For Immediate Release May 21, 1999
Layman Named Top Softball Player in Virginia
Bayse Garners Top Coaching Award
SALEM, Va.--Amy Layman (Salem, VA/Glenvar) has been named the Virginia Sport Information Director’s College Division (NCAA Division II and III) Player of the Year, while her head coach, Alan Bayse, has been named the VaSID College Division Coach of the Year. Along with a cast of other talented players, Layman helped the Maroons to a 34-9 record this season, their first ever Old Dominion Athletic Conference championship, and a berth in the NCAA Division III postseason tournament, also the school's first. For the second consecutive season, Layman was named the ODAC's Player of the Year, becoming the first player in conference history to pull off that feat. She is also only the second player in league history to win the conference's top player award twice. Layman was also named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional.
On the year, Layman, who was named to the First Team All-State squad as a pitcher but also received votes as an outfielder, was 18-4 with a 0.86 earned run average. She threw a school-record eight shutouts during the season and struck out 71 batters. Opponents hit just .180 against her this season and were able to get just 80 hits in 122 innings. At the plate, Layman finished second on the team with a .390 batting average. She scored a school record 55 runs and belted a program-standard 13 doubles.
Bayse led the Maroons to a school record 34 victories this seaosn, the program’s third as a varsity sport. During the 1999 season the Maroons compiled a school-record 13 game winning streak en route to the ODAC title and the NCAA berth. In his three seasons as the RC mentor, Bayse has compiled a 69-47 record, going from a 10-26 mark in the first year, to a 25-12 record last year and the 34-9 record this year. As a team during the 1999 season, the Maroons set over 40 school and individual records.
Joining Layman on the State's First Team was sophomore catcher Holly Morris (Barrington, RI/Barrington). Morris was a First Team All-ODAC selection this season after setting a school record with a .457 batting average. She also led the team in RBIs this season, driving in 57 runners, also a new school record.
Freshman outfielder Crystal Hileman (St. Paul, VA/St. Paul) was named to the Honorable Mention All-State team. In her rookie season, Hileman set a school record by blasting nine homeruns over the outfield wall.