CAA AWARDS VIDEO

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- After a second place regular season finish in the Colonial Athletic Association and the No. 2 seed in this week's CAA Tournament, the Georgia State softball team rolled in the accolades at the annual CAA Awards Banquet on Tuesday night in Hempstead, N.Y.

Freshman pitcher Kaitlyn Medlam earned CAA Rookie of the Year accolades and interim head coach Roger Kincaid was named CAA co-Coach of the Year with Hofstra head coach Bill Edwards to highlight the awards for the Panthers.

GSU ace pitcher McCall Langford picked up first team All-CAA accolades, while first baseman Lauren Jones, shortstop Paige Nowacki, outfielder Audrey Mason, designated player Brenna Morrissey and Medlam earned second team All-CAA honors. Outfielder Jessica Clifton, catcher Maddy Stanton and Medlam were selected to the 10-member CAA All-Rookie team.

Overall GSU led the CAA with nine overall honorees with one first teamer, five second teamers and three all-rookies. Hofstra was second with six overall honorees as it had five first teamers and one second teamer. It was the most selections for GSU since 2008.

Medlam earned CAA Rookie of the Year accolades after going 9-2 with a 1.62 ERA and four saves. In conference play she upped her game, going 4-1 with a 0.69 ERA. On the year, she struckout 72 batters, while only walking 24 in 82.0 innings of work. The Apalachee, Ga., product also was named to the All-CAA second team and the CAA All-Rookie team. She becomes the first GSU pitcher since teammate Alana Thomas in 2009 to earn all three honors in the same season. The Panthers have won Rookie of the Year accolades in five of the last six years.

Taking over a team that was only 5-5 at the time, Kincaid led the Panthers to a second place finish in the CAA, including a 15-game CAA winning streak that stretched from March 26 to May 1. The conference win streak was the longest in GSU's 27-year fast-pitch history and the longest in one season in the CAA since the Panthers joined the league in 2006. GSU won 30 games for the fifth season in a row. The Panthers have also moved into the GSU single season top 10 in several categories including home runs, stolen bases and ERA just to name a few under Kincaid's tutelage.

Langford, who went 13-10 with a 1.71 ERA, earns CAA first team honors a year after earning second team and all-rookie accolades as a freshman. GSU now has had a first teamer every year it has been in the CAA. The LaGrange, Ga., native struck out 110 batters on the year, a career high and fourth in the CAA, and went 7-2 in conference with a 1.11 ERA.

Jones earned second team honors for the second year in a row after hitting .304 with 12 homers and 34 RBI. In conference the Stockbridge, Ga., native hit .397 with seven homers and 13 walks. Jones sits second in the CAA in homers and total bases and third in RBI and is a four-year starter for the Panthers.

Mason also picked up her second straight second team selection after batting .271 with 39 hits and 19 runs scored on the year. In conference the Kennesaw, Ga., native stepped up her game, batting .328 with four homers and 15 RBI. Mason is a two-year starter in the outfield for the Panthers.

Morrissey, who joined the Panthers in January as a walk-on, provided the Panthers with a spark at the designated player position, hitting .290 with 31 hits, 23 runs scored and 16 walks. In CAA play she upped her total to .327 with 18 hits, 12 runs scored and 13 RBI.

Nowacki, in her first year starting at shortstop, had a highly productive CAA season, as she put together hitting streaks of 11 and eight games, respectively. Overall, the McDonough, Ga., native hit .322 with 49 hits, 11 2B, 27 RBI, 22 walks and 29 runs scored. In CAA play she hit .373 with 22 hits and 16 runs scored, finishing in the top five in the CAA in doubles, runs scored and total bases.

Known for her strong arm in centerfield that threw out several runners at home plate, Clifton started 51 games and was GSU's main leadoff hitter, producing 41 hits, 24 runs scored, seven doubles, 17 RBI and 13 walks.

Starting 46 games at catcher, Stanton caught 11 runners stealing, while notching 18 hits, 13 RBI and 19 walks.    

The Panthers open the 2011 CAA Tournament on Wednesday at 5 p.m. when they battle Towson. GSU took two out of three from the Tigers to open the CAA season. Fans can follow the game by live stats or GSU's live blog.    

First Team
McCall Langford, P

Second Team
Lauren Jones, 1B
Audrey Mason, OF
Kaitlyn Medlam, P
Brenna Morrissey, DP
Paige Nowacki, SS

All-Rookie
Jessica Clifton, OF
Kaitlyn Medlam, P
Maddy Stanton, C

Rookie of the Year
Kaitlyn Medlam, P

Co-Coach of the Year
Roger Kincaid