Eagles land four on All-Region teams, move into top 10 in NFCA poll

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EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Softball landed four players on the Division II Conference Commissioner’s Association (D2CCA) and National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region teams in respective votes by the Midwest Region’s sports information directors and softball coaches.

Junior pitcher/designated player Allie Goodin (Evansville, Indiana) was named second-team on both the NFCA and D2CCA teams as a utility/pitcher, while sophomore outfielder Mackenzie Bedrick (Brownsburg, Indiana) was named second-team by the NFCA. Sophomore first baseman Lexi Fair (Greenwood, Indiana) and freshman pitcher Josie Newman (Indianapolis, Indiana) each collected second-team All-Midwest Region honors.

Goodin, a unanimous first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference honoree, is currently 13-2 in the circle with a 2.10 ERA and .220 opponent batting average. At the plate, she is hitting .350 with three doubles, a triple, five home runs and 28 RBI. This is Goodin’s first-career All-Region awards.

Bedrick is collecting All-Midwest Region by the NFCA for the second straight season after earning first-team honors a year ago. She is currently hitting .367 with three doubles, two triples, 16 RBI and is 17-of-19 in stolen base attempts.

Like Goodin, Fair is earning her first-career All-Region award after hitting .382 with 17 doubles, three triples, nine home runs and 48 RBI. She leads the GLVC in doubles and has been hit by a pitch a league-high 20 times.

Newman joins Fair and Goodin in earning D2CCA All-Region honors after posting a 14-3 overall record and 11-0 mark in conference play during the regular-season. She posted a 0.95 ERA, 120 strikeouts and a .114 opponent batting average in GLVC play. Overall, Newman finished the regular-season with a 1.84 ERA, 165 strikeouts and a .170 opponent batting average.

In addition to the All-Region awards, USI jumped five spots to No. 10 in the latest NFCA Division II Top 25 poll after winning its fifth GLVC Tournament title.

The Screaming Eagles (43-10) begin the NCAA II Midwest Region #1 Tournament Thursday at 2:30 p.m. when they host Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament champion Saginaw Valley State University at the USI Softball Field. USI is the No. 1 overall seed in the Midwest Region, while the Cardinals (34-18) are the No. 8 seed.

Lindenwood University (35-11), the No. 4 seed, takes on Drury University (36-15), the No. 5 seed, in the opening round Thursday at noon at the USI Softball Field.

No. 2-seeded University of Indianapolis is hosting the NCAA II Midwest Region #2 Tournament in Indianapolis. The winners of the two tournaments will meet at the highest remaining seed in the NCAA II Midwest Super Regional May 19-20.