STARKVILLE, Miss. - Elon University softball players Erin O'Shea, Tomeka Watson and Emerald Graham were named 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Mideast Region selections on Thursday according to an announcement made by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. O'Shea and Watson were selected to the first team while Graham was named to the second team. Watson, the 2010 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, and Graham were tabbed All-Southern Conference selections earlier this month.
The NFCA Division I All-Region teams honor student-athletes from 10 NFCA regions, and a total of 256 players from 116 different institutions comprise this season's regional teams.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region and all the honorees will now be eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams. The NFCA Division I All-American teams will be announced at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 2.
O'Shea, a first-team selection as a pitcher and utility player, leads the pitching staff with a 2.47 ERA and owns a 17-8 record with one save in 161.1 innings in the circle. She also leads the team with 108 strikeouts and has 13 complete games and four shutouts to her credit. At the plate, she is hitting at a .256 clip that includes two home runs and nine doubles this season. O'Shea, a Kennesaw, Ga. native, has accounted for 44 runs, driving in 24 and crossing the plate 20 times.
Watson, an all-freshmen, all-tournament and second-team all-conference left fielder from Jackson, Ga., started all 54 games this season, and became the first-ever Elon softball player to be named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year. She leads the Phoenix and all league freshmen with a .373 batting average. The Jackson, Ga. native has registered five doubles, a triple and seven home runs, including the game-winner against then-No. 16 North Carolina, during the regular season. She drove in 29 runs and crossed the plate 45 times, while striking out just 17 times in 177 official at bats. Her 24 stolen bases were also a team high. Watson has not committed an error in 84 chances in the outfield, giving her a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Graham picked up first-team All-Southern Conference honors, two Southern Conference Player of the Weeks and was the March Player of the Month as Elon's starting centerfielder. The junior from Newburgh, Ind. is hitting at a .349 clip, the sixth-best average in the conference, and is responsible for 91 runs this season. She scored 47 times and drove in 44 runs on seven doubles, two triples and nine home runs. She slugs a team-best .570 this season and has an on-base percentage of .437. She was perfect on the base paths, swiping 16 bases, which was the second-most on the team.
The trio will lead the Phoenix as it makes its first-ever appearance at the NCAA Softball Championship this weekend. Elon will take on Georgia at 5 p.m. on Friday evening.
STARKVILLE, Miss. - UNC Greensboro first baseman Alex Emeterio has been named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Mideast Region First Team, the NFCA announced Thursday.
Emeterio hit a career-best .382 on the season, the sixth-best mark in school history. The sophomore from Murrieta, Calif., led UNCG in average, runs (31), hits (66), slugging percentage (.555), walks (24) and on-base percentage (.468), setting career highs in every category but walks. She also had 13 doubles, five homers and 32 RBI, all career highs.
A first-team All-Southern Conference selection this season, Emeterio helped the Spartans to a 27-30 overall record and a 12-11 mark in the SoCon, UNCG's first winning league record since 2003. She hit .409 in league play.
The Spartans earned the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Championship and advanced to the title game for the first time in school history. Emeterio hit .500 in four games at the tournament (7-for-14) and was named to the all-tournament team.
Emeterio was tabbed the SoCon Player of the Week on April 26.
In just two years, Emeterio has moved into UNCG's career top 10 in batting average (third, .355), slugging percentage (fifth, .519) and walks (tied for ninth, 55). She was a SoCon All-Freshman Team selection last season.
Emeterio is UNCG's first all-region selection since Penny Thompson in 2002. She is now eligible to be named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams, which will be announced June 2.
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Junior third baseman Tiffany Baker (East Ridge, Tenn.) from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga softball team was honored on Thursday earning a spot on the 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fast Pitch Coaches Association Division I All-South Region Second Team. This is the second-consecutive season that Baker has been selected by the NFCA at a different position. She was chosen to the first team at second base in 2009.
In the off-season, Baker transitioned to the hot corner and continued to produce offensively leading the team in eight different offensive categories including doubles (9), home runs (14) and RBI (41). She is the all-time Chattanooga home run leader with 32 and has tied the single-season record with Angela Brewer (2001).
During the 2010 campaign, Baker registered a .331 batting average along with 50 hits. She also paced the squad with a .669 slugging percentage, .487 on-base percentage and drew 40 walks with seven of them being intentional.
Defensively, Baker compiled a .965 fielding percentage and only committed six errors in 56 regular season games for the Lady Mocs.
This is the second post-season award for Baker as she garnered All-Southern Conference First Team honors along with senior second baseman Tia Blosser (Knoxville, Tenn.) and junior outfielder Lyndsey Stiles (Hixson, Tenn.). Named to the second team was junior relief pitcher and closer Kandice Irwin (Knoxville, Tenn.), while first baseman Kasey Tydingco (Fairfield, Calif.) was selected to the all-freshman team.
The all-region team was voted up by NFCA member coaches within the region and the East Ridge, Tenn., native will be eligible for selection onto the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American first, second or third team. Baker is the seventh Chattanooga player to be named to the second team, while Kami Tucker (1998), Angela Brewer (2001) and Baker (2009) have been selected to the first team.
The Lady Mocs recorded their four-consecutive and 12th overall Southern Conference Regular Season Title, but their season came to a quick end at the SoCon Tournament on May 13. Chattanooga finished with a 39-17 overall record, while their 19-5 SoCon mark was the most victories by a conference member.