DAHLONEGA – Five players for the No. 8 University of North Georgia softball team were named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association Tuesday morning, as announced by the association. UNG hauled in the most all-region selections of any school in the Southeast with its five selections this morning.

Senior pitcher Tybee Denton headlined the bunch after being named the 2024 D2CCA Southeast Region Pitcher of the Year. 

Denton currently leads the Southeast Region in earned run average, hits allowed per seven innings, shutouts and winning percentage. 

In the NCAA tournament, she has continued her dominance, failing to allow an earned run thus far in three complete games totaling 18 innings. 

Joining Denton on the D2CCA All-Southeast Region First Team were senior catcher Georgia Blair and junior outfielder Jolie Lester. 

Blair was named to the First Team after she dominated the regular season at the plate. The catcher ranks sixth in the region in home runs (17), eighth in RBI (80), fifth in total bases (136) and seventh in slugging percentage (.768). Her stellar month of April in which she had a 1.749 OPS with 10 home runs and 23 RBI helped her to her second all-region selection of the season. 

For Lester, she was named to the first team after an outstanding first half of the season before being sidelined with a season-ending injury. When she originally got hurt, the 2023 Gold Glove winner was also one of the best offensive players in the country. Lester was on pace for 68 runs, 82 hits and a .450 batting average, all of which would rank top-5 in the region currently. She was also on pace for 36 RBI, 98 total bases and 24 stolen bases.

Rounding out the all-region selections on the Second Team were senior pitcher/infielder Sophie Mooney and senior outfielder Mallory Parker. 

An All-American last year by the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA), Mooney continued her dominance at the plate this year. Despite missing time with injury, she still ranked 12th in region in doubles (16) and 15th in stolen bases (22). Despite not pitching since Feb. 25, she ranks third in the region in saves with three. 

Parker has been a consistent force to be reckoned with this year. She currently ranks second on the team in batting average (.373), slugging percentage (.602), runs (41), hits (62), home runs (8) and total bases (100). The center fielder has come to life in the postseason as well for the Nighthawks. 

In 11 postseason games, Parker is leading UNG, hitting .400 (12-for-30) with two home runs, two triples, a double and nine RBI. Her .767 slugging percentage leads the team in the postseason and she's been one of the toughest outs at the plate for opposing pitchers, walking seven times while only striking out once. 

Denton, Parker, Blair and the rest of the team are currently in the midst of their quest for a second consecutive national championship title. The Nighthawks are scheduled to face fourth-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne today in game one of the 2024 NCAA Softball Southeast Super Regional Tournament. First pitch from Haines & Carolyn Hill Stadium at Lynn Cottrell Park is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.