Childers Earns Louisville Slugger NFCA All-Region Honors
5/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Spartanburg, S.C. – Capping a tremendous career and a standout senior season, USC Upstate pitcher Morgan Childers has been named to the Louisville Slugger NFCA Southeast All-Region team, released the NFCA Thursday.
Childers, from Kings Mountain, N.C., is a second team all-region selection, earning her second all-region honor of her career. She was also a second team pick as a freshman in 2008. She is one of five A-Sun players to earn all-region honors this year. Childers is joined on the Southeast All-Region second team squad with Jacksonville's Sarah Sigrest (pitcher) and Olivia Kline (utility/designated player). Kennesaw State's Sharon Swanson (outfield) and Florida Gulf Coast's Courtney Platt (outfield) are second team all-region picks in the South Region.
"Morgan's selection to the all-region team this year is much deserved," said Upstate head coach Chris Hawkins. "She led our team throughout the season and was a key reason why we had the success that we had. She was a leader for us on and off the field for four years. To say that she will be greatly missed is a tremendous understatement. I am proud of what she has accomplished this year and throughout her entire career."
Childers turned in a standout season for Upstate, leading the Spartans to a Division I era school record 42 wins. She finished the season 29-9 with a 1.33 ERA. She currently leads the A-Sun with 29 wins, 375 strikeouts and a .163 opponent batting average. She ranks fourth in the nation in strikeouts and fifth in strikeouts per game (11.1/game). She also ranks eighth with 29 wins and 19th with 10 shutouts.
Childers was credited with the win in 29 of Upstate's 42 victories, including eight of Upstate's 13 wins in the A-Sun. She also tossed two no-hitters on the year (Coastal Carolina and La Salle), increasing her career total to six.
The top player in the history of the program, Childers finished her career ranked among the all-time greats in the A-Sun. She broke the A-Sun's all-time wins record with 113 in her four years at Upstate. She ranks second all-time with 1,338 strikeouts (38 shy of the all-time mark) and 42 shutouts (five shy of the all-time record). She also ranks among the all-time leaders and in the top five in innings pitched, starts and complete games.
Childers owns 11 career school records at Upstate, including 113 wins, 1,338 strikeouts, 42 shutouts, 10 saves, 164 appearances and 930.2 innings pitched. She owns 11 single-season school records, including 34 wins in 2010, 16 shutouts in 2010 and 428 strikeouts in 2010. She also holds the single-game school record with 18 strikeouts set in her collegiate debut in 2008.
Childers has received numerous honors in her four years at Upstate. She was named the A-Sun Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 2008, the only time in conference history a player has earned the two honors in the same season. She is one of seven players in the history of the conference to be named all-conference four times, securing three first team selections. She is a two-time winner of Upstate's Student-Athlete of the Year award and was a semifinalist for the Lowes Senior CLASS Award this year.
