Program Record Seven Huskies Earn NFCA All-Region Awards
May 19, 2016 | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Led by first team All-Region senior Kimberlee Souza, the University of Washington softball team placed a program record seven Huskies on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Pacific Region team, announced today by the NFCA.
Joining Souza on the current All-Pacific Region teams are junior's Ali Aguilar and Casey Stangel and freshman Taran Alvelo on the second team with sophomore's Trysten Melhart and Julia DePonte and freshman Morganne Flores on the third team.
The awards honor softball student-athletes from the association's 10 regions with first, second and third teams selected for each region. The All-Region teams were voted on by NFCA member coaches from each respective region, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to one of three 2016 NFCA Division I All-America teams. The 2016 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1, via NFCA.org.
Souza won her first All-Region award this year on the strength of a phenomenal senior campaign that has been the best of her career. The Waialua, Hawai'i native concluded the regular season batting .345 with 13 home runs and 55 runs batted in. She leads the team with 17 multiple-RBI games this season. An All-Pac-12 first team choice, Souza has been a crucial piece to the Husky defense, transitioning from the catcher position to first base due to an injury of a teammate.
Headlining the Huskies' contingent of power hitters, Aguilar boasts a team-leading 20 home runs, 62 RBI, .837 slugging percentage and 68 runs scored, ranking among the nation's top 10 in nearly all those categories. An All-Pac-12 first team selection, Aguilar has recorded five or more RBI in four games this season while registering three multi-home run games, 18 multi-hit and 16 multiple-RBI games.
The 2016 Pac-12 Co-Freshman of the Year, Alvelo has paced the pitching staff this season with a 17-5 record, 148 strikeouts and 14 complete-games. The Husky hurler owns a pair of double-digit strikeout performances on the season. Two of the freshman's 17 wins have come against No. 2 Michigan and No. 3 Oklahoma.
Stangel is batting .336 with 41 hits and 30 runs batted in while also making 20 appearances and eight starts in the circle. The junior has registered nine multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games this season.
All-Pac-12 third team honoree, Melhart leads the team with a .391 batting average and her 54 hits is third-best on the squad. The Snohomish, Wash. native ranks among Washington's leaders with 16 multi-hit games.
Making 27 starts in the outfield and 14 at third base, DePonte is batting .349 on the season which is fourth-best on the potent Husky lineup. The sophomore ranks third on the team with 34 runs batted in, eight home runs and a .628 slugging percentage.
Flores is batting a .327 clip with 35 hits, seven home runs and 27 RBI in her freshman debut. The Cypress, Calif. native has started 32 games behind the dish for the Huskies.
The Huskies will host an NCAA Regional in Seattle, welcoming Minnesota, North Dakota State and Weber State to Husky Softball Stadium this weekend (Fri-Sun., May 20-22). Washington opens play against Weber State at 7 p.m. on Friday evening. [ Tickets | Regional Central ]
