McKenna Hughes

2004 NCAA All-Regional All-Tournament Team
2005 SEC Academic Honor Roll
2006 SEC Academic Honor Roll

OUTLOOK
Enters the season just three home runs shy of becoming South Carolina[apos]s all-time career leader … Very versatile player … Will primarily play catcher this season, but can also play infield and outfield. … Has good power … Has led the team in RBI for three consecutive seasons …A solid team leader … Has played seven of nine positions during her career, excluding pitcher and centerfield.

2006
Saw action at catcher, first, third, short, right and left field … Provided the winning run in win over Pitt (2/10) with her 16th career home run … Led the team in home runs for the season with seven … Hit an RBI double to score the game winning run against Campbell … Went 3-for-4 with one run and three RBI in game two against Campbell … Named to the Tar Heel Invitational All-Tournament team … Scored the winning run against Princeton … Scored the tying run against Memphis … Led the team in slugging percentage and total bases … Hit .282 with runners on base and hit .217 with at least two outs … With runners in scoring position, she hit .346 … Advanced runners 19 times to lead the team … Recorded nine multiple-hit games … Led the team with eight multiple-RBI games … Her longest hitting streak of the season was five games … Recorded a career season high 11 doubles, which also led the team. … SEC Academic Honor Roll.

2005
Team[apos]s leading home run hitter with eight last season … Hit her first career grand slam on 3/5 against South Dakota State … Was one of two players to hit a grand slam that game … Was second on the team in runs scored with 28 … Co-leader in doubles with 10 … For the second consecutive season, she drove in the most runs, 36 … Recorded 11 multi-RBI games which tied her sixth in the SEC … Recorded a career high four RBI in two games: vs. UNC-Greensboro and South Dakota State … Was the fourth leading hitter … Third on the team in slugging percentage behind former standout Meghan Cornett and sophomore Jessica Josker … Recorded a .364 average with bases loaded … Was named to the 2005 SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll.

2004
Was named to the All-Tournament team at the NCAA Region 1 in Tucson … Scored a career high four runs in game one against Coastal Carolina … Her first collegiate start was game two against Charlotte (2/8) … Went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs to record her first collegiate hit and RBI …Her second hit of the game was her first career double … Hit her first career home run against Charleston on Feb. 21 … Hit her second home run against Radford on Feb. 22 and recorded a career-high four RBI … Led the team in hitting during the Gamecock Invitational with a .429 average (3-for-7) … Also led the team in RBI with five … Scored three runs in the tournament as well … Her three-run home run against Radford put USC in the lead after being down 3-2 … Started all but one SEC game … Recorded a six-game hit streak… Had three RBI vs. Furman… Went 4-for-6 with five runs and four RBI in the Coastal Carolina series (4/28) … Hit winning home run to beat Coastal Carolina 2-1 in game two … In the final day of the NCAA Regional, went 3-for-8 with two runs and five RBI … Belted seven home runs, the most by any Gamecock freshman in a single season since Tina Plew in 1994 (6).

High School
Graduated from Brookland-Cayce … Member of two-time SC State Champion Team (2000 and 2002) … 2003 Wendy High School Heisman nominee … Was coached by Richard Lundy … Three-time region champions … Three-time all-state selection … Also played volleyball for three years … Three-time all-region and all-area selection.

Personal
Full name is McKenna Shea Hughes … Nickname is McKay … Major is business … Born July 8, 1985 … Parents are Mike and Linda Hughes … Has a brother, Kevin … Chose USC over Auburn, College of Charleston and Furman … Enjoys reading, watching movies and listening to music.^TMTM

Fifth-Inning Stretch with McKenna…

Best dressed teammate: Becky Martinez

I model my game after: No one in particular. It is more of a culmination of what I have learned by watching others play over the years and the way my teammates play.

My dream job would be: Something that changed every day and I always looked forward to going to.

Fiercest competitor on the team: Chrissy Schoonmaker

Favorite former Gamecock SB player: Megan Matthews

First memory of South Carolina: Moving into the dorms and meeting one of my freshman roommates at the sign in table.

The South Carolina record list you would like to see your name on: Home runs

Vegetable you refuse to eat: Brussels sprouts

Favorite place to eat in Columbia: My parents[apos] house

When the going gets tough, I: Try harder, put more time in, and try to get through whatever it is that is tough.

One message I want to get across to my teammates is: I want this season to be fun. and the harder you work and more time you put in, the better the outcome will be.

Favorite quote: ‘What? Am I not turtley enough for the turtle club?’ – Master of Disguise

^TMTM