During the off-season, the Montreat College Lady Cavaliers Softball coaching staff has worked hard to add several key components to an already-talented core. Having lost only two starters from a team who defeated several nationally-ranked teams and finished second in the AAC, the 2010-2011 recruiting class will supplement the Montreat women's softball players, a team capable of making a run to the National Championship.

This season's recruiting class looks to mix the talents of experienced transfer students with high school standouts from both North Carolina and outside the state. Lee Swanson, Montreat Softball Coach, feels optimistic about the coming season: "We have put together a great recruiting class for this year. We have added much-needed depth along with competition for positions in practice and the fall. I am excited for the upcoming year, but know that we will have to work hard to achieve our goals. Our conference keeps getting tougher from top to bottom."

Jamie Lokken last swung a softball bat for the 2010 season in April, but two months later, awards and applause for her spectacular junior season as an outfielder for Montreat College keep coming in.  Lokken, a centerfielder for the Cavaliers, was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NAIA East All-Region first team, a distinction given to only 16 women from all NAIA colleges in the East Region and only 80 players nationwide.  

Lokken was the only athlete selected for either the first or second All-Region team from the eight schools comprising the Appalachian Athletic Conference and was joined on the East All-Region squad by four players from Shorter College and three from Belhaven College.  

Montreat College head softball coach Lee Swanson said that the high honor meant that Lokken "earned all the respect that she deserved for her hard work."

Louisville Slugger sponsored the five All-Region teams.  While Lokken played her way onto the East Region team, there were also All-Region squads representing the Great Lakes, Midwest, Southwest, and West Regions as well.  

NFCA member coaches in each of the regions select the All-Region teams, and 152 student-athletes from 58 institutions were chosen for 2010, with 80 making the first teams and 72 being voted onto the second teams.  

Lokken, a junior from Kennewick, WA, was the AAC Player of the Year and led the conference in batting average, runs batted in, slugging percentage, hits, total bases, and came within one home run of tying for that statistical crown, too.

Despite a flat performance during an 8-0 loss to Tennessee Wesleyan College that knocked the Montreat College softball team out of the Appalachian Athletic Conference tournament, the Cavaliers can look at a successful season featuring a strong second-place conference finish, a Player of the Year who comes back in 2011, and team awards that salute the players academics and character.

Head Coach Lee Swanson's second season at the helm of the Cavaliers ended with a 23-23 record, but that included a 10-6 record in the AAC and a tie for second place behind regular season champion Reinhardt College.  Further, Swanson loses only two squad members to graduation this spring and returns an experienced team next season.

Leading that team will be centerfielder Jamie Lokken from Kennewick, WA, a junior who was the runaway Player of the Year in the AAC.  All Lokken did to secure that award was lead the league in batting at .438 (.39 points higher than the runner-up), RBI, slugging, hits, runs scored, and total bases (her 115 total bases were 32 more than second place) while falling one home run short of tying for that statistical crown.

While Lokken and others will generate offense for Swanson next year, junior Rachel Stowe from Belmont, N.C. will anchor the pitching staff after collecting 15 wins this season, second only AAC Pitcher of the Year Maddie Monroe of Reinhardt College, who won 17.

Both Stowe and Lokken were voted onto the AAC All-Conference First Team, the only Cavaliers represented on the 18-player squad.  

But Montreat College's softball team collected other plaudits as Kerby Barkdoll, a senior outfielder from Hendersonville, N.C., senior catcher/first baseman Erin Cross from Morganton, N.C., and Stephanie Morrison, a junior catcher from Davenport, WA were all named to the AAC All-Academic team. Barkdoll and Cross also earned NAIA Daktronics Scholar-Athlete.