SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG infielder Brooklynn Maxwell has been named the Southern Conference Player of the Year and Chattanooga right-hander Peja Goold has been named the SoCon Pitcher of the Year in voting of the league’s eight head coaches. Samford designated player Olivia Shaw and Western Carolina second baseman Lily Bell were voted the SoCon Freshmen of the Year and Wofford’s Chelsea Butler was recognized by her peers as the league’s coach of the year.
 
The coaches also named All-SoCon first and second teams and an all-freshman team. Due to a tie in the voting, an extra outfielder is on the first team and an extra pitcher and designated player are on the second team.
 
Maxwell is in the top five in the conference in nine offensive categories. The native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, paced the league in hits (70), runs (52) and triples (5), while finishing second in batting average (.385), home runs (15) and doubles (13). Maxwell led UNCG to its fourth straight 30-win season and a No. 2 seed in the SoCon Softball Championship this week. The senior, who played and started all 55 games for the Spartans, completed the regular season with 22 multi-hit games and had three or more RBIs in a game on four occasions. Maxwell was named the SoCon Player of the Week on March 11 and was the conference’s player of the month in February and March. She is UNCG’s sixth SoCon Player of the Year and the first since Katelyn Bedwell in 2014.
 
Goold amassed eight wins with a 3.05 ERA, striking out 86 batters in 85 innings pitched over 26 appearances (11 starts) this season. The sophomore from Stockton, California, played her best softball during conference play as she finished the season with a 1.73 ERA in SoCon contests, logging six wins and two saves in 14 appearances, while recording 61 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings pitched. Goold’s strongest outings of the season came on April 20 against Mercer when she pitched eight innings, logging a season-high nine strikeouts, and on April 27 versus Furman when she tossed seven innings with eight strikeouts. Goold, who was named SoCon Pitcher of the Month in April, becomes Chattanooga’s 11th SoCon Pitcher of the Year, the first since Celie Hudson in 2019.
 
Shaw and Bell were named co-Freshman of the Year due to a tie in the voting, marking the first time in SoCon history multiple players won the award in the same season. Shaw played and started 50 games for Samford, finishing the season with a .329 batting average, which was second on the team. The Hoschton, Georgia, native had three or more hits in three contests and had two or more RBIs in three games as well. Shaw is Samford’s third SoCon Freshman of the Year, with the other two being McKenzie Newcomb in 2022 and Shelby Maze in 2015. Bell led the SoCon in stolen bases (31) and was in the top five of the league in batting average (.378) and hits (65). The native of Woodstock, Georgia, scored two or more runs in 11 games this season and struck out just seven times in her rookie campaign. Bell becomes Western Carolina’s second recipient of the award, with the first being Jenny Jackson in 2006.
 
Butler earned SoCon Coach of the Year honors in the inaugural season of Wofford softball. The first-year coach led her squad to a 22-22 overall mark with an 11-10 SoCon ledger. The Terriers won at least one game during each conference series this season, including winning two of three at Chattanooga, the conference tournament’s No. 1 seed, on April 6-7. The Terriers led the SoCon in sacrifice bunts allowed (43), earned runs allowed (132) and walks allowed (82), while finishing second in team ERA (2.97).
 
Chattanooga led the league with seven all-conference selections. The Mocs had three first-team selections as Goold was joined by outfielder Camryn Cernuto and designated player Kendall Forsythe. ETSU, Samford and Western Carolina each had two selections on the first team. The Bucs were represented by infielder Cameron Young and outfielder Brylee Mesusan, the Bulldogs’ selections were catcher Logan Champion and outfielder McKayla Cothran and for the Catamounts, Bell was joined by utility/pitcher Tessa Juett. Maxwell, Furman outfielder Ashlee Lykins, Mercer infielder Tori Hedgecock and Wofford pitcher Margaret Axelson rounded out the first team.
 
Chattanooga had four selections on the second team as pitcher Alyssa Lavdis, infielders Kaili Phillips and Kailey Snell and outfielder Baileigh Pitts made the squad. Mercer and Samford had three selections apiece. The Bears placed pitcher Grace Taylor, infielder Emma Dorval and outfielder Alyssa Woods on the team, and for Samford, Newcomb and Shaw were joined by infielder Sarah Squillace on the second team. UNCG was represented on the second team by catcher Betsy Eatmon and outfielder Grace Loftin. ETSU utility/pitcher Sara Muir and Furman designated player Caitlin Goldwait completed the second team selections.
 
Bell, Eatmon and Shaw were also on the all-freshman team. They were joined by Furman’s Ansley Chiang, Samford’s Katie Campbell, Western Carolina’s Sydney Dirks and Maya McPherson, and Wofford’s Abby Greenwood, Kaytlin Greenwood and Megan Towery.
 
The Southern Conference Softball Championship gets underway Wednesday at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina. The tournament runs through Saturday, with each game slated to be broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
Player of the Year
Brooklynn Maxwell, Sr., INF, UNCG
 
Pitcher of the Year
Peja Goold, So., RHP, Chattanooga
 
Freshman of the Year
Olivia Shaw, DP, Samford
Lily Bell, 2B, Western Carolina
 
Coach of the Year
Chelsea Butler, Wofford
 
First Team
P – Peja Goold, So., Chattanooga
P – Margaret Axelson, So., Wofford
C – Logan Champion, Jr., Samford
INF – Cameron Young, Jr., ETSU
INF – Tori Hedgecock, Jr., Mercer
INF – Brooklynn Maxwell, Sr., UNCG
INF – Lily Bell, Fr., Western Carolina
OF – Brylee Mesusan, So., ETSU
OF – Ashlee Lykins, Sr., Furman
OF – McKayla Cothran, Jr., Samford
OF – Camryn Cernuto, Jr., Chattanooga
DP or UT/Non-P – Kendall Forsythe, Sr., Chattanooga
UT/P – Tessa Juett, Jr., Western Carolina
 
Second Team
P – Grace Taylor, So., Mercer
P – McKenzie Newcomb, Jr., Samford
P – Alyssa Lavdis, Jr., Chattanooga
C – Betsy Eatmon, Fr., UNCG
INF – Emma Dorval, Jr., Mercer
INF – Sarah Squillace, Jr., Samford
INF – Kaili Phillips, Gr., Chattanooga
INF – Kailey Snell, R-Jr., Chattanooga
OF – Alyssa Woods, Sr., Mercer
OF – Grace Loftin, Jr., UNCG
OF – Baileigh Pitts, So., Chattanooga
DP or UT/Non-P – Caitlin Goldwait, Jr., Furman
DP or UT/Non-P – Olivia Shaw, Fr., Samford
UT/P – Sara Muir, Jr., ETSU
 
All-Freshman
Ansley Chiang, 2B, Furman
Betsy Eatmon, C, UNCG
Katie Campbell, 1B, Samford
Olivia Shaw, DP, Samford
Lily Bell, 2B, Western Carolina
Sydney Dirks, SS, Western Carolina
Maya McPherson, 3B, Western Carolina
Abby Greenwood, P, Wofford
Kaytlin Greenwood, SS, Wofford
Megan Towery, OF, Wofford