LC's Simmons, SU's Brady, RC's Bier also Honored

FOREST, Va. --- Virginia Wesleyan College outfielder Tori Higginbotham and righty MacKenzie Creech headline the 2013 ODAC Softball All-Conference Awards as the Marlins' duo was named the ODAC Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively.  Lynchburg College mentor Dawn Simmons was tabbed the ODAC Coach of the Year, while Shenandoah University outfielder Kimberly Brady picked up ODAC Rookie of the Year accolades.  Roanoke College first baseman Alea Bier received the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award in a vote of the league's sports information directors.

Higginbotham, a junior from Glen Allen, Va., takes home the conference's top player prize and a spot on the All-ODAC First Team for the second straight year.  She leads or is near the top of the league in several statistical categories, eclipsing the charts in runs scored (57), total bases (119), stolen bases (43) and slugging percentage (.862).  She is second in the conference in hits (66), homeruns (13), batting average (.478) and on-base percentage (.534).  Against league opponents during the regular season, Higginbotham's numbers are equally if not more impressive as she led the ODAC in runs (27), stolen bases (19), batting (.483), and OBP (.565).  She hit safely in 35-of-41 total games played, including 22 multi-hit contests.  Her defensive work also stands out as she has not committed an error in 51 total chances from centerfield.

Creech, a junior from Hillsborough, N.C., adds this award to an All-ODAC First Team nod and ODAC Rookie of the Year honor in 2011.  She boasts a 20-3 overall record with a 1.44 earned run average in 135.2 total innings pitched.  She has posted 10 complete games with three shutouts.  Her 20 wins are tied for the league lead, and she's second in strikeouts with 118.  Against league foes, Creech posted a conference-best 11 victories with a 1.10 ERA in 70.0 innings.  She also fanned 73 batters.  She finished the season winning seven consecutive starts and looks to add to her totals in the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Simmons, in her 15th season guiding the Lynchburg softball program, enjoys her fifth ODAC top coaching honor after leading the Hornets to a 32-11 overall record and a 15-5 conference mark towards the second seed in the 2013 ODAC Softball Tournament.  In the latest NCAA Division III Atlantic Region rankings, LC was rated third, the highest of four ODAC squads on the list.  Lynchburg also occupied the 19th slot in the latest National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) top-25 poll.  Following the ODAC tournament, Simmons owns a 418-208-2 overall record.

Bier, a senior from Bent Mountain, Va., takes home softball's scholar-athlete honor for the second straight year.  In the classroom, she boasts a 3.955 grade point average as a Criminal Justice major.  The Roanoke honors program graduate is a member of several honor societies including Phi Beta Kappa (national historic academic), Omicron Delta Kappa (leadership), Alpha Chi (junior/senior), and Alpha Phi Sigma (criminal justice).  She is a recipient of numerous awards at RC including the Turk Endowed Scholarship, Dreher Scholarship, the Bolton Award and the Kiser Award.  On the field, Bier is a two-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, earning that distinction each of the past two seasons.  She hit .378 this season with an ODAC second-best 13 doubles.  She walked a league-high 26 times, helping her to a .500 on-base percentage.  She also hit a pair of homers and drove in 21 runs.  With the glove, Bier made just four errors in 319 total chances (.987 fielding percentage).

For more information on ODAC Softball, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow the ODAC on Twitter at @odacathletics.

2013 ALL-ODAC SOFTBALL TEAMS
ODAC Player of the Year: Tori Higginbotham, Jr., OF, Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC Pitcher of the Year: MacKenzie Creech, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC Coach of the Year: Dawn Simmons, Lynchburg
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Kimberly Brady, Fr., OF, Shenandoah
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Alea Bier, Sr., 1B, Roanoke

ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: MacKenzie Creech, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
Pitcher: Heather Jenkins, Sr., Bridgewater
Catcher: Madison Gilman, Fr., Randolph-Macon
First Base: Alea Bier, Sr., Roanoke
Second Base: Kelly Keys, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
Third Base: Hannah Bays, Fr., Emory & Henry
Shortstop: Sharese Jarvis, So., Randolph-Macon
Outfield: Kimberly Brady, Fr., Shenandoah
Outfield: Tori Higginbotham, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
Outfield: Leona Rainey, Sr., Roanoke
Designated Player: Cassie Phillips, Jr., Lynchburg
Utility: Courtney Allman, Sr., Eastern Mennonite

ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: Kelly Higbie, So., Roanoke
Pitcher: Heather Lewis, Sr., Randolph-Macon
Catcher: Ashley Ebersole, Sr., Emory & Henry
First Base: Season Dailey, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
Second Base: Cynthia Hayes, Jr., Guilford
Third Base: Melanie Lamb, Sr., Bridgewater
Shortstop: Brooke Hensley, Jr., Eastern Mennonite
Outfield: Jenna Best, Fr., Randolph-Macon
Outfield: Courtney Bogan, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
Outfield: Molly Smith, Jr., Eastern Mennonite
Designated Player: Lindsey Inzana, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
Utility: Stephanie Clark, Jr., Roanoke

ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM
Pitcher: Stephanie Cameron, Jr., Shenandoah
Pitcher: Hope Johnson, So., Lynchburg
Catcher: Taylor Galvin, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
First Base: Lauren McCabe, Sr., Shenandoah
Second Base: Melanie Tenney, Jr., Lynchburg
Third Base: Cheyenne Cash, Fr., Eastern Mennonite
Shortstop: Andrea Shannon, Jr., Virginia Wesleyan
Outfield: Aven Thomas, Sr., Bridgewater
Outfield: Jessi Hall, So., Lynchburg
Outfield: Brooke Sigrist, So., Eastern Mennonite
Designated Player: Angelia Miller, Fr., Eastern Mennonite
Utility: Kristina Karagiorgis, So., Virginia Wesleyan