Five League Softball Players Named To NFCA All-Region Teams
May 17, 2006
Tara Miller, a junior outfielder at Loyola University Chicago, has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Second-Team All-Mideast Region squad. University of Detroit Mercy sophomore infielder Kaleigh Rafter, Youngstown State University freshman catcher Kristen McDonnell, Cleveland State University duo of senior pitcher Grace Luginbuhl and junior outfielder Michele Penney all earn Second-Team accolades in the Great Lakes Region.
Miller is the first Rambler since pitcher Sarah Smith in 2002, and only the third overall, to earn all-region honors. Rafter becomes the first Titan to win the award since Krista Peters in 2002.
The speedy Miller had a record-setting season for Loyola this spring, as she established new single-season school records with 34 stolen bases and 50 runs scored. Miller, who earned First Team All-Horizon League and Horizon League All-Tournament honors this season for the second time in her career, finished the year with a .357 batting average to go with eight doubles, eight home runs and 24 RBI. The leadoff hitter was also hit by a team-high 14 pitches.
Miller owned a .466 on-base percentage this season, and reach base safely in 16 of Loyola's final 17 contests of the year, including each of the last 12. In addition to setting the Loyola single-season record with 50 runs, Miller also established herself as the school's career leader in that category with 104 trips across the plate.
She recorded 15 multi-hit efforts this season, and posted career highs in batting average (.357), runs (50), hits (60), doubles (8), home runs (8), stolen bases (34), walks (22) and hit by pitches (14). Miller also was flawless in the field this season, handling 63 chances without an error.
Rafter helped Detroit to a school-record 13 League victories during the 2006 season. The All-Horizon League First Team selection finished the season with a .359 average with 35 RBI, 12 homers, 12 doubles (all team highs) and was second on the team with 11 walks. Her 12 round trippers set a new single-season record at Detroit and put her in third-place in the school's all-time record book.
Her numbers during the League schedule were even more impressive as she led the league in home runs (seven), RBI (23), total bases (56) and slugging percentage (.903). She also owns the second-highest batting average in League-play at .435. Rafter notched 13 multi-hit games this season and has 10 games with multiple RBI.
The Horizon League's Pitcher of the Year each of the last two seasons, Luginbuhl went 23-11 with a 2.17 ERA while striking out 224 batters in 226 innings pitched. Her victory total was just one shy of Amy Kyler's school season record, while the pair are the only two players in school history to record 200 innings and 200 strikeouts in a season. A three-time first team All-Horizon League and Academic All-District selection, Luginbuhl finished her career with 59 victories and 659 strikeouts, both of which rank second in CSU annals. She also put together a .302 average, 30 runs scored, 16 RBI and 20 stolen bases as the Vikings' number two hitter this season.
A first team all-league selection in center field, Penney, hit .337 with 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs and a team-high 38 RBI from her clean-up spot. She led CSU with a .412 average, 15 runs scored, four home runs, 17 RBI and a .691 slugging percentage in league play. Penney was a second team All-Horizon League pick as a freshman and has earned a spot on the league championship all-tournament team each of the past two seasons.
McDonnell, the Keizer, Ore., native, is currently second on the team with a .327 batting average and tied the YSU single-season home run record with 10. During the Horizon League Tournament, McDonnell batted .385 with two doubles to help the Penguins to the 2006 Horizon League Championship and their first berth in the NCAA Regional Tournament.
The Penguins face No. 13 Michigan, Friday, May 19, at 7 p.m. at Alumni Field in Ann Arbor, Mich.
