Franks named NFCA First-Team All-Region
5/5/2009 6:04:37 PM
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Junior Jena Franks has been named First-Team All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), the organization announced today. Senior Kayla Backlund and freshman Ashley Bice also earned Second-Team honors, and senior Melissa Muehlenfeld earned Third-Team honors.
Franks hit .416 this past season after transferring to BSC from Wallace State Community College this past fall. She broke the single-season RBI record with 46, and had 11 doubles and seven home runs. She also had a .699 slugging percentage and was 7-8 on stolen bases. Defensively, the shortstop posted a .936 fielding percentage with 37 putouts and 66 assists.
Backlund was third on the team in batting average this season, hitting .417 with five doubles, a single-season record 10 triples, six home runs, and 33 RBI. She had a team-high slugging percentage of .791, and was 18-20 on the base paths. Backlund also recorded 25 putouts and two assists with a 1.000 fielding percentage from her post in center field.
Bice led the team batting .455 this season with 51 hits, 11 doubles, a triple and three home runs, as well as 35 RBI. In the field, she recorded 221 putouts and nine assists for a .987 fielding percentage.
Muehlenfeld was second on the team hitting .452 with seven doubles, three triples, and 11 RBI. She broke the single-season runs record with 50, and is now the career leader, and she also broke the single-season stolen bases record, going 38-39, and is also the career leader in that category. Muehlenfeld also went 14-2 in the circle with a 1.21 ERA, five shutouts, 78 strikeouts, and a .191 opponent batting average.
Overall, the 2009 team made history by tying the record for single-season wins (32) and notching the best winning percentage (32-5, .865) in program history. The team also broke the single-season batting average (.361), runs (279), stolen bases (86), triples (17), RBI (236), fewest strikeouts (102), and fielding percentage (.969) records. The pitching staff broke the single-season shutouts record (16), as well as the single-season records for lowest ERA (1.19) and lowest opponent batting average (.186).