FOUR HIGHLANDERS SELECTED TO BIG SOUTH ALL-DECADE SOFTBALL TEAMS
6/5/2014 9:50:00 AM | Softball
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former Highlander standouts, Suzie Rath, Ashley Smith, Ashley Taylor and Kristen Shifflett represented Radford on the Big South's All-Decade Softball teams, announced the league office.
Big South Release
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Suzie Rath (Outfielder, 1993-96) – Inducted into Radford's Hall of Fame in 2012, Rath was the program's first Big South All-Conference selection (1993) and went on to be a three-time all-conference award recipient. She burst onto the seen in 1993 as a freshman, batting .380 with four doubles, 19 runs and 25 stolen bases, earning her first-team honors. In addition, she would go on to garner first team honors in 1995 and second-team recognition in 1996. She still owns the record for single-season runs (61 – 1996), which keyed Radford to its first winning season (33-24) in program history. Her 17 career triples stands as a program mark and to this date Rath still ranks in the top-10 in six offensive categories.
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Ashley Smith (Outfielder, 2002-05) – Smith is a three-time all-conference selection, including a first-team nod following a career senior season (.317, 60 hits, 9 2B, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 35 runs) in 2005. Started all 239 games in her career, Smith was a reliable bat in the middle of the batting order. For her career, she ranks in 10 offensive categories, which includes seventh in doubles (40) and RBI (126) as well as ninth in hits (204), home runs (22) and runs (115). At the time of her graduation, she was just the second Highlander to accumulate 200 hits, 100 RBI and 100 runs. In addition, she ranked in the top-5 in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and runs.
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Ashley Taylor (Pitcher/DP, 2005-08) – This three-time Big South Pitcher of the Year and All-Southeast Region selection rewrote the Radford record books. Taylor owns the program's records for wins (84), ERA (1.74), shutouts (25), strikeouts (842), saves (12), innings (896.2), appearances (160), starts (133) and complete games (100). Those numbers rank her in the league's top-10, including second in strikeouts, third in saves, fifth in wins and 10th in ERA. A three-time first-team all-conference honoree, Taylor also holds the single-season marks in several of those categories, including wins (29 -2008), strikeouts (266-2007), shutouts (9-2006) and saves (7-2008). In 2006, she went 20-9 with a then school-record 1.20 ERA and 213 strikeouts on her way to the first of three consecutive pitcher of the year honors. She provided an offensive spark as well. Her 136 RBI, 41 doubles, and 30 home runs still rank her fourth, fifth and sixth all-time, respectively. Taylor's career-high 12 home runs in 2007, tied her for the single-season mark, when she tied the single game. Individually, Taylor recorded two no-hitters and owns the single-game record for strikeouts (16). At the plate, the second-team all-conference selection (2007) became just the second player, at the time, to hit two home runs in a game (twice – 2006 & 2007) and record six RBI (2007).
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Kristen Shifflett (Shortstop, 2008-11) – Left Radford as its most prolific player in program history owning five career records: home runs (41), doubles (53), runs (178), total bases (436) and hit by pitches (36). Despite missing the first 19 games of her senior season due to injury, the crafty shortstop's 53 doubles and 179 runs still are program benchmarks and rank second and sixth all-time in the Big South annals. Her home runs and hits (246) have her second at Radford and eighth in the league, respectively. Shifflett, the 2010 Big South and VaSID state Player of the Year, ranked in the top five in eight other categories, including second in batting average (.368), hits (246), slugging (.653) and on base percentage (.429). A three-time first-team All-Big South and 2010 Mid-Atlantic Region selection, she broke the single-season home run record in 2009 (16) and is just one of four Highlanders to bat .400 in a season, hitting a career-best .420 in 2010, second-highest average in program history. In addition, Shifflett was named the 2009-10 Big South Female Student-Athlete of the Year as well as the 2009 and 2010 Big South Tournament MVP. Following her collegiate career, she became the first Radford female student-athlete to be drafted by a professional organization (Chicago Bandits, NPF).
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As part of the Big South's 30th Anniversary celebration in 2013-14, the Conference is announcing its first-ever All-Decade Teams to recognize the student-athletes and coaches who excelled in their respective sport since the Conference's founding in 1983. A committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Teams, with fan voting comprising 20 percent of the overall total.Â
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former Highlander standouts, Suzie Rath, Ashley Smith, Ashley Taylor and Kristen Shifflett represented Radford on the Big South's All-Decade Softball teams, announced the league office.
Big South Release
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Suzie Rath (Outfielder, 1993-96) – Inducted into Radford's Hall of Fame in 2012, Rath was the program's first Big South All-Conference selection (1993) and went on to be a three-time all-conference award recipient. She burst onto the seen in 1993 as a freshman, batting .380 with four doubles, 19 runs and 25 stolen bases, earning her first-team honors. In addition, she would go on to garner first team honors in 1995 and second-team recognition in 1996. She still owns the record for single-season runs (61 – 1996), which keyed Radford to its first winning season (33-24) in program history. Her 17 career triples stands as a program mark and to this date Rath still ranks in the top-10 in six offensive categories.
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Ashley Smith (Outfielder, 2002-05) – Smith is a three-time all-conference selection, including a first-team nod following a career senior season (.317, 60 hits, 9 2B, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 35 runs) in 2005. Started all 239 games in her career, Smith was a reliable bat in the middle of the batting order. For her career, she ranks in 10 offensive categories, which includes seventh in doubles (40) and RBI (126) as well as ninth in hits (204), home runs (22) and runs (115). At the time of her graduation, she was just the second Highlander to accumulate 200 hits, 100 RBI and 100 runs. In addition, she ranked in the top-5 in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI and runs.
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Ashley Taylor (Pitcher/DP, 2005-08) – This three-time Big South Pitcher of the Year and All-Southeast Region selection rewrote the Radford record books. Taylor owns the program's records for wins (84), ERA (1.74), shutouts (25), strikeouts (842), saves (12), innings (896.2), appearances (160), starts (133) and complete games (100). Those numbers rank her in the league's top-10, including second in strikeouts, third in saves, fifth in wins and 10th in ERA. A three-time first-team all-conference honoree, Taylor also holds the single-season marks in several of those categories, including wins (29 -2008), strikeouts (266-2007), shutouts (9-2006) and saves (7-2008). In 2006, she went 20-9 with a then school-record 1.20 ERA and 213 strikeouts on her way to the first of three consecutive pitcher of the year honors. She provided an offensive spark as well. Her 136 RBI, 41 doubles, and 30 home runs still rank her fourth, fifth and sixth all-time, respectively. Taylor's career-high 12 home runs in 2007, tied her for the single-season mark, when she tied the single game. Individually, Taylor recorded two no-hitters and owns the single-game record for strikeouts (16). At the plate, the second-team all-conference selection (2007) became just the second player, at the time, to hit two home runs in a game (twice – 2006 & 2007) and record six RBI (2007).
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Kristen Shifflett (Shortstop, 2008-11) – Left Radford as its most prolific player in program history owning five career records: home runs (41), doubles (53), runs (178), total bases (436) and hit by pitches (36). Despite missing the first 19 games of her senior season due to injury, the crafty shortstop's 53 doubles and 179 runs still are program benchmarks and rank second and sixth all-time in the Big South annals. Her home runs and hits (246) have her second at Radford and eighth in the league, respectively. Shifflett, the 2010 Big South and VaSID state Player of the Year, ranked in the top five in eight other categories, including second in batting average (.368), hits (246), slugging (.653) and on base percentage (.429). A three-time first-team All-Big South and 2010 Mid-Atlantic Region selection, she broke the single-season home run record in 2009 (16) and is just one of four Highlanders to bat .400 in a season, hitting a career-best .420 in 2010, second-highest average in program history. In addition, Shifflett was named the 2009-10 Big South Female Student-Athlete of the Year as well as the 2009 and 2010 Big South Tournament MVP. Following her collegiate career, she became the first Radford female student-athlete to be drafted by a professional organization (Chicago Bandits, NPF).
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As part of the Big South's 30th Anniversary celebration in 2013-14, the Conference is announcing its first-ever All-Decade Teams to recognize the student-athletes and coaches who excelled in their respective sport since the Conference's founding in 1983. A committee of Big South Conference administrators served as the official voting panel to determine the All-Decade Teams, with fan voting comprising 20 percent of the overall total.Â
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