CONWAY, Ark. – The preseason awards have been released by the ASUN in preparation for softball season, and the Bears were recognized for a couple of returning youngsters from last season. Sophomores Addie Graham and Kaitlyn Graham were honored with spots on the Preseason All-ASUN Team, while Addie was also voted as the league's Preseason Player of the Year, a first for Central Arkansas.
 
"I am extremely proud of both Addie and Kaitlyn. While we all understand it's preseason, it still means a lot for those two to be recognized. They are both big pieces to our program and our success," Head coach Kayla Lucas said of the pair. "We have tasked them with growing up fast and they have stepped up to the occasion. Excited for Addie and Kaitlyn and can't wait to watch them continue to grow and succeed."
 
Addie was a First Team All-ASUN outfielder and ASUN Freshman of the Year after making a splash in her first collegiate season. She had the fourth-most hits (68) and the seventh-best batting average in the ASUN (.389), including 12 doubles and three home runs. Her 12 doubles ranked seventh in the ASUN, and she was ninth with an OB% of .449. Graham had 19 games of multiple hits, a 10-game hitting streak and nine games of multiple RBI. She had 96 putouts and nine assists from center field.
 
Kaitlyn was a Third Team All-ASUN selection, as well as an ASUN All-Freshman honoree. Graham finished third on the Bears with a batting average of .308, putting down 48 hits, including 11 doubles and three home runs. Her 11 doubles were tied for ninth in the ASUN, and her 31 RBI were good for 21st. She drew 26 walks as a freshman, the ninth-most among all ASUN hitters, and had the second-highest fielding percentage and number of putouts. She led the conference in double-plays turned with 24, more than ten ASUN teams last season.
 
The pair leads a team that brings back seven starters from last season's team, and the league noticed, placing the Bears in third place in the Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bears start their season on February 6^th, playing in Sam Houston's season-opening tournament.