Softball Trio Earns All-Region Honors
5/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 19, 2011
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The Baylor softball team had three players named to the 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region team the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced on Thursday. Dani Leal earned first-team honors, while Whitney Canion and Kathy Shelton were named to the second team. It marked the most since receiving four in 2009.
Leal led the Lady Bears in batting average (.364), home runs (14), RBI (38), on-base percentage (.485) and slugging percentage (.742). Her 14 home runs placed her in a tie for fifth overall, and were the sixth-most by a Baylor player in history.
Canion, who is tied for the program record in strikeouts with 759, is being named for the second time after earning first-team honors in 2009. She is 24-9 with a 1.28 ERA, while adding 265 strikeouts in 208.1 innings this season with 13 of her wins coming against NCAA teams.
Shelton is being named to the team for the first time after finishing second on the team with a .353 average. She led the squad with 30 stolen bases and 18 multi-hit games.
The postseason award was the second of the week for all three, as each were named first-team All-Big 12.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, and all the honorees will now be eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams. In addition, conference pitchers and players of the year not selected to the regional teams were added for All-America consideration.
