Mizzou’s Burnside & Nash Honored in 2017 SEC Softball Awards
5/9/2017 8:46:00 AM | Softball
Nash earns second career SEC recognition, first for Burnside
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Mizzou Softball freshman Braxton Burnside (Paragould, Ark.) and sophomore Regan Nash (Camden Point, Mo.) were named to the 2017 Southeastern Conference Softball awards list, announced Tuesday by the league office.
Burnside tallied Freshman All-SEC honors, while Nash garnered Second Team All-SEC accolades. Tuesday's recognition marked Burnside's first career All-SEC achievement and Nash's second career honor from the conference. Nash was also a 2016 Freshman All-SEC honoree.
Mizzou has been represented on the Freshman All-SEC Team in four consecutive seasons. Burnside now joins Nash (2016), junior Amanda Sanchez (2015) and former Tigers Paige Lowary (2015) and Tori Finucane (2014). With Nash's recognition this year, Mizzou has now earned 12 All-SEC honors since joining the conference in 2013.
This season, Burnside has enjoyed one of the top first-year campaigns in Mizzou Softball history. Entering this week's SEC Tournament, the Paragould, Ark., native possesses an impressive .297 average, 12 home runs and 49 RBI slash line. Burnside is currently only one of three players in the SEC with 10-plus home runs and 10-plus doubles.
In late April, she was named one of 25 finalists for the 2017 Schutt Sports / NFCA Division I National Freshman of the Year. Burnside made national headlines with an all-time great performance against North Dakota State (March 18) at the South Florida Tournament. Overall versus the Bison, she went 3-for-5 with a triple, two grand slams and 10 RBI.
Burnside's 10 RBI set a new Mizzou Softball 43-year program record, while tying the SEC's 21-year history of most individual RBI in a single game. The incredible stretch at the plate led to Week Six (March 13-19) NFCA and USA Softball National Player of the Week honors.
"I'm glad I was able to have an impact on this team this year," Burnside said. "To be awarded along with the best of the best freshmen in the SEC is very honoring."
Nash has served as Mizzou's table setter all season long, producing a .348 average with 26 runs scored and team-leading 17 stolen bases. The second-year Tiger has been effective in SEC only play as well, hitting .333 with seven runs scored and six stolen bases.
The Camden Point, Mo., native is second on Mizzou with 13 multi-hit games this year and has totaled 26 career multi-hit efforts over her two seasons thus far. Nash is midst of a career-high 18-game safely reached base streak entering this week's SEC Tournament action.
In SEC only action, Nash's six stolen bases (T-6th), 22 hits (T-10th), .333 average (12th) and .413 on-base percentage (13th) all rank favorably among conference competitors.
"It's always an honor to be recognized by the SEC coaches," Nash said. "It's one of the most premier conferences in NCAA Softball and to be on a list amongst so many great players is a great feeling."
Each year following the SEC Softball regular season, the conference's 13 head coaches cast their votes for a 14-member First Team All-SEC, 15-member Second Team All-SEC, 14-member Freshman All-SEC Team and 12-member All-Defensive Team.
Additionally, the conference announced its Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Freshman of the Year, Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year. For the complete 2017 SEC Softball awards list, visit SECSports.com.
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