May 14, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M softball players Holly Ridley, Erin Glasco and Natalie Villarreal were named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I Central All-Region team, the NFCA announced Thursday.
Each Aggie garnered the All-Region honor for the first time in their career.
A total of 264 players from 121 different institutions comprise the regional teams. A change this year is the announcement of just one team per region (First Team), although the team has the same number of members of the previous year's first and second teams combined. The change gives the regional representatives more leeway in presenting candidates for All-America selection.
Ridley, a senior right fielder from Sugar Land, Texas, was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week, Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week this year. She posted a team-high 11-game hitting streak early in the season and is also a two-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree. Ridley posts a .299 batting average, .558 slugging percentage and 19 extra-base hits, including eight home runs.
Glasco, a Johnston City, Ill., native leads the team with a .494 on base percentage and is hitting .288 with 28 RBIs. The senior catcher was selected to the All-Big 12 first team after leading A&M with a .316 average and .527 on base percentage against conference opponents. Glasco has started every game behind the plate this season.
A left-handed second baseman, Villarreal leads the Aggie offense with a .342 batting average and was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. She was the first player from A&M and the first sophomore in league history to earn the award. Villarreal was also selected to the All-Big 12 second team for the second consecutive season.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, and all three Aggies are now be eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams.
The NFCA Division I All-American teams will be announced at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 27.