SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Furman catcher Riley Ludlam has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and Samford right-hander McKenzie Newcomb has been named the SoCon Pitcher of the Year in voting of the league’s seven head coaches. Paladins first baseman Kiley Perry was voted the SoCon Freshman of the Year and UNCG’s Janelle Breneman was recognized by her peers as the league’s coach of the year for the second straight season.


The coaches also named All-SoCon first and second teams and an all-freshman team.
 
Ludlam is in the top five in the conference in seven offensive categories. The native of Fort Myers, Florida, paced the league in slugging percentage at .678, while finishing second in batting average (.371), RBIs (39) and doubles (14). Ludlam led the Paladins to their second straight 20-win season and a No. 3 seed in the SoCon Softball Championship this week. The senior, who started 47 games at catcher and designated player for Furman, finished the regular season with 14 multi-hit games and had five RBIs in a game on two occasions, once at Gardner-Webb on Feb. 21 and the other at ETSU on April 2. Ludlam was named the SoCon Player of the Week on Feb. 20 and was the conference’s player of the month in February and March. She is Furman’s seventh SoCon Player of the Year and the first since Marissa Guimbarda in 2019.

Newcomb amassed 12 wins with a 2.18 ERA, striking out 153 batters in 170 1/3 innings pitched over 34 appearances (17 starts) this season, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. The sophomore from Meridianville, Alabama, had six or more strikeouts in 13 outings this season while throwing eight complete games. Newcomb’s strongest outing of the nonconference season came on March 17 when she threw a complete-game shutout at Ole Miss to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-0 victory. The win was the first time Samford defeated an SEC opponent since 2007. Newcomb’s longest outing of the season came in a 4-3 win over Furman in nine innings on April 22, when she threw a complete game in the victory. She was named SoCon Pitcher of the Week twice during the season and was the SoCon Pitcher of the Month in February. Newcomb is Samford’s second SoCon Pitcher of the Year, joining 2016 recipient Mollie Hanson as the only other Bulldog to receive the honor.
 
Perry leads the SoCon in home runs (16), RBIs (43) and total bases (112). The rookie first baseman played and started all 50 games for Furman, leading the team in hits (58) and runs scored (34). The Alpharetta, Georgia, native had 16 multi-hit games and had two or more RBIs in 11 contests during the season. Perry also logged five appearances inside the circle, tossing 10 2/3 innings and striking out two batters. She is the second SoCon Freshman of the Year for Furman, with 2017 winner Casey Bigham being the first.
 
Breneman earned her fourth SoCon Coach of the Year honor since 2018 by leading UNCG to its sixth straight regular-season SoCon title. The 11^th-year Spartan coach has led her squad to a 34-20 overall mark this season with a 13-4 SoCon ledger, including three sweeps. Breneman’s squad leads the league in seven offensive categories, including home runs (64), RBIs (273), doubles (68) and runs scored (284), along with turning a league-leading 26 double plays in the field. The Spartans claimed at least one SoCon weekly award in seven of the 13 weeks in the season.
 
Furman and Samford shared the league lead with five all-conference selections each. The Paladins shared the lead in first-team selections with UNCG with four apiece. Ludlam and Perry were joined on the first team by outfielder Ashlee Lykins and designated player Sylvia Burroughs. The four Spartans on the first team were pitcher Rhyann Jones, infielder Brooklynn Maxwell, outfielder Grace Loftin and utility/pitcher Jorde Chartrand. Western Carolina placed a pair of infielders on the first team in Brooklynn Brewington and Bailey Huneycutt. Newcomb and Chattanooga’s Addy Keylon rounded out the first team.
 
Samford had four selections on the second team as catcher Logan Champion, infielder Grier Bruce and outfielders McKayla Cothran and Lindsey Nelson made the squad. Pitcher Brianna Bailey, infielder Cameron Young and utility/pitcher Sara Muir were ETSU’s three selections on the second team. Mercer infielder Rebeca Laudino and designated player Kylie Helm were second-team selections. Chattanooga placed a pair on the second team as infielder Kaili Phillips and outfielder Olivia Lipari made the squad. Furman pitcher Emme Buzhardt rounded out the second team.
 
Perry, Burroughs and Jones were also on the all-freshmen team. They were joined on the squad by ETSU’s Jasmine Sanchez and Taylor Suchy, Mercer’s Avery Barton and Grace Taylor and Chattanooga’s Peja Goold, Riley KoKinda and Zoe Wright.
 
The Southern Conference Softball Championship gets underway Wednesday at Frost Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The double-elimination tournament runs through Saturday, with each game slated to be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
Player of the Year
Riley Ludlam, Sr., C, Furman
 
Pitcher of the Year
McKenzie Newcomb, So., RHP, Samford
 
Freshman of the Year
Kiley Perry, 1B, Furman
 
Coach of the Year
Janelle Breneman, UNCG
 
First Team
P – Rhyann Jones, Fr., UNCG
P – McKenzie Newcomb, So., Samford
C – Riley Ludlam, Sr., Furman
INF – Kiley Perry, Fr., Furman
INF – Brooklynn Maxwell, Jr., UNCG
INF – Brooklynn Brewington, 5th, Western Carolina
INF – Bailey Huneycutt, 5th, Western Carolina
OF – Ashlee Lykins, Jr., Furman
OF – Grace Loftin, So., UNCG
OF – Addy Keylon, Jr., Chattanooga
DP or UT/Non-P – Sylvia Burroughs, Fr., Furman
UT/P – Jorde Chartrand, So., UNCG
 
Second Team
P – Brianna Bailey, Sr., ETSU
P – Emme Buzhardt, So., Furman
C – Logan Champion, So., Samford
INF – Cameron Young, So., ETSU
INF – Rebeca Laudino, Sr., Mercer
INF – Grier Bruce, So., Samford
INF – Kaili Phillips, R-Jr., Chattanooga
OF – McKayla Cothran, So., Samford
OF – Lindsey Nelson, Jr., Samford
OF – Olivia Lipari, So., Chattanooga
DP or UT/Non-P – Kylie Helm, Sr., Mercer
UT/P – Sara Muir, So., ETSU
 
All-Freshman
Jasmine Sanchez, OF, ETSU
Taylor Suchy, P/DP, ETSU
Kiley Perry, 1B, Furman
Sylvia Burroughs, 3B/DP, Furman
Avery Barton, INF, Mercer
Grace Taylor, P, Mercer
Rhyann Jones, P., UNCG
Peja Goold, P, Chattanooga
Riley KoKinda, OF, Chattanooga
Zoe Wright, INF, Chattanooga