Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region Teams

MARSHALL, Minn. -  The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced today its selections for the 2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-Region Teams, and a pair of Southwest Minnesota State athletes have been named to the squad.  Senior right fielder Amanda Burkhart was named first team, while senior pitcher Amanda Johnson was named second team.

Each of the eight NFCA Division II Regions presents a 13-member first-team and 13-member second-team comprised of one player per team representing the positions of catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, designated player, utility/pitcher and utility/non-pitcher, plus two pitchers and three outfielders per teams. Each region's head coaches voted on the selections.

Burkhart, a senior from Omaha, Neb., put together a stellar campaign at the plate for SMSU in 2009, leading the NSIC in seven different offensive categories.  She finished the season leading the conference in batting average (.506), slugging percentage (1.065) and on base percentage (.581).  She was also tops in the conference in hits (39), RBIs (38), home runs (13) and total bases (82).  The SMSU record book has been a familiar place for the senior; this season, she's set single-season records for home runs with 18 and RBIs with 57.  Burkhart also set the SMSU single-season record in slugging percentage with .728.  In the Mustang career record book, she has owns the No. 1 spot in home runs with 34, RBIs with 160 and doubles with 42. 

The right fielder finished the season leading the Mustangs with a .367 batting average, 62 hits, 40 runs, 18 home runs and 57 RBIs.  Her .728 slugging percentage and .438 on base percentage are also Mustang bests.  Burkhart was also named the NSIC Player of the Year and All-NSIC first team.  This is her first Louisville Slugger/NFCA honor of her career.  Earlier this week she was named Daktronics All-Central Region first team and Daktronics Central Region Player of the Year.

This is Johnson's fourth straight Louisville Slugger/NFCA all-region accolade, she was also named second team in 2006 and 2007 and first team in 2008.   The senior finished this regular conference season as the NSIC's leader in wins with 14 and ERA with 1.01.  Johnson held Northern Sun opponents to a .192 batting average and struck out 116 of them in 96.2 innings.

Johnson, a senior from Fremont, Neb., also tossed her first career no-hitter this season and recorded her 1,000th career strikeout—the latter a feat only 15 other players in NCAA Division II history have accomplished and only she has reached at SMSU.  No doubt an icon in Mustang softball lore, Johnson extended her lead in the records, both single season and career, that she already holds at SMSU.  Johnson finished the year with a 20-12 record on the mound and was named NSIC Pitcher of the Year and All-NSIC first team for the fourth consecutive season.  Earlier this week, Johnson was named Daktronics All-Central Region first team for the the third straight year and Daktronics Central Region Pitcher of the Year for the second straight year.

Burkhart and Johnson are two of just three SMSU softball players to make the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region team in school history; Erin Dickhausen was named to the first team in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

SMSU finished the 2009 season with a 32-23 (21-5 NSIC) record and won the NSIC regular season title for the fourth straight season and fifth in the last six years.  The Mustangs also made their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.