LMU Softball Honors Four At University’s Annual Athletics Banquet

HARROGATE, TN – Lincoln Memorial University softball Head Coach Dan Burns recognized his team and presented four members individual awards at Tuesday night’s annual Athletics Banquet held on the LMU campus.

After finishing the season in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament Semifinals on Friday afternoon and ending the year with a 32-16 record, the team’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive awards went to Lady Railsplitter sophomore Sara Henn (Kettering, OH).

A 5’7” infielder/pitcher, Henn’s performance during the 2007-08 season was stellar.  Henn led the conference this season in hitting this year with a .487 batting average, with 74 hits, 21 doubles, 13 homeruns and 57 runs batted in.  For her efforts, Henn received SAC Player of the Week honors once this season, First Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors, and South Atlantic Conference Player of the Year.  Tuesday night’s MVP award may not be the last accolade Henn receives this season, as she is a candidate for the NCAA Division II Southeast Region Team, as well as NFCA Division II All-American.

Also recognized Tuesday evening were Lady Railsplitter softball players Ashley Knight (Palm Harbor, FL), Jackie Adams (Columbus, OH) and Amanda Wampler (Powell, TN).  Knight, a two-sport freshman athlete at LMU, playing both volleyball and softball, received the Coach’s Award.  During the season Knight hit .312 with 24 hits, one double, one triple and one homerun, along with seven RBI.  Freshman outfielder Jackie Adams was recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award.  In her first season of collegiate softball, Adams hit .382 with 58 hits, four doubles, four triples and 12 RBI, while senior infielder/pitcher Amanda Wampler received the LMU Softball Defensive Award with at .955 fielding percentage, along with 91 assists this season.

The Lady Railsplitters lose only Wampler and senior Alisa Burk to graduation and will return possibly one of the most talented groups in Lady Railsplitter softball history for the 2008-09 season which begins next August.