The Southern Conference announced today the Athletes of the Month for March. One athlete is chosen from each in-season sport: baseball (pitcher and player), men’s and women’s golf, softball (pitcher and player), men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and men’s and women’s tennis.
Baseball
Player of the Month
Western Carolina’s Blake Murphy hit .415 with eight doubles, two triples and six home runs for a slugging percentage of .877 over the course of the month of March. Murphy, who obtained a .533 on-base percentage in the month, tallied 32 RBIs with 23 runs scored and even added seven stolen bases on eight attempts.
Pitcher of the Month
College of Charleston’s Danny Meszaros was twice dubbed league Pitcher of the Week in March. Meszaros was 5-0 with a 1.72 ERA for the month in 31.1 innings pitched. The sophomore gave up just six runs and 25 hits in the month, while also fanning 37 batters. The Boca Raton, FL, native held opponents to a .219 batting average against him in March.
Men’s Golf
Western Carolina’s Matt Cook, the SoCon leader in scoring average, acquired three top five finishes in three events in March. In the nine rounds, Cook had 650 strokes for an average of 72.22. The sophomore finished second at the Furman Intercollegiate to finish as the top league finisher in a field consisting of six conference teams.
Women’s Golf
College of Charleston’s Angie Hill placed second at the Pinehurst Challenge in March after carding a three-round total of 221. Hill’s total left her just two strokes off the winner. The team and league leader in stroke average finished in the top 20 in all three of her tournaments in March, securing an 18th place finish at the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic and a seventh place showing at the Mountain View Collegiate.
Softball
Player of the Month
Western Carolina’s Allyson McCubbins led the Catamounts with 10 home runs and an .861 slugging percentage in the month of March. The freshman hit .405 in the month, driving in 26 runs and drawing a team-high 24 walks. McCubbin garnered an on-base percentage of .548 and twice recorded three-hit single-game performances.
Pitcher of the Month
Western Carolina freshman hurler Mendy McKenzie won her second consecutive league Pitcher of the Month honor in March after going 9-3 with a team-best ERA of 2.32. The freshman struck out more batters (80) on the Month than the number of innings she pitched (78.1). McKenzie tallied a career-high and school record 11 strikeouts in a win over the Big East’s Pittsburgh.
Men’s Outdoor Track and Field
Western Carolina senior Milton Bolton won the 400-meter dash at the Charlotte 49er Classic with an NCAA regional qualifying and conference-leading time of 47.23. Bolton was also a member of Western Carolina’s second place 4x100 meter relay team (41.50) and the third place 4x400-meter relay (3:12.05), both SoCon leading performances.
Women’s Outdoor Track and Field
Western Carolina’s Raquel Ramseur placed second in the 400 meters with a time of 54.69 at the Charlotte 49er Classic.The qualifying time in the event was 55.43. Ramseur, who is currently ranked first in the league in the 400 meters, also was a member of the 4x400 relay team at the event that with a time of 3:46.90 placed second.
Men’s Tennis
The Citadel’s James Eason went 10-1(4-0 SoCon) in match play in March. Eason was forced into a three-set match in just one of the 11 contests, recording eight perfect 6-0 set victories. Eason, along with partner Daniel Dossetor, was 9-1 (3-1 SoCon) in the month, losing an 8-6 decision to Elon’s tandem of Damon Gooch and Austin Fenn.
Women’s Tennis
The College of Charleston’s Chelsea Albertz, who played six matches at number two singles and three at No. 1, finished the month of March with a 9-0 record. Albertz led the Cougars to an 8-2 (4-1 SoCon) record during the stretch, concluding all but one of her matches in straight sets. The sophomore was 5-4 on the month in doubles with partner Payten Ellington.