Thursday, May 06, 2010

MACON, Ga. – Five Atlantic Sun softball student-athletes earned Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Information District of America (CoSIDA) and ESPN the Magazine as announced Thursday.

Mercer’s Holly Oglesbee and Lipscomb’s Kellie Sirus and Lauren Dortwegt earned first-team honors from Districts 3 and 4, respectively, while USC Upstate’s Morgan Childers and Stetson’s Katie Lawrence earned second-team honors from District 3. Atlantic Sun baseball and softball combined for five first-team selections in District III more than any other conference in the district except for the Atlantic Coast Conference, who also boasted five first-team honorees. Three Academic All-District teams are chosen in each district, with those on the All-District first teams placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration. Any student-athlete who earns Academic All-District accolades automatically becomes a candidate for Academic All-American, which will be announced Wednesday, May 26.

Oglesbee, owner of a 3.86 GPA as a business administration major, ranks third in the A-Sun with 14 doubles and leads the Bears in batting average (.302), at bats (.169), hits (51), doubles (14) triples (1) and RBIs (20). The senior also posted a 12-game hitting streak, nine multi-hit games and four multi-RBI games. Oglesbee stands as a four-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Academic All-American. In the Mercer record book, the Fayetteville, Ga. native stands atop in at bats with 713 and ranks second in hits (211) and in doubles (48). On Sunday, April 25, Oglesbee earned recognition by her peers at the Mercer Athletics Award Banquet as the school’s Female Student Athlete of Year.

Sirus, a psychology major with a 3.92 GPA, earned A-Sun Preseason All-Conference honors and Player of the Week accolades on March 1. The Sarasota, Fla. native ranks first overall in the A-Sun in runs scored (45), RBIs (36). Sirus tied for second in triples with three and homeruns with 10. The Lady Bisons’ first baseman ranks third in slugging percentage (.652) and on base percentage (.440), fourth in total bases with 92. Sirus also posted the Lady Bisons’ team-high 13-game hit streak and owns a team-high 12 multi-RBI games, in addition to 11 multi-hit games.

Fellow teammate on the Lady Bisons squad, Lauren Dortwegt owns a 3.95 GPA as an interdisciplinary teaching major. In the A-Sun, the senior from Downers Grover, Ill. ranks tied for second in hits with 61, and ranks sixth in runs scored. Dortwegt owns 17 multi-hit games and two stolen bases on two occasions on March 7 and April 2.

Childers, a secondary education major with a 3.47 GPA, leads the Spartans from inside the circle. The junior hurler ranks third nationally in hits allowed per seven innings with 2.74, third in strikeouts (372.0), fourth in shutouts with 14.0, fifth with a 0.96 ERA, sixth in wins (29.0) and seventh in strikeouts per seven innings with 11.5. The Kings Mountain, N.C. native tossed two no-hitters this season and earned A-Sun Pitcher of the Week honors on two occasions. Childers also stands as an honorable mention pick for the NFCA Player of the Week on Tuesday, April 20 and etched her name into the A-Sun record book, moving into second all-time in strikeouts with 907.

Lawrence, a senior accounting major with a 3.56 GPA, gave the Hatters a power burst at the designated player position during the 2010 campaign. The Hilliard, Fla. native ranks third on the team with a five home runs in 2010 and leads Stetson with 23 RBIs. Lawrence connected on a two-run homerun off of USC Upstate’s Childers on April 3, in the first game of a double header against the Spartans.

Fans can follow the Atlantic Sun on Twitter and on Facebook. Visit twitter.com/AtlanticSun to begin receiving updates on conference news, weekly awards, and from A-Sun championships. Atlantic Sun followers with a Facebook account can become a "fan" of the conference by visiting facebook.com/AtlanticSunConference.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.