INDIANAPOLIS - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) recently released their All-American teams with three Great Midwest players being named to one or both teams.
Malone senior, Bailey Byers, was named to the All-America First Team by both the NFCA and D2CCA. She was the only catcher named to the first team by the D2CCA and was named to the first team as the at-large catcher by the NFCA.
Byers was named the conference Player of the Year after finishing the season hitting .504 with 12 double and 15 home runs to rank ninth nationally in hitting. She also finished the year with the sixth-best slugging percentage in the nation at 1.04. Byers helped the Pioneers to a 24-11-1 season and a conference record of 15-7.
Hillsdale senior, Sam Catron, was named All-America Second Team by the NFCA and Third Team by the D2CCA as a second baseman. The First Team All-Conference selection finished the season in the top 10 in the league in hitting with a batting average of .385. She batted in the most runs in the conference with 50 RBI and hit the most doubles with 20. The Chargers finished the season at 33-19 overall, including the program’s deepest NCAA tournament run.
Trevecca senior, MaKray Odom, was named All-America Third Team by the NFCA at the shortstop position. She was named First Team All-Conference after having one of the best batting averages (.467) and on-base percentages (.510) among league competitors. Odom lifted the Trojans to a 27-14 finish and an appearance at the Midwest Regional.
The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the Association’s All-America Committees. In Division II, the committee is comprised of one member head coach from each of the NCAA’s eight regions. All student-athletes that were voted to the first- and second-team All-Region teams were eligible for All-America consideration.
This is the 14th season of the D2CCA All-America program which is selected by CoSIDA members from schools playing in NCAA Division II.