Elon’s Nester, Watson Named to NFCA All-Region First Team Women’s Softball

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Elon softball outfielders Carleigh Nester and Tomeka Watson were selected to the 2013 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division I Mideast All-Region First Team as announced by the association on Thursday, May 16. The duo grabbed two of the three outfield spots on the first team as Elon had multiple members of the program selected the All-Region First Team for the first time since 2010.

Watson added her third career first team All-Region honor to an already impressive laundry list of accolades from this season. The Jackson, Ga., native was selected to the 2013 All-Southern Conference First Team last week and was recognized as the Elon Athletics’ Basnight Female Athlete of the Year on Monday, May 6, for her record-breaking senior campaign. Watson led the SoCon in five different categories, including batting average (.419), slugging percentage (.768), on-base percentage (.511), hits (65) and stolen bases (25). She became the program’s all-time career leader in home runs, hits, RBI, runs scored and slugging percentage this season while establishing the single-season home run record with 14 on the year. She tied an NCAA Division I softball record with six consecutive games with a home run in the month of February and was rewarded as the SoCon’s Player of the Month.

Nester earned her first NFCA All-Region honor after a stellar junior season. The Kernersville, N.C., native joined Watson on the All-SoCon First Team after ranking among the top-five in the league in batting average (.370), slugging percentage (.660), doubles (14), home runs (11) and total bases (107). Nester tied a NCAA Division I softball single-game record with three doubles in a contest at SoCon regular-season champion Appalachian State on April 7, and was selected as the conference’s Player of the Month for April.

The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each respective region and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to one of three 2013 NFCA Division I All-American teams.

The 2013 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at 4 p.m. CDT on Wednesday, May 29, via NFCA.org.

Mideast Region First Team

Pos.       Name                         School
P          Sara Nevins                  University of South Florida
P          Hanna Mennenga               Eastern Illinois University
C          Elizabeth Kay                Illinois State University
1B         Laura Canopy                 Illinois State University
2B         Carly Willert                Eastern Illinois University
3B         Alex McDavid                 Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
SS         Kourtney Salvarola           University of South Florida
OF         Tomeka Watson                Elon University
OF         Carleigh Nester              Elon University
OF         Whitney Fletcher             University of Alabama at Birmingham
UT/P       Madeline Lynch-Crumrine      Bradley University
UT/Non-P   Katelyn Bedwell              University of North Carolina at Greensboro