The Sports Inquirer

Release from Kennesaw State Athletics:

The Kennesaw State softball team earned a number of honors as the Atlantic Sun Conference announced its annual postseason awards on Tuesday (May 5) with senior Natalie Rhodes and redshirt-sophomore Courtney Sutter being selected to the A-Sun All-Conference First-Team and junior Megan Veringa and sophomore Taylor Denton earning second-team accolades.

“It is an amazing honor to have four of our players represent the Owls on the A-Sun All-Conference teams,” said head coach Tory Acheson. “We have had a great year so far and all these players made major contributions to that success. This team has embraced a tremendous challenge this year and come through with flying colors, so seeing our players recognized by the other conference coaches is gratifying, to say the least. They have really come through, especially, during the conference schedule.”

“Owl Proud is something this team has embraced and built upon. I tell you how proud I am in just about every quote, but it is the one word that truly expresses how I feel. I love this team and I am very proud to be their coach.”

Rhodes has had her best season as on Owls, both offensively and defensively and has not missed a minute all season in her position in centerfield. She leads the conference and ranks second in the nation with eight triples on the year, while also ranking fourth in the A-Sun with a .399 batting average. The Canton, Ga., native also ranked in a tie for second in the league with 65 hits, while also sitting fifth with 43 runs, seventh with 92 total bases and 17 stolen bases and was ninth with a .447 on-base percentage. The 19th toughest player to strikeout in the NCAA, Rhodes has struck out just six times in a team-leading 163 at-bats, while also producing a team-best 19 multi-hit games. She has posted eight doubles and 17 RBIs in her final season, while committing only one error all season. In conference action she registered a .417 batting average, while also ranking in the top-seven in numerous categories, including triples, fielding percentage, doubles, hits, stolen bases and runs.

KSU’s starting catcher, Sutter ranked seventh in the league with 10 doubles on the year, including a league-leading seven doubles in A-Sun play, while catching eight runners stealing this season. She owned a .310 batting average in overall play to go along with 44 hits, 23 runs, five homers, 29 RBIs and 69 total bases. She increased her batting average to a team-best .435 average in conference games, while ranking in a tie for sixth with 18 RBIs and was eighth with 27 hits. She owns 10 multi-hit games this season and is second on the team with eighth multi-RBI contest.

Veringa started all but one contest at first base for the Owls, ranking second in the conference with 46 RBIs and ninth with nine home runs on the season. She sits second on the team with a .357 batting average, a .426 on-base percentage and 51 hits, while ranking third with nine doubles and fourth with 29 runs scored. Defensively, the Roswell, Ga., native leads the league with 17 fielded double plays and is third with 341 putouts. She ranked in the top 10 in A-Sun play in RBIs, total bases, home runs, slugging percentage, runs and walks, while registering a .381 batting average in conference action.

This is Denton’s second honor in as many days after collecting A-Sun Academic All-Conference accolades on Monday and her fourth career honor after being named to the all-conference second-team and freshman team a season ago. The Grayson, Ga., native was one of three players to start in all 48 games for KSU, seeing action in both the outfield and at second base. She ranked second on the team 34 runs and was third with a .347 batting average and 50 hits on the season. She has been one of the leaders in conference play and ranked second on the team and ninth in the A-Sun with a .421 batting average, while leading the team and ranking 10th in the league with a .484 on-base percentage in conference games.