University of Minnesota Athletics
Six Gophers Named All-Region
5/19/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Full NFCA All-Region List
Six players from the No. 19/15 University of Minnesota Gophers were named to the NFCA Great Lakes All-Region teams, the NFCA announced Thursday.
Sara Groenewegen, Sam Macken and Sydney Dwyer each earned first-team honors, Taylor LeMay was named second-team and Danielle Parlich and Maddie Houlihan were each third-team honorees.
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-American teams.
Groenewegen has now been selected all-region three years in a row. She is selected as a utility/pitcher with a 1.87 ERA firing in 313 strikeouts. She is 30-5 overall. At the plate Groenewegen has recorded a .305 with seven doubles and 11 home runs.
Macken, LeMay and Parlich each earn the honor for the second time.
Macken leads the team in essentially every hitting category putting up a career season. She leads the team in hits (69), doubles (21), home runs (12), RBI (48), total bases (128) and slugging percentage
LeMay is hitting a .322 with nine doubles, a triple and five home runs for 43 RBI. She leads the team with 13-multi RBI performances. She is one of the best fielding catchers in the country with 374 putouts, 49 assists and has caught eight runners stealing.
Parlich is hitting a .337 on the year with five doubles, three triples and a home run. She is ranked the toughest player to strikeout in the Big Ten and is the 44th toughest in the NCAA. She also swiped eight bases on the year.
Houlihan has had an incredible freshman campaign. She earned the B1G Freshman of the Year award and had made a huge impact for the Maroon and Gold all year. She is hitting a .364 with 12 doubles and 11 home runs for 45 RBI. She is tied for first on the team with 47 runs scored and is second with 100 total bases.
Dwyer makes it as a utility non-pitcher/designated player and is hitting .306 with eight doubles, a triple and six home runs for 31 RBI and a slugging percentage of .497.
The Gophers open their 11th NCAA Tournament Friday night at 6:30 p.m. CT against North Dakota State in Seattle, Wash.
