JACKSON, Tenn. – In exclusive 2012 all-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) voting by the league's head coaches, Ashley Bice of Birmingham-Southern College, Caitlynn Dykes of Trinity University and Allison Tarbox of Millsaps College were selected as the Conference's Tri-Offensive Players-of-the-Year and Bethany Fronk of Birmingham-Southern was selected the conference's Pitcher-of-the-Year. Dykes was also named the league's Newcomer-of-the-Year.
 
In the same balloting, Kimball Cassady of Birmingham-Southern and Selena Collins of Trinity were selected as SCAC Co-Coaches-of-the-Year.

Bice, a senior outfielder from Indian Springs, Ala., and two-time First Team All-SCAC honoree led the Panthers to their second 30-win season in the past four years – the only SCAC program that can make that claim. Bice finished the regular season ranked in the top five in the conference in virtually every offensive category. She led the SCAC in total bases (83) and finished second in hits (54), was tied for fourth in RBIs (33), fourth in slugging percentage (.638), tied for fourth in home runs (5) and was fifth in batting average (.415). Bice was also in the top ten in runs scored (29, tied for seventh), on-base percentage (.451, seventh) and stolen bases (11, eighth). Her 180 career hits currently ranks tenth all-time on the league's all-time list and her 123 runs batted in finds her tied for eighth. Bice became just the fourth player in SCAC history to post at least 180 hits and drive in 120 or more runs.

Dykes, a first-year catcher from Port Neches, Texas, becomes the first freshman to ever earn both SCAC Offensive-Player-of-the-Year and Newcomer-of-the-Year honors in the same season. The first-year sensation was a cornerstone figure in helping guide the Trinity to its best regular season record since 2007 and first Western Division title since that same season. Dykes finished the regular season as the SCAC leader in RBIs (41) and was second in on-base percentage (.474), tied for second in runs scored (34), third in hits (51), third in total bases (75), tied for fourth in home runs (5) and fifth in slugging percentage (.630). Dykes becomes the fourth-ever Trinity Tiger to earn SCAC Offensive-Player-of-the-Year honors and the first since 2005 when Stephanie Priester earned the distinction.

Tarbox, a senior outfielder from Katy, Texas and three-time All-SCAC honoree, led or was near the top of the conference in a plethora of offensive categories. She finished the regular season tied for the SCAC lead in home runs (6), triples (5), doubles (11) and total bases (83). Tarbox was second in both RBIs (37) and slugging percentage (.748), tied for third in walks (16), seventh in hits (44) and tied for ninth in runs scored (28). Tarbox posted single-season career highs for hits, runs scored, home runs, total bases and RBIs this season, and her 18 career home runs currently ranks 10th all-time on the SCAC career list. Tarbox becomes the fourth ever Major to earn SCAC Offensive-Player-of-the-Year honors and the first since 2010 when Jennifer McKinley earned the distinction. 

Bice, Dykes and Tarbox each received three votes for SCAC Player-of-the-Year, while junior utility player Ashley Halbert of Hendrix College received the lone remaining vote.

Fronk, a first-year right-hander from Clay, Ala., led the SCAC during the regular season in saves (7) and earned run average (0.93). Her earned run average is good for seventh in the nation and is currently tied for third-best single season ERA in SCAC history. She also finished the regular season third in opponents' batting average (.209), tied for third in wins (12), fourth in shutouts (4) and seventh in strikeouts (77). Fronk led a Birmingham-College staff that posted a team-low 0.67 ERA in conference play. She was unbeaten in conference games (8-0) and allowed just a single earned run (0.14 ERA) during those contests. In the program's fourth year as a member of the SCAC, Fronk is the first Panther to earn SCAC Pitcher-of-the-Year honors and Fronk and Bice represent the sixth combination of teammates to earn Offensive and Pitcher-of-the-Year in the same year.

Fronk received five votes from the coaches in the balloting for SCAC Pitcher-of-the-Year to earn the award. Senior Lyndsy Maus of Southwestern University and junior Sydney Friday of Trinity each garnered two votes, while junior Ashley Halbert of Hendrix received the final vote.

In the balloting for SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year, Dykes received three votes to edge first-year third baseman Ashleigh Scott of Southwestern and pitcher Forrest Skelton of Rhodes College, who received two votes apiece. Freshman outfielder Molly Ely of Centre College, Infielder Michaela Larabee of Hendrix and Bethany Fronk of Birmingham-Southern all received a vote each for Newcomer-of-the-Year.
 
Under the guidance of second-year head coach Kimball Cassady, the Birmingham-Southern Panthers current sport an overall mark of 30-8 and are 15-1 in SCAC play. The Panthers, who are in their first year of eligibility for NCAA post-season play after a four-year reclassification process, are taking full advantage of the opportunity after earning the top seed out of the Eastern Division. Cassady, who holds a career record of 55-17 at BSC, led the Panthers to their second 30-win season in the last four years. Cassady, Bice and Fronk represent just the fourth combination from the same school to earn Coach, Offensive and Pitcher-of-the-Year honors in the same year.   

After leading Trinity to an SCAC conference tournament title appearance in her first year as the head coach of the Tigers, head coach Selena Collins proved last season was no fluke as she guided this year's group to an SCAC West-best 13-3 conference mark (26-12 overall). The 26-12 mark is the best regular season the Tigers have posted since the 2007 season, which coincides with the last time Trinity earned the top seed out of the Western Division. In her second season as the head coach of the Tigers, Collins has compiled a career record of 47-36 and the 47 wins represent the most over a two-year span for the program since the 2006-07 seasons when the Tigers won 55 contests.

Cassady and Collins garnered three votes each from their peers for SCAC Coach-of-the-Year honors, edging Millsaps College head coach Roland Rodriguez, who received two votes. Jackie Davis of Austin College and Amber Gilliam of Sewanee-The University of the South each received one vote.

To view the entire 2012 SCAC All-Conference Team, click here.