MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (April 26, 2016) â€" Senior Natalie Sheffey was named an All-Appalachian Athletic Conference first-team selection, while freshman Kassi Butcher and senior Jessica Wheelock were both second-team honorees as the Milligan College softball team took home a total of 15 AAC postseason awards. The awards were announced by the league office during the annual awards banquet Monday night.
 
Butcher was joined by Jenna Gilbert on the All-Freshmen team; senior Caroline Testerman was named to the All-Defensive team for the second straight season; junior Kelley Sorenson was named to the Champions of Character Team; and Jessica Connatser, Amanda Dunaway, Jessica Goodson, Samantha Lilley, Kimberly Robinson, Sheffey, Cayley Shoemaker and Sorenson were all part of the All-Academic team.
 
Sheffey led Milligan this season in runs (33), hits (44), doubles (10), triples (2), home runs (6), runs batted in (35), total bases (76) and slugging percentage (.639). The native of Gray, Tennessee, was fifth in the AAC in home runs, fifth in RBI's per game, seventh in slugging percentage and runs per game, and eighth in doubles and total bases per game.
 
Wheelock led Milligan with a .385 batting average, a .496 on-base percentage, 18 walks and 16 steals. In addition to adding two homers on the year, Wheelock, also a native of Gray, Tennessee, led the AAC in steals per game, was fourth in on-base percentage and was ninth in batting average.
 
Butcher finished the regular season of her rookie campaign 7-5 in the circle with a 3.81 earned run average, the second lowest era on the team. She was second in wins on the squad and also led the team with three saves. In addition to surrendering only one home run all year, the Arden, North Carolina, product was 13th in the country and first in the conference in saves, and was eighth in the AAC in earned runs allowed.
 
Gilbert, from Abingdon, Virginia, was fourth on Milligan with a batting average of .333, and added five doubles, one homer, 13 RBI's, 13 runs and eight walks. Her .467 slugging percentage was third on the Buffs.
 
Wheelock's all-conference honor was the third straight of her career, and was her second straight on the second team. Testerman earned her second straight All-Defensive team recognition to go along with a Gold Glove award she received as a sophomore.
 
Reinhardt University's Randi Wimpy was named the AAC Player of the Year for the third year in a row.
 
Milligan will open up the AAC tournament against Truett Mc-Connell College on Tuesday, April 26, at 11 a.m. The double elimination tournament will be held at Brickyard Park in Kingsport, Tennessee, with the Buffs playing against Wimpy and No. 15 Rienhardt at 3 p.m. or against Union College at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 27.
 
To be eligible for the academic award, each individual must maintain a grade-point average of 3.25 or higher and must have sophomore or higher academic standing.