MARSHALL, MINN.: Southwest Minnesota State softball player Amanda Johnson has been named Daktronics North Central Region Pitcher of the Year.  The announcement came from the regional committee on Saturday morning.  Casie Hanson, an outfielder from North Dakota, was named Player of the Year for the region.

Johnson becomes the first player in school history to be named regional player or pitcher of the year in softball.

A junior pitcher from Fremont, Neb., Johnson led the Mustangs this spring with a 1.30 ERA in 242 innings with 278 strikeouts.  She finished with 25 complete games and nine shutouts, while posting a 28-6 record with five saves.  Opponents had just 185 hits against her (.205 opponents' batting average) and she walked just 25 batters.  Last week, she was named first team All-NSIC and NSIC Pitcher of the Year and this week has been named first team all-region by both Daktronics and NFCA.  She has been named NSIC Pitcher of the Week twice this spring.  She already holds career school records for strikeouts (853), strikeouts per seven innings (8.61), fewest walks per seven innings (1.16), wins (78), saves (13), shutouts (25), complete games (77), innings pitched (693.2), appearances (122), games started (89) and is second in ERA (1.40).

Southwest was ranked No. 12 in NCAA II in the last national poll and finished its season on Friday with an overall record of 39-12 after going 1-2 at the North Central Regional Tournament in Emporia, Kan.  The Mustangs earned the second seed in the region after going 38-10 in the regular season and capturing the regular season NSIC title with a 17-1 record in the conference.  The regional tournament appearance was SMSU's third consecutive and third in school history.