STATESBORO - Georgia Southern senior first baseman Faith Shirley has earned a spot on the 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Softball squad, announced today by league officials.

Shirley is the first baseman on the 15-person squad, which was voted on by the league's head coaches. The Winston, Ga., native hit .304 with 13 doubles, nine home runs and 25 RBI a year ago for the Eagles, slugging .594. She ranked fourth in the Sun Belt and 47th in NCAA Division I in doubles per game (0.32) and was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on April 13 for helping the Eagles to their Sun Belt series win at Coastal Carolina, hitting .500 and slugging 1.100 in Georgia Southern's three games.

The senior already ranks ninth on the Georgia Southern career home run chart with 22 career home runs, and her career .558 slugging percentage is tops among Eagle players with at least 250 at-bats.

"What a well deserved honor for Faith to be chosen for the Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team at first base," Georgia Southern Head Softball Coach Sharon Perkins said. "She is the epitome of what it means to be blue collar day in and day out for us. Faith is a vocal leader but also leads by example for her teammates." 

This is the first preseason All-Conference honor for Shirley in her career.

Shirley and the Eagles open up the 2022 season on Friday, February 11, hosting the Bash in the Boro tournament at Eagle Field. Georgia Southern faces Binghamton at 4 p.m. in its first action of the tourney.