NEW ORLEANS – Coastal Carolina’s Iyanla De Jesus and Diamond Williams received All-Sun Belt Conference honors, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon. De Jesus was named to the 2023 All-Sun Belt first team, while Williams was named to the All-Sun Belt second team.
This is the second straight year that De Jesus has earned all-conference accolades after being named to the second team in 2022. The senior has played and started in all of CCU’s 54 games this season and leads the team with a .350 batting average.
The 2023 Preseason All-Sun Belt selection ranks second on the team in hits (57), RBIs (38), and sacrifice flies (2), and is in the top five in triples (1), home runs (8), total bases (90), slugging percentage (.552), and on-base percentage (.403).
The designated player finished the regular season ranked ninth in the Sun Belt with 57 hits and also recorded nine multi-RBI games and 11 multi-hit games.
Transfer senior Williams has been an excellent addition to the Chanticleers’ squad and she has made her mark in the Sun Belt statistical rankings, placing in the top 10 for runs (44), hits (60), RBIs (46), OPS (1.065), and home runs (13).
The Evans, Ga., native has set three new career highs while wearing the teal and bronze. First, scoring three runs against Drexel (Feb. 18), and the second two came in the same game versus Middle Tennessee (March 3) where she recorded four hits while hammering two home runs.
Williams has used the long ball to her advantage and ranks 47th in the NCAA with 13 home runs hit on the season.
2023 Sun Belt Softball Postseason Awards
Player of the Year
Karly Heath, Louisiana (SR, OF – Alvin, Texas)
Pitcher of the Year
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama (JR, P – Walker, La.)
Newcomer of the Year
Sydney Bickel, Marshall (JR, SS – Peoria, Ariz.)
Freshman of the Year:
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana (FR, OF – Lovelady, Texas)
Coach of the Year:
Becky Clark, South Alabama
First Team
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama (JR, P – Walker, La.)
Sydney Nester, Marshall (R-SR, P – Hillsville, Va.)
Hannah Shifflett, James Madison (GR, 1B – North Garden, Va.)
KK Mathis, James Madison (FR, 2B – West Chester, Ohio)
Sydney Bickel, Marshall (JR, SS – Peoria, Ariz.)
Meredith Keel, South Alabama (GS, 3B – Ashville, Ohio)
Autumn Owen, Marshall (JR, C – Mill Spring, N.C.)
Iyanla De Jesus, Coastal Carolina (SR, DP – Mill Creek, Wash.)
Karly Heath, Louisiana (SR, OF – Alvin, Texas)
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana (FR, OF – Lovelady, Texas)
Victoria Ortiz, South Alabama (R-SR, OF – Mobile, Ala.)
Jessica Mullins, Texas State (JR, P – Tarkington, Texas)
Lauren Allred, Louisiana (FR, 1B – Texarkana, Texas)
Alex Coleman, Marshall (SO, OF – Asheboro, N.C.)
Grace Chelemen, Marshall (5th, OF – Woodhaven, Mich.)
Second Team
Meghan Schorman, Louisiana (SR, P – Hazelwood, Mo.)
Jenna Hardy, South Alabama (SR, P – Whitehouse, Ohio)
Libby Baker, Troy (JR, 1B – Skipperville, Ala.)
Taylor McKinney, Troy (SO, 2B – Montgomery, Ala.)
Alexa Langeliers, Louisiana (SO, SS – Keller, Texas)
Sara Vanderford, Texas State (SR, 3B – Pasadena, Texas)
Sophie Piskos, Louisiana (JR, C – Paris, Tenn.)
Kelly Horne, Troy (SR, DP – Tallahassee, Fla.)
Emily Brown, Georgia State (SR, OF – Suwanee, Ga.)
Mackenzie Brasher, South Alabama (SR, OF – Orange Beach, Ala.)
Kayt Houston, App State (JR, OF – Rock Hill, S.C.)
Hannah Borden, Southern Miss (SR, C – Trussville, Ala.)
Sam Landry, Louisiana (SO, P – Mont Belvieu, Texas)
Emma Davis, Georgia Southern (FR, OF – Grayson, Ga.)
Leanna Johnson, Troy (SR, P – Brantley, Ala.)
Diamond Williams, Coastal Carolina (SR, OF – Evans, Ga.)
