LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Augustana softball senior Kendall Cornick is a Top-15 finalist for the 2021 Schutt Sports/NFCA Player of the Year the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Tuesday. In addition, Cornick has been named the Central Region Player of the Year in an additional release on Tuesday from the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA).
Cornick, hailing from Mason City, Iowa, finished the regular season as the NSIC leader in batting average at .473, on-base percentage at .535 and the stolen-bases leader at a perfect 33-for-33. She is seventh in the nation with 17 doubles and sixth in NCAA Division II with 70 total hits.
The senior was named to the Schutt Sports/NFCA Player of the Year Top-30 Finalist list on May 3. Since then, she has been named the NSIC Player of the Year and earned an NFCA National Player of the Week honor.
The National Player of the Year will be announced on June 3 by the NFCA.
Along with having Cornick on the D2CCA Central All-Region Team as the Player of the Year, three other Vikings were honored. Outfielder Mary Pardo, pitcher Ashley Mickschl and designated player Torri Chute all earned the honors.
Pardo, hailing from Andover, Minnesota, ranks third in the nation with 19 home runs in 2021 while ranking third in the NSIC with her 44 RBI. She earned First Team All-NSIC accolades while holding a .752 slugging percentage.
Mickschl, a native of Woodbury, Minnesota, is the nation's leader with 24 victories in the circle in 2021. Her 0.86 WHIP is second in the NSIC as she, too, was a First Team All-NSIC selection.
Chute, hailing from Woodbury, Minnesota, is the NSIC leader in RBI with 60, a mark that ranks fourth in the nation. She totaled 15 doubles on the year, a number that ranks fifth in the NSIC as she earned First Team All-NSIC accolades.
All four members of the D2CCA Central All-Region Team were also members of the NFCA All-Region Team announced last week.
The No. 1 ranked Augustana softball team begins NCAA Regional action Thursday at noon. The opponent will be the winner of the Southern Arkansas – Central Missouri game taking place Wednesday at noon.
--GoAugie.com--
