TIFTON—Lee Davis Watson, who helped the Golden Fillies’ softball team compile a record 42-game winning streak in 1994, has been selected as a member of the Class of 2022 of the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Athletics Hall of Fame. She will be honored at a 6 p.m. dinner on April 1 in Gressette Gym.
ABAC Athletics Director Alan Kramer said the 2022 class also includes the 2002 women’s state championship basketball team, tennis player German Dalmagro, three sport athlete Clayt Hurst, soccer standout Nikita Morris, tennis player, coach, and contributor Margaret Treadway, contributor and volunteer assistant softball coach James Winfred “Vic” Vickers, contributor and volunteer assistant softball coach Jimmy Spurlin, and Director of Public Relations Emeritus Mike Chason.
Under the direction of Coach Ellen Vickers, who was named to the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009, the Golden Fillies rolled up a 52-2 regular season record in 1994, which included the incredible 42-game winning streak.
Watson, a Tift County High School graduate, hit .535 for the season and scored 78 runs. In a sweep of Middle Georgia, Watson went seven for 10 and had six runs batted in from her leadoff spot. ABAC recorded a perfect 24-0 record in league play during the year.
In the 1994 state tournament, ABAC defeated Reinhardt 4-2, Dekalb 10-2, Brunswick 12-1 and Dekalb 17-0, to win the state championship, the Fillies’ sixth state title in seven years.
In the national tournament, ABAC knocked off Dekalb 14-2, beat Faulkner 4-2, and then lost to Tallahassee 10-7 and Lake City 5-4. ABAC finished fourth in the national tournament with a final record of 58-4.
Watson was selected for the National Junior College Athletic Assocation All-America team in both 1993 and 1994. During her freshman season in 1993, Watson hit .750 in the Shelton State Buccaneer Classic when ABAC posted four straight wins to win the tournament title. ABAC defeated Wallace State in the title game when Watson went three for three.
In the 1993 state tournament, Watson was named to the All-Tournament team when the Golden Fillies finished second to Andrew. She hit .448 for the tournament.
In the 1993 national tournament, ABAC lost its first two games to Dekalb 11-7 and Calhoun 10-5. The Golden Fillies finished with an overall record of 49-12.
“ABAC was the perfect place for me to continue my education and also play the sport I love,” Watson said. “Being able to play softball for Coach Vickers in my hometown surrounded by family and friends made my experience that much sweeter. ABAC groomed me and helped me find a career that I love and am still passionate about today.
“Although I am a very competitive person and like to win, my most cherished memories at ABAC are the relationships I formed during my time there. I made some great friends playing ball, and I also experienced positive support from professors when I needed it most.”
The Athletics Hall of Fame dinner is a part of the 2022 ABAC Homecoming celebration. For more information on Homecoming, interested persons can visit www.abac.edu/homecoming or contact the ABAC alumni office at alumni@abac.edu.
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