Houston Garners Preseason All-Sun Belt Honors
NEW ORLEANS – App State senior outfielder Kayt Houston has earned preseason All-Sun Belt honors for the second consecutive season, the league announced Wednesday.
Houston enters her fourth season in the High Country and has stamped her name across the App State record book in her first three years in the Black and Gold. She has started all 149 games in her career for the Mountaineers while also becoming the first Mountaineer to earn backto-back All-Sun Belt honors, as she was named to the second team a season ago.
In 2023, she recorded a career-high .383 batting average, which was the fourthhighest in the Sun Belt, while also proving to be an extrabase threat as she posted a .545 slugging percentage on 18 extra-base hits. Houston also posted seven three-hit games a season ago and finished fifth in the Sun Belt with 64 hits.
The Rock Hill, S.C., native sits in the top 10 in multiple categories of the App State softball record book heading into the 2024 campaign. Most notably, Houston has the ninth-most hits in App State history (175), the sixth-most doubles (31) and seventhmost home runs (21).
Houston and the rest of the Mountaineers will open the 2024 season in Burlington, N.C., facing MAC opponent Kent State as part of a tournament hosted by Elon. The Black and Gold will play four games in Burlington from Feb. 9-11. First pitch on Friday, Feb. 9, is set for 5 p.m.
2024 SUN BELT CONFERENCE PRESEASON AWARDS
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Jessica Mullins, Texas State
PRESEASON ALL-SUN BELT TEAM
Lauren Allred, Louisiana Taylor McKinney, Troy Alexa Langeliers, Louisiana
Sydney Bickel, Marshall Brooke Ellestad, Louisiana Sara Vanderford, Texas State
Delaney
Carolina
Mihyia Davis, Louisiana Mackenzie Brasher, South Alabama
**Kayt Houston, App State**
Sophie Piskos, Louisiana Iyanla De Jesus, Coastal Carolina
Jessica
State
Olivia Lackie, South Alabama
Sam Landry, Louisiana
Keith, Coastal
Mullins,
Texas