.jpg "Image") Mallory Pace of Northeast Lauderdale High School has become the fifth player to sign with the East Mississippi Community College softball program during the current recruiting period.
Currently playing third base for NEL head coach Chris Harper’s Lady Trojans, Pace is batting around .360 with an impressive on-base percentage of .549 as the team’s leadoff batter. A year ago playing primarily at shortstop for Northeast Lauderdale, she posted a team-leading .420 batting average and .532 on-base percentage with 10 stolen bases. Defensively in 147 innings of work as a junior, Pace committed but two errors all season to earn the club’s Best Defensive Player honor for the fourth consecutive year.
A first-team all-district softball performer every season dating back to her freshman year, Pace has received numerous honors for her fast-pitch and slow-pitch accomplishments. Last year as a junior, the right-hander capped her slow-pitch campaign by earning the club’s prestigious Trojan Award for her leadership abilities.
“Mallory is fundamentally sound with a vast amount of softball playing experience both at the high school and club level,” EMCC assistant coach Casey Finch said. “She is extremely dedicated to the sport and will be a valuable asset to our program both on and off the softball field.”
During her sophomore year on the diamond, Pace garnered the club’s Best All-Around honor in the spring after being voted the team’s Best Defensive Player during the fall’s slow-pitch season. As a freshman in slow-pitch, she was named NEL’s Most Valuable Player and Best Offensive Player in 2005-06.
Having played club competition softball for the past 10 years, Pace was selected Tournament MVP as a member of the 14-under NMO club that claimed the 2006 United States Specialty Sports Association’s (USSSA) Slow-Pitch Softball World Series national title in Kissimmee, Fla.
A versatile performer both on and off the playing field, Pace also garnered first-team all-district soccer accolades four straight seasons at Northeast Lauderdale. Playing primarily at the midfield position, she served as NEL’s team captain for head coach Michael Clarke this past season. As a five-year soccer starter for the Lady Trojans, Pace previously starred for head coach Charles Coleman at Northeast Lauderdale. She received the team’s Best Offensive Player honor as a junior and was the recipient of the club’s Trojan Award for leadership qualities during her sophomore soccer campaign.
A three-time recipient of NEL’s Scholastic Athlete Award, Pace is a member of the National Honor Society and is an active participant on the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ leadership team at Northeast Lauderdale. She is the daughter of Jackie and Terri Pace of Meridian.
Pace joins previously announced EMCC softball signees Justine Jenkins of Caledonia High School, Katie Newman of Oak Hill Academy, Courtney Castleberry of Clarkdale High School, and Celeste Fontenot of Brusly (La.) High School.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 March 2009 )
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.jpg "Image") Caledonia’s Justine Jenkins has become the fourth member of EMCC head softball coach Kate Neely’s 2009 recruiting class.
Playing primarily center field and first base for CHS head coach Robin Elmore, Jenkins is currently hitting a team-leading .480 as a team co-captain, including nine extra-base hits, for the 11-7 Lady Confederates. Jenkins was also a member of Caledonia’s state runner-up team as a sophomore in 2007.
“Justine is very knowledgeable of the game and possesses an aggressive approach at the plate,” EMCC’s Neely noted. “She will be a tremendous addition to our softball program here at East Mississippi with her impressive offensive skills, along with her defensive abilities and leadership qualities.”
A versatile, left-handed athlete, Jenkins played volleyball as an outside hitter for Caledonia the past two seasons. The 5-foot-7 performer also ran cross country for CHS as a sophomore and played basketball during her freshman year.
In the classroom, Jenkins has been a member of the National Honor Society for two years and is a four-year participant in the school’s Beta Club organization.
“After seeing the campus and meeting with the coaches, I felt I would be comfortable at Scooba and that EMCC would be a good place for me to begin my college journey,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins joins previously announced EMCC softball signees Katie Newman of Oak Hill Academy, Courtney Castleberry of Clarkdale High School and Celeste Fontenot of Brusly (La.) High School. She is the daughter of Al and Becky Jenkins of Steens.
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 31 March 2009 )
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.jpg "Image") Oak Hill Academy middle infielder Katie Newman has become East Mississippi Community College’s third softball signee of the 2009 recruiting season.
A two-time all-conference selection for head coach Marion Bratton at Oak Hill, Newman batted a team-best .407 this past fall for the Lady Raiders. As the team’s leadoff hitter, Newman struck out only four times all season at the plate, while committing but two errors in the field as a senior second baseman.
“Katie always has a can-do, will-do attitude towards any aspect of the game,” EMCC assistant softball coach Casey Finch noted. “Katie consistently displays a positive attitude and diligent work ethic on and off the field, and she will bring many positive aspects to our EMCC softball program.”
As a junior, the right-handed Newman hit .380 as an all-conference performer to help lead the 2007 Lady Raiders to a fourth-place finish in the Mississippi Private School Association’s fast-pitch state tournament.
In addition to being a five-year starter in softball, Newman is a member of Oak Hill’s Anchor Club for academic achievement as well as being an active participant in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization.
Newman is the daughter of Stan and Lori Newman of Aberdeen. She joins previously announced EMCC softball signees Courtney Castleberry of Clarkdale High School and Celeste Fontenot of Brusly (La.) High School.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 March 2009 )
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.jpg "Image") EMCC will be represented in Friday’s MACJC All-Star Basketball Games at Choctaw Central High School by Jasmine Abrams (top left), Kottia White (top right), Darian Donald (bottom right) and Woodie Howard (bottom left).
With women’s all-star action slated for a 5 p.m. tip-off followed by the men’s all-star contest at 7 p.m., the annual event is again being hosted by East Central Community College. Admission is $6 per person.
From head coach Sharon Thompson’s 25-7 NJCAA Tournament team, the Lady Lions will be represented by former Columbus High School standout Jasmine Abrams and Kottia White of Jackson Murrah High School.
Having averaged 7.9 points and team-best 8.0 rebounds per game with four double-doubles this past season as a sophomore, Abrams stepped up her rebounding numbers during the postseason. In helping lead EMCC to the school’s first national tournament berth since 1978, the 6-foot forward averaged 10.7 rebounds an outing during the Lady Lions’ run through the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament and subsequent NJCAA Tournament action.
A two-year starter at point guard for East Mississippi, White ranked as the team’s No. 3 scorer at 9.2 points per game this past year. The 5-foot-5 playmaker also averaged a team-best 3.2 assists an outing, while ranking second on the club with 66 steals and 17 made 3-pointers in 2008-09. Highlighted by her 17-point, 9-assist effort in EMCC’s regional semifinal-round victory over state champion Jones County, White was chosen to the 2009 NJCAA Region 23 All-Tournament Team.
For head coach Mark White’s 17-11 Lions, who advanced to the semifinals of the MACJC State Tournament and NJCAA Region 23 Tournament, Starkville’s Woodie Howard and Caledonia High School product Darian Donald are slated to represent the EMCC men’s team in Friday’s all-star competition.
Chosen to the 2008-09 All-MACJC North State Second Team, Howard topped the Lions in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and was the team’s third-leading scorer (11.6 ppg) this past year as a 54-percent shooter from the field. The 6-foot-2 swing player topped this year’s EMCC squad with seven double-doubles, including a 29-point, 17-rebound effort in the Lions’ 83-75 comeback triumph over Southern-Shreveport that helped him earn a spot on the 2009 NJCAA Region 23 All-Tournament Team.
The 6-foot-5 Donald completed his sophomore campaign in Scooba as East Mississippi’s No. 2 scorer (13.0 ppg) and third-best rebounder (5.6 rpg) on the year. Along with ranking third on the team with 15 blocked shots in 2008-09, Donald compiled shooting percentages of 47 percent overall from the field, 32 percent from beyond the three-point arc, and 70 percent from the charity stripe. The Columbus native also registered four double-doubles this past season.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 27 March 2009 )
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