Bates, Alvelo, Plain Named NFCA All-Americans
May 30, 2018 | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After a second straight Women's College World Series trip, the #5 Washington Huskies earned three All-American awards today from the NFCA. Sis Bates was named to the First Team, Taran Alvelo was named to the Second Team, and Gabbie Plain earned Third Team honors. This trio gives Washington 51 All-Americans in the program's history. Washington has had at least one All-American for three consecutive years and in nine of the last ten years.
Washington has had more than three All-Americans only three times in school history: 1996, 1998, and 2000. The last sophomore before Bates to be named an All-American for Washington was Kaitlin Inglesby in 2012. Alvelo is Washington's first All-American pitcher since 2013 and the 12th ever. Plain joins Dominique Lastrapes, Kristen Rivera, Tia Bollinger, Jaime Clark, and Becky Newbry as the only freshman in UW history to win an All-American award.
Alvelo and Plain are also Washington's second pair of All-American pitchers. Only Jamie Graves and Jennifer Spediacci have also accomplished that at UW, doing so in 1998 and 2000.
Bates' All-American award is the first in her career and comes after a year that also saw her earn Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team, and NFCA All-Region. The sophomore finished the regular season hitting over .400, the 12th time in Husky history a player has hit .400 or better in a regular season. In two seasons, Bates has already recorded 138 hits, including 72 this year. Only Jaime Clark has recorded more hits in her first two years as a Husky than Bates. In Super Regionals, Bates had a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game against #12 Alabama, helping Washington start an extra-innings comeback win. The Californian is Washington's 23rd First Team All-American. She was also a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year award.
Alvelo became the eighth Husky ever with 75+ career wins and eighth with 20+ shutouts in their career this season. The junior has struck out 229 batters entering the WCWS, the most in a single season by a Husky since Danielle Lawrie's 495 in 2010. Alvelo is also one of six Huskies ever with multiple 200+ strikeout seasons. This season, Alvelo has recorded ten shutouts a mark reached by only seven other Huskies ever. She earned All-Pac-12 First Team and NFCA All-Region awards. Alvelo was also one of the 25 finalists for USA Softball's Player of the Year award.
Plain earns her All-American award after one of the most dominant seasons of any freshman in the country. Plain won 20 games in just 28 appearances, the second-fastest any freshman in the country has done so this year. She is the third Husky ever to win 20+ games as a freshman and her 172 strikeouts are already the fourth-most ever by a Husky freshman. No freshman in the nation has a lower ERA than Plain's 1.06, and only two have a better K/7 mark than her 8.3. Plain also threw Washington's seventh perfect game ever, becoming one of four Huskies to ever throw a perfect game and just the second freshman.
Washington's WCWS run begins tomorrow at 11:30 am PT against the #4 Oklahoma Sooners on ESPN.
Make sure to follow Husky softball on Twitter with the username @UWSoftball and on Instagram at uwsoftball.
Washington has had more than three All-Americans only three times in school history: 1996, 1998, and 2000. The last sophomore before Bates to be named an All-American for Washington was Kaitlin Inglesby in 2012. Alvelo is Washington's first All-American pitcher since 2013 and the 12th ever. Plain joins Dominique Lastrapes, Kristen Rivera, Tia Bollinger, Jaime Clark, and Becky Newbry as the only freshman in UW history to win an All-American award.
Alvelo and Plain are also Washington's second pair of All-American pitchers. Only Jamie Graves and Jennifer Spediacci have also accomplished that at UW, doing so in 1998 and 2000.
Bates' All-American award is the first in her career and comes after a year that also saw her earn Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, All-Pac-12 First Team, and NFCA All-Region. The sophomore finished the regular season hitting over .400, the 12th time in Husky history a player has hit .400 or better in a regular season. In two seasons, Bates has already recorded 138 hits, including 72 this year. Only Jaime Clark has recorded more hits in her first two years as a Husky than Bates. In Super Regionals, Bates had a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game against #12 Alabama, helping Washington start an extra-innings comeback win. The Californian is Washington's 23rd First Team All-American. She was also a top-25 finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year award.
Alvelo became the eighth Husky ever with 75+ career wins and eighth with 20+ shutouts in their career this season. The junior has struck out 229 batters entering the WCWS, the most in a single season by a Husky since Danielle Lawrie's 495 in 2010. Alvelo is also one of six Huskies ever with multiple 200+ strikeout seasons. This season, Alvelo has recorded ten shutouts a mark reached by only seven other Huskies ever. She earned All-Pac-12 First Team and NFCA All-Region awards. Alvelo was also one of the 25 finalists for USA Softball's Player of the Year award.
Plain earns her All-American award after one of the most dominant seasons of any freshman in the country. Plain won 20 games in just 28 appearances, the second-fastest any freshman in the country has done so this year. She is the third Husky ever to win 20+ games as a freshman and her 172 strikeouts are already the fourth-most ever by a Husky freshman. No freshman in the nation has a lower ERA than Plain's 1.06, and only two have a better K/7 mark than her 8.3. Plain also threw Washington's seventh perfect game ever, becoming one of four Huskies to ever throw a perfect game and just the second freshman.
Washington's WCWS run begins tomorrow at 11:30 am PT against the #4 Oklahoma Sooners on ESPN.
Make sure to follow Husky softball on Twitter with the username @UWSoftball and on Instagram at uwsoftball.
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