Shoemake, Price garner Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-American honors
SALEM, Va. — Carson-Newman sophomore catcher Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and senior outfielder Leah Price (Spring City, Tenn.) have been named 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Americans, officials announced Wednesday night at the NCAA Banquet of Champions in the Community Ballroom of the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.
SALEM, Va. — Carson-Newman sophomore catcher Bri Shoemake (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and senior outfielder Leah Price (Spring City, Tenn.) have been named 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Americans, officials announced Wednesday night at the NCAA Banquet of Champions in the Community Ballroom of the Salem Civic Center in Salem, Va.
Shoemake garnered second team honors, while Price received at-large third team honors. They become just the fifth and sixth Lady Eagles to receive NCAA All-American honors. C-N also had four All-Americans when it played in the NAIA. Shoemake and Price helped guide C-N to a 41-17-1 record this season and a berth to the NCAA Tournament for a seventh straight year.
"I'm proud of both Bri and Leah," C-N head coach Vickee Kazee-Hollifield said. "It's truly an honor for them and our program. Their production and contributions enabled us to get to where we were this season and was very instrumental in the success we had. We are just proud of the contributions these two young ladies made to our program."
Shoemake, who also earned first team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region and first team Daktronics All-Southeast Region honors, batted .397 on the season and led the SAC in hits with 77. She ranked third in the conference in runs scored with 47 and also produced 41 RBIs, eight doubles, one triple and 11 home runs. Shoemake finished the year with a fielding percentage of .985 and had only 12 stolen bases against in 31 attempts.
Price, also a first team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region and first team Daktronics All-Southeast Region selection, closed out her stellar Lady Eagle career with her best season statistically. She started all 59 games for C-N and ranked third in the conference with a .401 batting average. Price, who was also a first team Daktronics All-Southeast Region selection, ranked second in the SAC in both hits (69) and stolen bases (30). She also produced six doubles, four triples, 37 runs scored and 34 RBIs.
C-N was the only South Atlantic Conference program with All-American selections and the only program from the Southeast Region with more than one selection. Ten schools had two players named to one of the three teams this season, while 26 schools placed one each. Seven of the eight teams vying for this year's national title combined to place a total of nine players, including five on the first team.
Two of three pitchers named to this year's first team will be on display this weekend in Salem, as Jessica Coan of North Georgia and Brittney Tanner of Midwestern State both received the honor. Coan is currently 27-4 on the year with a 0.95 ERA and 326 strikeouts, while Tanner is 30-8 with a 1.49 ERA and 336 strikeouts.
The other pitcher named to this year's first team was Rollins' Hope Bitzer, who ended her season with the nation's lowest ERA, at just 0.61, and a near-perfect 18-1 record. The Tars were the only team to nab two first-team selections this year as Bitzer's battery-mate Christine Roser made the team as a catcher. Roser led Rollins in batting average at .415 while driving in 48 runs and committing only two errors in over 400 total chances.
Also earning a nod at catcher this season was Lacy Mauro of Bloomsburg, one of just three two-time All-Americans on the first team this season. After being names as a third-team selection in 2010, Mauro jumped up to the first team this year by leading the Huskies offensively with a .404 batting average and allowing just four passed balls all season.
Earning the at-large spot on this year's first team was another pitcher that is looking to help guide her team to the title this weekend, Erin Holloway on Indiana (PA). Holloway won 27 of her 30 decisions this year while striking out 236 batters and limiting opponents .154 batting average.
Third baseman Nicole Hagenah of C.W. Post also played a key role in helping lead her team to Salem by hitting .468 with 14 homeruns, 61 RBIs and 26 walks. Rounding out the first team selections that will be playing for the national crown was Mary Kelly of Alabama-Huntsville, who made the team as a utility player/non-pitcher. Kelley, who split time in the outfield and behind the plate this season, is currently hitting .383 and has tallied a team-high 17 doubles to go along with five home runs.
Earning the first base spot on this year's team was Molly Link of Winona State. Link started all 50 games for the Warriors this season and batted .428 while driving in 53 runs. Joining Link in the infield was Armstrong Atlantic second baseman April Jowers. Jowers turned in the third-highest batting average in the country this season at .497, while stealing 28 bases and committing just two errors in the field.
Rounding out the infield on this year's first team was shortstop Bailey Vrazel of Texas Woman's University. Vrazel was a terror on the base paths for the Pioneers this year, stealing 74 of 77 bases. In addition to leading the nation in stolen bases, Vrazel led her team with a whopping .423 batting average.
This year's outfield featured two first-time honorees and a player earning her second consecutive first-team honor. West Texas A&M's Kim LeComte helped guide the Lady Buffs to their first-ever super regional appearance, while earning her second first-team honor in as many years. LeComte hit .386 this year, while belting a team-high 14 homeruns and slugging an astronomical .707.
The final two outfield spots on the first team went to Grace Slone Collins of Barry and Katelyn Lovato of Adams State. Collins helped the Buccaneers to their first regional appearance since 2008 by batting .433, while scoring 42 runs and driving in an additional 20. Meanwhile, Lovato was a force to be reckoned with for the Grizzlies as she tallied an even 100 hits on the year and finished the season with a .520 on-base percentage.
The designated player spot on this year's first team went to Grand Valley State's Katie Martin. Martin led the nation's hottest hitting offense this season with a .468 batting average, a .898 slugging percentage and a .543 on-base percentage.
The final spot on this year's first team went to utility/pitcher Lindsey Slocum of Nebraska Omaha. Slocum, who was a 2010 first teamer at the same position, batted .299 and drove in 38 runs at the plate, while also winning 15 games and striking out 166 batters from inside the circle.
2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Americans
FIRST TEAM
Pitcher Hope Bitzer Rollins College
Pitcher Jessica Coan North Georgia College & State University
Pitcher Brittney Tanner Midwestern State University
Catcher Lacy Mauro % Bloomsburg University
Catcher Christine Roser +~ Rollins College
First Base Molly Link Winona State University
Second Base April Jowers Armstrong Atlantic State University
Third Base Nicole Hagenah C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University
Shortstop Bailey Vrazel Texas Woman's University
Outfield Grace Slone Collins Barry University
Outfield Kimberly LeComte ^ West Texas A&M University
Outfield Katelyn Lovato Adams State College
Designated Player Katie Martin Grand Valley State University
Util./Pitcher Lindsey Slocum ^ University of Nebraska at Omaha
Util./Non-Pitcher Mary Kelley The University of Alabama in Huntsville
At Large/P Erin Holloway Indiana University of Pennsylvania
SECOND TEAM
Pitcher Torie Bunzell % Quincy University
Pitcher Camille Gaito University of California, San Diego
Pitcher Beth Haley University of Nebraska at Omaha
Catcher Alisa Heronema ~ Regis University (CO)
Catcher Bri Shoemake Carson-Newman College
First Base Chrissy Stalf Humboldt State University
Second Base Angela Mahan Emporia State University
Third Base Kelsey Rummel University of Indianapolis
Shortstop Marti Littlefield # Valdosta State University
Outfield Alison Allen % Wayne State University
Outfield Elena Bennett Midwestern State University
Outfield Chelsea Harold University of New Haven
Designated Player Lindsay Erickson Minnesota State University, Mankato
Util/Pitcher Brianna Smith Barry University
Util/Non-Pitcher Kristen Jones Augusta State University
At Large/OF Ashley Gates Northern Kentucky University
THIRD TEAM
Pitcher Katie Goetzinger % Wayne State College
Catcher Amanda Self Emporia State University
First Base Megan McCormick % Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Second Base Hope Cornell Shippensburg University
Third Base Traci Fransen Augustana College
Shortstop (Tie) Christina Gelardi University of New Haven
Shortstop (Tie) Jillian Russell California University of Pennsylvania
Outfield Valisha Fincher University of West Alabama
At-Large/C Kathy Crudo Winona State University
At-Large/P Kayla Jackson + University of Arkansas at Monticello
At-Large/3B Nicole Henninger Kutztown University
At-Large/OF Jeana Keyes Southeastern Oklahoma State University
At-Large/OF Leah Price Carson-Newman College
At-Large/OF Felicia Viveiros Humboldt State University
KEY
^ 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II First-Team All-America
+ 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Second-Team All-America
% 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Third-Team All-America
~ 2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II First-Team All-America
# 2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Third-Team All-America
