LaGrange's Chamberlain Earns Program’s First Ever Rookie Pitcher of the Year; Minnihan on CCS First-Team

Posted: May 03, 2023

By Joshua J. Darling, Sports Information Director

ATLANTA, Ga. – LaGrange softball delivered a first in program history and something not seen in six years as they collected a pair of honors as the Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) announced its inaugural honors on Monday, May 1.

Freshman pitcher Claire Chamberlain (Rome, Ga.) became the first individual in the program’s recorded history to earn Rookie Pitcher of the Year while freshman outfielder Katelyn Minnihan (Stockbridge, Ga.) earned All-CCS First-Team honors in the At-Large category.

The latter becomes the first All-Conference selection since 2017, which is also the last time a Panther earned First-Team honors (Emily Barrs, Catcher). Competing in the USA South from 2013-22, LaGrange earned 12 All-Conference selections but only three of those would come on the First-Team. Joining Barrs would be catcher Alison Jiles in 2015 and second baseman Kalin Oglesby in 2013.

In that time, there has been only one other freshman selected to an All-Conference team, that being Barrs to the Second-Team as a designated player in 2015, making Minnihan the first freshman to earn First-Team recognition in the past decade.

In addition to those two honors, freshman Jaiden Gay (Guyton, Ga.) was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team.

ROOKIE PITCHER OF THE YEAR – CLAIRE CHAMBERLAIN

Chamberlain has been one of the top pitchers, and certainly one of the top newcomers, in the CCS in 2023, producing a 10-10 record, 13 complete games and 88 strikeouts in 122.2 innings.

On the year she appeared in 23 games, starting 20, and pitched to a 3.42 ERA and .296 opposing batting average and walked just 17. Chamberlain also posted two shutouts and a save, performances which earned her a whopping six CCS weekly honors.

Those have included four Rookie of the Week honors (2/21, 3/6, 4/3, 4/17) and a pair of Pitcher of the Week recognitions (3/6, 4/3). Her Rookie honors are double any other player in the league and she is one of just three individuals to earn multiple Pitcher of the Week selections.

On the year she had eight outings of at least three innings and no earned runs and 10 games of at least five strikeouts. Headlining those performances this year is a complete game, 1-0 victory over Belhaven (4/1) in which she struck out four and allowed just four hits.

FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE – KATELYN MINNIHAN

Minnihan delivered an impressive first collegiate campaign as she hit .396 with a .442 on-base percentage and .510 slugging percentage while playing in all 36 games with 31 starts.

Additionally, she has gone a near perfect 13-of-15 on the basepaths and posted 19 runs, 38 hits, nine doubles, a triple and 10 RBIs.

On the year she has 10 games with at least two hits, has scored two runs five times and crossed home plate in 14 games. Individually, she went 3-for-4 with a double and steal at Covenant (3/18), 4-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs and two steals at Berea (4/8) and combined to go 5-for-7 with two doubles, a triple, three RBIs and four runs in a doubleheader sweep at Wesleyan (4/21). Minnihan was also named CCS Rookie of the Week on April 10.

2023 CCS MAJOR HONORS

Player of the Year – Allie Gordon, Belhaven

Pitcher of the Year – Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven
Rookie Player of the Year – Maddie Grace Hubbard, Huntingdon

Rookie Pitcher of the Year – Claire Chamberlain, LaGrange
Coach of the Year – Kevin Griffin, Belhaven

2023 All-CCS First-Team

C - Sara Koonce, Maryville
1B - Bailey Murphy, Huntingdon
2B - Brooke Stefankiewicz, Huntingdon
SS - Jordan Holman, Huntingdon
3B - Allie Gordon, Belhaven
OF - Vanessa Davis, Covenant
OF - Natalie Richey, Huntingdon
OF - Jenica Brown, Maryville
DP - Madison Henry, Piedmont
UTL - Jasmine Lowery, Piedmont
P - Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven
P - Megan Ackerman, Maryville
At-Large - Katelyn Minnihan, LaGrange

2023 All-CCS Second-Team

C - Miranda Treadway, Huntingdon
1B - Ellie Jones, Belhaven
2B - Lyndzi Partlow, Piedmont
SS - Bailey Myers, Maryville
3B - Maddie Grace Hubbard, Huntingdon
OF - Madi Miller, Belhaven
OF - Taylor Murdock, Covenant
OF - Kennedy Votava, Piedmont
DP - Elli Lorance, Huntingdon
UTL - Kilee Thomas, Agnes Scott
P - Natalie Parker, Belhaven
P - Crimson Wells, Huntingdon
At-Large - Riley Rudick, Huntingdon

2023 CCS All-Sportsmanship Team

Giselle Elizondo, Agnes Scott
Jordan Kanpie, Belhaven
Julian Kirby, Berea
Jennifer Coates, Covenant
Emma Spurlin, Huntingdon
Jaiden Gay, LaGrange
Maya St. John, Maryville
Emma McBrayer, Piedmont
Presly Edwards, Wesleyan

All-Time LaGrange All-Conference Honors (Since 2013) – 13 Selections (4/5/1/3)

Collegiate Conference of the South (2023-P) • USA South (2013-22)

2023 (1 - 1/0)

Katelyn Minnihan, At-Large First-Team

2017 (1 – 1/0/0)

Emily Barrs, C, First-Team

2016 (2 – 0/1/1)

Dani Gravett, UTL, Second-Team

Kalin Oglesby, SS, Honorable Mention

2015 (4 – 1/2/1)
Alison Jiles, C, First-Team

Danielle Newbern, 2B, Second-Team

Emily Barrs, DP, Second-Team