Bruder Named SEC Softball Player of the Year, Walton Co-Coach of the Year; Seven Gators Earn 11 All-SEC Honors
Wednesday, May 11, 2011 | Softball
Just a day before the No. 3 Gator softball team starts its hunt for the program's fourth league championship at the 2011 SEC Softball Tournament, hosted by Ole Miss, seven Florida student-athletes picked up a league-leading11 All-SEC honors, as senior Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) was tabbed the SEC Player of the Year, and head coach Tim Walton was voted the SEC's Co-Coach of the Year, his third league coaching honor in the past four years. Freshman pitcher Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) picked up Second Team All-SEC honors, Freshman All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team accolades in just her inaugural campaign donning the Orange and Blue. SEC awards were voted on by the league's head coaches.
Bruder became the 10th University of Florida student-athlete to win league Player of the Year honors in his/her respective sport this athletics season and likewise, Walton became the 10th Florida coach to earn conference Coach of the Year honors in the 2010-11 academic and athletic year . Florida (47-8 / 21-7 SEC) worked its way to the programs fourth consecutive SEC Eastern Division title, fifth overall, with a sweep over No. 3 Tennessee in the last weekend of conference and regular season action to earn the No. 2 seed in the league tournament this week.
Bruder, senior Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) and sophomore utility player Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.) represented the Orange and Blue on the First Team All-SEC list, while Rogers, senior Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.) and junior Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) reeled in Second Team All-SEC honors. Rogers and freshman Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) were tabbed Freshman All-SEC selections and Moultrie and Rogers doubled up on the SEC All-Defensive Team.
Bruder became the third Florida player to earn SEC Softball Player of the Year accolades, the first since 2006 (Kristen Butler, 2006; Chelsey Sakizzie, 1998). Bruder recorded at least one hit in 25 of 28 conference games in 2011 and started all 28 at left field. The senior connected for a team-leading12 multi-hit games in SEC play, with an extra-base hit in 18 of the 28 contests, while tallying a UF-leading 11 multi-RBI games in league action. Bruder led the SEC through league play in runs (32), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.883), hits (40), RBI (36) and home runs (11). She also tallied a league-leading 83 total bases and ranked second in SEC play in batting clip (.426).
For the third time in his career at the helm of the Gator softball program, Walton earned Coach of the Year honors (2008, 2009) by guiding the Gators to their fourth consecutive SEC Eastern Division title, fifth overall, after posting a 21-7 record in the league. Following a six-game conference losing skid, Florida battled its way back and won 17 of its last 18 games en route to the top of the Eastern Division standings last weekend. Walton shares this year's title with LSU departing head coach Yvette Girouard, who is retiring after more than 30 years of Division I head coaching, including 11 years with the Tigers.
Paculba and Bush successfully earned All-SEC honors each of their four years as Gators, while Moultrie and Schutte have been rewarded All-SEC selections each of their years at Florida thus far. Rogers became the first Gator to earn the trio of All-SEC, Freshman All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive Team accolades since Paculba did so her first year on campus in 2008, the year the SEC All-Defensive Team was initiated.
As the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, Florida will face the No. 7 seed, Auburn, in the first round of the single-elimination bracket Thursday at 2:30 p.m. (ET). The game will be broadcast live by ESPNU. Should Florida advance, it would play the winner of the Tennessee (No. 3 seed)/Kentucky (No. 6 seed) match up on May 13 at 3 p.m. (ET) in the semifinals on ESPNU.
The Gators are making their 15th consecutive SEC tournament appearance, having been each year of softball's existence in the league. The Orange and Blue are 17-21 all-time in the SEC Tournament and went 1-1 in the tournament last season, including a 9-1 victory over Auburn in the first round, before being eliminated by LSU in a 9-1 loss in the semifinals.
Florida is 27-14 all-time against Auburn, 3-2 on neutral ground, including a series sweep at Auburn April 15-17 on the road. UF had arguably its best offensive output of the season, putting up a season-high 16 hits, while clocking a school-record eight homers in the Sunday series finale.
2011 SEC Softball Awards
First Team All-SEC
P - Kelsi Dunne, Alabama
P - Brittany Mack, LSU
IF - Whitney Larsen, Alabama
IF - Megan Bush, Florida
IF - Alisa Goler, Georgia
IF - Lauren Gibson, Tennessee
OF - Kayla Braud, Alabama
OF - Kelsey Bruder, Florida
OF - Megan Wiggins, Georgia
OF - Raven Chavanne, Tennessee
C - Megan Yocke, Kentucky
DP/U - Brittany Schutte, Florida
Second Team All-SEC
P - Hannah Rogers, Florida
P - Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee
IF - Aja Paculba, Florida
IF - Brianna Hesson, Georgia
IF - Kara Dill, Kentucky
IF - Anissa Young, LSU
OF - Michelle Moultrie, Florida
OF - Taylor Schlopy, Georgia
OF - Meagan Aull, Kentucky
OF - Kelly Grieve, Tennessee
C - Ashley Razey, Georgia
DP/U - Amanda Locke, Alabama
Freshman All-SEC
P - Hannah Rogers, Florida
P - Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee
IF - Kaila Hunt, Alabama
IF - Cheyenne Coyle, Florida
IF - Emily Jolly, Kentucky
IF - Madison Shipman, Tennessee
OF - Simone Heyward, LSU
OF - RT Cantillo, Ole Miss
OF - Brianna Bell, Mississippi State
C - Sam Lenahan, Mississippi State
DP/U - Morgan Estell, Auburn
SEC All-Defensive Team
P - Kelsi Dunne, Alabama; Hannah Rogers, Florida
C - Kendall Dawson, Alabama
1B - Brianna Hesson, Georgia
2B - Lauren Gibson, Tennessee
SS - Whitney Larsen, Alabama
3B - Alisa Goler, Georgia
LF - Megan Wiggins, Georgia
CF - Michelle Moultrie, Florida; Kelly Grieve, Tennessee
RF - Jazlyn Lunceford, Alabama
Player of the Year
Kelsey Bruder, Florida
Pitcher of the Year
Kelsi Dunne, Alabama
Co-Coaches of the Year
Tim Walton, Florida; Yvette Girouard, LSU
Freshman of the Year
Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Meagan Aull, Kentucky
University of Florida 2011 Conference Athletes of the Year
Men's Basketball : Chandler Parsons
Men's Golf: Bank Vongvanij
Lacrosse (ALC): Kitty Cullen
Soccer (Def.): Kathryn Williamson
Softball: Kelsey Bruder
Men's Swimming: Conor Dwyer
Women's Diving: Monica Dodson
Women's Tennis: Allie Will
Men's Indoor Field Athlete of Year: Christian Taylor
Volleyball: Kelly Murphy
University of Florida 2011 Conference Coaches of the Year
Buddy Alexander – SEC Men's Golf Coach of the Year
Becky Burleigh – SEC Soccer Coach of the Year
Donnie Craine – SEC Women's Diving Coach of the Year
Billy Donovan – SEC Men's Basketball Coach of the Year
Rhonda Faehn – SEC Gymnastics Coach of the Year
Mike Holloway – SEC Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year
Todd Morgan – SEC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year
Amanda O'Leary – ALC Lacrosse Coach of the Year
Tim Walton – SEC Softball Coach of the Year
Mary Wise – SEC Volleyball Coach of the Year
