HICKORY, N.C. — Five Catawba Valley Community College softball players have been named All-Region by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA).

The NFCA announced its All-Region honors on Monday, which included one first team East Region selection and four second team East Region selections for the Red Hawks.

The five NFCA All-Region honors for the Red Hawks are tied for the most-ever in program history.

"I'm very proud of our players for being recognized by the NFCA All-region teams," said Red Hawk softball head coach Josh Bumgarner. "They all worked hard to earn this recognition, and it is well deserved."

Red Hawk freshman pitcher Mayson Lail earned first team All-Region from NFCA.

A right-hander from Conover, Lail had a breakout first season at CVCC, finishing tied for second in Region 10 with 22 wins. She recorded a league-best 213 strikeouts, and she earned All-Region 10 second team honors. Lail is the fifth Red Hawk in program history to earn first team All-Region honors from NFCA.

Four Red Hawks earned NFCA second team All-Region in the East, including pitcher Jillian Jones, center fielder Annie Andrews, catcher Grace Andrews and second baseman Camryn Bryant.

Jones, a right-handed pitcher from Lenoir, finished tied for fourth in the conference with 21 wins and a 1.68 ERA. She also ranked eighth in the league in strikeouts (108). Her 34 career wins on the mound are now tied with Cali Hinnant (2021-22) for the most in program history. Jones was a first team All-Region 10 selection.

Helping aid both Lail and Jones behind the plate was the versatile Grace Andrews. The sophomore from Hillsborough tallied a team-best .423 batting average and also recorded 59 hits and 45 runs scored.

A second team All-Region 10 selection this spring, this is the second time Andrews has earned NFCA All-Region honors — each coming in two different positions. Her first NFCA honor was for shortstop in 2021.

A center fielder from Sherrills Ford, Annie Andrews had a breakout first season for the Red Hawks on her way to fist team All-Region 10 honors. She recorded 50 RBI and led Catawba Valley at the plate with a .386 bating average, 59 hits, 15 doubles and 13 home runs, which are all new program records.

Bryant, a sophomore from Troutman, was a stalwart at second base. She recorded a team-best 159 at bats and finishing in the top five in several offensive categories, including 63 hits (second), 52 runs scored (second), 23 stolen bases (third), 30 RBI (fourth), .396 batting average (fourth) and .437 on-base percentage (fourth).

These five Red Hawks helped CVCC record its best softball season in program history, finishing its 2023 spring season with a 44-8 overall record, 27-3 mark in Region 10 games and its highest-ever national ranking in program history (eighth).

A total of 29 softball players representing National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II programs received All-Region honors in the East Region, and 81 softball players across NJCAA Division II were honored in three Regions (East, Midwest, South).


NFCA All-Region honors all-time for CVCC

2020-21
First team - Alleigh Himes, 3B
First team - Cali Hinnant, RHP/UTIL
Second team - Grace Andrews, SS
Second team - Ashlyn Parsons, OF
Second team - Payton Goble, RHP/UTIL

2021-22
First team - Emma Kuproski, 3B
First team - Cali Hinnant, RHP
Second team - Kaylee Yoder, OF

2022-23
First team - Mayson Lail, RHP
Second team - Jillian Jones, RHP
Second team - Grace Andrews, C
Second team - Camryn Bryant, 2B
Second team - Annie Andrews, OF

**All players represented the East Region**