ABILENE – As the Abilene Christian softball team prepares for its final weekend of the regular-season with a three-game home series vs. Stephen F. Austin, the program received word Thursday that junior first baseman
Brianna Barnhill was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 team.
Barnhill is a first-time CoSIDA honoree and was one of only 10 district players named to this elite squad, joining catcher Vanessa Shippy (Oklahoma State), infielders Lindsey Cargill (Baylor), Kelli Schkade (North Texas), and Caleigh Clifton (Oklahoma), outfielders Cecilia Bauer (Houston Baptist), Sam Crowley (Creighton) and Kiani Ramsey (Texas Tech), pitchers Paige Parker (Oklahoma) and Sarah Miller (Kansas) and designate player Kristin Reasnor (Oklahoma State).
Barnhill is the first ACU softball player to make this team since outfielder Ashley Nolan in 2014 and is the third Wildcat this season tabbed Academic All-District along with soccer defender Kelsie Roberts and linebacker Sam Denmark. Robert went on to be selected First Team Academic All-America and Barnhill will find out if she's made that team on May 25.
The Rhome, Texas, native not only was recognized for her impressive offensive numbers, which include a .282 batting average, eight home runs and 34 RBI, but also because she has maintained a perfect 4.0 cumulative-grade point average through her studies as a kinesiology major. Her works in academics have earned her several additional distinctions from Dean's List to Southland Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll; she also is a recipient of a John C. Stevens scholarship and is a member of the Alpha Chi Society.
Barnhill ranks among the Southland's leaders in home runs and RBI in addition to slugging percentage (.542), and it's been her performance at the plate that's helped the Wildcats remain near the top of the league standings as they come into this weekend with an overall record of 29-20 and 17-7 mark vs. the league – tied for second place with Nicholls. The Ladyjacks, meanwhile, are 17-30 overall and 9-12 vs. the league after being swept last weekend by the Southland Conference regular-season champions from McNeese (21-3).
SFA is mathematically alive for the sixth and final spot for the Southland Conference tournament and will need a sweep of the Wildcats to coincide with Sam Houston State and Northwestern State losing their series to Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas in order to play in the postseason. There's also a postseason opportunity on the line for the Wildcats as earlier this week they were revealed as one of four Southland schools under consideration for a berth at the inaugural National Invitational Softball Championship.
ACU's road to its first postseason tournament since 2012 would likely involve a sweep of the Ladyjacks, combined wth a series loss for Nicholls, and a tournament championship for the Cowgirls. Nicholls owns the tiebreaker over the Wildcats after winning their series here last month, but have a tough series coming up this weekend at fourth place Lamar (16-8).
All three softball games will be streamed on
ACUSports.com, while live stats will be available both
online and on the new
ACU Wildcats app. The two sides will play a Friday night doubleheader starting at 5 p.m. followed by Saturday's Senior Day, which will start at noon.
Playing their final home games as Wildcats will be center fielder
Taylor Brown, third baseman
Casey-May Huff, catcher
Kaleigh Singleton and right fielder
Alli Spivey. This veteran quartet has guided the Wildcats to 90 victories in addition to consecutive top-half Southland Conference finishes. They've also collected close to 400 base hits and scored just shy of 250 runs, but it's been their work ethic and consistency at the plate and in the field which have resulted in the Wildcats' best season since joining the Southland Conference in 2014.
