Piedmont College’s spring sports success has led to many individuals earning USA South recognition for their efforts.
Baseball
Record: 20-16 (6-12)
Allen Tokarz – SR Relief Pitcher – 2nd Team, All-Conference
Tokarz leads the team with a 2.20 ERA and is third in the conference in ERA while posting a 5-1 record this season through 24 appearances on the mound. The senior from Snellville, Georgia is the all-time leader in appearances in a career for Piedmont, breaking the record this season as he now has 89 appearances in his career in the Green and Gold. Tokarz has pitched a total of 49.0 innings this season giving up just 12 earned runs while striking out 39 batters.
Breck Davidson – SR First Baseman – Honorable Mention
Davidson has been a staple for the Piedmont offense in the clean-up spot hitting a team-best .345 this season. Davidson also holds a career record at Piedmont as he set the career doubles record this season with 16 this year and 44 with the Lions. The senior from Flowery Branch, Georgia leads the team in hits (48), doubles (16), batting average (.345) and slugging percentage (.561).
Evan Gresham – SR Outfielder – Honorable Mention
Gresham is making his third straight appearance on the USA South All-Conference listing as he has averaged hitting .325 over those past three seasons including a career-best .378 in the 2015 season. The senior from Fayetteville, Georgia is hitting .326 this year and is leading the team in runs scored with 36 while being second in hits (45), doubles (9) and RBI (29).
Josh Thomas – SR Closer – All-Sportsmanship
Senior Josh Thomas was also honored as the team’s representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Softball
Record: 29-11 (16-4)
Hannah Hoban – FR First Baseman – 1st Team, All-Conference & USA South Rookie of the Year
Hoban is batting .402 this season, second only to teammate Abby Smith, with seven homeruns as she tied the Piedmont NCAA Era record and is just one homerun away from taking the honor outright. The freshman from Phoenix, Arizona leads the team in hits with 45, doubles with 14 and home runs with seven. This marks the second year in a row that Piedmont has earned the USA South Rookie of the Year honor as Jessica Bagwell took the nod last year.
Laura Carter – SR Outfielder – 1st Team, All-Conference
Carter is batting .373, third best on the team, with 38 hits and 19 RBI in her senior season.
Sarah Walker – JR Pitcher – 1st Team, All-Conference
Sarah Walker was dominant in the circle with a 2.39 ERA, a 12-5 record and fanned 70 batters. For Walker, this marks the second straight year she has been named an all-conference selection.
Abby Smith – SR Third Baseman – 2nd Team, All-Conference
Senior Abby Smith leads the team with a .444 batting average. Smith became the Lady Lion softball program’s second Capital One Academic All-American in the 2015 season and was featured during Division III week on the Piedmont Athletics YouTube channel for her academic and athletic pursuits. For seniors Smith and Carter, this marks the third season they have been named to the all-conference listing.
Jessica Bagwell – SO Catcher – Honorable Mention
Bagwell is no stranger to the honor as she took home the USA South Rookie of the Year award last season and now is batting .337 as a sophomore.
Josie Coker – FR Designated Player – Honorable Mention
Coker hit .324 this season in her collegiate debut with 34 hits and 26 RBI.
Melissa Eckman – FR Pitcher – Honorable Mention & USA South Rookie Pitcher of the Year
Eckman continued to improve throughout the season as she posted a 2.51 ERA this season with an 11-4 record in the circle. The freshman from Perry, Georgia has started 15 contests while appearing in 19 this season and has struck out 65 batters through 86.1 innings pitched.
Audrey Esakoff – FR Pitcher/IF – All-Sportsmanship
Freshman Audrey Esakoff was also honored as the team’s representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Women’s Lacrosse
Record: 9-6 (4-2)
Kayla Jones – SO Attack – 1st Team, All-Conference
As a former USA South Rookie of the year, Jones picks up her second All-Conference nomination having earned 1st team honors back in her freshman year. Also taking 1st team honors on the 2016 listing, Jones posted a team-high 50 points (8th-USA South) with 25 goals and 25 assists on the year with her assist mark also leading the team in that category.
Julianna Surgent – JR Defense – 1st Team, All-Conference
Surgent takes her first USA South All-Conference honor placing on the 1st team as a defender this season, just the second Lady Lion in the history of the program to do so. Surgent’s 36 ground balls (7th-USA South) were tops on the Green and Gold while her 23 caused turnovers were surpassed only to fellow All-Conference honoree, Maggie McDaniel.
McKynsey Douglas – SR Attack – 2nd Team, All-Conference
Earning a 2nd Team All-Conference spot on the attack was Douglas, who takes her third straight such honor to end her career for PC after transferring in following her freshman season. Douglas was 2nd on the team in goals with 35, a top ten mark in the USA South, giving her 159 for her career which stands second in program history despite just three years on campus.
Maggie McDaniel – SR Midfielder – 2nd Team, All-Conference
Becoming the first Lady Lion to earn All-Conference honors in each of her four seasons is McDaniel, who posted 41 points this season including 23 goals while her 18 assists were tied for 8th in the league. Having taken 2nd team honors as a midfielder, McDaniel leaves campus as the only Piedmont women’s lacrosse player to have earned the nod in all four years with two 2nd team and two 1st team selections to her credit.
Francesca Malabad – SO Defense – 2nd Team, All-Conference
Sophomore Francesca Malabad takes her second straight 2nd Team All-Conference honor as a defender for the Green and Gold. Malabad finished second on the team in caused turnovers with 23 tied with fellow All-Conference honoree Julianna Surgent in that category while collecting 30 ground balls as well (2nd-team, 15th-USA South).
Caitlin O’Brien – SO Attack – All-Sportsmanship
Earning Piedmont’s spot on the All-Sportsmanship Team was O’Brien, a sophomore for the Green and Gold who posted 28 goals this season.
Men’s Tennis
Record: 10-7 (7-3)
Nathan Metzger – Sophomore – 1st Team, All-Conference
Nathan Metzger was 9-7 at the #1 position in singles play including a 7-3 mark in conference play.
Matthew Metzger – Junior – 2nd Team, All-Conference
Matthew Metzger finished the year with a five-match win streak in singles play at the #2 position and an overall 12-4 record in singles play in 2016.
Harrison Labollita – Freshman – All-Sportsmanship
Freshman Harrison Labollita was also honored as the team’s representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Women’s Tennis
Record: 9-10 (7-5)
Nicole Parrish – Senior – Honorable Mention
Parrish finished the season with an 8-7 mark at the #1 singles position for Piedmont winning her final three matches in regular season play. In doubles with Amanda Blackwell, the pair were 11-5 including a 10-1 mark in their last 11 matches.
Tatiana Burkett – Sophomore – All-Sportsmanship
Sophomore Tatiana Burkett was also honored as the team’s representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team.
Men’s Golf
Sam Hill – Sophomore – 1st Team, All-Conference
For the sophomore, this marks his second honor from the conference as he was the USA South Rookie of the Year in 2015. Hill won the opening tournament of the season for Piedmont at the 10th annual Piedmont College Fall Invitational and has posted five top-10 finishes this season. Hill had a season-low 69 twice this season in the opening round of the PC Fall Invitational and the second round of the Chick-fil-a Collegiate.
Aaron Vankempen – Sophomore – All-Sportsmanship
Sophomore Aaron Vankempen was also honored as the team’s representative for the All-Sportsmanship Team.
