Seven members of the Marshalltown Community College softball team have been named to the NJCAA All-Region XI team, including a pair of first-team selections. Over the past two seasons, 10 players have earned All-Region XI honors.
Sophomore Courtney Fudge (Pleasant Hill, IA/Des Moines East) and freshman Shaena Robinson (Gardnerville, NV/Douglas) were named to the All-Region XI First-Team. Sophomores Jordan Carter (Sigourney, IA/Sigourney), Tess Cheetham (Oceanside, CA/Oceanside), Paige Taylor (Coquitlam, British Columbia/Terry Fox), and Lexie Valentine (Des Moines, IA/Saydel) and freshman Dion Shirley (Van Meter, IA/Van Meter) were all named to the All-Region XI Second-Team.
"This year's group of All-Region selections for MCC were dynamic and instrumental in helping us la the groundwork for future teams," head coach Garland Shirley expressed. "With Fudge and Robinson representing us on the first-team, and Carter, Cheetham, Shirley, Taylor, and Valentine as second-team selections, it is easy to see why we are changing the expectations for the program."
Robinson, who led the conference in batting average, slugging, and on base percentage, was tabbed the NJCAA All-Region XI Offensive Player of the Year along with her first-team selection
SHAENA ROBINSON NAMED REGION XI OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Fudge finished her standout two-year career with a first-team selection. The sophomore batted .394 on the year and led the Tigers with 18 doubles and nine stolen bases. Fudge finished her career with 117 hits and a career .380 batting average. Fudge was named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Player of the Week to finish the regular season.
A dual threat for the Tigers, Carter stood out in the circle and at the plate. The sophomore won nine games on the year with give complete games and 53 strikeouts. Carter batted .321 on the year with a pair of home runs and 23 runs scored to go along with seven stolen bases. Carter will head to William Penn University next season to play volleyball.
Cheetham, a two-year starter for the Tigers, batted .353 during her sophomore season after collecting 49 hits, including 19 extra base knocks. Her seven home runs and 38 RBI ranked second on the team. Cheetham collected 87 hits for her career as a Tiger. Cheetham will continue her career at William Penn University next season.
Taylor carried the Tigers in the circle, winning 13 games and earned a league-high five saves. Taylor struck out 108 batters to finish her career with 296 punchouts. The sophomore tossed two no-hitters in her final season at MCC and was named ICCAC Pitcher of the Week on April 25 after tossing a no-hitter against Iowa Western Community College. Taylor has signed to play at Alcorn State University next season.
Valentine boasted a career-best .371 batting average for the Tigers, tallying nine multi-hit games. Valentine collected 21 RBI and 24 runs on the year and delivered four home runs while starting a majority of the season at third base.
Shirley was the lone freshman to earn postseason accolades as the second baseman ranked third on the team with a .392 batting average. Shirley collected 51 hits and drove in 14 runs while scoring 33 runs, the third-most on the team.
ICCAC - New Article - 2017 DI Softball All-Region Teams Announced
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