(Story Courtesy of Texas Lutheran University Sports Information Department)
SEGUIN, Texas -- Three Texas Lutheran softball student-athletes were named 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Americans; the organization announced the honors Wednesday night. Also announced was freshman second baseman Caelee Clark as the recipient for the Division-III New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe Award, presented by the NFCA.
Caelee Clark (2B), Serena Gonzalez (DP), and Ashlyn Strother (P) were all named to the second team.
The three selections ties the 2021 season's three selections for the most in Texas Lutheran softball history. Additionally, it's the third consecutive season Texas Lutheran has had at least two representatives on the NFCA's All-America teams.
Clark collects TLU's second New Balance Golden Shoe award in program history, joining Kelly Jurden who earned the honor in 2019. Recipients of the New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe Award, presented by the NFCA, are selected by the NFCA's NCAA Division III All-America Committee.
Strother earns her third career All-America nod, tying for the most in TLU Softball history, while freshmen Clark and Gonzalez earn their first career honors.
Strother led one of the best pitching staffs in the country with a team-high 122 strikeouts to go with a top-10 nationally ranked 0.82 ERA. She allowed opponents to bat .155 with a team-best eight individual shutouts, also ranking in the top 10 in Division-III, and combined for 12 of TLU's nation leading 23 shutouts. The Seabrook, Texas, product threw one perfect game on the year and combined for a no-hitter against SUNY-Geneseo in the Marshall, Texas Regional. Strother would become TLU's all-time wins leader this season with 65 career wins.
Gonzalez was clutch at the plate for the Bulldogs, hitting a SCAC-leading 10 home runs and nine doubles in 2023 while batting .408 with 57 RBIs, ranking in the top five in NCAA Division-III and setting a new single-season mark for TLU. Gonzalez, the 2023 SCAC Newcomer of the Year, also set the freshman program record with 10 homers on the season.
Clark seamlessly transitioned to college as a freshman. Clark was dominant in her first-year campaign with the Bulldogs. Clark, a member of the 2023 Tucci/NFCA Player of the Year Watch List and a Freshman of the Year Finalist, finished the season batting .407 with a homer, six doubles, a triple, and 25 RBI, earning SCAC Player of the Year and NFCA All-West Region Second Team honors in the process. The Montgomery, Texas, native leads the NCAA across all divisions with 66 stolen bases so far this season. Clark led the SCAC in runs (59), hits (61), walks (31), stolen bases, and on-base percentage (.503) as an everyday starter at second base. Historically, her 66 stolen bases are the second most all-time in a single season in program history and sixth most in NCAA history, while her 31 walks in a season is a new program and SCAC conference record and 59 runs scored sits second in a single TLU and SCAC season. Clark tied the SCAC single-game record with six steals earlier this season against Southwestern. Clark also held a .966 fielding percentage in the field at second base with 90 putouts, 50 assists and six double plays.
The Golden Shoe recognizes the nation's most prolific base stealer when accounting for strength of schedule and other statistical categories. Clark led NCAA Division-III with 66 stolen bases during the 2023 spring campaign. She is eight stolen bases clear of the highest athlete at the Division-II level and 14 clear of the Division-I leader, and fellow Golden Shoe recipient, Mihyia Davis of the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. The Montgomery, Texas product became only the second Bulldog to reach 60 stolen bases in a single season, joining Kelly Jurden who reached the mark three times. Clark swiped 66 bases in 67 attempts (1st in NCAA), and also led the country in stolen bases per game (1.38) and success rate (.985).
The Golden Shoe award adds to Clark's lengthy collegiate debut season honors that include: NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 10 Finalist, SCAC Player of the Year, All-SCAC First Team, NFCA All-West Region Second Team, and NFCA All-America Second Team.
This spring, Texas Lutheran collected its ninth consecutive SCAC regular season championship, reached the 40-win threshold for the fourth time in program history and the third time in four complete seasons, made its ninth straight regional appearance.
