Trio of Lady Wolves Earn National Honor

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) recently announced the recipients of the softball All-American honors. The Lady Wolves had three members take away All-American honors as Emily Richarde (Lakeland, TN) and Carson Hughey (Brookhaven) were named First Team All-Americans while Olivia Banes (Pelahatchie) was named Third Team All-American.

Emily Richarde was a star in the circle during her sophomore season finishing the regular season a perfect 18-0 (13-0 in MACCC play) and finished the season at 22-1 overall. The 22 wins are the third-most in the MACCC and tied her for second-most single season wins at Co-Lin. She led the team in starts with 25 and had the second-most appearances at 26 while her 22nd win clinched the national championship for the Lady Wolves and gave her the team lead in complete games at 16. Her 1.57 earned run average is fifth highest in the conference and her team-leading 140 strikeouts are a Top 10 mark in the conference. She pitched 157.1 innings this season allowing 53 runs, 44 earned, on 95 hits with 76 walks. She was also named First Team All-MACCC, NJCAA All-Region 23, and NFCA First Team All-South Region and All-American.

Carson Hughey had a stellar sophomore season playing 52 games in centerfield for the Lady Wolves. She led the team with a .422 batting average going 57-for-135 with 33 runs scored and 26 RBIs. She had seven doubles, two triples, and one home run with seven stolen bases and 15 walks drawn while posting .484 on-base percentage and .526 slugging percentage. Hughey posted a .986 fielding percentage with 68 putouts, one assist, and one error. She was also named Honorable Mention All-MACCC, NJCAA All-Region 23, NFCA All-South Region Second Team, and All-Tournament Team at the NJCAA DII National Tournament

Olivia Banes had a superb sophomore season as she posted a .389 batting average going 72-for-185, which led the team in hits, at the plate with a team-leading 62 runs scored while leading the team in RBIs with 53, was second in doubles with 18, and was tied for the team lead in home runs with 12 and third in triples with two. The 72 hits, 53 RBIs, 18 doubles, and 12 home runs are all Top 10 marks in the MACCC while her batting average is Top 15. She also posted a .436 on-base percentage, .703 slugging percentage and led the team in stolen bases at 36, which was fourth-most in the conference. In the field, she posted a .925 fielding percentage with 55 putouts, 117 assists, 14 errors, and was part of six double plays. She was also named First Team All-MACCC, NJCAA All-Region 23, and All-Tournament Team at the NJCAA DII National Tournament.

The Lady Wolves finished with a 48-6 overall record and a record-breaking 27-1 in MACCC play as they secured the first back-to-back conference titles in program history. Through the national championship run, the Lady Wolves finished an outstanding 32-3 against MACCC opponents. At the NJCAA DII National Tournament, the Lady Wolves went 5-1 with an undefeated run to the championship day. After a loss in the first game, the team bounced back in the if necessary game with a 6-4 to win the program's second national championship in the last three seasons.