CLARK HIGHLIGHTS THREE POSTSEASON OVC AWARDS FOR UT MARTIN SOFTBALL
5/7/2019 8:30:00 PM | Softball
OXFORD, Ala. – Sophomore Paige Clark highlighted a list of three University of Tennessee at Martin athletes who were honored at the postseason Ohio Valley Conference awards banquet at the Oxford Civic Center on the eve of the OVC Softball Championship. Clark joins Lexi Ray and Haylee Short as Skyhawks to earn postseason honors as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Clark, a sophomore from Lafayette, Tenn., earned All-OVC second team honors after a standout campaign in which she led the Skyhawks in nearly every statistical category. After hitting .262 as a freshman, Clark saw her batting average jump by over 100 points in her second year after posting a .381 batting average with 35 runs, 61 hits, four doubles, four triples, one home runs and 24 RBIs. Along with her 16 multi-hit outings and 16 walks, she proved to be a menace on the base paths, ranking 11th nationally, first in the OVC and sixth in program single-season history with 33 stolen bases. She also strung together a 29-game on-base streak through the middle of the season which ranked second in program history.
Ray, a freshman hailing from Louisville, Ky., wasted little time adjusting to the Division I game by ranking as one of the best young hurlers in the league. In her debut season she posted an 8-8 overall record with a 2.97 ERA in 92.0 innings of work. Earning the starting nod in 16 contest while appearing in 24 contest, she notched seven complete games, a pair of shutouts and a save. Her best game of the season came against Tennessee Tech where she became just the third player in program history to record a perfect game and the eighth to tally a no-hitter.
Short, a junior from Hillsboro, Mo., made an immediate impact in her first season for the Skyhawks after a stellar all-American JUCO career. The centerfielder posted a .313 batting average with 31 runs scored, 46 hits, nine doubles, one triple, one home run and 25 RBIs. Paired with her .362 on-base percentage, she ranks second on the team, third in the OVC and 10th in program single-season history with 23 stolen bases. She also strung together a 10-game hitting streak through much of the month of March.
The No. 7 seed Skyhawks will open play in the OVC Softball Championship in a single-elimination showdown against No. 6 seed Belmont on Wednesday, May 8. First pitch from Choccolocco Park is slated for 10 a.m.
All-OVC First Team
P – Morgan Rackel, Austin Peay
P – Faith Sims, Jacksonville State
P – Haley Thogmartin, Southeast Missouri
C – Carly Mattson, Austin Peay
IF – Hannah Clark, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Anna Chisolm, Jacksonville State
IF – Ashley Ellis, Southeast Missouri
IF – Karsen Mosley, Jacksonville State
OF – Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
OF – Kacy Acree, Austin Peay
OF – Taylor Beshears, Jacksonville State
UTIL/DP – Danielle Liermann, Austin Peay
All-OVC Second Team
P – Hannah James, Murray State
P – Brooklin Lee, Belmont
C – Zoe Mihalicz, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
IF – Destinee Lizzmore, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay
IF – Zoe Schafer, SIUE
OF – Paige Clark, UT Martin
OF – Baylee Cook, Belmont
OF – Claudia Gallo, Southeast Missouri
OF – Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky
UTIL/DP – Haley Mitchell, Eastern Illinois
All-Newcomer Team
Alyssa Arden, Tennessee Tech
Hannah James, Murray State
Kylie Lane, SIUE
Raleigh Lewis, Tennessee Tech
Raven Loveless, Tennessee State
Audrey Lyle, Belmont
Taylor Makowsky, Murray State
Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky
Karsen Mosely, Jacksonville State
Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay
Lexi Ray, UT Martin
Haylee Short, UT Martin
OVC Player of the Year: Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
OVC Pitcher of the Year: Faith Sims, Jacksonville State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Hannah James, Murray State
OVC Coach of the Year: Mark Redburn, Southeast Missouri
Clark, a sophomore from Lafayette, Tenn., earned All-OVC second team honors after a standout campaign in which she led the Skyhawks in nearly every statistical category. After hitting .262 as a freshman, Clark saw her batting average jump by over 100 points in her second year after posting a .381 batting average with 35 runs, 61 hits, four doubles, four triples, one home runs and 24 RBIs. Along with her 16 multi-hit outings and 16 walks, she proved to be a menace on the base paths, ranking 11th nationally, first in the OVC and sixth in program single-season history with 33 stolen bases. She also strung together a 29-game on-base streak through the middle of the season which ranked second in program history.
Ray, a freshman hailing from Louisville, Ky., wasted little time adjusting to the Division I game by ranking as one of the best young hurlers in the league. In her debut season she posted an 8-8 overall record with a 2.97 ERA in 92.0 innings of work. Earning the starting nod in 16 contest while appearing in 24 contest, she notched seven complete games, a pair of shutouts and a save. Her best game of the season came against Tennessee Tech where she became just the third player in program history to record a perfect game and the eighth to tally a no-hitter.
Short, a junior from Hillsboro, Mo., made an immediate impact in her first season for the Skyhawks after a stellar all-American JUCO career. The centerfielder posted a .313 batting average with 31 runs scored, 46 hits, nine doubles, one triple, one home run and 25 RBIs. Paired with her .362 on-base percentage, she ranks second on the team, third in the OVC and 10th in program single-season history with 23 stolen bases. She also strung together a 10-game hitting streak through much of the month of March.
The No. 7 seed Skyhawks will open play in the OVC Softball Championship in a single-elimination showdown against No. 6 seed Belmont on Wednesday, May 8. First pitch from Choccolocco Park is slated for 10 a.m.
All-OVC First Team
P – Morgan Rackel, Austin Peay
P – Faith Sims, Jacksonville State
P – Haley Thogmartin, Southeast Missouri
C – Carly Mattson, Austin Peay
IF – Hannah Clark, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Anna Chisolm, Jacksonville State
IF – Ashley Ellis, Southeast Missouri
IF – Karsen Mosley, Jacksonville State
OF – Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
OF – Kacy Acree, Austin Peay
OF – Taylor Beshears, Jacksonville State
UTIL/DP – Danielle Liermann, Austin Peay
All-OVC Second Team
P – Hannah James, Murray State
P – Brooklin Lee, Belmont
C – Zoe Mihalicz, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Megan Burton, Eastern Illinois
IF – Destinee Lizzmore, Eastern Kentucky
IF – Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay
IF – Zoe Schafer, SIUE
OF – Paige Clark, UT Martin
OF – Baylee Cook, Belmont
OF – Claudia Gallo, Southeast Missouri
OF – Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky
UTIL/DP – Haley Mitchell, Eastern Illinois
All-Newcomer Team
Alyssa Arden, Tennessee Tech
Hannah James, Murray State
Kylie Lane, SIUE
Raleigh Lewis, Tennessee Tech
Raven Loveless, Tennessee State
Audrey Lyle, Belmont
Taylor Makowsky, Murray State
Sammi Miller, Eastern Kentucky
Karsen Mosely, Jacksonville State
Lexi Osowski, Austin Peay
Lexi Ray, UT Martin
Haylee Short, UT Martin
OVC Player of the Year: Rachel Anderson, Southeast Missouri
OVC Pitcher of the Year: Faith Sims, Jacksonville State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Hannah James, Murray State
OVC Coach of the Year: Mark Redburn, Southeast Missouri
Players Mentioned
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