May 18, 2017 LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced four players from the Auburn softball team have picked up All-Southeast Region honors Thursday morning.
Carlee Wallace was selected First Team All-Southeast Region, while Kaylee Carlson and Kasey Cooper earned Second Team All-Southeast Region accolades. Alyssa Rivera was tabbed as a Third Team All-Southeast Region choice.
Wallace is the third catcher in program history to be chosen on the first team and the 17th selection overall. She joins Michelle Martin (2001) and Sara Dean (2004) as the only backstops to earn top honors from the NFCA.
Wallace paced the Tigers in hits (56), RBI (47), doubles (18) and slugging percentage (.637). The Alpine, Calif. native also caught seven runners stealing during the 2017 campaign.
Carlson is the first pitcher to be named an all-region honoree since Holly Currie in 2005. She led the SEC with 26 wins and held a stout 1.14 ERA in 38 appearances, including 20 complete games and six shutouts.
Cooper is the first player in Auburn history to earn all-region accolades four consecutive years. The most decorated player to don the orange and blue broke the SEC career RBI mark with 266 and ranks in the top 10 in NCAA history. She also touted a .564 slugging percentage and a team-high .481 on-base clip entering NCAA Tournament play.
Rivera, the second freshman in the Tiger record books to be named all-region, paced the team with a .380 batting average in 46 games played. She collected 12 multi-hit games and seven contests with multiple RBI this season. Rivera joins Cooper as the only two rookies to boast all-region laurels in Auburn history.
The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first-, second- and third-team selections. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to the 2017 NFCA Division I All-American squads.
The Tigers open the NCAA Tournament against East Tennessee State Friday at 3:30 p.m. at Jane B. Moore Field in the Auburn Regional.
