April 04, 2019 / By mobanmarket
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association is pleased to announce the 2016 NFCA NAIA All-American teams.
This year’s squad is comprised of 33 players, representing 24 schools across the five NFCA geographic regions.
Click HERE for complete list of All-Americans.
National champion Oklahoma City University led the way with four selections, three on the first team. Campbellsville University and Indiana Wesleyan University garnered three honors, while Arizona Christian University and St. Gregory’s University earned two nods apiece.
Representing the Stars (69-3) on the first team are second baseman Kyndra Holasek, third baseman Madison Ellis and at-large selection Kali Pugh. This trio played a key role in the program’s ninth national championship. Holasek, a three-time All-American, boasted a .433 average, an NAIA-high 30 doubles, 103 hits, five triples, seven homers, 57 RBI, 75 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. Ellis, a senior, earned her first All-American recognition after hitting .431 with 84 hits, 20 doubles, four triples, 13 long balls, 68 RBI and 51 runs scored. Pugh, the Sooner Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year, made an immediate impact. Starting all 70 games, she hit .417 with 100 hits, 20 doubles, five triples, 68 RBI and a team-best 15 home runs and 84 runs scored.
Headlining the pitchers is three-time All-American Nicole Nonnemacher of St. Xavier. The two-time NAIA Pitcher of the Year was a key cog in the Cougars’ run to the NAIA National Championship game. Nonnemacher finished her senior campaign 31-6 with a 1.00 ERA, 17 shutouts and NAIA-best 455 strikeouts to just 57 walks in 266 innings, while hold her opponents to a mere .129 batting average. She also put up strong offensive numbers, batting .367 with nine doubles, 40 RBI and 36 runs scored.
Taking home first-team catcher’s honors for the second year in-a-row is Reinhardt University’s Randi Wimpy. A three-time Appalachian Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Wimpy, a senior, was second on the RU squad in the three triple crown categories with a .429 batting average, 10 home runs and 64 RBI. Courtesy of 36 walks, she led the squad with a .537 on-base percentage and also recorded 21 doubles and 55 runs scored.
Central Methodist University’s Lauren Geringer was tabbed an All-American for the first time after a fantastic senior campaign at first base. The senior and Heart of America Conference Player of the Year finished the season with a .330 batting average, and finished second in the NAIA with 22 home runs and a team-high 71 RBI. Geringer also registered a team-best 56 runs, was second on the squad with 15 doubles and posted a .995 fielding percentage.
Campbellsville University’s Jacqueline Roof rounds out the infield selections. The sophomore was named a first-team All-Region selection and was an offensive force for the Tigers in 2016. She hit a team-best .432 and led the Tigers with 67 hits, 16 home runs, 66 runs scored, a .549 on-base percentage and .839 slugging percentage. Roof also recorded 13 doubles, and 47 RBI.
Garnering the three outfield selections are senior Kendra Tott of Grand View University, Kaylee James of the University of the Cumberlands and Abby Beasley of Arizona Christian University. Tott, a first-team Heart of America Conference selection, started all 54 games this season and led the team with a .436 batting average, 72 hits and 18 doubles. She finished second on the team with 43 RBI, 10 home runs and 45 runs scored. A first-team All-Mid-South Conference honoree, James hit .495 with 92 hits, 46 runs scored and 43 stolen bases, all team highs. The Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year batted .466 with 75 hits, 15 doubles, seven home runs, 43 RBI, 49 runs scored and recorded a .545 on-base percentage.
Ashli Hafford of St. Gregory’s University earns the first-team plaudit at designated player. Hafford, a sophomore, led the NAIA with a .932 slugging percentage and ranked third in home runs (3rd) and fourth with 74 RBI. The Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year topped the league with a .480 batting average and program-record 18 round trippers, while helping the Lady Cavaliers reach the NAIA World Series.
Southeastern University’s Cat Maldonado and Indiana Wesleyan’s Alex Springer take home first-team utility and at-large plaudits, respectively, for the second straight season. Maldonado played an important in Southeastern’s third-place finish at the NAIA World Series. The first-team NFCA all-region selection hit .351 this season with 17 doubles, 13 home runs, and 66 RBI. She has also finished 9-4 in the circle with a 2.79 ERA.
Springer, the Crossroads League Co-Player of the Year, led the NAIA with 23 home runs, 87 RBI and 178 total bases. She hit .416 on the season and also ranked top-10 nationally with 89 hits (7th) and an .832 slugging percentage (5th).
Rounding out the at-large selections are Auburn University at Montgomery’s Taylor Powell, Freed-Hardeman University’s Caitlyn Carter and Marian University’s Logan Personett. Powell earns the nod at pitcher for the Warhawks. The Southern States Conference Pitcher of the Year led the NAIA with 35 wins and was second with a 0.76 ERA. She posted a 35-5 mark with 16 shutouts, 301 strikeouts in 250 innings of work and held her opposition to a .151 batting average, which was sixth best in the country.
Carter, a sophomore, had an impressive season for the Lady Lions. The American Midwest Player of the Year sported a NAIA-best .504 batting average with 84 hits, six triples, 31 RBI and 48 runs scored. Her hits and triples ranked ninth overall in the country, while she was 20th in runs scored per game (1.043).
Wrapping up the first-team accolades is Personett, who is taking home her second All-American honor. The Crossroads League Co-Player of the Year led all of NAIA with 105 hits, ranked sixth with 60 runs scored and seventh with 1.75 hits per game. She also led the program with a .467 average, 19 doubles, seven stolen bases, a .483 on-base percentage and .560 slugging percentage.
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