Four Huskers Earn All-Region Honors

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) recognized four Nebraska softball players on Thursday, as senior Steph Pasquale, junior Kiki Stokes and sophomores MJ Knighten and Cassie McClure were all named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region first team.

Nebraska’s four first-team selections were double the total of any other team in the Midwest region, as Huskers claimed four of the 12 spots on the first team.

Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said all four Huskers – who learned of the honor just prior to Nebraska’s team practice Thursday at the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional – were more than deserving of being recognized alongside the best players in the country.

“It’s always a great thing when hard work and preparation are not only recognized but rewarded,” Revelle said. “MJ had a good freshman season but she has taken her game to another level as a sophomore. Kiki has grown every year in our program, and she has emerged this season as one of the top leadoff hitters in the country. Steph and Cassie have both made immediate impacts in their first year in our program. Steph came to Nebraska as an All-American, and she has been everything we had hoped she would be. Cassie joined us in January and has been able to not only adjust to a new school and new teammates, but has been a real key to our success offensively and on the mound.”

Knighten was named to the first team to earn the first all-region accolade of her career. Knighten joins Jessica Yoachim (2004) as the only Nebraska third baseman to earn all-region accolades as a freshman or sophomore. Overall, Knighten is the first Husker third baseman to be an all-region honoree since 2006.

One of six unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selections this spring, Knighten leads the Big Ten with 78 hits and ranks fourth with a .417 batting average. Knighten enters the NCAA Tournament with the fifth-highest batting average in school history, while ranking fifth in RBIs (57), sixth in hits and eighth in runs (52). With her 78 hits, 57 RBIs and 52 runs, Knighten has become one of only four players in school history to total 50 hits, 50 RBIs and 50 runs in the same season. The only two Huskers to accomplish that feat before this season were three-time All-American Ali Viola and two-time All-American Tobin Echo-Hawk.

Pasquale earned first-team all-region accolades for the third time in her career after twice being named a first-team All-Northeast Region honoree at Temple. A 2013 third-team All-American and 2015 first-team All-Big Ten selection, Pasquale is one of only three catchers in program history to earn first-team all-region honors. She moves on to the All-America ballot, where she will look to join Taylor Edwards as the only All-America catchers in school history.

A native of Pompton Lakes, N.J., Pasquale has put up outstanding numbers in her lone season as a Husker. She enters the NCAA Tournament batting .382 with 11 doubles, 11 homers and 51 RBIs. The 12th player in school history to produce double-digit totals in both doubles and home runs in the same season, Pasquale ranks 10th in school history with her current .671 slugging percentage. Pasquale’ 51 RBIs rank 11th in Husker history, and her 36 RBIs during the Big Ten Conference season ranked second in Big Ten history.

Stokes continued to receive recognition for her breakout junior season with the first all-region honor of her career. Stokes is the first Husker outfielder to be named a first-team all-region performer since 2004. An Olathe, Kan., native, Stokes joins All-American Kim Ogee as the only other Husker outfielder to earn first-team all-region recognition prior to her senior season.

Also a first-team All-Big Ten honoree, Stokes has excelled as Nebraska’s leadoff hitter for all 55 games this season. Stokes is batting a career-high .407, more than .100 higher than her career average entering the year. Stokes has set a school record with 63 runs and 17 hit-by-pitches this season, and she enters the NCAA Tournament with the highest on-base percentage in program history (.534). Stokes also enters the postseason with the sixth-highest batting average and slugging percentage (.707) in school history, while ranking 11th in RBIs. One of four players in program history to total 50 hits, 50 RBIs and 50 runs, Stokes has slugged a career-high 11 home runs this season, nearly double the total from her first two years combined (6). Stokes has also exceeded her career totals in doubles (9) and extra-base hits (24).

McClure earned all-region accolades for the second straight season after being a third-team All-Central Region selection as a freshman at Texas Tech in 2014. She was rewarded for her dual talents, as she earned a spot on the first team at the pitcher/utility spot, which takes into account a player’s work in the circle and at the plate.

Offensively, McClure is batting .349 entering the NCAA Tournament. She ranks second on the team with 11 doubles and has added four homers and driven in 39. A tough out, McClure has drawn 20 walks while striking out only nine times. In the circle, McClure is 9-3 after not registering a decision at Texas Tech last season. In addition to her nine wins, McClure has added five saves for the Huskers. The five saves – which rank second in the Big Ten and 12th nationally – tie for the most ever by a Husker sophomore and rank fifth overall in school history.

By earning all-region accolades, Knighten, McClure, Pasquale and Stokes move on to the national All-America ballot. The 2015 All-Americans will be announced on the NFCA’s website (nfca.org) at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27.