NORFOLK, Va. – Savannah State first baseman Torrian Wright was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Softball Player of the Year. Tara Tursellino of Delaware State was named Rookie of the Year. Hampton’s Jailynn Jackson earned Pitcher of the Year for the second straight time, while Delaware State head coach Janice Savage received Coach of the Year accolades.
All awards are voted on by the conference’s head softball coaches and sports information directors.
Wright leads the Lady Tigers in runs batted in, home runs (13), total bases (79) and walks (35). She also ranked second in on-base percentage (.535) and third in batting (.343). She also ranked 18th nationally in on-base percentage, 10th in walks, 26th in home runs per game and 52nd in home runs. Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Wright was named to the conference’s first team and selected preseason Player of the Year to start the season.
Tursellino finished third on the team in sac flies (2), and tied for first in stolen bases (1-1). She started all 47 games with 136 at-bats, with a .235 hitting percentage. She recorded 32 hits with 15 runs, two home runs, eight doubles and 13 RBI. She also posted 40 assists, three putouts with no errors for the season.
Jackson has appeared in 33 games this season, starting 27. The 2013 MEAC Pitcher of the Year, Jackson led her team with a 17-10 overall record and 10-1 in conference games only. She posted a 2.51 ERA in 189.1 innings. She also ranked leads the MEAC in wins and finished 2nd in the MEAC in innings pitched.
Savage earned Coach of the Year honors after leading the Lady Hornets to a share of the 2014 northern divisional title and number one seed in the MEAC championship, with a 15-3 MEAC mark. A DSU alum and Hall of Famer, Savage is in her first full season as the team’s head coach. Named interim in 2013, Savage also served as an assistant coach from 2010-2012
Joining Wright (SSU) and Jackson (HAM) on the first team are Jamie Schulle (NSU), Sandy Hawthorne (DSU), Danielle Budden (HAM), Whitney Williams (NSU), Candice Van Horn (CSU), Morgan Boyd (NSU), Jessica Madrid (DSU), Nicole Gazzola (DSU) and Amber Fullwood (FAMU).
The 2014 MEAC Softball Championship tournament gets underway Thursday, May 7 beginning at 10 a.m. at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in Florida. Admission is $7 per day or $12 for the three-day tournament. A complete tournament bracket can be found on www.MEACsports.com.
2014 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Softball All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year Rookie of the Year
Torrian Wright, Savannah State Tara Turesllino, Delaware State
Pitcher of the Year Coach of the Year
Jailynn Jackson, Hampton Janice Savage, Delaware State
First Team
|
Pos
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Jailynn Jackson
|
Hampton
|
Sr.
|
5-8
|
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
|
P
|
Jamie Schulle
|
Norfolk State
|
Sr.
|
5-7
|
Maxwell, Texas
|
|
C
|
Sandy Hawthorne
|
Delaware State
|
So.
|
5-5
|
Smithtown, N.Y.
|
|
1B
|
Torrian Wright
|
Savannah State
|
So.
|
5-6
|
McDonough, Ga.
|
|
2B
|
Danielle Budden
|
Hampton
|
Fr.
|
5-4
|
Jackson, N.J.
|
|
3B
|
Whitney Williams
|
Norfolk State
|
So.
|
5-6
|
Fort Oaks, N.C.
|
|
SS
|
Candice Van Horn
|
Coppin State
|
Jr.
|
5-10
|
Drums, Pa.
|
|
OF
|
Morgan Boyd
|
Norfolk State
|
Sr.
|
5-3
|
Chesapeake, Va.
|
|
OF
|
Jessica Madrid
|
Delaware State
|
So.
|
5-6
|
Santa Ana, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Nicole Gazzola
|
Delaware State
|
So.
|
5-6
|
Coram, N.Y.
|
|
UTL
|
Amber Fullwood
|
Florida A&M
|
Fr.
|
5-5
|
Land O’Lakes, Fla.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Second Team
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pos
|
Name
|
School
|
Class
|
Ht.
|
Hometown
|
|
P
|
Tara Tursellino
|
Delaware State
|
Fr.
|
5-6
|
Moreno Valley, Calif.
|
|
P
|
Amanda McDowell
|
Savannah State
|
So.
|
5-11
|
Cheney, Wa.
|
|
C
|
Sabrina Edmonds
|
North Carolina A&T
|
Sr.
|
5-8
|
Riverside, Calif.
|
|
1B
|
Kayla McNair
|
Norfolk State
|
Fr.
|
5-4
|
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
|
2B
|
Alina Moriarty
|
Norfolk State
|
Jr.
|
5-3
|
Chesapeake, Va.
|
|
3B
|
Amanda Hallman
|
Savannah State
|
Jr.
|
5-6
|
Kennesaw, Ga.
|
|
SS
|
Margaret Wilkins
|
Hampton
|
Sr.
|
5-10
|
Tustin, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Calesha Shelley
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
Jr.
|
5-3
|
Suisun City, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Claudette Tanabe-Smith
|
Morgan State
|
Jr.
|
5-5
|
Lemon Grove, Calif.
|
|
OF
|
Heather Dunning
|
Norfolk State
|
So.
|
5-6
|
Virginia Beach, Va.
|
|
UTL
|
Robyn Mitchell
|
Norfolk State
|
Jr.
|
5-3
|
Chesapeake, Va.
|