Three MSU Softball Players Named Pre-Season All-SEC
February 20, 2008 | Softball
STARKVILLE, Miss. ? Senior shortstop Courtney Bures, sophomore catcher Chelsea Bramlett and senior outfielder Hayle Guess have been named to the Preseason All-SEC Softball Team, as voted on by the league coaches.
Bures and Bramlett earned first team infielder and catcher spots, respectively, while Guess was selected to the second team outfield on the first ever list compiled for the sport.
"This award shows just how much respect coaches around the SEC have for these three players," MSU head coach Jay Miller said. "Coaches in the league realize the quality of athletes we have here at Mississippi State, and this is a great honor for Courtney, Chelsea and Hayle as we get ready to start the SEC season."
Bramlett has hit .605, including a grand slam, in leading the Bulldogs to a school second-best 11-0 start. She also paces the squad with two triples, 12 runs, 10 RBI and 10 stolen bases in 10 attempts. Bures, who leaped her average to .281 after a stellar Bulldog Round-Robin, holds the team lead with two home runs and three doubles. The Haymarket, Va., native and recent draftee of National Pro Fastpitch's Washington Glory has seven RBI and nine runs to go along with four stolen bases. Guess is hitting .250 with a home run, eight RBI, eight runs and three stolen bases. The Moss Point, Miss., native kept MState's undefeated streak alive with her game-winning, seventh-inning base hit in Sunday's win over Southern Illinois.
Bures has earned all-SEC accolades twice in her career, while Bramlett and Guess both claimed second team honors a year ago. Bramlett, a native of Cordova, Tenn., was named the league's Freshman of the Year in 2007.
State, who returns to action this weekend at the Mercer Wingate Inn Classic, matched Florida for the third-most first team selections. The trio of Bulldogs tied MSU with the Gators and Tennessee for the third most overall recipients behind Alabama and LSU.
