Kayla Cox and Coach Leslie Kanter Headline All-SSC Softball Team

WINTER PARK, Fla. - The Sunshine State Conference champion University of Tampa softball team claimed two of the major awards as Kayla Cox repeated as Pitcher of the Year, while the Spartans' Leslie Kanter was selected Coach of the Year.

A total of 31 student-athletes have been named to the 2014 All-Sunshine State Conference Softball Team. Nova Southeastern's Erika Garcia was selected Player of the Year and Rollins' Hailee Keisling was named Freshman of the Year.

Fellow Spartans Julia Morrow, Lindsay Dring, Kayleen Boatwright, and Meagan Burke joined Cox on the first team.

Earning All-SSC First Team honors with Cox (P) and Garcia (UT) were: 1B Meagan Burke (Tampa), 2B Michelle George (Saint Leo), 2B Danielle McNeill (Lynn), 3B Hilary Brown (Rollins), SS Kayleen Boatwright (Tampa), C Devin Kochergan (Lynn), OF Megan Copeland (Barry), OF Courtney Durbin (Rollins), OF Kristie Hoeffer, OF Kayla Ogle (Barry), DP Lindsay Dring (Tampa), P Julia Morrow (Tampa), and At-Large selections McKenzie Burns (Saint Leo) and Allasyn Lieneck (Florida Southern).

Named to the All-SSC Second Team were: 1B Julie Brito (Barry), 2B Brittany Johnson (Rollins), 3B Rachel Heath (Saint Leo), SS Kara Oberer (Eckerd), C Veronica Alred (Rollins), OF Elaine Brown (Florida Tech), OF Kelsey Donahue (Florida Tech), OF Chelsea Jeffares (Eckerd), OF Melanie Spicola (Nova Southeastern), DP Sarah Steiner (Saint Leo), UT Christie Bailey (Florida Southern), P Niki Fogle (Rollins), P Stephanie Sullivan (Rollins), and At-Large selections Rachel Pence (Florida Tech) and Adriana Sanders (Saint Leo).

Voting for the All-SSC Team was conducted among the league's softball coaches.

A senior from Pembroke Pines, Fla., Garcia was a dual threat at the plate and from the mound. The pitcher/first baseman led the SSC with 16 doubles, ranked second with 48 RBIs and was third with 94 total bases. Garcia finished the regular season hitting .378 and slugging 635. She recorded 56 hits, 20 runs, two triples and six home runs. From the mound, the senior recorded a 2.11 ERA with 10 wins. She pitched nine complete games and two shutouts. In 103.0 innings of work, Garcia struck out 35 batters.

A senior from Riverview, Fla., Cox posted a 16-3 overall record with an 11-2 record in conference play. The senior finished the regular season with a 0.78 ERA overall and in conference action. In 144.1 innings of work, Cox struck out 193 batters to lead the conference. She struck out 115 SSC batters in 99.1 innings of work. In total, Cox recorded 14 complete games, eight shutouts and four more combined. She helped led the Spartans to an SSC Co-Championship and the automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.

In her debut season out of Safety Harbor, Fla., Keisling helped lead the Tars to their fourth SSC title as they shared the 2014 SSC Championship with Tampa. The freshman recorded a .348 batting average and slugged .489 with five doubles, four triples and two home runs. Keisling record 47 hits, scored 42 times and batted in 19 runs. She stole eight bases out of nine attempts. At first base, she recorded 316 putouts and had a .988 fielding percentage.

In her 20th season as the head coach at the University of Tampa, Kanter earns her third SSC Coach of the Year award-second in three years. The Spartans finished the season with a 31-6 overall record and a 19-5 conference record to claim their third SSC Championship. Tampa earned the SSC automatic qualifier and the No. 2 seed in the South Region. This marks the fourth consecutive NCAA South Regional appearances for the Spartans, and the sixth in the last seven years. It is the second time Kanter's team has hosted the South Region in the last three seasons.

2014 All-SSC Softball Team
FIRST TEAM
1B - Meagan Burke, Tampa (Jr.)
2B - Michelle George, Saint Leo (Fr.)
2B - Danielle McNeill, Lynn (Sr.)
3B - Hilary Brown, Rollins (Sr.)
SS - Kayleen Boatwright, Tampa (Jr.)
C - Devin Kochergan, Lynn (Sr.)
OF - Megan Copeland, Barry (So.)
OF - Courtney Durbin, Rollins (So.)
OF - Kristie Hoeffer, Rollins (Sr.)
OF - Kayla Ogle, Barry (Jr.)
DP - Lindsay Dring, Tampa (Jr.)
UT - Erika Garcia, Nova Southeastern (Sr.)
P - Kayla Cox, Tampa (Sr.)
P - Julia Morrow, Tampa (Jr.)
At-Large - McKenzie Burns, Saint Leo (Jr.)
At-Large - Allasyn Lieneck, Florida Southern (Sr.)

Player of the Year - Erika Garcia, Nova Southeastern
Pitcher of the Year - Kayla Cox, Tampa
Freshman of the Year - Hailee Keisling, Rollins
Coach of the Year - Leslie Kanter, Tampa

SECOND TEAM
1B - Julie Brito, Barry (Jr.)
2B - Brittany Johnson, Rollins (So.)
3B - Rachel Heath, Saint Leo (Fr.)
SS - Kara Oberer, Eckerd (So.)
C - Veronica Alred, Rollins (Sr.)
OF - Elaine Brown, Florida Tech (So.)
OF - Kelsey Donahue, Florida Tech (Sr.)
OF - Chelsea Jeffares, Eckerd (Sr.)
OF - Melanie Spicola, Nova Southeastern (Jr.)
DP - Sarah Steiner, Saint Leo (Sr.)
UT - Christie Bailey, Florida Southern (Sr.)
P - Niki Fogle, Rollins (So.)
P - Stephanie Sullivan, Rollins (Sr.)
At-Large - Rachel Pence, Florida Tech (Fr.)
At - Large - Adriana Sanders, Saint Leo (Jr.)