BATON ROUGE — The LSU softball team had three players named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region teams, it was announced on Wednesday.
Second baseman Vanessa Soto earned first team honors, while pitcher Emily Turner and center fielder Leslie Klein both earned second team honors. All three student-athletes will now be eligible to earn All-America honors, which will be announced at the opening of the Women’s College World Series on June 1.
This is the first NFCA All-South Region honor for Soto, who was named to the SEC All-Tournament team last weekend. The sophomore second baseman earned SEC Player of the Week honors on March 6 and has knocked in game-winning runs in eight games this season, including a win over then No. 11 Washington.
In addition, she leads the SEC in fielding percentage by a second baseman and ranks in the top 10 in the league in doubles, walks and sacrifice flies. On 14 occasions this season, she has posted multiple-hit games. Her seven-game hitting streak is tied for the fourth-best on the team this year. In just two seasons, she already ranks in the top 10 in LSU career history in doubles and sacrifice flies.
The USA Softball National Player of the Week on April 18, this is the first All-Region honor for Turner, who was a 2006 first-team All-SEC selection. The junior ranks fourth in the NCAA in earned run average and 18th in wins and is among the top 10 in the SEC in wins, ERA, saves, strikeouts, strikeouts looking, opponent’s batting average, innings pitched, games started and earned runs allowed.
On April 18, she was named the USA Softball National Player of the Week after becoming the only pitcher to defeat then No. 3 Alabama twice in the season. A five-time LSWA Louisiana Pitcher of the Week, she has thrown 16 complete-game shutouts, second most in LSU single-season history, and is one of only two pitchers in the league with 10 or more shutouts this year. Twice this season she has recorded streaks of over 25 consecutive innings without allowing a run.
This is the second All-Region honor for Klein, who also earned second-team honors as a freshman in 2004 on her way to third-team All-America honors. The junior ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBIs, doubles, triples, total bases and stolen bases this season.
A Top 25 Finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, she recorded a team-best 12-game hitting streak during the year, which is tied for seventh longest in LSU history. On 12 occasions, she has knocked in the game winning runs, including wins over four nationally-ranked teams. She was recently invited to participate in the 2006 World University Games team selection camp.
All-South Region First Team
Name
Pos.
Team
Monica Abbott
P
Tennessee
Stephanie VanBrakle
P
Alabama
Lacy Wood
C
Louisville
Tonya Callahan
1B
Tennessee
2B
LSU
Lindsay Schutzler
SS
Tennessee
Staci Ramsey
3B
Alabama
Kristi Durant
DP
Tennessee
Blaire Perry
UT
Arkansas
Sarah Fekete
OF
Tennessee
Danyele Gomez
OF
UL-Lafayette
Brittany Rogers
OF
Alabama
All-South Region Second Team
Name
Pos.
Team
P
LSU
Chrissy Owens
P
Alabama
Ashley Kirchberg
P
UL-Lafayette
Catherine Bishop
P
Louisville
Angel Shamblin
P
Houston
Bonnie Bynum
P
Tennessee Tech
Katie Ann Trahan
P
Texas State
Jalana Brown
P
Mississippi Valley State
Jessica Els
C
Texas-San Antonio
Lacey Bertucci
1B
UL-Lafayette
Brandi Hahn
2B
Nicholls State
Courtney Bures
SS
Mississippi State
Kristina McCain
3B
Auburn
Jordan Praytor
DP
Alabama
Leila Dolfo
UT
Memphis
OF
LSU
Ashley Evans
OF
UL-Lafayette
Micah Rhodes
OF
Centenary College
Daniela Pappano
OF
Jacksonville State