Rounding Third Softball

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has announced the 2021 Division III All-Americans. The teams, voted on by the DIII All-American Committee, is made up of 55 student-athletes from 41 different programs representing the NCAA’s eight regions.

First Team

P, Julie Graf, St. Olaf College

P, Cami Henry, DePauw University

P, Kennedy Carruth, Belhaven University

C, Jessica Goldyn, Virginia Wesleyan University

1B, Claire Fountain, George Fox University

2B, Sadie Erickson, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

3B, Savannah Vargas, George Fox University

SS, Sarah Reinert, Alvernia University

OF, Taylor Skraba, Benedictine University (IL)

OF, Kelly Jurden, Texas Lutheran University

OF, Abby Mace, Salisbury University

UT/P, Alex Braun, Emory & Henry College

DP or UT/Non-P, Kenzie Dore, Husson University

At-Large-P, Hanna Hull, Virginia Wesleyan University

At-Large-1B, Angela Huepfel, St. Catherine University (MN)

At-Large-SS, Sarah Miller, Case Western Reserve University

At-Large-UT/P, Brooke Matyasovsky, Eastern Connecticut State University

At-Large-DP or UT/Non-P, Rebecca Snow, Texas Lutheran University

Second Team

P, Jessica Wilcox, Alfred University

P, Sydney Goldman, Brandeis University

P, Gina Followell, Concordia University Wisconsin

C, Becca St. Germain, DePauw University

1B, Kaleigh O’Brien, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

2B, Taylor Campbell, Maryville College (TN)

3B, Sydney Schultz, Luther College

SS, Ashley Lugo, Alfred University

OF, Cassie Woods, Eastern Connecticut State University

OF, Sarah Johnson, Geneva College

OF, Kelly O’Gorman, SUNY Cortland

UT/P, Riley Shields, Alvernia University

DP or UT/Non-P, Allison O’Toole, Alfred University

At-Large-UT/P, Emily Trotman, St. John Fisher College

At-Large-3B, Kaitlyn Hasty, Christopher Newport University

At-Large-C, Jenna Trewyn, Milwaukee School of Engineering

At-Large-2B, Hannah Garcia, East Texas Baptist University

At-Large-P, Hannah Tomasko, Aurora University

Third Team

P, Brooke Stock, Babson College

P, Elly Novak, College of Saint Benedict

P, Ashlyn Strother, Texas Lutheran University

C, Brooke Wehr, Moravian College

1B, Lexi Szesnat, SUNY Cortland

2B, Kylee Bundy, Pennsylvania State University, Behrend

3B, Mackenzie McIntire, Pennsylvania State University, Behrend

SS, Becky Pieroni, Concordia University Chicago

OF, Samantha Schattin, Stevens Institute of Technology

OF, Annie Clayton, Birmingham-Southern College

OF, Grace Heath, University of Mount Union

UT/P, Olivia Howe, The College of St. Scholastica

DP or UT/Non-P, Anna Jackson, Berry College

At-Large-1B, Hannah Matthies, St. Olaf College

At-Large-SS, Alehia Tucker, Mount St. Joseph University

At-Large-C, Hannah Ritter, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh

At-Large-1B, Kaci Sherwood, Wartburg College

At-Large-P, Emily Seale, Virginia Wesleyan University

At-Large-DP or UT/Non-P, Tauryn Cummings, East Texas Baptist University

Western Illinois assistant coach Collin Hopkins will join the coaching staff for the USA Junior Men’s National team for the summer. Hopkins will assist USA Softball as a pitching coach. A former player in the National Team Player Pool, he competed for the 18U Team USA squad. Hopkins just finished his first season on the the Leathernecks coaching staff.

The House of Mouse must have a softball fan. Collegiate Softball is coming to major network television as the Super Regional matchup between No. 1 national seed Oklahoma and No. 16 seed Washington will air this weekend on the ABC Network. The game being played in Norman will start at 3 pm EST on Saturday, and will be Game 2 of the Super Regional between the Sooners and Huskies. ABC along with ESPN is owned by parent company Disney.

Seeds and matchups are set for the NCAA Division III Championship Finals. The participating teams represent the eight regional champions crowned over the weekend. The DIII Championship will be held May 27-June 1 in Salem, Virginia.

Participating teams, matchups, and seeding:

No. 1 DePauw

No. 8 Wisconsin-Oshkosh

No. 4 Texas Lutheran

No. 5 Tufts

No. 2 Virginia Wesleyan

No. 7 St. Thomas

No. 3 Birmingham-Southern

No. 6 Rochester

Seeds and matchups are set for the NCAA Division II Championship Finals. The participating teams represent the eight regional champions crowned over the weekend. The DII Championship will be held May 27-31 in Denver, Colorado.

Participating teams, matchups, and seeding:

No. 1 Augustana

No. 8 Valdosta State

No. 4 North Georgia

No. 5 Biola

No. 2 St. Anselm

No. 7 West Chester

No. 3 Grand Valley State

No. 6 West Texas A&M

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA ) will induct Arizona Director of Recruiting/Operations Stacy Iveson into the associations Hall of Fame. As a head coach Iveson built National Championship programs at both Pima Community College and Yavapai College. She collected National Championship wins in 2004, 2006, 2009, and 2011. Iveson was NJCAA National Coach of the Year on those four occasions.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) has announced fifteen finalists for the 2021 Schutt Sports/NFCA Division III National Pitcher and Player of the Year. The award honors the outstanding athletic achievements among softball student-athletes throughout NCAA Division III.

The fifteen finalist list includes:

Kennedy Carruth, So. P, Belhaven University

Kenzie Dore, Fr. INF, Husson University

Sadie Erickson, So. 2B, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Claire Fountain, Jr. 1B, George Fox University

Jessica Goldyn, Grad. C, Virginia Wesleyan University

Julie Graf, Sr. P, St. Olaf College

Cami Henry, Jr. P, DePauw University

Hanna Hull, Grad. P, Virginia Wesleyan University*

Kelly Jurden, Jr. OF, Texas Lutheran University

Abby Mace, So. OF, Salisbury University

Brooke Matyasovsky, Jr. UTIL, Eastern Connecticut State University

Sarah Miller, Sr. INF, Case Western Reserve University

Sarah Reinert, Jr. SS, Alvernia University

Taylor Skraba, Jr. OF, Benedictine University (Ill.)

Savannah Vargas, Sr. 3B, George Fox University

Georgia Southern wasted little time filling their open head coaching position. Former Georgia Tech Coach Sharon Perkins has been named to lead the Eagles. Perkins was 290-138 in seven seasons leading the Yellow Jackets from 2007-2013. Georgia Tech won three Atlantic Coast Conference championships and advanced to NCAA postseason play six times in Perkins tenure. She takes over a GSU program that was 17-26 in 2021.

USA Softball has named Lisa Navas to the Junior Women’s National Team Coaching Staff. Navas spent the last nine seasons on the coaching staff at South Carolina. The veteran coach joins USA Softball assisting JWNT Head Coach Kyla Holas at the upcoming Selection Trials next month in Oklahoma City. Navas will then serve as an assistant coach with the team at WBSC U-18 World Cup in Peru and the Junior Pan American Games in Columbia later this summer and fall.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) will induct longtime Blinn College Softball Coach Rick Church into the associations Hall of Fame. Church ranks 14th all-time in JUCO wins. In 24 seasons as a head softball coach in the NJCAA, Church has compiled a 928-403 record. He coached seven teams to the NJCAA Division I Softball Championship Tournament in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and most recently in 2015.