AUGUSTA, GA – The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2022 softball preseason coaches poll and preseason All-Conference team. For the seventh year in a row, North Georgia is the top selection in the preseason coaches poll with three Nighthawks named to the preseason team.

North Georgia received all seven first-place votes available to them for a maximum 56 points in the coaches poll. Columbus State and Young Harris were tied for second place with 46 points each with Flagler in fourth and Georgia Southwestern in fifth. Augusta, Georgia College, Lander and USC Aiken rounded out the voting.

North Georgia seeks to continue their historic run of success in the Peach Belt. The Nighthawks have won seven straight PBC regular-season championships and seven straight PBC Tournament titles, both the longest such streaks in PBC history. For 2022, UNG will have to contend with the loss of six All-Conference graduates and return a roster with no seniors and two juniors. However, the Nighthawks bring back half of their starting lineup, including two All-Conference performers.

Young Harris reached the PBC Tournament championship game for the first time in program history in 2021. The 2019 NCAA Southeast Regional Champions, the Mountain Lions will also have to adjust to the loss of five All-Conference starters from last year but do return two All-Conference bats to the lineup and their top two starting pitchers in ERA.

Columbus State finished among the top three in the conference standings for the third year in a row and are poised to make a charge at their first PBC regular-season title since 2007. The Cougars bring back their entire starting lineup from last season's 30-14 squad along with their top starting pitcher.

The coaches poll is below followed by the preseason All-Conference team. Coaches were not permitted to rank their own teams in the poll or vote for their own players.

Georgia Southwestern had one player selected for the Preseason All-Conference Team. Zoe Willis was the player from the Lady Hurricanes selected to the Peach Belt's Preseason All-Conference Team, Willis led GSW in batting average, hits, on-base percentage & slugging percentage in 2021 as a freshman. She pitched 79.1 innings & led staff in strikeouts.

2022 PBC Softball 
Preseason All-Conference Team

Utility Player – Zoe Willis, Georgia Southwestern

• A sophomore from Pine Mountain, Ga.
• A second-team PBC All-Conference selection in 2021
• Hit .343 with six doubles, six home runs and 27 RBIs and ranked eighth in the PBC in on-base percentage
• Pitched in 18 games with 14 starts, going 7-6 in 79.1 innings with 77 strikeouts; ranked ninth in the PBC in strikeouts
• PBC Presidential Honor Roll Presidential Scholar

First Base – Olivia Sinquefield, North Georgia

• A junior from Phenix City, Ala.
• A second-team All-Conference selection in 2021
• Hit .305 with 10 doubles, two home runs and 30 RBIs; also stole 14 bases in 15 attempts
• Ranked fifth in the PBC in stolen bases, sixth in hits, second in sacrifice bunts; second in putouts and sixth in fielding percentage – also led the PBC in double plays turned
• A PBC Presidential Honor Roll Bronze Scholar and named to the Team of Academic Distinction

Second Base – Olivia Biles, Augusta

• A senior from Jackson, Ga.
• A second-team All-Conference selection in 2021
• Hit .351 with 10 doubles and 19 RBIs
• Had 14 multi-hit games including two games with three hits and was tied for seventh in the PBC in doubles
• A PBC Presidential Honor Roll Bronze Scholar and named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction

Third Base – Gracie Mixson, North Georgia

• A sophomore from Canton, Ga.
• A first-team All-Conference selection at third base in 2021, she was also named to the PBC All-Tournament Team
• Hit .364 with five doubles, one home run and 10 RBIs in 2021
• Ranked 10th in the PBC in batting average and hit .500 in four games at the NCAA National Championship tournament, including a 3-for-3 outing against Biola in the national semifinal round
• An NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete, she is also a PBC Presidential Honor Roll Silver Scholar

Shortstop – Katelyn Hobbs, Georgia College

• A senior from Thomasville, Ga.
• Hit .320 with seven doubles, five home runs and 19 RBIs in 2021
• Named the PBC Player of the Week on March 8
• Ranked fifth in the PBC in fielding assists
• Had nine multi-hit games in 2021 and four games with three RBIs

Catcher – Emily Ayers, USC Aiken

• A sophomore from North Augusta, S.C.
• Hit .281 last season with four doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs
• Was second on the team with a .509 slugging percentage
• Ranked ninth in the PBC with four base stealers thrown out
• Had three multi-RBI games last season including three driven in against UNC Pembroke

Outfield – Caitlyn Canady, Columbus State

• A sophomore from Loganville, Ga.
• A 2021 NFCA All-American, named first-team All-Conference selection in the outfield and the 2021 PBC Freshman of the Year
• Hit .421 with 10 doubles, five triples, two home runs and 23 RBIs
• Led the PBC in base hits and triples, was second in batting average and runs scored, tied for seventh in doubles and ninth in on-base percentage and stolen bases
• An NFCA All-Southeast Region selection, she was also a finalist for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year

Outfield – Katelyn Cooper, Columbus State

• A sophomore from Cumming, Ga.
• A second-team All-Conference selection in 2021
• Hit .362 with seven doubles, a triple, two home runs and 27 RBIs
• Ranked fourth in the PBC in on-base percentage and walks drawn
• PBC Presidential Honor Roll Silver Scholar

Outfield – Mallory Parker, North Georgia

• A sophomore from Kennesaw, Ga.
• Hit .315 with nine doubles, four triples, two home runs and 22 RBIs last season
• Tied for second in the PBC in triples
• Had nine multi-hit games last year, including against Saint Anselm in the NCAA National Championships
• Had five RBIs against Shorter, the second-most RBIs by any player in the PBC in a single game

Pitcher – Hannah Rose Corbin, Columbus State

• A junior from Clanton, Ala.
• The 2021 PBC co-Player of the Year, she was named an NFCA All-American, first-team All-Conference selection and a finalist for the NFCA Player of the Year
• Pitched in 44 games with 21 starts with a 20-9 overall record and 2.63 ERA; led the PBC in innings and wins and was second in strikeouts with 211
• Hit. 400 and led the PBC with a .967 slugging percentage and .656 on-base percentage; also tied for second in the PBC in home runs, sixth in RBIs and led the conference in walks drawn
• PBC Presidential Honor Roll Silver Scholar who was also named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction