The season might not quite be finished yet for softball, but the National Fastpitch Coaches Association has clearly seen enough.
Three Maroons were named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All–Great Lakes Region team, the organization announced Tuesday. Third-year ace Petra Wade and fourth-year designated hitter Kate Rhodes were picked for the second team, while second-year catcher Vanessa Pineros was selected for the third.
Filling the giant hole at the top of the rotation left open by third-year All-American Hannah Roberts’s choice not to return to the team, Wade did an admirable job, going 18–7 with a 1.22 ERA and five shutouts in the regular season. The durable righty set school single-season records in appearances (32), starts (27), and innings pitched (172.0), while striking out 158. She will likely start every game of the playoffs for the Maroons, and earned a three-hit shutout yesterday as Chicago got by Coe 1–0 in the first round.
With runs frequently at a premium in softball, the contributions of Rhodes to the squad’s postseason run cannot be ignored. The senior led the team in RBI with 14 and recorded a regular season batting average of .282. She has slugged .322 over 33 total games this year.
Pineros joined the designated hitter as a power slugger, with the pair tying for second in doubles with four on the year. She led the team in hitting, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage and started 25 games. She also stole three bases and recorded 132 putouts.
It was the first All-Region selection for all three players.