Three named to softball all-region team: Sports Shorts 5/12/06
May 12, 2006
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.