Avery McDaniel Receives ASC Honors

2018 Jan 22

The McMurry University softball team had three of its team members selected to the American Southwest Conference softball pre-season watch list.

Avery McDaniel of Temple, TX has been selected to the American Southwest Conference 2018 pre-season "watch list," it was announced by the conference office.

Three members of the McMurry University softball program -juniors Rachel Ripley (Gustine, Texas/Comanche H.S.) and Adrienne Nairn (Frisco, Texas/Lone Star H.S), along with freshman Avery McDaniel (Temple, Texas/Little River Academy) - have been named to the American Southwest Conference 2018 pre-season "watch list," released today by the conference office. As might be expected for a start-up sport, the War Hawks team was ranked just 12th (out of 13 teams) in the pre-season poll of ASC coaches and sports information directors.

Ripley, a firstbaseman, played one season each at Cisco Junior College (2017) and McLennan Community College (2016). She is a graduate of Comanche High School, where she was coached by Drew Clevenger. Ripley was a four-year letterwinner for CHS and an all-district honorable mention and first team all-defensive pick. She was All-Big Country honorable mention and her team's offensive MVP, as well.

Nairn, a third baseman, played two seasons at North Central Texas Community College, where she made the Dean's List three of four terms and was an academic all-conference honoree. Her team won the NJCAA Region V North tournament. Nairn is a graduate of Lone Star High School, where her coach was Tom Thurman. She was a four-year letterwinner and a four-time all-district selection (2nd team as a freshman and sophomore; 1st team as a junior and senior) at LSHS. She was her team's defensive MVP as a senior.

McDaniel, a shortstop, is a graduate of Little River Academy, where her coach was Gus Beurershausen (who was a member of McM's baseball team when the sport was reinstated at the school in 1996, after a 47-year hiatus). McDaniel was a four-year player for LRA. She was a three-time all-district (sophomore-senior seasons) selection and was voted all-state as a senior.

The University of Texas-Tyler was tabbed as the pre-season No. 1 in the ASC. The Patriots are coming off a third place finish at the NCAA National Championship with a 46-6 overall record, after having won the 2016 NCAA championship, as well. They have won the ASC regular season title each of the last four seasons. UTT comes to Abilene for a three-game series on February 16-17.

McMurry plays its first-ever games at home (at Red Bud Park) with a doubleheader versus Trinity University on Friday, February 2 (3 p.m.).