May 6, 2014

LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky sophomores Kelsey Nunley and Nikki Sagermann, along with junior Griffin Joiner, were named All-Southeastern Conference performers by league coaches on Tuesday, the conference office announced in a news release.

Nunley was named one of three pitchers on the All-SEC Second Team, while Sagermann was one of five infielders to earn second-team All-SEC honors. The honor was the second for Nunley in her two seasons at Kentucky after being named Freshman All-SEC last season, while it was Sagermann’s first.

Joiner was named the lone catcher on the SEC All-Defensive Team, marking the second consecutive year she has earned that honor. Joiner has four All-SEC honors in her career, becoming the third player in program history to earn four or more honors from league coaches. On top of being named to the SEC All-Defensive Team in 2013, Joiner was a second-team All-SEC performer last year, while she was named Freshman All-SEC in 2012.

The honors marked the ninth consecutive year a UK player has been named an All-SEC performer and the first time since 2012 that three players earned the honors in the same season. In head coach Rachel Lawson’s seven years at UK, she has led 10 players to 25 All-SEC honors.

Nunley has been the leader in the circle for Kentucky this season, sitting 21-7 with a 2.12 ERA in 188.0 innings pitched with 147 strikeouts. The native of Soddy Daisy, Tenn., is the only player in program history to win 20 wins or more in the circle, accomplishing that feat in each of her two years at Kentucky. The sophomore has nine wins in SEC play with a 2.40 ERA, striking out 71 in 93.1 innings pitched. Nunley ranks top 10 in the SEC in ERA, innings pitched, strikeouts, batters struck out looking, wins and appearances. In SEC games only, Nunley ranks fourth in the league in ERA, fifth in wins, sixth in total strikeouts and first in batters struck out looking. Only in her second year with the team, Nunley ranks third all-time in wins and strikeouts, while her 2.13 career ERA is the lowest in school history.

Sagermann has been an RBI machine for Kentucky this season, leading the Wildcats with 12 home runs and 43 RBI. The 12 homers rank tied for fifth most in a season in program history, while her 43 RBI sit tied for sixth most in a UK single season. The native of Buford, Ga., ranks top 15 in the league in home runs, RBI and sacrifice flies, while her bat really came alive against SEC opponents, ranking top 10 in SEC games only in slugging percentage, RBI, home runs, total bases and sacrifice flies. Sagermann hit nine homers with 20 RBI against SEC competition, the most by a UK player since Brittany Cervantes had 11 homers and 23 RBI in 2012, which earned her first-team All-SEC honors. Sagermann has 19 career home runs to rank top 10 on UK’s career home runs list.

Joiner’s honor as the league’s best defensive catcher comes after a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage this season, taking her three-year fielding percentage to an impressive .990, which ranks second best in program history. Joiner ranks tied for first in the SEC this season in fielding percentage, while sitting third in chances and putouts with only 18 stolen bases allowed and nine runners caught stealing. Joiner only has one passed ball this season, while she has turned two double plays with 26 assists. The native of Hopkinsville, Ky., has started 170 consecutive games for UK at catcher. Offensively, she is hitting .310 this season with 10 doubles, eight homers and 28 RBI and was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week back in February.

Kentucky (41-14) earned the No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament and will play No. 10 seed Mississippi State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C.

For the latest on UK softball, follow “@UKSoftball” on Twitter and Instagram or like Kentucky Softball on Facebook.

First Team All-SEC

P – Jaclyn Traina, Alabama
P – Tori Finucane, Missouri
P – Chelsea Wilkinson, Georgia
IF – Madison Shipman, Tennessee
IF – Kelsey Stewart, Florida
IF –Alex Hugo, Georgia
IF – Paige Wilson, Georgia
IF – Corrin Genovese, Missouri
OF – Haylie McCleney, Alabama
OF – Branndi Melero, Auburn
OF – Melissa Davin, Tennessee
OF – Taylor Gadbois, Missouri
C – Annie Aldrete, Tennessee
DP/U – Sahvanna Jaquish, LSU

Second Team All-SEC

P – Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee
P – Hannah Rogers, Florida

P – Kelsey Nunley, Kentucky


IF – Kasey Cooper, Auburn
IF – Stephanie Tofft, Florida
IF –Emily Carosone, Auburn
IF – Kaila Hunt, Alabama

IF – Nikki Sagermann, Kentucky


OF – A.J. Andrews, LSU
OF – RT Cantillo, Ole Miss
OF – Cassie Tysarczyk, Texas A&M
OF – Emily Albus, Texas A&M
C – Molly Fichtner, Alabama
DP/U – Devon Wallace, Arkanas

Freshman All-SEC

P – Tori Finucane, Missouri
P – Alexis Silkwood, Mississippi State
P – Nickie Blue, South Carolina
P – Baylee Corbello, LSU
IF – Kasey Cooper, Auburn
IF – Caroline Seitz, Mississippi State
IF –Taylor Koening, Tennessee
IF – Megan Geer, Tennessee
IF – Kaylea Snaer, South Carolina
OF – Justine McLean, Florida
OF – Bailey Landry, LSU
OF – Shaliyah Geathers, Tennessee
C – Annie Aldrete, Tennessee
DP/U – Sahvanna Jaquish, LSU

SEC All-Defensive

P – Hannah Rogers, Florida

C – Griffin Joiner, Kentucky


1B – Taylor Schwarz, Florida
2B – Kelsey Stewart, Florida
SS – Madison Shipman, Tennessee
3B – Stephanie Tofft, Florida
LF – Mackenzie Sykes, Mississippi State
CF – Haylie McCleney, Alabama
RF – Cassie Tysarczyk, Texas A&M

Player of the Year: Madison Shipman, Tennessee
Pitcher of the Year: Jaclyn Traina, Alabama
Freshman of the Year: Tori Finucane, Missouri
Coach of the Year: Patrick Murphy, Alabama
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee