North Carolina State University Athletics
Four Softball Players Collect All-Region Honors
5/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
RALEIGH, N.C. - For the first time in program history, NC State landed players on the Louisville Slugger All-Southeast Region first-team. But the Pack didn’t just place one on the list. Instead, head coach Lisa Navas’ unit added three. Abbie Sims, Jen Chamberlin and Heather Gelbard all took the honor, while Allison Presnell grabbed second-team recognition. Sims finally broke into the top group after being named second-team all-region in both 2005 and 2006.
Sims, the first-ever NC State player to be named ACC Player of the Year, had an impressive 2007 campaign as she tossed four no-hitters, including a perfect game. Her 26-6 record on the year ranks among 13th-best in the nation. In addition, Sims is one of five pitchers in ACC history to have collected 1,000 or more career strikeouts (1,076). The senior from Artesia, N.M., also saw action as an outfielder for the Wolfpack, compiling a .301 batting average with 25 runs scored, 11 home runs and 27 RBIs on the year.
One of two ACC student-athletes to receive national player of the week recognition in 2007, Sims was tabbed by USA Softball (March 20) and Louisville Slugger/NFCA (April 22). She was also the only student-athlete named ACC Player of the Week four times this season. Sims also made her third appearance on the All-ACC first team, following showings in 2005 and 2006.
Hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Chamberlin stands as the all-time leader in ACC career home runs with 49. A first-team All-ACC selection in 2005 and 2007, and a second-team member a season ago, Chamberlin batted .373 in league play this year, tied for seventh-best in the conference. Chamberlin leads the Wolfpack program all-time in career home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks and games played.
A second-team all-league selection in 2005, Gelbard was again named second-team All-ACC this year after leading State with a .339 overall batting average. A native of Miami, Fla., Gelbard has collected at least 60 hits during each of her four seasons in a Wolfpack uniform. Her 65 hits on the year so far stand just one shy of her personal-best 66 set in 2005. Gelbard leads the Wolfpack program in several all-time career categories, including batting average, games started, at-bats, hits, and doubles. She was named a third-team 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America by CoSida.
Presnell’s offensive explosion has been turning heads, and the Wolfpack lineup has adjusted accordingly. A native of Harrisburg, N.C., Presnell owns a .331 batting average, collecting 50 hits, 46 RBIs and 12 home runs in 151 at-bats. With appearances in 56 games and starts in 50, the Pack is 35-15 when Presnell is slated in a starting role. If her offensive skills aren’t impressive enough, Presnell has the ability to play both first base and the outfield, something that she has done on several occasions. She set a new school record for RBIs in a game with six against ECU in the first game of a doubleheader on March 28. At the plate she went 2-for-4, blasting a two-run shot and a grand slam to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. The previous record was five RBIs in a game, achieved multiple times by several players.
NC State will take on South Carolina on Friday, May 18, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbia, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Sims, the first-ever NC State player to be named ACC Player of the Year, had an impressive 2007 campaign as she tossed four no-hitters, including a perfect game. Her 26-6 record on the year ranks among 13th-best in the nation. In addition, Sims is one of five pitchers in ACC history to have collected 1,000 or more career strikeouts (1,076). The senior from Artesia, N.M., also saw action as an outfielder for the Wolfpack, compiling a .301 batting average with 25 runs scored, 11 home runs and 27 RBIs on the year.
One of two ACC student-athletes to receive national player of the week recognition in 2007, Sims was tabbed by USA Softball (March 20) and Louisville Slugger/NFCA (April 22). She was also the only student-athlete named ACC Player of the Week four times this season. Sims also made her third appearance on the All-ACC first team, following showings in 2005 and 2006.
Hailing from San Mateo, Calif., Chamberlin stands as the all-time leader in ACC career home runs with 49. A first-team All-ACC selection in 2005 and 2007, and a second-team member a season ago, Chamberlin batted .373 in league play this year, tied for seventh-best in the conference. Chamberlin leads the Wolfpack program all-time in career home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks and games played.
A second-team all-league selection in 2005, Gelbard was again named second-team All-ACC this year after leading State with a .339 overall batting average. A native of Miami, Fla., Gelbard has collected at least 60 hits during each of her four seasons in a Wolfpack uniform. Her 65 hits on the year so far stand just one shy of her personal-best 66 set in 2005. Gelbard leads the Wolfpack program in several all-time career categories, including batting average, games started, at-bats, hits, and doubles. She was named a third-team 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America by CoSida.
Presnell’s offensive explosion has been turning heads, and the Wolfpack lineup has adjusted accordingly. A native of Harrisburg, N.C., Presnell owns a .331 batting average, collecting 50 hits, 46 RBIs and 12 home runs in 151 at-bats. With appearances in 56 games and starts in 50, the Pack is 35-15 when Presnell is slated in a starting role. If her offensive skills aren’t impressive enough, Presnell has the ability to play both first base and the outfield, something that she has done on several occasions. She set a new school record for RBIs in a game with six against ECU in the first game of a doubleheader on March 28. At the plate she went 2-for-4, blasting a two-run shot and a grand slam to end the game in the bottom of the sixth. The previous record was five RBIs in a game, achieved multiple times by several players.
NC State will take on South Carolina on Friday, May 18, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbia, S.C. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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