Armstrong State Earns 2017 NFCA Division II Southeast Region Coaching Staff Of The Year Honors

SAVANNAH , Ga . - Armstrong State University head softball coach Kim Dean and assistant softball coach Megen Conner were named the 2017 NFCA Division II Southeast Region Coaching Staff of the Year by the coaches ’ association on Monday afternoon .

The Pirates advanced to the DII Championships semifinals in 2017 , compiling a 38-14 overall record and going a combined 8-3 in the NCAA postseason , including winning four straight elimination games in the Southeast Regional # 2 and sweeping top-seed and No . 3-ranked University of North Georgia in the Southeast Super Regional .

In Salem , the third-seeded Pirates knocked off West Florida and Humboldt State en route to a national semifinals finish , the third for Armstrong State in the last five seasons .

The honor is the first for Dean , who took the helm of the Armstrong State softball program in August of 2016 . Conner earns the honor for a second straight season as she was an assistant for the Pirates ’ 2016 national semifinal squad .

GSW Names Levering Head Softball Coach

AMERICUS , Ga . - Georgia Southwestern State University athletic director Mike Leeder has hired Nicki Levering to be the school ’ s next head softball coach . Levering comes to Georgia Southwestern from South Georgia State College where she served as head coach the past four seasons .

“ We are very excited to add Nicki Levering as our softball coach for the 2017-18 season ,” Leeder said . “ We were pleasantly surprised by the number and quality of the applicants we had for the position .”

This past spring , under Levering ’ s leadership , South Georgia State posted 30-plus wins for the second consecutive season , finishing 31-20 . In 2015 , the Hawks captured the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association ( GCAA ) regular season championship with a record of 12-2 in league play and 32-9 overall , earning Levering GCAA Coach of the Year honors .

All told , Levering produced 14 GCAA All-Region players and two All-American nominees during her time at South Georgia State .

“ I just want to thank athletic director Mike Leeder for believing in me and giving me the opportunity to coach at Georgia Southwestern ,” Levering said . “ I also want to thank Eddie Ward for building the foundation for the softball program . I ’ m honored to have been chosen and I ’ m looking forward to the upcoming season .”

Prior to South Georgia State , Levering was the assistant coach at Galveston College in Galveston , Texas , where the team was 2013 NJCAA Region 14 regular season champions and finished the season ranked No . 7 in the country .

2016-17 Softball Postseason Awards

PBC Elite 15 Award Presented by EAB Hannah Coursey , Georgia College

NFCA All-Region

D2CCA All-Southeast Region

NFCA National Player of the Week Abbey Walters UNC Pembroke