Wolverine Quartet Earns NFCA All-America Recognition
6/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 1, 2011
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Four members of the University of Michigan softball team earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America recognition today (Wednesday, June 1) from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. U-M was one of three schools to receive at least four All-America nods.
Junior third baseman Amanda Chidester (Allen Park, Mich./Cabrini HS) highlighted the quartet with first-team distinction, while senior RHP Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia HS) and sophomore second baseman Ashley Lane (Escondido, Calif./Escondido HS) earned second team honors, and junior centerfielder Bree Evans (Bloomington, Calif./Rialto HS) garnered third team distinction. It is the second career All-America honor for Chidester, while Taylor becomes just the fifth three-time All-American in Michigan program history.
Michigan has boasted 30 different All-Americans -- combining for 50 distinctions -- in its 34-year program history. U-M has had at least one All-America selection in each of the last 16 seasons. The 2011 quartet matches the program's largest single-season contingent. The Wolverines also garnered four All-America citations in 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2010.
Chidester becomes the 15th Wolverine player to earn multiple All-America selections after her 2009 second-team nod as a utility player. Voted as the 2011 Big Ten Player of the Year, she led Michigan with a .423 batting average and 79 runs batted in and similarly established career highs with 49 runs scored and 74 hits. She boasted a stout .709 slugging percentage with nine doubles, a triple and 13 home runs, including an inside-the-park homer against Washtenaw County rival Eastern Michigan.
Taylor joins Sara Griffin (utility/pitcher, 1995, '96, '97), Traci Conrad (first base, 1997, '98, '99), Marissa Young (utility/pitcher, 2000, '02, '03) and former teammate Nikki Nemitz (utility/pitcher, 2008, '09, '10) as Michigan's three-time All-Americans. She accumulated a 31-5 record with a 1.51 earned-run average, 340 strikeouts and 12 shutouts. She established Wolverine program records in nearly all career categories, including appearances (162), wins (107), strikeouts (1,220) and no-hitters (8).
After serving primarily as a pinch hitter last season, Lane led the Wolverines in the power-hitting categories this year, posting 32 extra-base hits, including 18 home runs, en route to a .741 slugging percentage. The Wolverine sophomore registered a .345 batting average -- a 212-point improvement on her rookie total -- and a .432 on-base percentage.
Evans started all 59 games from the leadoff spot and registered career highs in every offensive category, including team-leading totals in hits (86) and runs scored (63) as well as 10 doubles, four triples and 26 RBI. Evans recorded at least one hit in 52 games and led the Wolverines with 31 multi-hit performances. In her first full season at centerfield, Evans listed as one of only two everyday players to boast a 1.000 fielding percentage, tallying 37 putouts and two assists with no errors.
U-M wrapped up the 2011 season with a 53-6 overall record. The Wolverines captured their fourth consecutive Big Ten title and earned the program's 18th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
