SoCon Softball Player, Pitcher of the Week announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG infielder Macy Michael and Mercer right-hander Katheryn Rearley have been named the Southern Conference softball player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for their efforts from April 28-May 4. The awards are selected by the league office.

Michael hit a blistering .833 in a pair of UNCG wins over Western Carolina on May 4. The freshman went 4-for-4, including a first-inning grand slam, with six RBIs in the team’s 7-3 win in game one of the team’s doubleheader with the Catamounts. Michael finished that contest, which began on May 3 and was postponed to Sunday due to weather, a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Later that day, the native of Newton, North Carolina, had a hit, a run scored and two RBIs, which came via sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning, as UNCG defeated Western Carolina, 9-1. Michael is currently in the top 10 in the SoCon in batting average (.347), runs (35) and home runs (9).

Rearley threw two complete-game shutouts for the Bears over the weekend. The redshirt junior tossed six strikeouts, giving up just two hits in a 16-0 triumph at Furman on May 3. The next day, the Townsend, Georgia, product had another six strikeouts in a 9-0 win against the Paladins. Rearley did not walk a batter in either of her two appearances against Furman.

UNCG (38-16, 14-6 SoCon) will be the No. 2 seed in the 2025 SoCon Softball Championship presented by One Spartanburg. The Spartans have a bye and will face either No. 3 seed Samford, No. 6 Western Carolina or No. 7 seed ETSU on Thursday, May 8, at 1 p.m. eastern. Mercer (31-23, 11-9), who is on a five-game winning streak, enters the 2025 SoCon Softball Championship presented by One Spartanburg as the fifth seed. The Bears open the tournament with a game against eighth-seeded Furman on Wednesday, May 7, at 10 a.m. eastern.

Other nominees for player of the week: Tori Hedgecock (Mercer) and Baileigh Pitts (Chattanooga)
 
Other nominees for pitcher of the week: Gabby Fowler (ETSU), Reese Byrd (UNCG) and Taylor Long (Chattanooga)

 
2025 SoCon Softball Players of the Week
Feb. 10                                   Acelynn Sellers, Sr., INF, Chattanooga

Feb. 17                                   Kate Platte, R-So., INF, Wofford

Feb. 24                                   Hallie Langford, Jr., OF, Mercer

March 3                                   Maya McPherson, So., INF, Western Carolina

March 10                                 Lily Bell, So., INF, Western Carolina

March 17                                 Hadley Gardner, Fr., OF, UNCG

March 24                                 Hallie Langford, Jr., OF, Mercer

March 31                                 Ella Nelson, Fr., INF, Samford

April 7                                     Grier Bruce, Sr., INF, Samford

April 14                                   Katie Campbell, So., INF, Samford

April 21                                   Olivia Shaw, So., INF, Samford

April 28                                   Sydney Dirks, So., INF, Western Carolina

May 5                                      Macy Michael, Fr., INF, UNCG

2025 SoCon Softball Pitchers of the Week
Feb. 10                                   Margaret Axelson, Jr., Wofford

Feb. 17                                   Salem Ward, Jr., UNCG

Feb. 24                                   Natalya Salo, Fr., Wofford

March 3                                   Olivia Trout, Jr., Samford

March 10                                 Peja Goold, Jr., Chattanooga

March 17                                 Jorde Chartrand, Sr., UNCG

March 24                                 Tessa Juett, Sr., Western Carolina

March 31                                 Taylor Long, Jr., Chattanooga

April 7                                     Jordyn Partain, Sr., Samford

April 14                                   Abby Greenwood, So., Wofford

April 21                                   Peja Goold, Jr., Chattanooga

April 28                                   Gabby Ellis, So., Mercer

May 5                                      Katheryn Rearley, R-Jr., Mercer