Six Alfred University softball players earn NFCA all-region honors 5/17/10
ALFRED, NY Six members of the Alfred University softball team have been named National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Northeast Region all-stars.Three of the players sophomore utility player Nicole Hedrick (Albany, NY/Catholic Central), freshman catcher Emily Fenton (Thorofare, NJ/West Deptford) and sophomore outfielder Angela Netta (Rahway, NJ/Mother Seton Regional) were named First Team all-region and will be considered for NFCA All-American recognition.Junior pitcher Chelsey Cary (Corfu, NY/Pembroke) and sophomore third baseman Molly Shepherd (Camillus, NY/West Genesee) were named to the all-region Second Team and senior shortstop Jesika LeBarron (Campbell, NY/Corning West) was named to the Third Team.The Saxons, Empire 8 Conference co-champs, recently wrapped up the year with a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division III Regional in Ithaca. The team, making its first ever NCAA appearance finished 37-8, with the 37 wins shattering the school single-season of 27 set last year.
Hedrick, the Empire 8 Player of the Year, led the team in batting (.429), on-base percentage (/465), slugging (.721), and homeruns (9) and also had 32 RBIs (second on the team) and 12 doubles (third). She set new school single-season records in runs (46), hits (66) and stolen bases (25). As a pitcher, Hedrick went 19-4 (the 19 wins are a new school single-season mark) with a 1.32 ERA and 116 strikeouts. Her 31 pitching wins in two seasons is tied for the all-time AU record.Fenton, the Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, batted .328 with 41 hits, 22 runs, and 28 RBIs. Her 14 doubles ranked second on the team and her four homeruns ranked third. She had a slugging percentage of .536 and an on-base percentage of .343. Fenton was solid behind the plate, throwing out 40 percent (12 of 30) of runners attempting to steal and picking off five runners.Netta, an Empire 8 First Team all-star in her first season as a starter, batted .378 (second on the team) with 45 hits (third) and 28 runs. She had three homeruns and 20 RBIs, a .487 slugging percentage, a .415 on-base percentage, and stole eighth bases in nine attempts. Netta posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in
leftfield, with three outfield assists.Cary, a First Team Empire 8 all-star, finished the year with an 18-3 record and 1.09 earned run average. Her 138 strikeouts set a new school single-season record and her six shutouts tied the school mark.
Among her shutouts were two no-hitters, thrown during Alfred's spring trip to Florida. Earlier in the year, she set the school career record for shutouts (currently 11) and also tied the school single-game record for strikeouts (12, vs.
D'Youville).Shepherd batted .359, third on the team, and set a school single-season record for doubles (15). She had 52 hits (second on the team and third on Alfred's all-time single season list), scored 38 runs (second on the team and second all-time at AU), and drove in 26. Shepherd had two triples and three homeruns, slugged .552 (second on the team) and had an on-base percentage of .405. She earned honorable mention from the Empire 8.LeBarron earned NFCA regional recognition for the third time in her career; she was a First Team pick in 2009 and a Third Team selection in 2008. LeBarron batted .333 with 41 hits (including five homeruns, second on the team), 30 runs and 30 RBIs, and had a slugging percentage of .537 and on-base percentage of .434 (second on the team). She finished her AU career with school records for hits (171), batting average (.373), homeruns (23), RBIs (123), runs (103), doubles (35).
