May 18, 2003
A week after being named to the All-SEC second team, University of Kentucky senior second baseman Nikki Jones was named to the 2003 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region second team as announced by the NFCA on Thursday, May 14. It is Jones’ second straight selection to the All-South Region Team. Last year, she became the first UK player ever named to the first team.
Jones led the team in batting for the second straight year. Her .388 season average is the third highest mark in UK history and puts her at the top spot for career batting average (.365). As the lead-off batter for all but two games, the Suisun, Calif., native was tops for Kentucky this year with 183 at-bats, 71 hits, 11 doubles, five triples, 25 multi-hit games and 95 total bases.
In SEC games, Jones was tied for the top spot in hits (39) with Georgia’s Nicole Barber. Her .415 SEC batting average was good enough for the fourth spot.
A starter at second base the entire season, Jones was part of an infield that led the conference in double plays in SEC play (14) and overall (27). She tied her own UK record when she hit safely in 14-consecutive games from Feb. 22-Mar. 16. That included a six-game multi-hit streak.
2003 NFCA All-South Region First Team
P Kristin Schmidt – LSU
P Brooke Mitchell – UL-Lafayette
C Casey Goodman – UL-Monroe
1B Jackie McClain – Alabama
2B Shelly Floyd – Western Kentucky
3B Becky McMurtry – UL-Lafayette
SS Courtney Mitchell – Middle Tennessee State
OF Iyhia McMichael – Mississippi State
OF Kristen Zaleski – Southwest Texas State
OF Danyele Gomez – UL-Lafayette
DP Janae Bonin – Jacksonville State
UT Stephanie VanBrackle – Alabama
2003 NFCA All-South Region Second Team
P Sarah Pauly – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
P Nicole Neuerburg – Southwest Texas State
P Katy Cox – Texas-Arlington
P Jonelle Csora – Eastern Kentucky
C Kristi Durant – Tennessee
1B Krystal Gibson – Texas-San Antonio
2B Nikki Jones – Kentucky
3B Kristen Glowacz Houston
SS Erin Flater Troy State
OF Ashley Courtney Alabama
OF Stephanie Dallman Texas-Arlington
DP DeDe Justice Ole Miss
UT Lauren Mattox Tennessee
