OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Guilford College junior Makayla Carver (Granite Falls, N.C./South Caldwell) earned Third Team All-America recognition from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Wednesday night. Nominated and selected by member coaches, the NFCA’s All-America teams were announced Wednesday night at the organization’s annual awards banquet held prior to the start of the NCAA Division III Championship.
One of 45 students honored, Carver is Guilford’s second softball All-American in school history. Cynthia Hayes ’14 was a first-team pick in her senior season.
Carver earned NFCA First-Team All-Atlantic Region recognition for the second straight season last week and repeated as a First Team All-Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) honoree this year. She leads the ODAC and ranks fifth in Division III through games of May 20 with a .514 batting average in 34 contests. The batting average ranks third in school history. Carver also tops the league in slugging percentage (.793, 14th-best in Division III) and her .565 on-base percentage stands second in the ODAC. Her slugging percentage is second-highest in Guilford history, while her on-base percentage ranks third. She smacked 57 hits, including 13 doubles and six home runs. Carver drove in 24 runs from her lead-off position and swiped 13 bases in 13 attempts.
Carver led Guilford with 17 multiple-hit games, including four-hit efforts in Guilford wins over Mary Baldwin College and Southern Virginia University. She won the ODAC’s Softball Hitter of the Week Award on February 26 and was named to the NFCA Division III Honor Roll after batting 17-for-22 in six early season games. Carver had three doubles, two homers, and a walk, which led to a .773/.783/1.182 slash line.
Carver matched Hayes’ school record for career doubles (41) and enters her senior season ranked second in runs (119), second in stolen bases (49) and fourth in hits (170).
Coach Dennis Shores’ Quakers posted an 18-24 mark and a 5-13 record in league games. The Quakers could return as many as 24 letter winners, including Carver, for the 2019 campaign.