from MGoBlue.comhttp://www.mgoblue.com/softball/article.aspx?id=137714
Six Wolverines Selected to All-Great Lakes Region Teams
May 14, 2008
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Four-time honorees Samantha Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) and Alessandra Giampaolo (Pasadena, Calif./Polytechnic HS) top the list of a half dozen University of Michigan softball players selected for NFCA Great Lakes All-Region honors, as voted on by regional coaches and announced Wednesday (May 14).
Giampaolo, a senior outfielder making her fourth appearance on the all-region first team, and Findlay, a senior second baseman who gained a first-team spot for the third time (2005, '07, '08), are joined on the all-region first team by junior shortstop Teddi Ewing (Olathe, Kan./East HS), sophomore pitcher Nikki Nemitz (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Regina HS) and freshman pitcher Jordan Taylor (Valencia, Calif./Valencia). Sophomore rightfielder Angela Findlay (Lockport, Ill./East HS) rounds out the six U-M honorees with her selection to the all-region second team.
All regional honorees are eligible for All-America accolades. All-Americans will be voted on and selected Monday, May 26, by regional representatives. The All-America honorees will be announced during the week of the Women's College World Series (May 29-June 5).
A prolific postseason player, Samantha Findlay carries a .338 average in NCAA Tournament competition with four home runs and 18 RBI. This season, the Wolverine captain earned unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten first team in her first season at second base. She leads the Wolverines in batting average (.395), runs scored (51), home runs (21), runs batted in (67) and slugging percentage (.868).
Ewing claims her first all-region selection amidst a career year, listing third among the Wolverines' leading hitters with a career-high .333 average to go with personal bests of 33 runs scored, 17 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Ewing earned All-Big Ten second team honors for the first time in her career and was named the Wolverines' recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Giampaolo has put together one of the best seasons for an outfielder in the Great Lakes region, batting .370 with a team-leading 12 doubles and 17 multi-hit games while posting a .442 on-base percentage. Michigan's leadoff hitter for much of the season, Giampaolo also leads the team in hits (64). Giampaolo lends her glove and rocket launcher arm to the outfield, recording 35 putouts this season and a team-best three outfield assists while boasting a strong .975 fielding percentage in her first season in leftfield.
Making up one of the nation's most dominant pitching staffs, Nemitz and Taylor have collectively boasted NCAA Division I softball's best earned run average since the first published statistics in March. The most successful freshman pitcher in U-M program history, Taylor leads the Wolverines with a 27-3 record, 0.72 ERA, 12 shutouts and 250 strikeouts. She earned All-Big Ten first team honors and captured the league's Freshman of the Year award.
Nemitz is just the second pitcher in U-M program history to kick off her career with back-to-back 20-win seasons. She owns a 21-3 record and has set career-high marks with a 0.85 ERA, 10 shutouts, 202 strikeouts and a .164 opponent batting average. Named to the All-Big Ten first team as a utility player, Nemitz has also stepped up offensively, boasting a .277 average at the plate with 19 RBI and six extra-base hits.
Angela Findlay, a unanimous All-Big Ten first team selection, has flourished in the second half of the Wolverines' schedule, improving her season batting average by 113 points over the last 27 games. She ranks among the Wolverines' leading hitters with a .331 batting average, 35 runs scored and 24 RBI.
Michigan enters the NCAA Tournament with a 48-6 record, reaching the 40-win total for the 14th season in a row. Michigan is an NCAA Regional host and will open its bid for a return trip to the Women's College World Series when it faces off against Wright State on Friday (May 16, 7 p.m.) at the Wilpon Softball Complex, home of Alumni Field.
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Great Lakes All-Region Team
FIRST TEAM
P -- Jordan Taylor, Michigan
P -- Nikki Nemitz, Michigan
C -- Samantha Marder, Ohio State
1B -- Lauren Haas, Southern Illinois#
2B -- Samantha Findlay, Michigan
3B -- Kara Nelson, Illinois State
SS -- Teddi Ewing, Michigan
OF -- Jherica Williams, Wright State&
OF -- Alessandra Giampaolo, Michigan
OF -- Nikki Nicosia, Michigan State
UT -- Amber Smith, Illinois State
DP -- Brittany Vanderink, Ohio State
SECOND TEAM
P -- Jackie Hill, Penn State
P -- Amanda Macenko, Cleveland State@
C -- Lana Armstrong, Illinois
1B -- Ashley Strauss, Eastern Michigan
2B -- Gina Mondo, Michigan State
3B -- Amy Hudson, Central Michigan
SS -- Bianca Mejia, Michigan State
OF -- Danielle Kinley, Penn State
OF -- Courtney Waters, Ohio
OF -- Angela Findlay, Michigan
UT -- Hayley Wiemer, Bowling Green
DP -- Jessica LeFevere, Michigan State
# Automatic selection (Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year)
& Automatic selection (Horizon League Player of the Year)
@ Automatic selection (Horizon League Pitcher of the Year)
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