Greenville, S.C. – Furman centerfielder Ashlee Lykins garnered first team All-Southern Conference honors while designated player Caitlin Goldwait earned second team all-conference accolades and Paladin second baseman Ansley Chiang was selected to the SoCon All-Freshman Team, it was announced on Tuesday.
 
Lykins batted .369 with three triples, 34 runs, and swiped 18 bases in 21 attempts during the regular season. The senior and Naples, Fla., native registered five hits in last weekend's sweep of ETSU to eclipse 200 career hits and move into the top 10 on Furman's career hits ledger. A two-time first team All-SoCon choice and 2022 second team all-league selection, she ranks second in school history with 66 stolen bases and fifth with 117 runs.
 
Goldwait caught fire in league play, batting a team-best .361 with 14 runs scored in 19 SoCon games. The Sugar Land, Texas, product finished the regular season with a .313 average while scoring 19 runs and driving in seven.
 
Chiang, a native of Cumming, Ga., made 45 starts in Furman's middle infield as a freshman and posted a .256 batting average with five doubles and 14 RBIs. She stole nine bases in 10 attempts during the regular season and posted a .938 fielding percentage, including fielding at a .962 clip in league play.
 
Furman, 24-29 overall and 9-12 in the SoCon, will be making its 28^th appearance in the SoCon Softball Championship and holds a 42-50 all-time record in the tournament. The Paladins captured league tournament titles in 1994 and 2007 while finishing as the runner-up a league-record seven times.
 
Entering the postseason as the No. 6 seed, Furman will take on No. 7 seed Western Carolina in a single elimination game on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at UNCG Softball Stadium in Greensboro N.C. The winner advances to the six-team, double-elimination portion of the tournament and will face No. 3 seed Samford at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
 
Furman swept a three-game series from Western Carolina during the regular season to run its winning streak versus the Catamounts to 10 games. In the last postseason meeting between the schools in 2022, the Paladins prevailed, 8-5.
 
Fans can follow live statistics of each Paladin game at the SoCon Softball Championship by logging onto FurmanPaladins.com. All games at the tournament are slated to be streamed live on ESPN+.
 
SoCon Postseason Awards
Player of the Year
Brooklynn Maxwell, Sr., INF, UNCG
 
Pitcher of the Year
Peja Goold, So., RHP, Chattanooga
 
Freshman of the Year
Olivia Shaw, DP, Samford
Lily Bell, 2B, Western Carolina
 
Coach of the Year
Chelsea Butler, Wofford
 
First Team
P – Peja Goold, So., Chattanooga
P – Margaret Axelson, So., Wofford
C – Logan Champion, Jr., Samford
INF – Cameron Young, Jr., ETSU
INF – Tori Hedgecock, Jr., Mercer
INF – Brooklynn Maxwell, Sr., UNCG
INF – Lily Bell, Fr., Western Carolina
OF – Brylee Mesusan, So., ETSU
OF – Ashlee Lykins, Sr., Furman
OF – McKayla Cothran, Jr., Samford 
OF – Camryn Cernuto, Jr., Chattanooga 
DP or UT/Non-P – Kendall Forsythe, Sr., Chattanooga
UT/P – Tessa Juett, Jr., Western Carolina
 
Second Team
P – Grace Taylor, So., Mercer
P – McKenzie Newcomb, Jr., Samford 
P – Alyssa Lavdis, Jr., Chattanooga 
C – Betsy Eatmon, Fr., UNCG
INF – Emma Dorval, Jr., Mercer
INF – Sarah Squillace, Jr., Samford
INF – Kaili Phillips, Gr., Chattanooga
INF – Kailey Snell, R-Jr., Chattanooga
OF – Alyssa Woods, Sr., Mercer
OF – Grace Loftin, Jr., UNCG
OF – Baileigh Pitts, So., Chattanooga
DP or UT/Non-P – Caitlin Goldwait, Jr., Furman 
DP or UT/Non-P – Olivia Shaw, Fr., Samford 
UT/P – Sara Muir, Jr., ETSU
 
All-Freshman
Ansley Chiang, 2B, Furman
Betsy Eatmon, C, UNCG
Katie Campbell, 1B, Samford
Olivia Shaw, DP, Samford
Lily Bell, 2B, Western Carolina
Sydney Dirks, SS, Western Carolina
Maya McPherson, 3B, Western Carolina
Abby Greenwood, P, Wofford
Kaytlin Greenwood, SS, Wofford
Megan Towery, OF, Wofford