Three Herd stars named to preseason C-USA team
More stories from By Kasey Madden
Players on the Marshall University softball team were named to Conference USA’s preseason team.
The players honored are junior outfielder Shaelynn Braxton, junior infielder Kaelynn Greene and sophomore outfielder Morgan Zerkle.
This is the second year Braxton and Greene have been named to the team and the first year for Zerkle.
The three led the team in 2014 in batting averages, runs scored and at bats.
Braxton finished the season with a batting average of .351, scored 41 runs and had 57 RBIs.
Braxton’s 16 homeruns for the season made her the third highest homerun scorer in a single season.
“To know that people are watching you, motivates you to work a little bit harder,” Braxton said.
Greene rounded out the season with a .947 fielding percentage and a .397 batting average, which is the fifth highest for a single season in program history.
Zerkle started every game and completed her freshman season with a .870 fielding percentage and she successfully stole 48 out of 50 base attempts.
Head coach Shonda Stanton said the three players received the C-USA All-Tournament honors last season.
“I think it’s a testament of their accomplishments from last season,” Stanton said.
Stanton is no stranger to the achievements the players have made.
During her senior year season at University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she scored 66 runs, which was the eighth best in the nation.
The team lost five starters since last season, but Stanton said she’s confident in the team’s roster to absorb the loss of those players.
According to C-USA preseason rankings, the team is expected to finish the season fourth in the conference.
“We want them to be the team to make history, to get us to that next level consistently,” Stanton said.
Last year the team played in the C-USA Conference Championship game and lost to Tulsa 8-0.
The team begins its spring season Feb. 6 in the Auburn Tournament in Alabama.
Their first home game on the Dot Hicks Field is March 13 at 2 p.m. against Western Kentucky.
Kasey Madden can be contacted at [email protected].
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