Roanoke College took home several honors as the 2012 All-ODAC Softball Team was announced today.  Roanoke hurler Kelly Higbie shared ODAC Rookie of the Year honors, as did RC mentor Mike Mitchell with the ODAC Co-Coach of the Year award.  Alea Bier was tabbed the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year in a vote of the league's sports information directors.  Five players were named First-Team All-ODAC (Higbie, Bier, Felice Lowery, Leona Rainey and Hollee Warlitner) while Katherine Kouri and Rhea Schleicher were tabbed Third-Team honors.
 
Higbie, a freshman from Midlothian, Va., threw every inning of Roanoke's first 21 games to open the 2012 campaign.  She went on to pitch in all but one of RC's 38 total games played, racking up an ODAC-high 208.2 innings pitched.  She posted a 24-8 overall record, tops in the conference in wins.  Her 1.54 earned run average ranked third in the league.  In ODAC play, Higbie went 9-4 with two saves and a 1.68 ERA in 87.1 innings of work.  Of her 33 total starts, she posted 29 complete games, including 11 in 13 conference starts.  She also tossed six total shutouts, two against ODAC foes.  She fanned 116 batters overall, 46 in league games.
 
Bier, a junior from Bent Mountain, Va., adds the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete honor to a first team selection at first base.  In the classroom, Bier boasts a 3.96 grade point average as a Criminal Justice major.  She is a three-time honoree on the Roanoke College Dean's List, in addition to the last two semesters when she earned distinction on the President's List (4.0 GPA for the semester).  She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa (national academic), Alpha Chi (national scholarship/character) and Alpha Phi Sigma (national criminal justice) honor societies.  On the field, Bier batted .400 (46-of-115) with an ODAC second-best 15 doubles.  She also scored 33 runs and drove in 29.  She stole 12 bases and posted a .481 on-base percentage, sixth-best in the conference.
 
Mitchell, in his fourth season at the Maroons' helm, earns his first ODAC top coaching honor.  He led Roanoke to an ODAC-record eighth conference softball title, the program's first since it won three straight from 2004-06.  RC's overall record of 29-9 marks the second-most wins under Mitchell, following Roanoke's 30-9 record in 2010.  The Maroons will be making their seventh appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament later this month.  It will be their first national postseason showing since 2006.
 
Rainey, a junior centerfielder, gets first-team honors for the third-straight season.  A two-time NFCA All-Atlantic Region selection, Rainey broke her own single-season stolen bases record and is only a few shy of breaking both the ODAC single-season and career records.  The 2011 NFCA Div. III All-American is ranked among the ODAC's best in runs (2^nd), hits (7^th), home runs (3^rd), total bases (5^th), batting average (5^th) and on base percentage (4^th).
 
Lowery, a senior catcher, earned all-conference honors for the second time in her career.  The senior co-captain finished the season strong, with back-to-back ODAC Player of the Week awards.  Her .452 batting average ranks second in the ODAC, with her slugging percentage of .718 third in the conference.  She also ranks third in hits (56) and in total bases with 89.
 
Warlitner, a junior outfielder, garnered all-conference honors for the second-straight season.  She batted .367 with 40 hits, 29 runs and 26 RBI in 35 games played.  Kouri, a senior third basemen, earned all-conference honors for the first time in her career.  A senior co-captain, she batted a career-best .330 with 33 hits, 27 runs, 11 doubles and 13 RBI.  Schleicher, a freshman outfielder, batted .354 with 29 hits, five doubles and 18 RBI.
 
Listed below are the complete 2012 All-ODAC Softball Teams. For more information, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet atwww.odaconline.com. Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter.
 
2012 ALL-ODAC SOFTBALL TEAMS
ODAC Player of the Year: Tori Higginbotham, So., OF, Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC Pitcher of the Year: Kristina Karagiorgis, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC Co-Coach of the Year: Brandon Elliott, Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC Co-Coach of the Year: Mike Mitchell, Roanoke
ODAC Co-Rookie of the Year: Kelly Higbie, Fr., P, Roanoke
ODAC Co-Rookie of the Year: Kristina Karagiorgis, Fr., P, Virginia Wesleyan
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Alea Bier, Jr., 1st Base, Roanoke

ALL-ODAC FIRST TEAM
Pitcher: Kelly Higbie, Fr., Roanoke
Pitcher: Kristina Karagiorgis, Fr., Virginia Wesleyan
Catcher: Felice Lowery, Sr., Roanoke
First Base: Alea Bier, Jr., Roanoke
Second Base: Kelly Keys, So., Virginia Wesleyan
Third Base: Brianna Bertovich, Sr., Virginia Wesleyan
Shortstop: Ashley Gardner, Jr., Randolph
Outfield: Tori Higginbotham, So., Virginia Wesleyan
Outfield: Leona Rainey, Jr., Roanoke
Outfield: Hollee Warlitner, Jr., Roanoke
Designated Player: Sarah Heretick, Sr., Bridgewater
Utility: Jaclyn Quinn, Sr., Virginia Wesleyan

ALL-ODAC SECOND TEAM
Pitcher: MacKenzie Creech, So., Virginia Wesleyan
Pitcher: Heather Lewis, Jr., Randolph-Macon
Catcher: Laura Bauer, Sr., Randolph-Macon
First Base: Sarah Cutright, Jr., Guilford
Second Base: Cynthia Hayes, So., Guilford
Third Base: Melanie Lamb, Jr., Bridgewater
Shortstop: Taylor Walker, Sr., Lynchburg
Outfield: Jessi Hall, Fr., Lynchburg
Outfield: Lauren Stevenson, Jr., Randolph
Outfield: Melanie Tenney, So., Lynchburg
Designated Player: Gina Pagano, Sr., Randolph
Utility: Lisa Lee, Sr., Eastern Mennonite

ALL-ODAC THIRD TEAM
Pitcher: Heather Jenkins, Jr., Bridgewater
Pitcher: Hope Johnson, Fr., Lynchburg
Catcher: Rasheeda Crews, Sr., Eastern Mennonite
First Base: Sara Jenkins, Jr., Eastern Mennonite
Second Base: Courtney Allman, Jr., Eastern Mennonite
Third Base: Katherine Kouri, Sr., Roanoke
Shortstop: Brooke Hensley, So., Eastern Mennonite
Outfield: Rhea Schleicher, Fr., Roanoke
Outfield: Amanda Sopko, Fr., Randolph-Macon
Outfield: Morgan Williams, Jr., Bridgewater
Designated Player: Carolyn Gilbertson, So., Randolph-Macon
Utility: Aven Thomas, Jr., Bridgewater