2019 NFCA ALL-REGION TEAMS
BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced that 392 student-athletes from 163 programs have received 2019 NFCA Division I All-Region accolades. Four members of the LIU Brooklyn softball team earned honors this year, led by freshman Elena Valenzuela, who was selected to the first team. Junior Patricia Griffin was selected for the second team, while sophomore Alina Castillo and freshman Samantha Garcia were chosen for third team honors. For all four Blackbirds, it marks the first All-Region selections of their careers. It's most All-Region honroees for the program since 2010.
"It's a terrific honor for these four Blackbirds to cap off a very special season for our program," said head coach Roy Kortmann.
Valenzuela, the Northeast Conference's Pitcher of the Year, becomes LIU's first first-team selection since 2017, and the school's first pitcher since 2010. The Whittier, Calif. product went 19-4 with two saves, a 2.19 earned run average and 81 strikeouts in 166.1 innings. She also produced 17 complete games and seven shutouts, en route to five NEC Pitcher of the Week awards and four Rookie of the Week nods. She led the league in wins, ERA, complete games and shutouts, and ranked second in innings pitched and batting average against (.232).
A two-time All-NEC performer, Griffin was a first team All-NEC honoree this seasons, as she was catalyst of the LIU offense. The Marlton, N.J. native hit .353 in the leadoff spot with team highs of 65 hits and eight stolen bases, while ranking second with 37 runs scored. At the plate, Griffin led LIU with seven three-hit games and had a ten game hit streak in the middle of the season, then ended the season with a four-hit game in the NEC Championships and will begin next season with an eight-game hit streak. Defensively, the right fielder held a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with five outfield assists.
Sophomore Alina Castillo, who earned Most Improved Player honors from the Northeast Conference was a staple for the Blackbirds as the team's third baseman. The product of Sacramento, Calif. was the team's most consistent hitter all season, ending the year with a .372 batting average. She was awarded back-to-back NEC Player of the Week honors this year, while riding a 15-game hitting streak. She led LIU in total bases (84), and ranked third on the squad in both runs scored (35) and runs batted in (33).
Garcia, a freshman from West Covina, Calif., who was a second team All-NEC honoree, was named to the third team by the NFCA in the designated player/utility position. The first-year catcher hit .286 and led the Blackbirds with seven home runs in her first season behind the plate in Brooklyn. Garcia, an NEC Rookie of the Week, had two home runs and six runs batted in last week in the NEC Championships and was named to the All-Tournament Team for her efforts.
The NFCA awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to the 2018 NFCA Division I All-American squads.The 2019 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at approximately 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 29, via NFCA.org.