2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America Teams
SALEM, Va. -- Cal State Bakersfield, Humboldt State, San Francisco State and Emporia State had three players each named all-American to pace the 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America Team, the association announced Wednesday.
Bakersfield tied Lock Haven and Shippensburg with the most first team selections as the three squads placed two players each on the first squad. Cal State Bakersfield put first baseman Amber Mills on the first team after she hit .396 with nine home runs and 51 RBIs in 50 of the team’s 52 games. She also scored 40 runs and was 13 of 14 in stolen bases. She was joined on the first team by utility player Christie Hill, who claimed the first team at-large spot. Hill played in all 52 games, hitting .404 with 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 41 RBIs and 50 runs scored. She also put together a 21-7 mark in the circle with a save and a 1.69 ERA.
Both of Lock Haven’s selections came on the first team as pitcher Kristin Erb was named to the squad along with shortstop Courtney Hughes. Erb enjoyed a stellar freshman season, putting together a school record-setting campaign in wins (24-0), shutouts (12), ERA (0.13) and strikeouts (173). Hughes was just as solid for LHU, hitting .446 with a school-record 10 doubles and 51 runs scored. She also took school marks with her 16 home runs and 53 RBIs.
Emporia, who will vie for the national title along with Lock Haven and Bakersfield this week, put Melissa Stevens on the first team. Stevens enjoyed another stellar season in the circle, earning all-America honors again with a 21-2 mark and national seventh-best 0.66 ERA. She hurled 21 complete games and struck out 239 on the year to place her third nationally in strikeouts per seven innings.
The left side of her defense earned second team accolades, as shortstop Bree Beattie and third baseman Megan Davison were both tabbed to the second squad. Beattie hit .457 on the season with 11 home runs and nine doubles. Solid on the base paths with 22 of 25 stolen bases, she drove in 54 runs and scored 62 more. Davison put together a .402 plate performance during the regular season, contributing 10 doubles and a school- and conference-best 18 home runs to the Hornets’ potent attack.
Humboldt State’s three selections were paced by Jessica Padilla, who was named to the first team at the catcher’s spot. Padilla, who was also named Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year, hit .340 at the plate with eight leaving the ball park. The standout also added 11 doubles and a pair of triples while throwing out seven base runners in the field. She was joined on the squads by second team at-large selection Brandi Harrison and third team pitcher Lizzy Prescott.
Harrison was solid at third for the Lumberjacks, fielding at a .957 clip while hitting .444 with 13 home runs, 61 RBIs and 49 runs scored. Prescott put together a 25-2 mark on the year with a 0.60 ERA. She struck out 254 hitters while walking just 20 during the regular season for the West region finalists.
San Francisco State designated player Jordanna Freemer led the Gators’ trio of selections. Freemer paced the squad with a .429 average and .682 slugging percentage. She hit seven doubles, a triple and team-best 10 home runs while driving in 38 runs and scoring 31 more. She also stole 22 of her 24 swipe attempts. Sonja Garnett added to her all-America laden career with a second team nod at pitcher. Garnett compiled a 26-6 record in 2006 while earning a 0.86 ERA. She struck out 157 to just 23 walks as she collected her 100th career win this season. The duo was joined by second team second baseman Vanessa Rodrigue. Rodrigue was solid defensively, fielding at a .978 clip to go along with her .322 average and 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts. She had 24 RBIs and scored 34 runs for SFSU.
Shippensburg’s Kelley Tiesi concluded her record-laden collegiate career with another all-America nod. Tiesi earned first-team pitcher honors as she recorded a 22-5 mark and a 0.49 ERA. She hurled 21 complete games and posted 12 shutouts. With 239 strikeouts on the season, Tiesi became the seventh player in Division II history to register 1,000 career K’s. She was joined on the first team by outfielder Heather Chantiles, who set the school record and claimed the fourth-best Division II single-season record with her 112 hits on the year. Chantiles finished the season with a .508 average, striking out eight times in 191 at-bats. She also tallied five doubles and drove in 19 runs to go along with her 47 runs scored.
Alabama-Huntsville put two players on the squad as .470 hitter Stephanie Pinto was named first-team utility player while Kristin Spencer was named to the third team squad in one of the at-large slots.
Northern Kentucky catcher Sarah King was named to the first team after hitting .391 over the season. She was joined from her team by third-team second baseman Ricki Rothbauer.
Texas A&M Kingsville’s Kassie Rezza was tabbed to the first team at second base, while Nebraska-Omaha slugger Leslie Svoboda earned third base honors on the first squad. Delta State’s Alyse Hasty was tabbed to the first team in the outfield after enjoying a stellar year that included a .406 average with 58 steals in 64 attempts.
The all-America selections were honored at the NCAA Division II Championship banquet Wednesday evening in Salem, Va.
