UTM pair all-region in softball

Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2012 12:00 pm

STARKVILLE, Miss. — UT Martin softball players senior Chelsea Jones and junior Leah Taylor were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association 2012 NFCA Division I All-Region team, honoring student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions.
A total of 263 players representing 129 different institutions comprise this season’s regional teams, including first and second teams for each region.
Jones was named the Ohio Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year and earned All-OVC honors, while Taylor was named the OVC’s Player of the Year and also earned All-OVC first team honors.
Jones finished 28-10 on the year and sported a 2.21 ERA going into the NCAA Regional.
Taylor, who played centerfield, hit nearly .390.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, and all the honorees will now be eligible for selection to one of three 2012 NFCA Division I All-American teams.
Just five of the 129 teams that received an award this season had each of their six nominees selected to an all-region team. No. 2 Arizona State, No. 3 Alabama, No. 7 Louisiana-Lafayette, No 12 Oregon and No. 15 UCLA all placed six student-athletes on one of their respective region’s two teams.
Alabama was the only team this year to place all six of its nominees on its respective region’s first team. Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 5 Tennessee followed closely behind the Tide with five.
 first-team choices each.
California, the No. 1 overall seed in this weekend’s NCAA tournament, also made waves in this year’s awards with four first-team selections. Published in The WCP 5.22.12