MOUNT OLIVE, North Carolina – The North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) announced its selections for the 2018 College Division All-State Softball Teams on Monday. A total of 24 student-athletes including two players from Salem College were named to the first and second teams.

Five schools tied for the most players represented on the All-State teams with three selections each, including UNC Pembroke, Pfeiffer, Guilford, Lenoir-Rhyne, and Saint Augustine's. Salem College and Chowan University each received a pair of All-State nods while the remaining five honorees came from five different schools.

Jennifer Vitarelli represents her Salem College Spirits on the NCCSIA All-State First-Team after helping lead her team to the USA South Tournament championship game. She picked up all-tournament honors after finishing the season with a team-high 36 runs on 49 hits with six doubles and a triple. She holds the school record for hits with 187, runs scored with 154, and stolen bases with 35. Vitarelli is also a four-time First-Team All-Conference Player.

Kris Neal finished second on the team with a .390 average with a team-leading 57 hits and 56 runs.  Neal added seven doubles, four triples, and seven home runs from the lead-off position. She earned D2CCA All-Region honors as well as being named the CIAA Player of the Year and All-CIAA First Team.

Makayla Carver earned NFCA First-Team All-Atlantic Region recognition for the second straight season and repeated as a First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) honoree this year. The junior outfielder led the ODAC and ranked fifth in Division III through games with a .514 batting average in 34 contests. The batting average ranks third in school history. Carver also topped the league in slugging percentage (.793, 14^th-best in Division III) and her .565 on-base percentage stands second in the ODAC. Her slugging percentage is second-highest in Guilford history, while her on-base percentage ranks third. She smacked 57 hits, including 13 doubles and six home runs. Carver matched Hayes' school record for career doubles (41) and enters her senior season ranked second in runs (119), second in stolen bases (49) and fourth in hits (170).

Erin Boone, a junior outfielder from Creedmoor, N.C., is a first-team all-region selection for the third straight year. Boone led Lenoir-Rhyne in numerous offensive categories including batting average (.395), runs (53), hits (66), doubles (15), total bases (109) and on-base percentage (.510) in 2018. Alongside her teammate, Boone was named to the 2018 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Southeast Region Softball First Team.

Emily Kenley, a junior from Charlotte, N.C., went 24-5 on the year with a 1.81 earned run average, six shutouts, and 125 strikeouts. Kenley was named the 2018 South Atlantic Conference Softball Pitcher of the Year for her efforts. She named to the 2018 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Southeast Region Softball First Team.

Freshman pitcher Miranda Barker from Creedmoor, N.C. wrapped up a splendid first season and was named to Second Team.

Nominations were submitted by North Carolina sports information professionals and voted on by NCCSIA members.

Founded in 2002, the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) is comprised of sports information professionals from NCAA Division I, II, III, NAIA and independent institutions from the state of North Carolina. The purpose of the organization is to promote collegiate athletics at all schools. Membership is open to anyone affiliated with a college, university or conference located in North Carolina, and whose area of responsibility lies within sports information.

NCCSIA selects all-state teams in the University (Division I) and College (Division II, III, NAIA) divisions for men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, volleyball, softball and baseball.

North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association
2018 College Division All-State Softball Teams