37 Big Ten Softball Students Earn NFCA All-Region Honors
12 conference schools represented on this year’s all-region teams
ROSEMONT, Ill. — A total of 37 Big Ten softball students from 12 different conference schools earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I All-Region honors, it was announced Thursday by the NFCA.
The awards honor softball students from the Association’s 10 regions with first-, second- and third-team selections. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to the 2019 NFCA Division I All-America squads. The NFCA will announce this year’s All-America selections at approximately 5 p.m. (ET) on May 29 on the Association’s web site, nfca.org.
Of the 37 Big Ten students to receive all-region accolades this year, 18 of them are prior Academic All-Big Ten honorees, including nine who have previously been recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholars. Five of this year’s Big Ten all-region standouts have earned Google Cloud Academic All-District plaudits from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), while 13 have received NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete citations at least once in their careers.
The following is a list of the Big Ten students who earned NFCA Division I All-Region honors this season. The full list of 2019 NFCA Division I All-Region Teams can be seen by CLICKING HERE.
Great Lakes Region First Team
P – Meghan Beaubien, Michigan
P – Amber Fiser, Minnesota*^+
P – Danielle Williams, Northwestern
C – Jordyn Rudd, Northwestern
1B – Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin
2B – Faith Canfield, Michigan
3B – Taylor Johnson, Wisconsin
OF – Lexie Blair, Michigan
OF – Natalie DenHartog, Minnesota
Great Lakes Region Second Team
P – Alex Storako, Michigan
P – Kaitlyn Menz, Wisconsin*
C – Katie Wingert, Rutgers
1B – Hope Brandner, Minnesota
2B – MaKenna Partain, Minnesota*
SS – Jess Hughes, Rutgers#
OF – Ebonee Echols, Michigan State
DP or UTL/Non-Pitcher – Anyssa Iliopoulos, Rutgers*^#
Great Lakes Region Third Team
P – Haley Hestekin, Wisconsin
1B – Alex Sobczak, Michigan**^+#
SS – Maeve Nelson, Northwestern
OF – Natalie Peters, Michigan**^
OF – Maddie Houlihan, Minnesota**^#
Midwest Region First Team
P – Tara Trainer, Indiana**##
P – Morgan Ray, Ohio State**^+##
C – Bella Loya, Illinois
2B – Emily Clark, Ohio State*
SS – Lilli Piper, Ohio State*#
OF – Kiana Sherlund, Illinois*#
OF – Carly Thomas, Illinois***^+#
Midwest Region Second Team
P – Allison Doocy, Iowa*#
3B – Jenny Behan, Purdue#
DP or UTL/Non-Pitcher – Maddie Westmoreland, Indiana
Midwest Region Third Team
P – Lauren Rice, Ohio State
C – Bri Cassidy, Nebraska**^#
SS – Tristen Edwards, Nebraska*#
3B – Annie Fleming, Illinois***^^++##
OF – Bri Betschel, Ohio State**
* – Academic All-Big Ten selection (number of asterisks indicates times chosen – 2019 honorees not yet announced)
^ – Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (number of carats indicates times chosen – 2019 honorees not yet announced)
+ – CoSIDA/Google Cloud Academic All-District selection (number of pluses indicates times chosen, including 2019 season – 2019 Academic All-America teams not yet announced)
# – NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete selection (number of hashtags indicates times chosen – 2019 honorees not yet announced)
