LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After becoming Auburn softball's first freshman pitcher to ever earn a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference team, Shelby Lowe continues to rack up accolades for her record-breaking debut as she was selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association's Southeast All-Region Third Team, the organization announced Thursday.
The award honor softball student-athletes from the association's 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all student-athletes now become eligible for the 2021 NFCA Division I All-America squads. The SEC's 48 selections led the way.
Lowe is just the 31st student-athlete in program history to earn NFCA All-Region honors. She is the first Auburn pitcher to be tabbed to an All-Region team since Kaylee Carlson's second-team selection in 2018. She's the first Auburn freshman to be honored since Alyssa Rivera (third team) in 2017.
A left-hander from Carrollton, Ala., Lowe leads the SEC with a 1.06 earned run average. Lowe has allowed just 20 earned runs through her team-leading 132.1 innings pitched. Her ERA is the lowest recorded by an Auburn freshman in program history. She is also currently tied with Kristen Keyes for the program's single-season ERA record.
A left-hander from Carrollton, Ala., Lowe ranks second in the SEC with a 1.32 earned run average. She has allowed just 30 earned runs over her team-leading 158.2 innings pitched. Her ERA is currently the second lowest recorded by an Auburn pitcher in single-season history.
Lowe leads the league with a 6.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 1.19 walks allowed per seven innings average. She has issued just 27 walks this season.
With 13 wins to her credit, Lowe has tossed 14 complete games, three of which have been shutouts. She has fanned at least 10 batters seven times this season and ranks eighth in the SEC with a 7.7 strikeouts per seven innings average.
She leads all SEC true freshmen and ranks third overall in the league with 175 strikeouts. She is just the fifth Auburn freshman in program history to record 100 strikeouts in a season and the first to do so since Marcy Harper in 2013.
Lowe's 175 strikeouts are the second most in program history by a freshman. She also holds the 10th most strikeouts recorded by an Auburn pitcher in school history. Her 175 strikeouts are the most by an Auburn pitcher since 2010. Lowe already stands 16th in Auburn career history for total strikeouts.
Earlier this season, Lowe put together the eighth longest scoreless inning streak in program history, not allowing a run in 24.1 consecutive innings.
She is a two-time SEC Freshman of the Week winner, joining teammate Maddie Penta and Anna Thompson (2007) as the only Auburn pitchers to win multiple SEC Freshman of the Week honors in a season. Along with her All-SEC Second Team selection, Lowe was tabbed to the SEC All-Freshman Team. She is also one of 15 finalists for NFCA/Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year.
The 2021 NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced on Wednesday, June 2.
