April Ehlers was one of three NKU softball players named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region teams.
Complete All-Region teams
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Three Northern Kentucky University softball players were honored by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as All-Midwest Region performers, the organization announced on Thursday.
Ashley Gates was named to the first team, while
April Ehlers and
Emily Schwaeble earned second-team honors.
Gates, who earlier this week was named to the Daktronics All-Midwest first team, led the Norse with an astounding .423 batting average, including nine home runs, 33 runs batted in and 22 runs scored. Her batting average and on-base percentage (.510) led all Great Lakes Valley Conference hitters in 2011. Gates also took first-team All-GLVC honors.
Ehlers, a senior from Greenville, Ind., became the all-time strikeout leader at NKU earlier this season, fanning 876 batters over her four-year career with the Norse. This season, Ehlers went 13-10 with a 1.57 earned run average, striking out 204 batters in 143 innings of work. Ehlers also threw five shutouts on the season en route to an All-GLVC second-team selection.
Schwaeble, a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio, posted a .340 batting average with team highs in doubles (13) and RBIs (44). Schwaeble led the team in multi-hit games with 14, including the team's only four-hit game, and in multiple RBI games with 13. She was also named to the Daktronics All-Midwest second team as well as an All-GLVC first-team selection.
The Norse finished the season 29-17 and made their third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
