Tulsa Lands Four on NFCA All-Region Squads
5/18/2017 11:00:00 AM | Softball
TULSA, Okla. – The University of Tulsa Softball Team landed four players on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Region teams as Emily Watson and Haley Meinen were named second-team while Maggie Withee and Julia Hollingsworth received third-team nods. The Hurricane (39-15 Overall, 15-3 The American) secured both the conference regular season and tournament crowns on the way to their ninth NCAA Regional appearance.
Watson (Edmond, Okla.), The American Pitcher of the Year, led all of Division I in shutouts with 14 while ranking inside the top-five with a 0.96 ERA, strikeouts with 329 and wins with 28. The right-hander's junior campaign ranks atop Tulsa's season record lists in lowest ERA, shutouts and innings pitched while ranking second in wins, strikeouts and strikeouts per seven innings. Watson reached double-digit strikeouts in 18 games this season, including a NCAA second-best 21 strikeouts in a 10-inning win over Houston on April 13.
Meinen (Houston, Texas) added to her second-team all-conference honors as she was named to the NFCA All-Region Second-Team as a pitcher/utility after posting a 1.49 ERA in the circle while batting .275 for the Hurricane. The sophomore hit her stride down the stretch of the season, holding opponents without a run in her last seven appearances while holding league opponents without a run with a 4-0 record and 0.00 ERA. At the plate, Meinen hit .350 in conference play with a .475 slugging percentage.
Withee (Arlington, Texas) was named to the third-team after batting over .300 all four seasons at Tulsa with a team-leading .376 average this season. Withee led the Hurricane in total hits with 67 while adding 25 runs. Defensively, Withee recorded a .994 fielding percentage in the hot corner at third base while climbing to third on Tulsa's career record list for assists with 407. The senior led the Hurricane with 18 multi-hit games, posting seven games with three hits including a three-hit performance in The American semifinal win over Memphis.
Hollingsworth (Ennis, Texas) led Tulsa in runs with 47, RBI with 28, total bases with 92, on-base percentage (.460), slugging percentage (.544) and stolen bases with 16. The sophomore outfielder hit .373 on the season and added 17 multi-hit games and a team-best eight multi-RBI performances. The leadoff hitter batted .444 with runners on and .432 with runners in scoring position, driving in a season-high three RBI against Fordham in the season opener while driving in multiple runs in five league contests. Hollingsworth's season has her ranked seven on Tulsa's season record list with a .460 on-base percentage to go along with the eighth-most runs scored and stolen bases.
The Hurricane return to the diamond tomorrow as they open the NCAA Norman Regional against a familiar foe in Arkansas at 11:30 a.m. on SEC Network.
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