BENTONVILLE, ARK. – The East Central University softball team saw six players named to the 2016 Great American Conference teams, as voted on by the league's head coaches.  Three players were named to the first team, one to the second and two as honorable mentions.  ECU also saw four players earn Crafton Tull Scholar-Athlete awards.

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Seniors Autumn Suydam (OF), Jordynn VanPelt (OF) and Taylor Davis (UTL) were all named to the All-GAC First Team.  Senior Lauren Reeves (1B) claimed the All-GAC Second Team honor, while seniors Marissa Shaffer (P) and Lacey Paulk (DP) were honorable mentions.

Suydam added a Crafton Tull Elite Scholar Athlete honor, given to the student-athletes competing in the championship with the highest GPA, with her 4.00 GPA in Criminal Justice.  VanPelt (3.78), Reeves (3.90) and junior Carlee Henderson (3.96) were also honored as Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholar-Athletes, recording a 3.70 GPA or higher and a minimum of 70 completed hours.

Suydam, a 2015 All-GAC Honorable Mention pick, heads to the tournament with a .390 batting average, 55 hits, 37 runs and 20 RBIs.  She is ranked No. 1 in fielding percentage (1.000), No. 2 in sacrifice bunts, No. 4 in stolen bases (23-23) and No. 7 in batting average.

VanPelt, a two-year All-GAC First Team selection, has a .341 average, 56 hits, 30 runs and 48 RBIs.  She is ranked No. 3 in the GAC in RBIs and doubles (15), No. 5 in total bases (109), No. 6 in home runs (12) and No. 7 in slugging percentage (.665).

Davis claims her second-straight All-GAC First Team honor, with a .361 average, 60 hits, 40 runs and 17RBIs.  She is ranked No. 11 in the GAC in average, No. 11 in hits and No. 12 in on base percentage (.433).
Reeves adds a .305 average, 27 runs, 51 hits, 17 doubles and 24 RBIs, which rank her No. 1 in doubles and she adds a No. 8 ranking in the GAC in putouts (323).

Shaffer, an All-GAC First Team pick in 2015, leads the Tigers in the circle with an 11-10 records, 3.88 ERA, 15 complete games, two shutouts, 148 hits and 61 runs allowed and 60 strikeouts.  She is ranked No. 9 in the league in ERA and No. 6 in walks allowed.

Paulk, an All-GAC Honorable Mention pick a year ago, had a dual role for the Tigers in 2016, throwing 14 complete games, with 68 strikeouts and also earning a spot at the plate half way through the season.  She has a .347 average, 17 hits, four runs, eight RBIs in just 20 games as a batter.

The Tigers head to the 2016 GAC Championship Tournament at the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season 24-29 overall and 21-21 in the league.  ECU will face No. 2 Southern Arkansas (No. 18 nationally), the same team they faced in the final weekend of GAC regular-season action, Thursday, April 28 at noon at Tiger Athletic Complex in Bentonville, Ark.  SAU earned wins in all four of those meetings and has a 1-1 record against ECU when playing in the tournament.

Win or lose, the Tigers will play again at 6 p.m. Thursday, in the double-elimination tournament. 

This is the fifth-straight season that ECU has advanced to the GAC Championship, holding an 8-7 record in four seasons, including a 4-1 mark and the 2015 GAC Championship title.  The Tigers have faced six of the teams in this year's field in previous tournaments at least once, with games against Henderson State leading the way at 2-4.  The Tigers are also 1-0 against Arkansas-Monticello and Southeastern and 0-1 against Arkansas Tech and Harding.

Rain and thunderstorms are expected in the Bentonville area throughout the weekend so changes may need to be made to the official schedule.  Updates will be available on www.ecutigers.com and www.greatamericanconference.com.