Coltharp Named Preseason Player of the Year; Five on All-Conference Teams
COLTHARP PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR; FIVE ON PRESEASON TEAMS
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—Chattanooga Sr Emily Coltharp was named the 2023 Southern Conference Softball Preseason Player of the Year, the league office announced today. She is also one of five Mocs named to the SoCon First and Second All-Conference Teams.
Chattanooga is selected to place third in the preseason poll behind Samford and UNCG. The Bulldogs, who finished runners-up last season, received four first-place votes, while defending SoCon champion Spartans were voted second-place with three first-place votes.
Just five points separated the top three teams, Samford got 33, UNCG 31 and Chattanooga 28. Furman and Western Carolina each had 17 points and finished fourth, while Mercer was sixth with 15 points and ETSU had six points.
Coltharp earned her second SoCon All-Conference First Team nomination last season and was named to the SoCon All-Tournament Team. She was the 2022 Southern Conference NCAA Woman of the Year.
She won the SoCon title at batting for the second time in her four-year career and for the first time in a full season. A native of McDonough, Georgia, she is the first Moc to win the batting title in a full season since 2012. She hit .382 as the primary hitter for the roster and recorded a league-high 72 hits in 189 at at-bats. Coltharp’s 72 hits was 30th overall in Division I and she had the team’s best 25 multi-hit games. She had 24 stolen bases last year, ranking fifth in a season.
Coltharp is joined on the first team by another senior, pitcher Brooke Parrott. Parrott was named the SoCon Tournament’s Outstanding Player with a 4-0 record in the championship, a 1.12 ERA and a .163 batting average against her. She was named Socon Player of the Month in February and twice SoCon Student Athlete of the Month.
juniors Kailey SnellAddy Keylon and Kendall Forsythe were all voted into the SoCon All-Conference Second Team.
Samford’s McKenzie Newcombe was named SoCon Preseason Pitcher of the Year.
UNCG and Western Carolina each had three named to the first team. Chattanooga had two, while Samford, Furman and Mercer rounded out the 11-man team with one each. The Mocs and Furman each had three named for the second team and Samford had two. UNCG, WCU, Mercer and ETSU each had one.
Chattanooga led with five total selections, followed by UNCG, Furman and Western Carolina with four each. Samford had three, Mercer had two, and ETSU had one.
Chattanooga finished third in the 2022 regular season and pulled off an incredible win from behind against top seed UNCG in the finals of the SoCon tournament to earn their 15th place finishth Southern Conference Tournament Title. UTC moved to the 12thth NCAA tournament with the win.
Tickets are available online at GoMocs.com and at the McKenzie Arena box office for the season as well as the Chattanooga Challenge (February 17-19) and the Frost Classic (February 24-26). Mocs games through the end of March will be played on the two fields at Warner Park while Frost Stadium’s playing surface is being renovated. UTC will return to Frost with the start of SoCon play on April 7 against Western Carolina.
Pre-season survey
Team (First Place Votes) Points
| 1.Samford (4) | 33 |
| 2.UNCG (3) | 31 |
| 3. Chattanooga | 28 |
| 4. Furman | 17 |
| West Carolina | 17 |
| 6. Marker | fifteen |
| 7. ESU | 6 |
Preseason Player of the Year
Emily ColtharpChattanooga, Sr.
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
McKenzie Newcomb, Samford, So.
Preseason First-Team All-SoCon
P McKenzie Newcomb, Samford, So.
P Brooke ParrottChattanooga, Sr.
C Delaney Cumbie, UNCG, 5
IF Rebeca Laudino, Mercer, Sr.
IF Maycin Brown, UNCG, Sr.
IF Emily ColtharpChattanooga, Sr.
IF Bailey Huneycutt, Western Carolina, 5
BY Ashlee Lykins, Furman, Jr.
BY Grace Loftin, UNCG, Sun.
FROM Brooklyn Brewington, W.C., Sr.
DP Riley Lambert, Western Carolina, Jr.
Pre-Season Second-Team All-SoCon
P. Sierra Tufts, Furman, Jr.
P Jordyn Partain, Samford, So.
C. Riley Ludlam, Furman, Sr.
IF Cameron Young, ETSU, Sun.
IF Samantha Lagrama, UNCG, 5
IF Gwynnie Hornibrook, Samford, So.
IF Kailey SnellChattanooga, Jr.
IF Myra Twitty, Western Carolina, Gr.
BY Caitlin Goldwait, Furman, So.
BY Alyssa Woods, Mercer, Jr.
FROM Adison KeylonChattanooga, Jr.
DP Kendall ForsytheChattanooga, Jr.
