LOUISVILLE, KY.-- Six members of the Trine softball team were named to the All-Central Region Team by the NFCA, the association announced Saturday.
Headlining Trine's selections to the team were Carly Searles (Levering, Mich./Petoskey), Kaitlyn Clark (Mount Juliet, Tenn./Wilson Central) and Bree Fuller (Hubbardston, Mich./Fulton), who were all named First-Team All-Central Region. The trio advance to the national ballot, where they will be eligible to be named to the NFCA's All-American teams. Kendra Marshall (Leesburg, Ind./Warsaw), Haleigh Daniels (Hamilton, Ohio/Hamilton) and Rachel Harris (Uniontown, Ohio/Hoover) were all named Second-Team All-Region. Searles and Harris are being honored by the NFCA as All-Region performers for the second-consecutive season.
Searles is having a historic season for Trine, having tied the NCAA Division III single-season record with 17 triples. The junior was also a First-Team All-MIAA performer. The center fielder earned recognition as part of the Central Region outfield. She became Trine's all-time leader in career hits and steals this season, and is an Academic All-District performer. Searles enters tomorrow's regional final batting .487 with five homers, 36 RBI's and 27 steals.
Clark received an at-large spot on the All-Central Region First Team. The sophomore entered the week tied for eighth in the nation with 14 home runs. Clark has knocked in 55 runs, the second-highest total in a season in school-history. The corner outfielder has batter .405 with a .784 slugging percentage out of the two-hole in the Thunder lineup, and had a 19-game hitting-streak earlier this season.
Fuller earns All-Central Region honors for the first time after being named MIAA Pitcher of the Year. The junior won the conference's Pitcher of the Week award an unprecedented five times. She threw Trine's first-ever perfect game, threw a no-hitter and tied a school-record with 16 strikeouts in a game this season. Fuller was also an Academic All-District performer.
Marshall receives All-Region honors in the first-season of her Trine career after transferring from Valparaiso. The sophomore has batted .367 with two home runs and 38 RBI's. She was a Second-Team All-MIAA performer. Marshall has also provided steady defense at third with a .958 fielding percentage.
Daniels picks up All-Region honors for the first time in her Thunder career. The senior's career accomplishments can be found all over the school's record-books. She is first all-time in double plays turned, tied for second in career-doubles (38), and tied for third in games started (170), in addition to ranking in the top 10 of numerous other categories. Daniels won the Cheryl L. Coons Award for Outstanding Senior Female Athlete at Trine this year.
Harris earned Second-Team All-Central Region honors for the second-consecutive season. The junior has batted cleanup all season, slugging eight homers and driving in 42 to go along with a .383 batting average. Harris has got on-base at a .484 clip and has slugged .672. She was second in the MIAA in homers and was a Second-Team All-MIAA performer.
Trine will compete for a Regional title tomorrow when they host Muskingum on the final day of the Angola Regional. The Thunder will need to win twice to take home the Regional championship and advance to the Super-Regional round.