The North Central Missouri College Lady Pirates softball team had four players named to this year’s all-region team. Sophomores Kallie Walczak and Erica Carr and freshmen Lauren Cain and Megan Watkins were selected to the All-Region 16 team.
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Walczak was named to the team as a utility player for her success both as a pitcher and a hitter.
As a pitcher, Walczak logged 173-plus innings, striking out 177 batters. She posted an ERA of 1.73 and had a record of 17-11.
At the plate, Walczak hit .347 with eight home runs and 36 RBI’s.
“Kallie had a tremendous year, really, in three different directions,” Head Coach Max Mothers-baugh said. “Number one, she had a tremendous year at the plate. She hit the ball all year for us and ended up with the second-most home runs we’ve ever had hit in a season. Pitching-wise, she threw lights out all year long. Finally, in terms of leadership, she became a really, really important player for us in that capacity.”
Carr, a third baseman, was one of the strongest bats in the lineup for the Lady Pirates as she hit .358. Carr had a team-high 14 doubles and drove in 34 runs on the season. She also scored a team-high 41 runs. Defensively, Carr was solid as well. At season’s end she had a .927 fielding percentage.
“We moved Erica to third base this year and she was probably as good a defensive third baseman as we saw all season,” Mothersbaugh said. “She was a very good hitter and again a good leader and a good citizen on campus and in the dorms. She was a very good offensive and defensive player.”
Freshman pitcher Lauren Cain was selected to the team as a pitcher. The Lady Pirates’ windmiller struck out 94 batters in 144.7 innings pitched this season. Cain ran a record of 14-9 and had an ERA of 2.42. Cain also hit .324 at the plate with 14 runs driven in.
“I was thrilled to death for Lauren,” Mothersbaugh said. “She was a kid that, coming out of high school, really hadn’t got to pitch in two years. She came in here and really worked extremely hard to get back on track pitching. She developed over the course of the year and by regional time she had turned into a kid that could go up against the best hitters in the region and, at times, over-match them. She really improved dramatically as a pitcher this year and she is going to continue to get better.”
The Lady Pirates’ final all-region honoree was Watkins, a catcher. Watkins was a .321 hitter for the Lady Pirates this season and drove in 21 runs. Watkins was a strong defensive player as well and boasted a near-perfect .989 fielding percentage behind the plate.
“We knew Megan was a good defensive catcher when she came in here from Maryville,” Mothersbaugh said. “We were expecting a good defensive catcher, but we got one that was even better than our expectations. She was as good a catcher as we saw all year long. You did not run on her and she did a great job keeping the ball in front of her.”
Mothersbaugh points out that the talents of the four all-region selections goes beyond what they do on the field.
“All four of those kids have some things in common,” Mothersbaugh said. “They are good players but, more importantly, they are all four very good kids. It was neat to see them get the success and recognition that they deserve.”