Bloomsburg Players Named All-Region by NFCA

BLOOMSBURG—Five Bloomsburg University softball players have been named to the Mid-Atlantic All-Region team by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

Named first team All-Region was Sara Roba (Emmaus/Emmaus), while Amanda Smith (Sandy Ridge-Philipsburg-Osceola), Jaime Wilson (Olyphant/Bishop O'Hara), Laurel Koster (Whitney Point, NY/Cicero North) and Amanda Breon (Bellefonte/Bellefonte) were named second team All-Region.

Roba's name will now be placed on the national ballot with a chance to be named All-American later this week. The NFCA All-American team will be announced on Wednesday at a banquet before the start of the NCAA championships in Salem, VA.

Roba, the Huskies' designated player this year, saved her best season for her last season. The senior is second on the team in batting with a mark of .407 and leads Bloomsburg in home runs with eight, RBI with 52 and is second in doubles with 19 and third in hits with 57. She also leads the Huskies in total bases with 102 and in slugging percentage with a mark of .729. At last weekend's NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional championships, Roba hit .538 (7-13) with a team-high four RBI.

Smith, the MVP of the NCAA regional, is 17-3 for the year with a 1.16 ERA. She leads the Huskies in strikeouts with 161 in 127 innings of work. She also has a team-high 16 complete games and five shutouts. Smith earned MVP honors at the NCAA regional by going 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA. She beat top-seed Shippensburg twice to give Bloomsburg the regional title.

Wilson, a senior, is 12-2 on the year with a 0.97 ERA. She has 102 strikeouts and just nine walks in 94 innings of work. At last week's NCAA regional opener against Elizabeth City State, Wilson threw a no-hitter, the Huskies' first post-season no-hitter in 10 years. Earlier this season Wilson also pitched a perfect game against Mansfield.

Koster, a third baseman, is batting a career-best .291 with four homers and 31 RBI. She also has six doubles, two triples and has scored 22 runs this season.

Breon, a shortstop, is batting .375 with a career-high six homers and 30 RBIs. She leads the team in triples with eight and in runs with 45. Breon is also second in hits with 60 and in total bases with 99.

Bloomsburg, 44-8, will face Concordia (MN) in the opening game of the NCAA championship round this Thursday in Salem, VA at noon. The Huskies are making their 10th NCAA championship round appearance and first since the 2002 season.