June 13, 2006

From the NFCA Web site

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Oklahoma City University had five players named to the 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NAIA All-America Team to lead all schools on the team released Friday by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The NFCA is the professional coaches association for the sport of softball.

Oklahoma City put three players on the first team, matching California Baptist University with the most first-team selections. The Stars had two players named to the second team, while Cal Baptist, the national runner-up, had one player named second team to bring its total of players receiving the honor to four.

Both schools had its battery named to the first team. Oklahoma City's Dasha Shembereva, who went 39-5 with a 2.08 ERA, was named first team at pitcher along with her catcher Cat Calvert. Shembereva struck out 304 in 283 innings of work, and she gave up 65 runs as opponents hit .187 off her. Calvert, a first-team all-American for the second straight year, hit .453 with 19 doubles, two triples and nine home runs. She drove in 62 runs and scored another 49 while throwing out 10-of-14 stolen base attempts.

Designated player Ursula Lundberg joined them on the first team, while Jill Vaughn and Lelys Gomez earned second team honors at third base and shortstop, respectively. Lundberg hit .453 on the year and hit seven home runs while accounting for 80 of the team's runs. Vaughn, a .956 fielder, hit .388 at the plate including seven home runs. She also drove in 40 runs and scored 41 more. Gomez compiled a .369 average at the plate, driving in 34 runs and scoring 60 more. She was also 15-for-16 in stolen bases while striking out only three times in 141 at-bats.

California Baptist catcher Tami Trujillo prevented a Calvert repeat as Diamond Catcher of the Year as she garnered the award this season after joining Calvert at first-team catcher. Trujillo hit .474 for the year with 13 doubles and seven home runs. A 5-for-6 base stealer, she scored 33 runs to go with her 43 RBIs. She fielded .995 behind the plate and threw out six of seven stolen base attempts.

Trujillo was joined on the first team by teammates Candice Thomas at pitcher and Chantal Millard at shortstop. Thomas posted 27 wins to just one defeat on the year, giving up 99 hits and 16 earned runs for a 0.65 ERA. She also struck out 116 on the season. Millard provided solid defense behind her, committing just two errors while fielding .986 at short. She also hit .429 and drove in 40 runs while scoring 49 times. A 19-for-24 base stealer, Millard hit 11 doubles, four triples and seven home runs.

Geanie Jenkins represented Cal Baptist on the second team, earning a nod at first base following a stellar campaign in which she hit .394 and drove in 42 runs. She also scored 37 times after hitting 16 doubles, a pair of triples and 12 home runs.

Trevecca Nazarene University (Tenn.) had two players named to the first team. Brittany Johnson joined Thomas and Shembereva at pitcher after a stellar campaign in which she went 31-8 with a 0.97 ERA and a single-season-record 382 strikeouts. She also hit .375 at the plate, driving in 53 runs and scoring 23 times on 12 doubles and 19 home runs.

Johnson was joined on the first team by teammate Ashley McCool at first base. McCool, a .971 fielder, hit .447 on the year, including 19 doubles, a triple and 10 home runs. She drove in 46 and accounted for 48 runs as she slugged at a .764 clip.

Simon Fraser University (B.C.) put three players on the all-America squad, with first-team honoree Melanie Matthews leading the way along with second team winners Becky Hartley and Erin Gee.

Matthews was named to the first team in the outfield after hitting .558 from the lead-off spot. The member of the Canadian National Team hit 10 doubles, four triples and three home runs while driving in 32 runs and scoring 41 times. She also stole 14-of-16 bases on the year.

Hartley, the second team catcher, set the team single-season home run mark with 12 round-trippers. She hit .434 on the year and drove in 43 runs while throwing out nearly half of the opponents who attempted to steal. Gee, who patrolled the outfield with Matthews, was named to the second team after a 2006 campaign in which she hit .505 and stole nine of 10 bases. She posted a .680 slugging percentage and scored 39 times while driving in 26 runs.

View the 2006 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NAIA All-America Teams