LAKE WALES, Fla. – For the third consecutive year, Warner Softball Head Coach Shawn Gary has earned The Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors announced at 2010 Sun Conference Tournament banquet at Warner University’s Rigel Center. The Royals also placed five players on the All-Conference Team: Kaitlyn Wilbanks , Danielle Fennimore , Kaitlyn Grimail , Franki Grimes and Lindsay Garchinski .
Wilbanks, a freshman outfielder, broke into the starting lineup midseason and made her presence felt quickly as she finished the regular season with a .385 batting avg., third best on the team. The speedy outfielder also finished with six stolen bases.
Fennimore, a sophomore catcher, earned her second consecutive All-Conference honor after finishing with a .371 batting avg. She led the team with 15 doubles and was third in RBI’s with 29 in the regular season. Fennimore was also strong behind the plate as she caught 10 runners attempting to steal bases.
Grimail, a sophomore pitcher is making her debut on the list after leading the Royals with a 2.31 overall ERA and an even better 0.58 ERA in conference action. She finished with an 8-2 overall record and a perfect 4-0 conference mark. The West Palm Beach, Fla. native finished tied for first on the team in complete games (7) and second in strikeouts (41).
Grimes, a senior first baseman, finished second on the team in hitting with a .398 average and led the Royals with 47 hits and a .467 on base percentage. She also was tied for first in RBI’s with 33 and second on the team in stolen bases (11) and fielding percentage (.977).
Garchinski, the Royals senior third baseman, led the Royals with a .405 batting average, 4 triples, 4 homeruns, 35 runs scored, and a .649 slugging percentage. She along with Grimes tied to lead the Royals in RBI’s with 33. Garchinski finished second on the team with 45 hits.
The Royals will suit up later today for the first day of the conference tournament where they will face #4 seed St. Thomas University at 4:30 p.m. at the Diamondplex in Winter Haven, Fla.