JMU Sweeps State Softball Awards, Eight Players Named All-State

LYNCHBURG, Va. – James Madison swept the state's top softball awards and a record eight players were represented on the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division All-State Softball teams, the association announced Friday.

Headlining the All-State list was junior pitcher/utility Jailyn Ford, who was voted Player of the Year, marking the first time a JMU player was recognized as the state's top player. Joining Ford among the list of major award winners were freshman pitcher Megan Good, who was both the Pitcher and Rookie of the Year, and Mickey Dean, who was tabbed Coach of the Year for the third straight season.

Ford, a back-to-back NFCA All-American, was voted Virginia's top player after being named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year last month. She finished her junior season with a .383 batting average, to go with 11 home runs, 44 RBIs, 44 runs and a .704 slugging percentage. She also drew 32 walks for a .485 on-base percentage. In the circle, Ford went 16-5 with a 2.30 ERA after going over two months without a losing decision between March 8 and May 16. She limited the opposition to 4.1 hits per seven innings and a .165 batting average while providing 9.83 strikeouts per seven, accumulating to 192 total strikeouts in 136.2 innings of work.

She also broke a pair of JMU single-season record for on-base percentage (.485) and strikeouts per seven innings (9.83) while also setting four career records for wins (64), shutouts (24), strikeouts (634) and complete games (56). She also tied another career record for home runs (35). Back on April 15, Ford produced JMU's first-ever perfect game at East Carolina while simultaneously breaking the career strikeouts record. She also produced a pair of one-hitters during the 2015 campaign.

Good, who joined Ford as a NFCA All-American this year, was a top-10 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year. She was selected as the CAA's Pitcher and Rookie of the Year after going 29-3 with a 1.05 ERA. She conceded just 4.13 hits per seven innings, limited foes to a .164 batting average and led the league with 199 strikeouts in 193.1 innings of work. She also hit .372 to go with 10 homers, 43 RBIs, 29 runs and a .607 slugging percentage.

She set four new JMU single-season records for wins (29), ERA (1.05), opposing batting average (.164) and combined shutouts (4), while tying for one record in sacrifice flies (5). Good won the first 26 decisions of her collegiate career, running through the regular season unbeaten. She tossed a pair of no-hitters and beat two nationally-ranked programs in Minnesota (8-2) and UCF (2-1). Good was named the USA Softball National Player of the Week back on March 24. JMU has now won VaSID Pitcher and Rookie of the Year three years in a row.

Dean led the Dukes to its best season in program history, going 48-10, receiving a top-20 ranking in both major polls and a top-15 NCAA RPI ranking for the first time ever. The Dukes, who won a school-record 36 straight games from March 8 to May 7, was awarded the No. 15 overall seed for the NCAA Championship, allowing them to host the Harrisonburg Regional for the first time.

This season, JMU broke 22 single-season team records, which included most wins (48), fewest losses (10), batting average (.347), home runs (55) runs scored (345), opposing batting average (.174), strikeouts per seven innings (7.86), fewest hits allowed (233), fewest runs allowed (109), strikeouts (417) and fielding percentage (.971).

Ford and Good were two of seven JMU players to grace the VaSID All-State First Team, as they were joined by junior catcher Erica Field, freshman infielder Morgan Tolle, sophomore infielder Niki Prince and sophomore outfielders Taylor Newton and Tahli Moore. Junior outfielder Hannah Hayes also earned a spot on the second team.

JMU's previous record for all-state members was seven, set back in 2013, and in that same year put four players on the first team, also a former record. Ford became the first player in program history to be a three-time first team recipient. Field, Newton and Prince are now two-time award winners while Good, Tolle, Moore and Hayes made the all-state list for the first time.

Since Dean took over the team in 2013, JMU has had 21 all-state honorees and received 10 of the possible 12 VaSID major softball awards in those three years.

2015 VaSID All-State University Division Softball Team
First Team
C – Erica Field, Jr., James Madison
1B – Kaitlin Fitzgerald, So., Virginia
2B – Morgan Tolle, Fr., James Madison
SS – Niki Prince, So., James Madison
3B – Brooke Blankenship, Sr., George Mason
OF – Breanna Davenport, Fr., Virginia Tech
OF – Tahli Moore, So., James Madison
OF – Taylor Newton, So., James Madison
UT/DP – Chelsea Sciacca, Sr., Longwood
P – Jailyn Ford, Jr., James Madison
P – Megan Good, Fr., James Madison
P – Elizabeth McCarthy, So., Longwood

Second Team
C – Megan Baltzell, Sr., Longwood
1B – Kelsey Sweeney, Fr., Longwood
2B – Kylie McGoldrick, Sr., Virginia Tech
SS – Emily Murphy, Jr., Longwood
3B – Kelsey Mericka, R-Jr., Virginia Tech
OF – Hannah Hayes, Jr., James Madison
OF – Alina Moriarty, Sr., Norfolk State
OF – Tori Zavodny, Fr., Liberty
UT/DP – Liz Seymour, Fr., George Mason
P – Allyson Babinsack, Fr., Hampton
P – Chandler Ball, R-Jr., Liberty
P – Maggie Tyler, Jr., Virginia Tech

VaSID Player of the Year – Jailyn Ford, Jr., James Madison
VaSID Pitcher of the Year – Megan Good, Fr., James Madison
VaSID Coach of the Year - Mickey Dean, James Madison
VaSID Rookie of the Year – Megan Good, Fr., James Madison

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