Paisley Earns NCCSIA All-State Honors
June 09, 2011 | Softball
June 9, 2011
DURHAM, N.C. - Senior Toni Paisley was named to the North Carolina Collegiate Sports Information Association (NCCSIA) University Division All-State Softball Team, according to an announcement by the organization Thursday. The all-state award is Paisley's second straight and third of her career as she also made the team her freshman year.
The eighth-annual NCCSIA team consists of NCAA Division I student-athletes from North Carolina colleges and universities. North Carolina sports information professionals submitted the nominees and NCCSIA members voted for the all-state team, which consists of two pitchers, one catcher, four infielders, three outfielders, one designated player and one utility player. NCCSIA selects all-state teams in the university (NCAA Division I) and college (Division II, III, NAIA) divisions for women's volleyball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's soccer, softball and baseball.
Paisley wrapped up her career as the East Carolina and Conference USA all-time leader in victories (118), strikeouts (1,290), innings pitched (1,088.0) and appearances (183). The whiff and win totals place her 17th and 18th, respectively, on the NCAA Division I career lists.
This season, Paisley captured her third-straight Conference USA Pitcher-of-the-Year award, joining Houston's Angel Shamblin (2006-08) as the only hurlers in league history to take home the top award in three consecutive campaigns. In C-USA action, Paisley posted a 12-5 mark with a 0.90 earned run average.
A top-25 finalist for the Amateur Softball Association of America's Player of the Year Award, Paisley recorded an ECU single-season record 396 strikeouts, passing her own mark of 356 from a year ago. She finished the campaign with a 32-13 record, a 1.03 ERA and was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Mideast All-Region First Team for the second-straight season. The Lakewood, Calif., native also helped the Pirates claim back-to-back Conference USA Tournament titles after going 3-0 and striking out 21 during the event.
Paisley's success was not limited to just the pitching circle, as she was a 2011 Capital One Academic All-District 3 Second Team honoree, a 2010-11 C-USA Softball All-Academic Team selection and a top-30 candidate for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
2011 NCCSIA All-State Softball Team (University Division)
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| P | Katy Hackett | Charlotte | Senior | Dacula, Ga. |
| P | Toni Paisley*% | East Carolina | Senior | Lakewood, Calif. |
| C | Tenaya Tucker# | Charlotte | Senior | Antelope, Calif. |
| INF | Alex Emeterio* | UNCG | Junior | Murrieta, Calif. |
| INF | Jackie Gonzalez | Elon | Senior | Suwanee, Ga. |
| INF | Kaitlin Merkt* | UNCG | Senior | Irvine, Calif. |
| INF | Amanda Miller | Campbell | Senior | Dunn, N.C. |
| OF | Allie Cashion | Appalachian State | Sophomore | Waxhaw, N.C. |
| OF | Carleigh Nester | Elon | Freshman | Kernersville, N.C. |
| OF | Tomeka Watson* | Elon | Sophomore | Jackson, Ga. |
| DP | Meghan Smith | Appalachian State | Sophomore | Stafford, Va. |
| UTL | Samantha Meenaghan | Gardner-Webb | Freshman | Atlantic Beach, Fla. |
* - 2010 NCCSIA All-State pick
# - 2009 NCCSIA All-State pick
% - 2007 NCCSIA All-State pick
