University of Tennessee Athletics
Five Vols Earn SEC Postseason Recognition
May 10, 2016 | Softball
All-SEC Teams & Award Winners 
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Tennessee softball had five players earn Southeastern Conference postseason recognition as announced by the league office on Tuesday morning.
Sophomore shortstop Meghan Gregg led the way by earning All-SEC first team honors for the first time in her career. Senior pitcher/utility player Rainey Gaffin earned second-team recognition and was also named to the All-SEC Defensive team for the second consecutive year.
A trio of Vols earned spots on the SEC All-Freshman team as Matty Moss, Aubrey Leach and Brooke Vines were all selected. UT's three freshman team selections were the most of any team in the conference.
Tennessee has now had 54 All-SEC selections and 24 SEC All-Freshman team selections in program history. Gregg and Gaffin were both named to the all-conference team for the first time, giving the Big Orange 29 total All-SEC honorees.
View the complete all-conference teams and list SEC postseason award winners HERE.
After being named to the all-freshman team last season, Gregg continued to shine this year, posting career highs with 57 RBIs, 47 runs, 14 doubles, 13 stolen bases and 34 walks. The Williamson, Ga., native has also blasted 10 home runs and leads the team with a .389 batting average and a .505 on-base percentage, both of which are on pace to be career bests as well. Gregg is the 18th player to earn All-SEC first team recognition in program history and the first since 2014.
Gaffin earned her first all-conference selection after setting career highs with 38 RBIs and five home runs while also going 9-3 in the circle with a 2.32 ERA. The Thornton, Colo., native is among the team's offensive leaders in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, RBIs, doubles, triples, home runs and total bases. Gaffin also leads the team and is tied for 14th nationally with five saves this season.
Moss was one of three pitchers in the league to earn all-freshman recognition after developing into one of the Vols' most reliable arms during SEC play. The right-hander from Greenville, S.C., leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference with a 1.61 ERA. Moss is 12-3 on the year and owns the best record of any pitcher on the team in SEC play at 7-2.
Leach has had a stellar year at the plate and has been one of Tennessee's most consistent hitters throughout her first season on Rocky Top. She has started every game for the Vols at second base and ranks fifth on the team with a .362 batting average. The Woodlands, Texas native ranks among the top five on the squad in runs, hits, doubles and stolen bases and also owns the longest hit streak of any player on the team this season at 12 games.
Rounding out the group is Vines, who has also made a big splash for the Orange and White as a freshman. She is batting .357 on the year, leads UT with four triples and is third on the team with 55 hits. Vines is also second on the team and 12th in the SEC with 18 stolen bases. The speedy outfielder from Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., leads all freshmen on the team with 31 RBIs, two homers and a .468 slugging percentage.
The ninth-ranked Vols open play in the 2016 SEC Tournament this Thursday at noon ET in Starkville, Miss. Tennessee is the No. 3 seed in the tournament and will take on the winner of Wednesday's matchup between Missouri and South Carolina. UT's quarterfinal game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.
