BATON ROUGE — LSU softball senior Shannon Stein and sophomore Rachel Mitchell were named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region second team, it was announced on Wednesday.
Both student-athletes, who are receiving the honor for the first time in their respective careers, will now be eligible to earn All-America honors, which will be announced at the opening of the Women’s College World Series.
A member of the Southeastern Conference All-Tournament team, Stein ranks third on the team with a .331 batting average and 12 doubles. Earning Easton Tiger Classic Most Valuable Player and Easton Purple & Gold Challenge All-Tournament team honors earlier in the season, the second baseman is having one of the best seasons in her career. Stein ranks third on the team with 13 multiple-hit games and is tied for third on the squad with eight multiple-RBI games.
On four occasions this season, she has been responsible for knocking in the game winning run. Despite being injured, she came in off the bench in the bottom of the 11th inning and came through with an RBI single to defeat Troy. In the final home SEC series in Tiger Park, she provided the game winner in the second of three games. Coming to bat with LSU trailing in the bottom of the eighth, 6-5, Stein hit just her second home run of the season to propel LSU to the 8-6 walk-off win. In the first round of the SEC Tournament last weekend, she accomplished a feat no other Tiger had done in over four years. In the bottom of the third inning against Auburn, she recorded an inside the park home run, the first of her career, as LSU went on to win, 4-0.
Also a member of the SEC Community Service Team, Stein participates in various activities to benefit the community throughout the year. Recently, she joined with fellow student athlete Garrett Runion to participate in a pancake flipping contest as part of the United Way “Day of Caring” kickoff event. Stein and Runion formed the winning team, besting a team that included Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden. Among her many other community service projects, she has volunteered at the St. Vincent DePaul shelter, participated in the Big Buddy “Day of the Mentor” event, read to students as part of the “Read Across America” program and delivered baskets to underprivileged elementary school students as part of the “Build a Basket” program.
A first-team All-SEC selection, Mitchell ranks in the top 10 in the SEC in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBIs, doubles, triples, home runs, total bases and sacrifice flies. She has recorded separate 10-game and eight-game hitting streaks this season.
Leading the team with a .379 batting average, the outfielder is one of only two players in LSU history to recorded double-figure home runs totals twice in their career, having accomplished the feat in both her freshman and sophomore seasons. Holding a commanding lead on the team with 21 multiple-hit games, she is also tied for the most multiple-RBI games on the team this season with 13, which ranks fifth in LSU history.
On nine occasions this year, Mitchell has recorded the game-winning RBI, the most by any Tiger this season. Her heroics include posting the game-winning RBIs in wins over nationally ranked Georgia and Tennessee. She also provided the game-winning RBI in two of LSU’s three wins over Arkansas. In the third game against the Lady Razorbacks, she tied the LSU single-game record with a pair of home runs.
The Tigers will open NCAA Regional play at Tiger Park on Friday at 7 p.m. against Mississippi Valley State. If LSU wins, it will face the winner of the Louisiana-Lafayette/East Carolina game on Saturday at 1 p.m. The regional championship will begin at 1 p.m. on Sunday, with the winner earning a bid to the NCAA Super Regionals.
2008 NFCA SOUTH ALL-REGION TEAMS
First Team
Angel Shamblin Pitcher Houston
Kelsi Dunne Pitcher Alabama
Chelsea Bramlett Catcher Mississippi State
Stephanie Fischer First Base Tennessee Tech
Vanessa Soto Second Base Louisiana-Lafayette
Courtney Bures Shortstop Mississippi State
Tonya Callahan Third Base Tennessee
Charlotte Morgan Utility-Pitcher Alabama
Lauren Grill Utility-Non Pitcher Ole Miss
Holly Tankersley Outfield Louisiana-Lafayette
Brittany Rogers Outfield Alabama
Laurie Wagner Outfield Houston
Second Team
Ashley Brignac Pitcher Louisiana-Lafayette
Ashton Ward Pitcher Tennessee
Brooke Loudermilk Pitcher Chattanooga
Ragan Blake Pitcher Texas State
Alex Gjevre Pitcher Morehead State
Ashley Holcombe Catcher Alabama
Jennifer Klinkert First Base Houston
Shannon Stein Second Base LSU
Jessica Valis Shortstop Houston
Kelley Montalvo Third Base Alabama
Miranda Dixon Utility-Pitcher Arkansas
Tiffany Huff Utility-Non Pitcher Tennessee
Rachel Mitchell Outfield LSU
Evelyne Pare Outfield South Alabama
Lillian Hammond Outfield Tennessee