LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference placed nine student-athletes on the National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-West Region team.
The list was highlighted by two first team, three second team and four third team selections.
Texas Lutheran University led the conference with five players earning all-region honors, while Schreiner University, University of Dallas, Southwestern University and Trinity University each collected one.
Maitlin Raycroft, a junior from TLU, and Alyssa Maki, a sophomore from Schreiner were the two first team honorees.
Raycroft has had a standout season as a pitcher for the Bulldogs, posting and NCAA Division III record eight no-hitters this season, while posting a record of 20-3 for the season. She is currently top five in the nation for both strikeouts and strikeouts per seven innings. Her 2.61 hits allowed per game also ranks second in Division III.
Earlier this spring, Raycroft was named the SCAC’s Newcomer and Pitcher of the Year. She is also a finalist for the NFCA’s Player of the Year award.
Maki, a utility player for the Mountaineers, has the conference’s third best batting average, .410, while leading the league in runs (42), triples (5) and home runs (8). She also ranks second in total hits with 55 and stolen bases, 31, this season.
TLU’s Kyla Lockley and Kaymee Gooden were joined by Dallas’ Jade Miller on the NFCA second-team.
Lockley, a junior third baseman, tied with Maki for the conference’s lead in runs scored with 42, while posting the seventh best batting average in the league, .372. She also recorded 12 doubles for the season.
Gooden, a senior outfielder, earned SCAC Co-Player of the Year honors after a strong season with the Bulldogs. Gooden tallied 48 hits for the season, including nine doubles, five triples and eight home runs. She also scored 36 runs while batting in 37. All of these marks rank within the league’s top five. Gooden also recorded 31 stolen bases.
Miller, a freshman outfielder for UD, was the Co-Player of the Year alongside Gooden after opening her collegiate career with an impressive season. Miller recorded a .469 batting average with 61 hits to lead the conference in both categories. She also hit nine doubles, four triples and a pair of home runs this season. Her mark of 30 stolen bases is fourth-best in the league.
The SCAC’s third team honorees included TLU’s Amanda Lochte and Kirsten Whiteside, along with Southwestern’s Kaitlynn Copher and Trinity’s Rebecca Berreth.
Lochte has been a force on the mound for the Bulldogs this season, recording 15 wins and two saves, while posting an ERA of 1.42. She has tallied 71 strikeouts this season, averaging just under five per game.
Whiteside closed out her career with a successful season, hitting .325 for the season with 21 runs and six RBI.
Copher, a freshman outfielder, recorded a .415 batting average this season with 51 hits, 27 runs, nine doubles, three triples and a pair of home runs. She also posted the league’s leading mark of 38 RBI.
Berreth, a junior short stop, hit .364 this season with a .535 slugging percentage. She recorded 47 hits, which included 13 doubles. She also tallied 25 runs, and 19 RBI.
To view the full NFCA release, click here.
