The Chattanooga Mocs softball team, coming off a regular season title win, is ready to compete in the 2015 Southern Conference Tournament Thursday, May 7 against the fifth-seeded Western Carolina at 11: 30 a.m. at Frost Stadium. The SoCon tournament will be broadcasted live for free on the SoCon Digital Network. The SoCon championship game is Saturday, May 9 at 1 p.m. on ESPN 3.
The Mocs finished the 2015 regular season with a 32-13 record, including winning 12 of their 17 conference games.
As the No. 1 seeded team, Chattanooga earned a bi for the first round of the tournament.
The 2015 SoCon All-Conference awards were announced and six Chattanooga players were selected, while head Coach Frank Reed was honored as the SoCon Coach of the Year. Seniors Sarah Beth Roberts and Nicole Osterman and junior Criket Blanco were first team All-Conference selection. Freshman J.J. Hamill saw honors on both the second team All-Conference and the All-Freshman team while Cori Jennings and Kailey Palazzolo were honored on the All-Freshman selection.
As a team UTC finished the regular season hitting .292. Roberts continues to lead the team with a .383 average off 49 hits, 35 runs scored, 11 doubles, 10 homeruns and 27 RBI. Blanco is second on the team at .366 off 45 hits, 28 runs scored, nine doubles, six homeruns and 29 RBI. Osterman sits at third at .319 off 38 hits, 37 runs scored, 10 doubles, 12 homeruns and 41 RBI. Sam Taylor is fourth at .318 off 50 hits, 29 runs scored, 14 doubles, and 19 RBI.
In the circle, senior Taylor Deason is 12-5 and has 10 complete games in 120.1 innings pitched. Deason leads the pitching staff with five shutouts this year. Freshman Cori Jennings is 13-6 with 10 complete games of her own, throwing 119.2 innings. Classmate Kailey Palazzolo is 6-1 with three saves and 55.1 innings pitched.
Western Carolina finished with a 20-29 overall record and 8-9 in league play. Seeded as the No.5 team, the Catamounts have already secured a 6-1 victory against Furman in the tournament’s opening day. Courtney Price leads the team with a .323 average off 50 hits, 25 runs scored, six double, seven homeruns and 28 RBI. Heather Chastain is second with a .299 average off 41 hits, 10 runs scored, six doubles, four homeruns and 13 RBI.
In the circle, Jordan Garret enters with a 15-15 record. She has thrown 201.1 innings with 188 strikeouts in 13 complete games. With a 2.16 ERA she has given up 72 runs, 106 walks and 17 homeruns on the season.
Ticket prices will be $25 for an adult all-session pass and $15 for a youth all-session pass. Single session passes are $8 for adults and $5 for youth. Groups of 10 or more can get a single session pass for $5. Students of Southern Conference member institutions with a valid ID get in for free.