Photo by: Rick Yeatts Photography
DeLong Named C-USA Co-Coach Of Year
5/7/2019 2:00:00 PM | Softball
DALLAS – North Texas first-year softball head coach Rodney DeLong was named the Conference USA Co-Coach of the Year after leading the Mean Green to the best season in program history, the league announced Tuesday.
Junior outfielder Katie Clark and sophomore pitcher Hope Trautwein were named to All-Conference first team, while senior third basemen Harley Perella picked up All-Conference second team honors.
Freshman first basemen Tayla Evans was named to the All-Freshman team. Four All-Conference honorees matches a program record from 2014.
"It's nice that our kids get rewarded for a good year," DeLong said. "They're all very deserving. Maybe more than what we got. But it's nice to see them get rewarded for a successful year."
DeLong led the Mean Green to the most wins in conference play in program history and its first regular-season championship. In his young coaching career, DeLong is 36-9 (.800) in league play between Austin Peay and North Texas.
Clark led C-USA in batting average this season at .412 in 41 starts and 40 appearances. Clark also led North Texas in slugging percentage and stolen bases. She was a perfect 14-14 in stolen bases. Clark was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year and second team All-Conference in 2018.
Trautwein was the ace for North Texas in 2019. After a strong freshman season, she won 21 games in her second year with a 2.96 ERA. She held batters to a .190 average, the second best in C-USA. She set a career high in innings pitched (188.2) and is nearing a high in strikeouts (159). Trautwein was an All-Conference USA Second Team and All-Freshman team honoree in 2018.
Perella had a career year in her final season with the Mean Green. She set career highs in almost every offensive category, finishing with a .327 batting average with six home runs and 39 RBI, tied for eighth in C-USA. Perella led the squad in runs scored at 43 with .397 OBP. This is her first All-Conference award.
Evans became an immediate contributor as a freshman. Against UT-Arlington on February 27, she hit two home runs as a pinch hitter, both to give the Mean Green the lead. She finished the season strong, hitting .352 in conference play with 18 RBI. Her .987 fielding percentage is the second highest on the squad.
2019 Conference USA Superlative Awards (Presented by Ready Nutrition)
Player of the Year: Jazlyn Crowder, Louisiana Tech
Pitcher of the Year: Abby Trahan, Southern Miss
Newcomer of the Year: Katie Manring, Charlotte
Freshman of the Year: Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
Co-Coach of the Year: Mark Montgomery, Louisiana Tech & Rodney DeLong, North Texas
All-Conference USA First Team
C – Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
C – Kendall Smith, WKU
INF – Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
INF – Aly Harrell, Marshall
INF – Summer Burgess, Middle Tennessee
INF – Lacey Sumerlin, Southern Miss
INF – Kacey Duffield, UTEP
OF – Mya Stevenson, Marshall
OF – Morgan Turkoly, Louisiana Tech
OF – Jazlyn Crowder, Louisiana Tech
OF – Katie Clark, North Texas
OF – Destini Brown, Southern Miss
DP/Utility – Katie Manring, Charlotte
P – Krystal De La Cruz, Louisiana Tech
P – Hope Trautwein, North Texas
P – Abby Trahan, Southern Miss
All-Conference USA Second Team
C – Hayden Ellis, Marshall
C – Sierra Frazier, UAB
INF – Samantha Lageyre, Florida Atlantic
INF – Bayli Simon, Louisiana Tech
INF – Lexi Cushing, Middle Tennessee
INF – Harley Perella, North Texas
INF – Madison Washington, UTSA
OF – Fayth Davis, Florida Atlantic
OF – Karley Nicholls, Southern Miss
OF – Jordan Vorbrink, WKU
OF – Shannon Plese, WKU
DP/Utility – Mia Olson, Florida Atlantic
P – Preslee Gallaway, Louisiana Tech
P – Abigail Tolbert, Marshall
P – Kelsey Aikey, WKU
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
Alexis Johns, FIU
Skylar Whitty, Florida Atlantic
Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
Mya Stevenson, Marshall
Corina Dodd, Middle Tennessee
Tayla Evans, North Texas
Faith Hegh, UAB
Kasey Flores, UTEP
Pate Cathey, UTEP
Kennedy Sullivan, WKU
Junior outfielder Katie Clark and sophomore pitcher Hope Trautwein were named to All-Conference first team, while senior third basemen Harley Perella picked up All-Conference second team honors.
Freshman first basemen Tayla Evans was named to the All-Freshman team. Four All-Conference honorees matches a program record from 2014.
"It's nice that our kids get rewarded for a good year," DeLong said. "They're all very deserving. Maybe more than what we got. But it's nice to see them get rewarded for a successful year."
DeLong led the Mean Green to the most wins in conference play in program history and its first regular-season championship. In his young coaching career, DeLong is 36-9 (.800) in league play between Austin Peay and North Texas.
Clark led C-USA in batting average this season at .412 in 41 starts and 40 appearances. Clark also led North Texas in slugging percentage and stolen bases. She was a perfect 14-14 in stolen bases. Clark was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year and second team All-Conference in 2018.
Trautwein was the ace for North Texas in 2019. After a strong freshman season, she won 21 games in her second year with a 2.96 ERA. She held batters to a .190 average, the second best in C-USA. She set a career high in innings pitched (188.2) and is nearing a high in strikeouts (159). Trautwein was an All-Conference USA Second Team and All-Freshman team honoree in 2018.
Perella had a career year in her final season with the Mean Green. She set career highs in almost every offensive category, finishing with a .327 batting average with six home runs and 39 RBI, tied for eighth in C-USA. Perella led the squad in runs scored at 43 with .397 OBP. This is her first All-Conference award.
Evans became an immediate contributor as a freshman. Against UT-Arlington on February 27, she hit two home runs as a pinch hitter, both to give the Mean Green the lead. She finished the season strong, hitting .352 in conference play with 18 RBI. Her .987 fielding percentage is the second highest on the squad.
2019 Conference USA Superlative Awards (Presented by Ready Nutrition)
Player of the Year: Jazlyn Crowder, Louisiana Tech
Pitcher of the Year: Abby Trahan, Southern Miss
Newcomer of the Year: Katie Manring, Charlotte
Freshman of the Year: Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
Co-Coach of the Year: Mark Montgomery, Louisiana Tech & Rodney DeLong, North Texas
All-Conference USA First Team
C – Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
C – Kendall Smith, WKU
INF – Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
INF – Aly Harrell, Marshall
INF – Summer Burgess, Middle Tennessee
INF – Lacey Sumerlin, Southern Miss
INF – Kacey Duffield, UTEP
OF – Mya Stevenson, Marshall
OF – Morgan Turkoly, Louisiana Tech
OF – Jazlyn Crowder, Louisiana Tech
OF – Katie Clark, North Texas
OF – Destini Brown, Southern Miss
DP/Utility – Katie Manring, Charlotte
P – Krystal De La Cruz, Louisiana Tech
P – Hope Trautwein, North Texas
P – Abby Trahan, Southern Miss
All-Conference USA Second Team
C – Hayden Ellis, Marshall
C – Sierra Frazier, UAB
INF – Samantha Lageyre, Florida Atlantic
INF – Bayli Simon, Louisiana Tech
INF – Lexi Cushing, Middle Tennessee
INF – Harley Perella, North Texas
INF – Madison Washington, UTSA
OF – Fayth Davis, Florida Atlantic
OF – Karley Nicholls, Southern Miss
OF – Jordan Vorbrink, WKU
OF – Shannon Plese, WKU
DP/Utility – Mia Olson, Florida Atlantic
P – Preslee Gallaway, Louisiana Tech
P – Abigail Tolbert, Marshall
P – Kelsey Aikey, WKU
Conference USA All-Freshman Team
Bailey Vannoy, Charlotte
Alexis Johns, FIU
Skylar Whitty, Florida Atlantic
Lindsay Edwards, Louisiana Tech
Mya Stevenson, Marshall
Corina Dodd, Middle Tennessee
Tayla Evans, North Texas
Faith Hegh, UAB
Kasey Flores, UTEP
Pate Cathey, UTEP
Kennedy Sullivan, WKU
Players Mentioned
Outfield
/ Softball
Utility
/ Softball
Infield
/ Softball
Pitcher
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