NORFOLK, Va. – A school record seven Norfolk State softball players earned All-MEAC honors as the conference office announced the postseason awards on Thursday morning during the start of the 2014 MEAC Championship.

Senior pitcher Jamie Schulle and senior outfielder Morgan Boyd joined sophomore third baseman Whitney Williams on the all-conference first team. First baseman Kayla McNair, second baseman Alina Moriarty, outfielder Heather Dunning and utility player Robyn Mitchell each garnered a spot on the all-MEAC second team.

NSU's seven honorees were the most by any MEAC program this year and the most for the Spartans in the Division I era. The only other time the softball program had even at least six all-conference honorees was in 1987, when 10 NSU players were named all-CIAA in Division II. The most the Spartans ever had in the D-I era was five in 2009 and '13.

Schulle, Boyd, Williams and Moriarty each garnered the second all-conference honor of their careers, with the freshman McNair and Dunning and Mitchell earning their first postseason all-MEAC awards. Five of NSU's players, Boyd, McNair, Moriarty, Dunning and Mitchell, hail from South Hampton Roads.

Boyd and Dunning give NSU seven all-conference outfielders in the last four years. McNair became the program's first all-MEAC first baseman since Allison Greene 2006.

The program's second-ever all-MEAC pitcher along with Alyssa Velazquez, Schulle finished the regular season 13-14 overall with a 2.89 ERA. She struck out 87 in 164.2 innings. The native of Maxwell, Texas ranks first in the MEAC in appearances (37), third in wins and innings pitched and fifth in ERA. She was second-team all-conference last year but a first-team preseason pick this year. NSU's all-time leader in strikeouts was a two-time MEAC Pitcher of the Week this season as well.

Boyd ranks second in the league in hitting at .433 as well as first in hits (61) and stolen bases (26) and third in runs scored with 37. She earned second-team honors both last year and in this season's preseason balloting. A native of Chesapeake, Va., and the program's all-time leader in hits, Boyd gives NSU a first-team outfielder for the fourth straight year.

Williams was voted to the all-conference first team at third base during her freshman year in 2013 and to this season's preseason team as well. She owns a .326 batting average on the year with 25 runs, six doubles, six home runs and 23 RBI. Hailing from Four Oaks, N.C., she is one of four NSU players with at least 20 RBI this year. She was named MEAC Player of the Week on April 7.

The junior Moriarty was a first-team pick last year and followed that up with another solid season this year. The Chesapeake native hit .366 with 23 runs, nine doubles, five home runs and 24 RBI, taking home MEAC Player of the Week honors in early March. She and Williams are just the second and third NSU infielders to earn all-MEAC honors twice in a career along with Hitomi Greene in 2006-07.

Dunning was a first-team preseason selection and then flirted with a .400 average a good portion of the year. The sophomore from Virginia Beach heads into the tournament hitting .388 with 33 runs, one double, one triple, one home run, 14 RBI and 10 stolen bases. She ranks fourth in the league in hits and seventh in average.

Mitchell, also from Chesapeake, was named to the conference's all-tournament team last year and continued to hit well in her junior year this season. She batted .357 with 20 runs, seven doubles, six homers and 29 RBI, becoming NSU's first all-conference utility player since Rebecca Barnes in 2009. She was named MEAC Player of the Week on March 24 after driving in 16 runs during a five-game stretch.

McNair made a splash in her rookie season, batting .327 with 18 runs, six doubles, seven homers and 32 RBI, leading the team in the latter two categories. A native of Virginia Beach, she ranked fourth in the league in home runs and fifth in RBI. She was a two-time conference Rookie of the Week and also earned Player of the Week honors one time as well.

Also on Wednesday, four Spartans were named to the MEAC All-Academic Team. Morgan Boyd, Alina Moriarty, Stephanie Wheatley and Whitney Williams earned a spot on the team for having a 3.0 or better GPA. Sophomores, juniors and seniors who have been at their school for one full year are eligible to be named all-academic.

Torian Wright of Savannah State was named the MEAC Player of the Year, while Hampton's Jailynn Jackson was tabbed the Pitcher of the Year. Tara Tursellino of Delaware State garnered the Rookie of the Year Award, and DSU's Janice Savage was voted the Coach of the Year.

Voting was done by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.

NSU will play Florida A&M at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex in the opening round of the tournament.

2014 MEAC Softball All-Conference Awards

First Team
Position	Name	School	Class	Ht.	Hometown
P	Jailynn Jackson	Hampton	Jr.	5-8	Virginia Beach, Va.
P	Jamie Schulle	Norfolk St	Sr.	5-7	Maxwell, Texas
C	Sandy Hawthorne	Delaware State	So.	5-5	Smithtown, N.Y.
1B	Torian Wright	Savannah State	So.	5-6	McDonough, Ga.
2B	Danielle Budden	Hampton	Fr.	5-4	Jackson, N.J.
3B	Whitney Williams	Norfolk State	So.	5-6	Four Oaks, N.C.
SS	Candice Van Horn	Coppin State	Jr.	5-10	Drums, Pa.
OF	Morgan Boyd	Norfolk State	Sr.	5-3	Chesapeake, Va.
OF	Jessica Madrid	Delaware State	So.	5-6	Santa Ana, Calif.
OF	Nicole Gazzola	Delaware State	So.	5-6	Coram, N.Y.
UT	Amber Fullwood	Florida A&M	Fr.	5-5	Land O'Lakes, Fla.

 

Second Team
Position	Name	School	Class	Ht.	Hometown
P	Tara Tursellino	Delaware State	Fr.	5-6	Moreno Valley, Calif.
P	Amanda McDowell	Savannah State	So.	5-11	Cheyney, Wash.
C	Sabrina Edmonds	North Carolina A&T	Sr.	5-8	Riverside, Calif.
1B	Kayla McNair	Norfolk State	Fr.	5-4	Virginia Beach, Va.
2B	Alina Moriarty	Norfolk State	Jr.	5-3	Chesapeake, Va.
3B	Amber Hallman	Savannah State	Jr.	5-6	Kennesaw, Ga.
SS	Margaret Wilkins	Hampton	Sr.	5-10	Tustin, Calif.
OF	Calesha Shelley	Bethune-Cookman	Jr.	5-3	Suisun City, Calif.
OF	Claudette Tanabe-Smith	Morgan State	Jr.	5-5	Lemon Grove, Calif.
OF	Heather Dunning	Norfolk State	So.	5-6	Virginia Beach, Va.
UT	Robyn Mitchell	Norfolk State	Jr.	5-3	Chesapeake, Va.

Player of the Year: Torian Wright, Savannah State
Pitcher of the Year: Jailynn Jackson, Hampton
Rookie of the Year: Tara Tursellino, Delaware State
Coach of the Year: Janice Savage, Delaware State