May 19, 2011
ANN ARBOR Mich. – A record five Kentucky softball players were selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Southeast Region teams it was announced Wednesday. Senior Megan Yocke and junior Rachel Riley were first team selections, while senior Meagan Aull, junior Brittany Cervantes and sophomore Kara Dill were tabbed to the second team.
The 2011 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region teams honor student-athletes from the 10 NFCA regions. A total of 258 players from 126 different institutions comprise this season’s regional teams, including first and second teams for each region.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, and all the honorees will now be eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams.
The NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at 5 p.m. EDT on Wed., June 1.
Yocke is a repeat performer on the All-Southeast Region team. This marks the third time in her career she has achieved this honor. Yocke was the selection for the All-Southeast catcher. In her final campaign, Yocke is having a remarkable season with a career-high .336 batting average, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases. She has charted a perfect 1.000 fielding clip as a catcher and ranks as the school’s all-time leader in career putouts. Yocke was a first-team All-SEC selection and was named the USA Softball and SEC Player of the Week in early March after leading UK to a series-upset of then ranked No. 7 Tennessee.
Riley earns All-Southeast honors for the first time in her career as the pitcher/utility selection. The junior from Bowling Green, Ky., is having a career season at the plate and in the circle. She is batting a career-high .367 with eight home runs and 28 RBI. She charted a career-long nine game hitting streak in her breakout year at the plate. On the mound, she owns an 11-5 record with a 2.79 ERA. Her 11 victories this season matches a career-high. She added to her list of big wins with a pair of victories over top-10 foes. In her three-year career she has now knocked off seven top-10 opponents.
Aull was a second-team selection as an outfielder earning her first career honor. The senior from Owensboro, Ky., has enjoyed the most prolific season of her career. Aull is charting a career-best .368 batting clip with career highs in home runs (9), runs scored (37), hits (63) and RBI (36). UK’s center fielder has started all 220 games of her career and has committed just two errors in her final three seasons. She was tabbed the SEC Player of the Week in early April after leading UK to a sweep of then ranked No. 5 Florida. She blasted four home runs in the series and became the first player in school history to notch two in one inning.
Cervantes is a first-time selection to the All-Southeast region teams. UK’s junior was tabbed to the team as a utility/non-pitcher performer splitting her time between third base and catcher. The Chatsworth, Calif., native enjoyed her best season at the plate with career-highs in batting average (.336) and home runs (14). She ranks in the top-three all-time in the single-season records for home runs, RBI, walks and runs scored in 2011. Cervantes is also the only player in UK history to hit 10 or more home runs in each of her seasons donning the Blue and White.
Dill was awarded second-team honors at shortstop and is capturing the honor for the first time in her career. The LaGrange, Ohio, native paces the UK offensive effort with a .389 batting clip and a team-high 19 stolen bases in her first season as a full-time starter. She strung together a career-best hitting streak of 14 games and had at least one hit in 42 of UK’s 50 games this season. Perhaps the biggest hit of her career came with a walk-off single through the right side to plate the winning score in the series upset victory of No. 7 Tennessee in March.
Only six of the 25 players tabbed to the All-Southeast region teams were from institutions other than Southeastern Conference squads. Georgia, Tennessee and Florida also comprise the All-Southeast Region with Kentucky and between the four SEC squads 19 of the players were from the conference.
Kentucky will hit the field Friday, May 20 at 5:30 p.m. ET to open post-season action for the third consecutive season. The Wildcats have notched a program-record 36 victories this season and are searching for their first Super Regional bid in school history. The game with Notre Dame will air live on ESPN2, with all of the games in the Ann Arbor, Mich., regional set to air on the ESPN family of networks.
Follow along all season with the UK softball team at UKathletics.com.
Southeast Region
First Team
P, Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee
P, Hannah Rogers, Florida
C, Megan Yocke, Kentucky
1B, Megan Bush, Florida
2B, Lauren Gibson, Tennessee
3B, Alisa Goler, Georgia
SS, Kelsi Weseman, Georgia Tech
OF, Kelsey Bruder, Florida
OF, Raven Chavanne, Tennessee
OF, Megan Wiggins, Georgia
UT/P, Rachel Riley, Kentucky
UT/Non-pitcher, Brittany Schutte, Florida
Second Team
P, Sarah Sigrest, Jacksonville
P, Morgan Childers, South Carolina Upstate
P, Allison Garcia, Bethune-Cookman
C, Ashley Razey, Georgia
1B, Brianna Hesson, Georgia
2B, Aja Paculba, Florida
3B, Bridget Desbois, NC State
SS, Kara Dill, Kentucky
OF, Michelle Moultrie, Florida
OF, Kat Dotson, Tennessee
OF, Meagan Aull, Kentucky
UT/P, Olivia Kline, Jacksonville
UT/Non-P, Brittany Cervantes Kentucky
