ROLLA, Mo. - For a second consecutive year, Carson-Newman pitcher Lacie Rinus (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) has earned All-American honors from the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association, the organization announced Wednesday afternoon.
She was on the D2CCA's third team a year ago as a utility/pitcher; she replicates the honor in her sophomore year. She joins second baseman Whitney Hickam as the only other two-year All-American since Carson-Newman moved to NCAA Division II. Hickam earned third team honors in 2007 before following it up in 2008 with a second team accolade.
Carson-Newman and SAC Hall of Famers Sammi Hatcher (1992-93) and Carol Zachary (1989-91) were multi-year All-Americans for the Eagles during the program's NAIA days. Zachary is the program's only three-time All-American.
Rinus earns Carson-Newman's 18th all-time All-American honoree. She is Carson-Newman's ninth D2CCA All-American since 2007. The Eagles lead the South Atlantic Conference in All-Americans for the organization over the last 11 years. The Eagles have the eighth most All-Americans from the D2CCA in the country over that time span.
Rinus adds the accolade to her SAC Player of the Year and SAC tournament MVP honors.
Rinus is just the second pitcher in league history since the SAC began presenting a distinct Pitcher of the Year award in 2004 to be named player of the year. She joins Carson-Newman warhorse Mary Shealy who brought home player of the year honors in 2011.
The sophomore is the first player in league history to win both a pitcher of the year and a player of the year honor in a career. She joins former Carson-Newman pitchers Carol Zachary, Heather Randolph and Marci Mitchell (all three SAC Hall of Famers), who all won the award before the awards split in 2004, as Eagle hurlers who have taken home the Player of the Year honor.
Rinus was formidable both at the plate and in the circle on the year. She finished the year second in the league in batting average at .435. She had 70 hits, 19 doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs. She got on base 52 percent of the time and slugged .656. She lead the conference in hits and doubles, was fourth in triples and fourth in the league with 99 total bases.
Her 19 doubles are top five in the country and were one away from the single-season school record in Carson-Newman history.
Rinus had 19 multi-hit efforts and seven multi-RBI days. She collected her first career four-hit day against Lenoir-Rhyne in the Eagles' home finale.
In the circle, Rinus led the league in starts (36), complete games (25), shutouts (11), innings pitched (232.2) and strikeouts (223). She had the fifth best batting average against in the league at .221 and the fifth best ERA in the conference at 2.12.
She matched her career high for strikeouts on a trio of occasions this year, striking out 12 against Queens, Wingate and Mars Hill.