The Westminster College softball team had three players earn National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region Team honors for the 2016 season. All-Region players are nominated and selected by NFCA member coaches in each of the eight Division III regions.
Junior Erica Burney, the 2016 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Player of the Year, was placed on the NFCA All-Region First Team as the first baseman. Sophomore Amber Tepen, a SLIAC All-Conference Second Team recipient, was named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team as an outfielder, and junior Alyssa Johnson, a SLIAC Third Team All-Conference member, earned an at-large bid for the NFCA All-Region Third Team.
"I am proud of these ladies not just for making the All-Region Team, but how they got there," stated Head Coach Joe Henderson. "Their work ethic and team attitude helped them through the season and inspired other to achieve success as well. All three are well deserving in a tough selection process and I am happy for them. They are great players and benefit from all their teammates as the teammates benefit from them. They each embody the Team Approach. They are each deserving and had great seasons."
Erica Burney
Burney, a junior first baseman from Ste. Genevieve, Mo., is the first player in program history to be named to the NFCA All-Region First Team. Earlier this season, Burney became the first SLIAC Player of the Year in program history, and was also named to the SLIAC All-Conference First Team. She broke the career home run record in just one season with 11 and broke four season records, including batting average, home runs, RBI and hits. She also tied the season doubles record with 15. She batted .540 on the year with a .927 slugging percentage and 67 hits, including 26 extra base hits.
Amber Tepen
Tepen, a sophomore left fielder from St. Charles, Mo., is the first player in program history to be named to the NFCA All-Region Second Team. She broke the season runs record with 42. She batted .458 on the season with a .720 slugging percentage and a .535 on base percentage, and finished the season with 54 hits including 13 doubles and six home runs and 42 RBI.
Alyssa Johnson
Johnson, a junior catcher from Midlothian, Ill., is the second player in program history to be named to the NFCA All-Region Third Team. Johnson held a .994 fielding percentage with 149 putouts, 14 assists and just one error throughout 36 games behind the plate. At the plate, she batted .417 with 43 hits, six doubles and four home runs. She drove in 23 runs and scored 25.
The NFCA announced the 364 players chosen for the 2016 NFCA Division III All-Region softball teams. The squad is comprised of three teams, first, second and third, in each of the country's eight NCAA regions. First team All-Region choices are eligible for selection to the NFCA All-America team, which will be announced the evening of May 25 online at NFCA.org and in person at the NCAA Division III Championship banquet in Salem, Va.