University of Minnesota Athletics
Groenewegen Named First Team All-American
6/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Sara Groenewegen has been named a NFCA All-American for her second straight year earning first team honors, the organization announced Wednesday.
After garnering a second team nod last season Groenewegen is just the fourth player in Gopher history to be named All-American twice.
Groenewegen contributed 31 of the Maroon and Gold's 43 wins in the circle on the season. She finished with an ERA of 2.03 and fired in 336 strikeouts. The 31 wins is second all-time in program history for most wins in a season and tied her for first in the NCAA this year. Her 336 strikeouts is fourth all-time in Minnesota single season history.
On three different occasions this season Groenewegen fired in no-hitters including her first career perfect game. She already has more no-hitters than any other player in Gopher history with six in her career.
At the plate Groenewegen hit .296 with seven doubles, 11 home runs and 41 RBI for a slugging percentage of .577. She was walked 38 times, third most in program history for a single season, and had a team leading on base percentage of .477. She had the longest reach base streak of any Gopher player this season reaching in 25 straight games and recorded 11 multi-RBI games.
The Gophers won their second Big Ten Tournament championship in three years behind a gutsy performance on the mound from Groenewegen. She pitched every inning, 24, of the tournament for the Maroon and Gold with 29 strikeouts. In the championship game she went 10 innings against No. 2 Michigan striking out 11 batters. She ended the seventh, ninth and tenth inning frames with strikeouts to keep the Gophers in it time after time. The performance earned her the Big Ten Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
On top of the All-American selection Groenewegen piled on the accolades this season. She was a unanimous First Team All-Big Ten selection, First Team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region honoree and for the second straight year was a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award top-10 finalist. She won five B1G Pitcher of the Week honors, two B1G Player of the week honors, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week award, two Louisville Slugger / NFCA Pitcher of the Week plaudits and an espnW Player of the Week award.
Going into her senior season Groenewegen has already made her mark on the Minnesota career record book. She is fifth in home runs (34), fifth in complete games (60), fourth in wins (76) and fourth in strikeouts (907).
