University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI softball: Five named to NFCA All-Region Teams
5/19/2023 12:09:00 PM | Softball
LOUISVILLE, Ky. --Â Across three different teams, five Panthers were honored with NFCA All-Region awards for the 2023 season.Â
UNI softball's record-setting year continues even after play has ended, landing a record five players on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region teams. Of the five Panthers named to the Midwest All-Region, two made the First Team, two made the Second Team, and one made the Third Team.Â
Freshman catcher Alexis Pupillo and sophomore outfielder Mya Dodge were named to the NFCA Midwest All-Region First Team for their performance on the field in 2023. Pupillo led the Panthers in multiple categories in her first season with UNI, including batting average (.413), hits (66), doubles (14), home runs (17), total bases (135), and putouts (462). Pupillo was also named to the TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 10 list, the first Panther in program history to do so. Pupillo also earned multiple honors from the Missouri Valley Conference including, MVC Freshman of the Year, All-MVC First Team, and the MVC All-Tournament Team.Â
Dodge also had a big season at the plate for UNI, leading the team in OPS (1.376), slugging percentage (.906), triples (5), home runs (17), and RBIs (68). For her efforts on the field, Dodge was named the MVC Player of the Year and to the All-MVC First Team. She also set a new program record for most RBIs in a single season, breaking the previous record of 59 RBIs set in 2009.Â
Pitcher Samantha Heyer and third baseman Brooke Snider were named to the NFCA Midwest All-Region Second Team for the Panthers this season. Heyer had a breakout year for UNI in the circle, setting new program records in opponent batting average, strikeouts, strikeouts per seven innings, and wins in a season. Heyer received multiple recognitions for her record-breaking year, including MVC Pitcher of the Year, All-MVC First Team, MVC All-Tournament Team, MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, and the College Sports Communicators All-District Team. Heyer also had UNI's first perfect game in almost a decade, facing 15 batters with 10 strikeouts on May 5 against Evansville.
Snider's final season as a Panther gave her a new level at the plate, having her first year above .300. The redshirt senior was one of the team leaders in slugging performance with a .662 slugging percentage with 12 home runs and nine doubles. Snider especially shined during Valley play, upping her batting average to .392 and her slugging percentage to .757. Along with her success at the plate, Snider returned to form in the field as UNI's starting third baseman. She ended the season with a .898 fielding percentage with 29 putouts and 55 assists. Snider was also part of a double play for the Panthers, one of only eight this season.Â
Pitcher Kailyn Packard was UNI's lone selection to the NFCA Midwest All-Region Third Team for her performance in the circle as the Panthers' number two pitcher. In 120.1 innings of work in her final season, Packard threw 145 strikeouts to pick up 13 wins and three saves. The redshirt senior also picked up multiple honors including, the All-MVC Second Team, MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, and the CSC All-District Team.Â
UNI softball's record-setting year continues even after play has ended, landing a record five players on the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region teams. Of the five Panthers named to the Midwest All-Region, two made the First Team, two made the Second Team, and one made the Third Team.Â
Freshman catcher Alexis Pupillo and sophomore outfielder Mya Dodge were named to the NFCA Midwest All-Region First Team for their performance on the field in 2023. Pupillo led the Panthers in multiple categories in her first season with UNI, including batting average (.413), hits (66), doubles (14), home runs (17), total bases (135), and putouts (462). Pupillo was also named to the TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year Top 10 list, the first Panther in program history to do so. Pupillo also earned multiple honors from the Missouri Valley Conference including, MVC Freshman of the Year, All-MVC First Team, and the MVC All-Tournament Team.Â
Dodge also had a big season at the plate for UNI, leading the team in OPS (1.376), slugging percentage (.906), triples (5), home runs (17), and RBIs (68). For her efforts on the field, Dodge was named the MVC Player of the Year and to the All-MVC First Team. She also set a new program record for most RBIs in a single season, breaking the previous record of 59 RBIs set in 2009.Â
Pitcher Samantha Heyer and third baseman Brooke Snider were named to the NFCA Midwest All-Region Second Team for the Panthers this season. Heyer had a breakout year for UNI in the circle, setting new program records in opponent batting average, strikeouts, strikeouts per seven innings, and wins in a season. Heyer received multiple recognitions for her record-breaking year, including MVC Pitcher of the Year, All-MVC First Team, MVC All-Tournament Team, MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, and the College Sports Communicators All-District Team. Heyer also had UNI's first perfect game in almost a decade, facing 15 batters with 10 strikeouts on May 5 against Evansville.
Snider's final season as a Panther gave her a new level at the plate, having her first year above .300. The redshirt senior was one of the team leaders in slugging performance with a .662 slugging percentage with 12 home runs and nine doubles. Snider especially shined during Valley play, upping her batting average to .392 and her slugging percentage to .757. Along with her success at the plate, Snider returned to form in the field as UNI's starting third baseman. She ended the season with a .898 fielding percentage with 29 putouts and 55 assists. Snider was also part of a double play for the Panthers, one of only eight this season.Â
Pitcher Kailyn Packard was UNI's lone selection to the NFCA Midwest All-Region Third Team for her performance in the circle as the Panthers' number two pitcher. In 120.1 innings of work in her final season, Packard threw 145 strikeouts to pick up 13 wins and three saves. The redshirt senior also picked up multiple honors including, the All-MVC Second Team, MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, and the CSC All-District Team.Â
Players Mentioned
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