Thomas Twins Earn NFCA All-Region Honors
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Juniors Lindsay Thomas and Nicole Thomas were named to the National Fastpitch coaches Association (NFCA) All-Mideast Region team, announced Thursday by NFCA.
Lindsay Thomas made second team All-Region as a catcher for the second-straight season and Nicole Thomas made second team All-Region as a utility/pitcher for the first time.
Lindsay Thomas had a stellar season hitting .345 at the plate off 51 hits, 30 runs scored, six doubles, 11 home runs and a career high 52 RBI. She is a three-time first team All-SoCon and a two-time second team All-Region with 41 career home runs. The Irvine, Calif. native led the team with 14 games with multiple runs batted in and had multiple hits in 12 games. L. Thomas tied for the team lead with four home runs against conference opponents and drove in 17 RBI. In postseason play, she hit a go-ahead three run home run to help UNCG defeat ETSU, 5-2, in the SoCon Tournament.
Nicole Thomas also earned second team All-Region after landing on the third team last season. N. Thomas is a two-time first team All-SoCon at utility and has made a All-Region in back-to-back seasons. The Irvine, Calif. native hit a career high .388 off 57 hits, 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBI. She tied the school record with a 16-game hitting streak earlier in the season. N.Thomas recorded a hit or a walk in 42 of 47 games and was second on the team with eight wins, 16 starts and 100 innings as a pitcher. She finished second on the team having multiple hits in 13 games.
The Blue and Gold finished the season with a 25-22 record producing a third-straight winning season and won a postseason game for the third straight year.
Dowdy Tabbed NFCA All-Region
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association released its' 2015 All-Region Teams on Thursday, May 14. Samford softball junior outfielder Megan Dowdy earned a spot on the NFCA All-Region Third Team for the first time in her career.
Dowdy had one of the most successful seasons a Samford hitter could have after setting both the single season and career record for most hits. She boasted a SoCon leading .437 average at the plate with Samford single-season record 86 hits that included 12 doubles, three triples and two home runs.
The Fairhope, Alabama native also earned the top spot in the Samford record books after recording a career 192 hits over just three seasons as a starter for the Bulldogs. Dowdy also ranks 41st in the nation as one of the toughest to strikeout out as she only did so nine times in 197 at-bats.
This is the first NCFA All-Region selection in program history for the Bulldogs.
Blanco Garners NFCA Regional Honors
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – One day before the Chattanooga Mocs softball team takes on South Alabama in its 10th NCAA Regional appearance, junior Criket Blanco was named to the NFCA South Region Third team.
This season, the second baseman has recorded career-best performances batting .364 with 47 hits, 30 runs, seven homeruns and 31 RBI. Registering a .597 slugging percentage and a .456 on base percentage, Blanco is tied for a team-best 16 multi-hit games.
Defensively, the Tennessee native leads the Mocs with 108 assists while adding in 101 putouts for a .950 fielding percentage.
Bishop Named To NFCA All-South Region Third Team
GREENVILLE, S.C. - Furman shortstop Sieara Bishop has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-South Region Third Team in voting by the region's head coaches, it was announced on Thursday.
A native of Hendersonville, N.C., Bishop batted .375 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs and 37 RBI en route to earning Southern Conference Player of the Year honors and first team All-SoCon accolades this season. Her .637 slugging percentage and .473 on base percentage were the best by a Paladin in the last decade, and her 10 home runs established a new single season school record. The junior also committed just nine errors in 56 games to rank among the league's leading defensive shortstops by fielding at a .961 clip.
Bishop hit .429 with five doubles, three homers and 15 RBI in 18 SoCon games to lead the Paladins to a 10-8 record and fourth place finish. At the SoCon Tournament, Bishop belted a two-out grand slam in the seventh inning to propel the Paladins to a 6-3 come-from-behind victory over Samford in an elimination game as Furman went on to finish in third place.
Led by the production of Bishop in the middle of the lineup, Furman went 31-25 to record its most victories since the 2000 season and set a new school record with 54 home runs on the season. The Paladins also posted a top 100 RPI for the second straight season.
Bishop is the first Paladin to earn NFCA All-South honors since second baseman Morgan Hughey was named to the first team in 2011.
Mercer's Stevens Named NFCA All-South Region Third Team