May 10, 2005
MACON, Ga. - UCF senior Stephanie Best was named Atlantic Sun Softball Player of the Year for the third consecutive year the league announced on Tuesday. She becomes only the second player in league history to accomplish the feat.
Best also garnered A-Sun All-Conference First Team honors along with senior Lindsay Enders. Senior Jania Shinhoster earned second team honors and Cat Snapp was named to the all-freshman team.
The all-conference first team honor was the third in Best's career. She was one of three student-athletes chosen as unanimous selections to the first team (Troy's Tamra Howren and Jacksonville's Lauren Redfern). She leads the league with 23 home runs, 51 runs scored and a .487 on-base percentage, while currently ranking second with 57 RBI and 134 total bases.
After earning second team all-league honors in 2004, Enders claims a spot on the first team for the first time. Enders currently tops the conference in wins (21), shutouts (8), innings pitched (243.2) and complete games (30). She has totaled 174 strikeouts and has a 1.58 ERA.
Shinhoster currently ranks third in the A-Sun in triples (4) and stolen bases (23), fifth in hits (66), eighth in total bases (97). She is batting .322 at the plate this year.
Snapp earned the role of starting catcher as a freshman and has never looked back. She has 35 hits, nine doubles, one home run, 11 runs and 19 RBI on the season. Snapp is also second on the team in putouts with 320.
The Golden Knights will participate in the A-Sun Tournament May 12-14 in Boca Raton as the No. 4 seed. The Black and Gold open the event against No. 3 Lipscomb on Thursday at 9 a.m.