The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Attfield, Williamson Tabbed Preseason All-Conference
1/20/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – On the heels of its sixth consecutive season with 30 or more wins, the UAB softball team was selected to finish third in the league’s regular season title race as announced by the conference office Wednesday.
Head coach Marla Townsend returns five starters from last season, including three all-conference selections, which posted a 32-19 overall record in 2015.
The Blazers were also well represented on the preseason all-conference team as seniors Caitlin Attfield and Sara Beth Williamson each secured spots on the squad of 15. Attfield, the reigning C-USA Player of the Year, was also tabbed to repeat the honor as the preseason favorite for the award.
“Both ladies, while appreciating this selection, realize that they are surrounded by a very competitive and relentless team that has goals that far surpasses any individual honors,” said Townsend. “Their leadership will be a key role in Team 17 meeting those goals.”
Attfield finished the 2015 season batting .473, a mark that shattered her own single-season school record (.425 in 2014) which ranked seventh in the
En route to her record-breaking hitting clip, Attfield recorded 80 hits, which was eight hits short of her own school record set in 2014. Attfield accounts for three of UAB's top-five single-season individual hit totals, as her 69 hits in her 2013 freshman campaign ranks fifth on the Blazers' single-season list.
Additionally, Attfield finished with 43 runs scored in 2015, bested only by Martina Landrum's school-record 47 runs scored in 2010.
“Caitlin Attfield being named Preseason Player of the Year kicks off what is going to be one amazing senior season,” said Townsend. “It shows a
Matching Attfield's on-base percentage this season was Williamson, whose 2015 season totals check into UAB's single-season record book in seven categories. The duo also placed in UAB's single-season doubles list, as Attfield (15) and Williamson (14) checked in tied at third and fifth, respectively.
Williamson, a Faulkner State transfer from Gardendale, Ala., made an immediate impact as a power hitter in her first season in Birmingham, slugging .743 to shatter the previous program record (.628 by Kristen McGrath in 2014), while recording the second-most RBI (45) and sixth-most home runs (11) in a season in school history.
Williamson recorded the program's third-highest batting average in a single season (.407), and posted the fourth-highest walk total (32) while going down on strikes only 10 times.
“Sara Beth Williamson was a ‘game changer’ last year and well deserving of this pre-season honor,” Townsend added.
For their efforts, Attfield and Williamson were selected to C-USA's All-Conference First Team in 2015. Attfield and Williamson were also NFCA Mideast All-Region First Team selections, marking the first time in program history that Blazers have placed two on the region's first team.
Florida Atlantic was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the regular season title with nine first-place votes with Marshall selected second with two votes. UTSA, who received one first-place vote, Louisiana
Conference USA opens the 2016 campaign on Thursday, Feb. 11 with the season culminating with the 2016 Conference USA Softball Championships, May 12-14 in Denton, Texas.
The Blazers open their season Feb. 11 when UAB travels to Mobile, Ala., to battle in-state foe South Alabama.
2016 C-USA Preseason Poll (first place votes)
- Florida Atlantic (9)
- Marshall (2)
- UAB
- UTSA (1)
- Louisiana Tech
- Florida International
- Charlotte
- WKU
- UTEP
- North Texas
- Middle Tennessee
- Southern Miss
Preseason Player of the Year
Caitlin Attfield, UAB (Infielder)
Preseason Pitcher of the Year
Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic
Preseason All-C-USA Team
Kylee Hanson, Florida Atlantic
Jordan Dixon, Marshall
Lexi Betancourt, Charlotte
Krysta Tutsch, Louisiana Tech
Morgan Harris, Middle Tennessee
Caitlin Attfield, UAB
Stephanie Texeira, Florida International
Sara Beth Williamson, UAB
Emily Lochten, Florida Atlantic
Elicia D’Orazio, Marshall
Morgan Zerkle, Marshall
Kendall Burton, UTSA
Kaelynn Greene, Marshall
Christina Martinez, Florida Atlantic
Kawehiokalani Netane, UTEP
For more information on the UAB softball team, follow the Blazers on Twitter (@UABSoftball). For more on all Blazer sports teams follow the official social media accounts of UAB Athletics on Twitter (@UABAthletics), on Facebook (Facebook.com/UAB.Blazers), on Instagram (@uabathletics) or on Snapchat (@uabathletics).
