AUGUSTA, Ga. - The Peach Belt Conference announced the 2021 softball all-conference teams Wednesday with four Cougars earning recognitions, including Hannah Rose Corbin being tabbed as Co-Player of the Year and Caitlyn Canady as the Freshman of the Year.
Joining Corbin and Canady on the All-PBC first team was second baseman Morgan Elston, while Katelyn Cooper was a second-team honoree.
One of the most dangerous players in the nation, Corbin made a name for herself both in the box and circle in 2021. At the plate, the sophomore posted a .400 average, a .967 slugging percentage and a remarkable .656 on-base percentage. She leads the nation in on-base percentage, while ranking tied for sixth in home runs (16) and seventh in slugging. Corbin set a new PBC single-season record for walks with 67 and is tied for fifth in the conference with 39. She collected the NFCA National Player of the Week award on March 3.
In the circle, the Clanton, Ala. native went 20-9 overall in 165.1 innings of work. She racked up more than a strikeout per inning, punching out 211 to rank sixth at the Division II level. She paces the PBC in wins, innings pitched and is sixth with a 2.63 ERA. She had eight double-digit strikeout games, including collecting 19 in a game against the University of West Georgia. Corbin tossed the 24th no-hitter in CSU history against USC Aiken and was also named the NFCA Named NFCA National Pitcher of the Week on March 31.
Corbin shares the award with UNC Pembroke's Tatum Brummit. Corbin becomes the fifth PBC player to be named both the Freshman of the Year and either the Player or Pitcher of the Year in her career and also the fourth Cougar to be named the Player of the Year. Corbin made the first team as the utility player selection.
Canady becomes the second straight Cougar (Corbin 2019) to be named as the PBC Freshman of the Year after a fantastic season. The Loganville, Ga. native started all 44 games this season for the Cougars, hitting .421 with 10 doubles, five triples and two home runs. She leads the PBC and ranks eighth in the nation in hits (64) as she hit safely in all but six games during the season, with 19 games of two or more hits, including going on a mid-season 21-game hitting streak. The speedster is second in the conference in runs (38) and third in average (.421). She stole 12 bases throughout the year and posted a .451 on-base percentage. Overall, she is the sixth Cougar to win the award. Canady was a first-team outfield choice.
Now a two-time All-PBC selection, Elston was picked on the first team after smashing 16 homers, including hitting 12 against conference opponents, and driving in a team-high 42 runs. The sophomore started all 44 games at second base and hit .292 with a .717 slugging percentage, the eighth-best mark in the league. The Locust Grove, Ga. is also in the top-10 in the PBC in runs (37, T-3rd), RBIs (T-3rd) and walks (24, T-3rd). She set a program record by homering in four straight games, including crushing two against Francis Marion University.
A second team selection, Cooper was one of the most consistent threats in the Cougar lineup. The right-fielder played in 40 games in her freshman season, posting a .362 average with seven doubles, one triple and two homers. She scored 29 times with 27 RBIs, while holding a .485 on-base percentage. Cooper was second on the team with 11 stolen bases and held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 42 chances.
