, Australia/Seton Catholic College) and Mickey Dean garnered top honors and a total of seven members of Radford's 2009 Big South Championship softball squad were named to the VaSID University Division All-State Softball Team as announced by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Tuesday.
Godfrey was tabbed Rookie of the Year and Dean was named Coach of the Year, the first state coaching nod in program history.
Godfrey, along with catcher Sarah Himan (Woodbridge, Va./Hylton), second baseman Jenn Everhart (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley), shortstop Kristen Shifflett (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) and pitcher Chelsea Kelley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring garnered first-team accolades with third baseman Nichole Beall (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper County) and outfielder Shannon Keefe (Lemont Township, Ill./Lemont) earning second-team nods. For the second straight year, Radford paced the way with seven all-state selections.
Godfrey, the 2009 Big South Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference selection led the Big South and ranked in the top-10 nationally in runs scored (4th), batting average (7th) and doubles per game (9th). Recently named to the Australian national team, Godfrey broke three school records, batting average (.469), slugging percentage (.749) and on-base percentage (.503), that had held up since 1996, while averaging the most hits (1.65) and runs (1.14) per game in school history.
Godfrey, who reached base safely in 48 of 51 contests this season, led the Big South in hits (84), doubles (15), steals (24) and slugging, while recording the two longest hitting streaks in school history of 18 and 15 games (current), respectively.
Dean posted his third-straight 40-win campaign at Radford (41-15), capturing both the Big South's regular-season and championship titles for the first time in program history. The program's winningest coach in just three years (131-57), Dean guided the Highlanders to their first-ever NCAA Regional berth, which included a victory over Campbell. Under the direction of the 2009 Big South Coach of the Year, the Highlanders finished ranked in the top 25 in nine different NCAA statistical categories; slugging percentage (7th), home runs per game (8th), doubles per game (8th), stolen bases per game (10th), batting average (11th), triples per game (15th), double plays per game (19th), winning percentage (20th) and scoring (21st).
Himan, Everhart and Shifflett were named to the team for the second straight season with Himan garnering her second first-team selection, while Everhart and Shifflett earned first-team accolades for the first time.
With her second straight first-team selection, Himan become just the second Highlander (Ashley Taylor/2006 & 2008) to earn this recognition. The rising senior was a 2009 first-team Mid-Atlantic Region and Big South honoree, ranking in the Big South's top ten in hits (63/5th), batting average (.356/6th), doubles (12/t6th), on base (.405/9th) and slu
gging (.576/10th) percentages. Behind the dish, Himan threw out 32 percent of runners trying to steal.
Everhart, a second team all-conference and Big South all-tournament selection, leaves Radford ranked in the top-10 in hits (196/6th), doubles (38/5th), home runs (18/9th), RBI (105/6th), runs scored (117/6th), stolen bases (38/7th), walks (57/6th) at bats (734/4th), games played (247/4th) and games started (246/4th). In 2009, she ranked second in the Big South in steals (16) and tied for third in doubles (14), while leading the team with 18 walks.
Shifflett was a first-team all-conference honoree and the Big South Tournament MVP. The two-time Big South player of the week and Pepsi Malahini Kipa Aloha All-Tournament Team selection, hit a school record and conference best 16 home runs which ranked her 16th in total long ball and 23rd in home runs per game nationally. The rising junior launched three of her round trippers in the NCAA regionals (two against North Carolina). She ranked in the top five in nine other Big South categories and was listed nationally in runs per game (0.9
5/25th) and slugging percentage (.735/36th). She also recorded seven, eight and 12-game hitting streaks and posted the second highest slugging percentage in school history.
Kelley rounded out the first-team honorees. The 2009 Big South Pitcher of the Year and Mid-Atlantic first team member led the Big South in wins (25) was second in ERA (2.55) and saves (4) and third in opponent's batting average (.248). The rising junior's saves and wins ranked her ninth and 27th in the NCAA, respectively. At one point during the 2009 campaign, she won 13 straight decisions and finished the season with the third most wins in school history. A 2009 Big South First Team and All-Tournament team member, Kelley was 13-1 in league contests.
Beall, a first team Big South honoree, led the conference in triples (5) and RBI (46), ranking 18th and 65th in the nation. The Mid-Atlantic first team selection finished the season ranked in the top-eight several conference statistical categories; stolen bases (15/3rd), batting average (.360/5th), slugging (.683/5th), runs (37/5th), on base percentage (.418/7th) and hits (58/8th). A rising sophomore, Beall recorded nine-game and 12-game hitting streaks and led the team with 22 two-out RBI.
Keefe, the 2008 state rookie of the year, earned her first all-state team selection. She tied for fourth in the Big South in home runs (9) and sixth in stolen bases (13) and became the first Radford player to record two multi-home run game in same season against St. John's and Liberty. A rising junior, Keefe was a 2009 second team all-league honoree, batting .412 in conference only games with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored.
Godfrey was tabbed Rookie of the Year and Dean was named Coach of the Year, the first state coaching nod in program history.
Godfrey, along with catcher Sarah Himan (Woodbridge, Va./Hylton), second baseman Jenn Everhart (Purcellville, Va./Loudoun Valley), shortstop Kristen Shifflett (Charlottesville, Va./Monticello) and pitcher Chelsea Kelley (Roanoke, Va./Cave Spring garnered first-team accolades with third baseman Nichole Beall (Culpeper, Va./Culpeper County) and outfielder Shannon Keefe (Lemont Township, Ill./Lemont) earning second-team nods. For the second straight year, Radford paced the way with seven all-state selections.
Godfrey, the 2009 Big South Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference selection led the Big South and ranked in the top-10 nationally in runs scored (4th), batting average (7th) and doubles per game (9th). Recently named to the Australian national team, Godfrey broke three school records, batting average (.469), slugging percentage (.749) and on-base percentage (.503), that had held up since 1996, while averaging the most hits (1.65) and runs (1.14) per game in school history.
Godfrey, who reached base safely in 48 of 51 contests this season, led the Big South in hits (84), doubles (15), steals (24) and slugging, while recording the two longest hitting streaks in school history of 18 and 15 games (current), respectively.
Dean posted his third-straight 40-win campaign at Radford (41-15), capturing both the Big South's regular-season and championship titles for the first time in program history. The program's winningest coach in just three years (131-57), Dean guided the Highlanders to their first-ever NCAA Regional berth, which included a victory over Campbell. Under the direction of the 2009 Big South Coach of the Year, the Highlanders finished ranked in the top 25 in nine different NCAA statistical categories; slugging percentage (7th), home runs per game (8th), doubles per game (8th), stolen bases per game (10th), batting average (11th), triples per game (15th), double plays per game (19th), winning percentage (20th) and scoring (21st).
Himan, Everhart and Shifflett were named to the team for the second straight season with Himan garnering her second first-team selection, while Everhart and Shifflett earned first-team accolades for the first time.
With her second straight first-team selection, Himan become just the second Highlander (Ashley Taylor/2006 & 2008) to earn this recognition. The rising senior was a 2009 first-team Mid-Atlantic Region and Big South honoree, ranking in the Big South's top ten in hits (63/5th), batting average (.356/6th), doubles (12/t6th), on base (.405/9th) and slu
Everhart, a second team all-conference and Big South all-tournament selection, leaves Radford ranked in the top-10 in hits (196/6th), doubles (38/5th), home runs (18/9th), RBI (105/6th), runs scored (117/6th), stolen bases (38/7th), walks (57/6th) at bats (734/4th), games played (247/4th) and games started (246/4th). In 2009, she ranked second in the Big South in steals (16) and tied for third in doubles (14), while leading the team with 18 walks.
Shifflett was a first-team all-conference honoree and the Big South Tournament MVP. The two-time Big South player of the week and Pepsi Malahini Kipa Aloha All-Tournament Team selection, hit a school record and conference best 16 home runs which ranked her 16th in total long ball and 23rd in home runs per game nationally. The rising junior launched three of her round trippers in the NCAA regionals (two against North Carolina). She ranked in the top five in nine other Big South categories and was listed nationally in runs per game (0.9
Kelley rounded out the first-team honorees. The 2009 Big South Pitcher of the Year and Mid-Atlantic first team member led the Big South in wins (25) was second in ERA (2.55) and saves (4) and third in opponent's batting average (.248). The rising junior's saves and wins ranked her ninth and 27th in the NCAA, respectively. At one point during the 2009 campaign, she won 13 straight decisions and finished the season with the third most wins in school history. A 2009 Big South First Team and All-Tournament team member, Kelley was 13-1 in league contests.
Keefe, the 2008 state rookie of the year, earned her first all-state team selection. She tied for fourth in the Big South in home runs (9) and sixth in stolen bases (13) and became the first Radford player to record two multi-home run game in same season against St. John's and Liberty. A rising junior, Keefe was a 2009 second team all-league honoree, batting .412 in conference only games with two doubles, three home runs, nine RBI and seven runs scored.
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