Mackey Named Preseason All-SoCon; Paladins Picked Seventh In SoCon Softball Preseason Poll

Feb. 8, 2010

Greenville, S.C. - Senior Lana Mackey was named to the Preseason All-Southern Conference second team and the Furman Paladins were picked to finish seventh in polling of the league's nine head softball coaches, it was announced on Monday by the league office.

Mackey, a righthanded pitcher, won 13 games and posted a 2.64 earned run averaged a year ago while fanning league-best 171 batters in 159.2 innings in the circle. The Perry, Ga., native helped Furman to a 22-29 overall record and 11-12 SoCon mark that was good for fifth place. Mackey, who pitched the Paladins to a SoCon Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth as a freshman in 2007, ranks among the top five in career strikeouts at Furman.

Chattanooga was picked as the preseason favorite to win the league followed by Georgia Southern, College of Charleston and Appalachian State. Samford was picked fifth, with UNC Greensboro sixth, Furman seventh and Elon eighth. Western Carolina rounded out the pole in ninth place.

Appalachian State's Katie Boyd was tabbed as the SoCon's preseason player-of-the-year. The catcher and third baseman hit .386 with 17 home runs and 45 RBI a year ago. Georgia Southern's Brianna Streetmon was selected as the preseason pitcher-of the-year. She went 17-10 with a 1.99 ERA in 2009.

Furman returns five position starters and three of its top four pitchers from the 2009 squad. Among the returning leaders are senior first baseman Brythe Blankenship, junior second baseman Morgan Hughey and sophomore outfielder Stephanie Field. Blankenship totaled 11 extra base hits and drove in 25 runs as a junior. Hughey clubbed six homers and batted in 28 runs while Field batted .309 to earn SoCon All-Freshman honors in 2009.

The Paladins open the 2010 season on Friday when they battle both Charleston Southern and Coastal Carolina in the Palmetto State Showdown in Columbia, S.C. First pitch between the Paladins and Buccaneers at Beckham Field is set for 1 p.m.