ATLANTA, Ga. (May 8, 2023) – With the conclusion of the Southern Athletic Association regular season and tournament, the SAA has announced its 2023 award winners and All-Conference softball teams.
Berry sophomore Katie White was named the SAA Player of the Year while Birmingham-Southern standout Margaret Axelson was voted both the Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. Sewanee leader Merritt Yackey was named the 2023 SAA Coach of the Year.
Last season’s Newcomer of the Year, White led second-ranked Berry to both conference regular season and tournament titles. The Vikings will head into the NCAA Tournament having won 22 in a row. White topped the conference at the plate, hitting .627 and slugging 1.137 in league play. Her SAA-best 32 hits included a league leading nine doubles and five home runs while ranking fifth with 21 RBI. Twice she was named the SAA Player of the Week, earning the award on March 6 and March 13.
Axelson made an immediate impact in her first collegiate season. The hurler led the SAA with 10 victories and racked up 66 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched, 27 more punch outs than the second-best mark. She made three appearances without allowing a hit, including a five-inning no hitter with six strikeouts against Sewanee. Twice she hit double-digit strikeouts, getting 10 against Sewanee and 13 in a win over Millsaps. At the plate, she hit .305 with 22 RBI in conference play. Axelson was voted the SAA Pitcher of the Week on April 3.
Picked seventh in the preseason poll, Yackey guided Sewanee to its best SAA season in program history. The eight-year veteran skipper led the Tigers to 12 overall wins, seven conference victories and three conference series wins, all the team bests since the inception of the SAA. Sewanee’s conference record is tied for the third best in school history.
2023 Softball All-Southern Athletic Association
Player of the Year – Katie White (Berry)
Pitcher of the Year – Margaret Axelson (Birmingham-Southern)
Newcomer of the Year – Margaret Axelson (Birmingham-Southern)
Coach of the Year - Merritt Yackey (Sewanee)
First Team All-SAA
Pitcher – Margaret Axelson (Birmingham-Southern)
Pitcher – Blair Hall (Berry)
Catcher – Anna Jackson (Berry)
First Base – Morgan Frye (Berry)
Second Base – Paige Bennett (Berry)
Short Stop – Shelby Daniel (Berry)
Third Base – Izzy Berkopec (Birmingham-Southern)
Outfield – Izzy Rushing (Centre)
Outfield - Aleeya Thornton (Berry)
Outfield – Katie White (Berry)
Utility – Andrea Searcy (Centre)
Designated Player – Lauren Cabiness (Birmingham-Southern)
At-large – Tori Candler (Centre)
At-Large – Molli Perry (Millsaps)
Second Team All-SAA
Pitcher – Hanna Gore (Berry)
Pitcher – Michaela Walker (Sewanee)
Catcher – Madison Bromley (Rhodes)
First Base – Jada Askew (Birmingham-Southern)
Second Base – Emma Jolley (Birmingham-Southern)
Short Stop – Alyssa Fowler (Birmingham-Southern)
Third Base – Alice Charboneau (Sewanee)
Outfield – Katie Hart (Birmingham-Southern)
Outfield – Emily Lammers (Centre)
Outfield – Katie Norris (Millsaps)
Utility – Peyton Rohrig (Rhodes)
Designated Player – Lauren Cothern (Berry)
Honorable Mention
Harper Allee-Press (Rhodes)
Lucy Baseheart (Centre)
Eve Bournias (Sewanee)
Grace Bryant (Hendrix)
Hailee Bryan (Birmingham-Southern)
Zoe Crockett (Sewanee)
Hannah Derouen (Millsaps)
Cam Ferguson (Rhodes)
Mackenzie Fleming (Millsaps)
Jordyn Green (Birmingham-Southern)
Gabby Naples (Hendrix)
Emily Pertuit (Rhodes)
Hannah Grace Roden (Rhodes)
Julia Strain (Millsaps)
Danielle Sudick (Berry)
Paizley Vaught (Hendrix)
Hannah Wilson (Sewanee)
Betty Wolfe (Hendrix)