2007 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Video
2007 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Listing
Tennessee and Oklahoma each had four players receive 2007 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America accolades to lead all schools as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the three squads Wednesday afternoon.
The Lady Vols were one of three teams to land a pair of players on the first team. Senior pitcher Monica Abbott led the way as she collected first-team accolades for the fourth time in her career. Abbott, who helped guide her team to a third straight Women’s College World Series appearance, stands as the only pitcher in history to strikeout 500 or more in each of her four years of collegiate action. This season she established another mark as she became the NCAA career strikeouts leader, passing the record previously held by Texas’ Cat Osterman.
Reigning SEC Player of the Year India Chiles joins Abbott in snagging first-team accolades. Chiles hit at a .476 clip for the Lady Vols this year while stealing a remarkable 40 bases in 42 attempts. UT also garnered a pair of second-team honorees with Tonya Callahan receiving the nod at first base while Lindsay Schutzler claimed an at-large spot.
Callahan, a first-team all-SEC honoree, became the school’s all-time leader in home runs with her 34 round-trippers. Schutzler enjoyed another incredible season both offensively and defensively, hitting over .400 for the year and playing errorless softball in the field during the regular season. She also made her mark in the program’s record books by setting records in career hits, runs and stolen bases.
First-team third baseman Norrelle Dickson paced Oklahoma’s quartet of all-America selections. Dickson helped OU to an NCAA Super Regional berth with a year that included a .479 batting average, .967 fielding percentage and 33 stolen bases in 38 attempts. The Big 12 Player of the Year, Dickson became the first player in school annals to earn all-Midwest Region honors all four years of her career.
The Sooners garnered a pair of second team selections and a third team honoree to go along with Dickson’s first-team award. Susan Ogden landed second team utility/non-pitcher accolades after hitting .416 during the season with 35 RBIs. Samantha Ricketts joined her on the second team, claiming one of the five at-large positions after hitting .425 with an .819 slugging percentage and a national-best 81 RBIs. Big 12 Co-Pitcher of the Year Lauren Eckermann earned third-team laurels after a stellar junior season that saw her compile a 31-3 regular season.
Women’s College World Series participant Texas A&M garnered a pair of first-team selections as Amanda Scarborough and Megan Gibson both earned at-large spots. Scarborough, the Aggies’ ace in the circle this season, went 20-5 during the regular season with a 1.11 ERA to share Big 12 Pitcher of the Year honors with Eckermann.
Fellow Aggie hurler Megan Gibson also garnered at-large honors after putting together a 16-3 season in which she had a 1.40 ERA. The utility/pitcher nominee also hit .418 and posted an .800 slugging percentage during the regular season that ranked among the best in the nation.
Washington, another WCWS competitor, placed three players on the teams, including two on the first team.
Dena Tyson garnered first-team honors at first base after a stellar season in which she hit .461 with 17 home runs and a .939 slugging percentage. Teammate Danielle Lawrie joined her on the first team as the sophomore earned utility/pitcher accolades after going 23-8 in the circle with a 1.51 ERA.
The Huskies also placed shortstop Ashley Charters on the second team in an at-large capacity after she ranked among the Pac-10’s top-10 in six categories much of the season, including batting average in which she compiled a .391 mark prior to postseason play.
Arizona State landed a pair of first-team honorees as the Sun Devils head back to Oklahoma City for the second straight season. A big reason for that success has been due to the pitcher selection Katie Burkhart, who compiled a 0.90 ERA and landed the school’s career strikeout record en route to claiming Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year accolades.
Outfielder Kaitlin Cochran joined Burkart on the first team after the sophomore hit .500 during the regular season, a mark that at one point led the nation. She also added 15 home runs for the Sun Devils and drove in 53 runs while stealing 27 of 31 bases.
Defending national champion Arizona had Caitlin Lowe named to the first team and Taryne Mowatt to the second team as the Wildcats prepare to defend their 2006 title. Lowe, a first-team outfielder, became a four-time all-American this year after hitting .438 during the regular season. She also finished the campaign perfect in the field and on the bases (44-of-44) as she helped guide the Wildcats back to the WCWS. Mowatt garnered second team pitcher accolades after compiling a 30-8 mark and a 1.46 ERA during the regular season.
Northwestern, who will be playing in the WCWS for the second straight season after finishing second a year ago, landed a player on each of the three teams. Tammy Williams garnered her second all-America honor, a first team at-large selection, as she hit .438 during the season with a .747 slugging percentage. Pitcher Eileen Canney, a second team selection, and first baseman Garland Cooper, who earned third team honors, joined Williams on the squads released Wednesday.
Canney helped the NU back to Oklahoma City as she compiled a 1.83 ERA in her final season of collegiate action. Cooper added another all-America honor to her career resume as she slugged at a .824 clip during the 2007 campaign to earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors.
Baylor and DePaul both landed a pair of players on the teams. DePaul’s return to the WCWS was fueled by the stellar pitching of second team at-large selection Tracie Adix, who claimed Big East Pitcher of the Year honors after compiling an amazing 17-2 record and 0.72 ERA. The Blue Demons also earned a third team at-large selection as Becca Heteniak garnered the honor after at stellar season that saw her earn Big East Rookie of the Year accolades.
The Lady Bears, making their first appearance in the final eight, had the corners of their infield, third baseman Brette Reagan and first baseman Ashley Monceaux, named to the third team. Reagan earned the honor after hitting over .360 during the regular season, while Monceaux garnered an at-large spot after a senior campaign in which she hit over .400 in guiding Baylor to the WCWS.