Softball | June 13, 2023

AUGUSTA, Ga.  – Three University of South Carolina Aiken softball standouts have been named to the PBC Team of Academic Distinction, presented by Barnes & Noble College.

Taylor Butts, Holly Daum and Lakyn Phillips have been named to the team.

Butts holds a 3.547 GPA in exercise and sports science. Daum carried a 3.500 GPA in business administration while Phillips sports a 3.643 GPA in chemistry.

Butts saw time in 51 games, earning 49 starts. She crushed a pair of home runs on the season. Butts led the team with 63 assists on the season and helped turn a pair of double plays. Her highlight-reel catch against No. 2 North Georgia in the PBC Tournament secured the upset victory.

Daum started 51 games on the season. She led the team with nine sacrifice hits and had eight extra-base hits, including her first career round-tripper. Daum had numerous highlight-reel catches in the outfield and recorded four assists on the year.

Phillips led the team with 11 wins and a pair of saves while tossing 15 complete games. She struck out 139 batters on the season and threw a no-hitter while striking out eight in the win over Benedict. Her season-high 13 strikeouts came in the victory over No. 12 Anderson. 

To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must 1) participate in at least half of his/her team's events and be either a starter or significant contributor; 2) achieved a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and 3) completed at least one full academic year at his or her current institution and has reached sophomore athletic eligibility. The Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Directors oversee the program.

Barnes & Noble College currently operates more than 1,400 campus bookstores and their school-branded e-commerce sites, serving more than 6 million college students and faculty nationwide. As a strategic partner, Barnes & Noble College is a retail and learning company. The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.