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Houston Christian University placed three players on the All-Southland Conference teams as voted on by the conference coaches and announced Monday afternoon on the eve of the 2023 Southland Tournament.

Outfielder AB Garcia and Haylie Savage were both selected to the First Team, while Avery Drake was a Second Team selection in the outfield. In addition, Garcia was tabbed the 2023 Southland Conference Freshman of the Year. 

A redshirt freshman left-fielder from Cypress, Garcia leads the SLC in both batting average (.423) and runs scored per game. She is second in the league in total hits with 60, and third in the league in stolen bases per game. She is 19-23 in that department for the season. 

Named to the TUCCI/NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25 watchlist, Garcia has two four-hit games among her 18 total multi-hit efforts, despite missing seven games.

Her Freshman of the Year superlative is the first such individual accolade for the Huskies since 2013, when the Schwirtlich sisters garnered both Freshman of the Year (Kirsten) and Newcomer of the Year (Lauren) honors.

A sophomore from Angleton, Savage was selected to the first team at third base, one season after earning third-team honors.

She currently leads the team in home runs (seven) and RBI (41) while batting .345 on the season with a team-best 19 multi hit games. She has three three-hit games, and one four-hit game, that coming at UTSA on April 4, when she clubbed two homers and drove in a career-high eight runs. 

She is second in the league in RBI, and tied for third in the SLC in total hits with 58. 

Rounding out the trio is Drake, the Huskies lone senior. The Belton native had 15 multi-hit games batting as the leadoff or number two hitter in the lineup, including three three-hit games and two with four. 

Drake is fourth in the league in hits (57) and eighth in the league in stolen bases per game. She is 17-19 on the season on the bases, giving her 39 for her career, which is fifth best in school history. 

This marks the third straight season the Huskies have placed at least three players on the All-Southland teams. 

SOUTHLAND ALL-CONFERENCE RELEASE AND TEAMS

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The Huskies (20-31 / 9-15 SLC) will be making their third straight appearance in the postseason. The Blue and Orange opens play in the 2023 Southland Conference Tournament on Tuesday, facing second-seeded Southeastern Louisiana. 

First pitch is slated for 2:30 pm on Joe Miller Field at Cowgirl Diamond.

HCU and SLU met in a three-game series on April 14-15, with the Lions taking two of three at Husky Field. SLU swept the Friday doubleheader 6-3 and 8-0, with the Huskies taking the series finale 4-3 on Saturday. 

The Lions are 44-12 overall and went 19-5 in SLC play, finishing two games back of regular season champion and tournament host McNeese. SLU features five All-SLC players, including Player and Hitter of the Year, Bailey Krolczyk. 

The winner will move on to face the winner of the game between third-seeded Nicholls and sixth-seeded Northwestern State.

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