Carson-Newman's Howard Garners Second Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region Honors

2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region Teams

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Carson-Newman senior shortstop Jessie Howard (Knoxville, Tenn.) has been named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region softball team, officials announced Thursday.

Howard garnered second team honors after leading the Lady Eagles to a 37-12 record this season and a South Atlantic Conference record sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. She was among the SAC leaders in batting average (.385), hits (65), triples (four) and stolen bases (33).

This year's teams are comprised of 207 student-athletes from 91 institutions spread out over the eight NFCA regions, with a first and second team for each region.

Top-ranked North Georgia, the NCAA's only undefeated team at any level, led this year's awards by placing five players on the Southeast Region first-team. The Saints also placed one player on the second team to give them six total All-Region selections. The only other teams with six total selections were No. 4 Metro State from the Central Region, No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne also from the Southeast Region and No. 11 Emporia State and No. 19 Angelo State, both from the South Central region.

NFCA member coaches in each of the eight regions select the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region teams and all honorees are now eligible to be selected to one of three All-American teams.

The 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American teams will be announced at the 2010 NCAA Banquet of Champions at the Fulkerson Center on the campus of Missouri Western University in St. Joseph, Mo., on Wednesday, May 26. The entire list of 2010 All-Americans, and its accompanying release, will be placed on NFCA.org later that evening.