Local softball players at Reinhardt receive national and conference honors

Photos courtesy Reinhardt University. (L-R: Randi Wimpy, Taylor Weeks, Taylor Braselton, Sydney Flowers)

Two local members of the Reinhardt University softball team were named to the NFCA NAIA All-Region First Team this past week and two other local players on the Lady Eagles' team were recently recognized with conference accolades.

The National Fast Pitch Coaches Association makes the selections for each Region of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The NAIA divides the country into East, Central, Great Lakes, Midwest, Southwest, and West regions.

Three players from Reinhardt University were named to the NAIA East Region First Team and two are Bartow County players. Former Woodland High School standout, Randi Wimpy, along with former Adairsville High School standout, Taylor Weeks were named for the honor. Their teammate, Micalah Sacre was also selected. Wimpy, a 2014 and 2015 NAIA First Team All-American, was tabbed All-Conference again in 2016. She was named to the conference All-Defensive Team as a catcher and was the 2016 Appalachian Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

The 2016 NAIA All-America Team announcement will be made later this month. Weeks and former Woodland Lady Cat, Taylor Braselton, were also members of the 2016 All-AAC squad. Braselton was Reinhardt’s representative on the AAC Champions of Character Team and earned a spot on the conference All-Academic Team. Former Woodland and current Eagles’ teammate, Sydney Flowers, along with Weeks were also tabbed for the 2016 AAC All-Academic Team.

Additionally, Weeks became the first-ever Reinhardt softball player to earn College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) First Team Academic All-America honors. She is the second Reinhardt athlete to ever to earn the recognition.

The CoSIDA award combines work in the classroom and accomplishments on the playing field. The Adairsville junior, carries a 3.90 GPA in Elementary Education.

Weeks hit for a team-leading .444 average during the season and drove in 39 runs. Wimpy batted .429, scored a team-high 55 runs, and drove in 64 runs. Braselton hit .353 with 12 RBI, and Flowers saw action in 33 games with a .192 batting average and six RBI.

Reinhardt finished the 2016 campaign with a 41-12 mark. The Lady Eagles were also Appalachian Athletic Conference regular season and tournament champions.