Photo by: Catherine Grosdidier
Cayla Nielsen Earns Spot On NFCA All-Great Lakes Region First Team
5/18/2023 12:05:00 PM | Softball
OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton softball junior Cayla Nielsen claimed a spot on the 2023 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Great Lakes Region First Team, the association announced on Thursday afternoon.
Nielsen earned a First Team All-Great Lakes Region selection for the first time in her career, becoming just the eighth Bluejay in program history to secure NFCA First Team All-Region honors. She is also the first Bluejay to earn First Team All-Region honors since Amy Baker received First Team All-Midwest Region accolades in 2013.
Last week, Nielsen earned her first all-conference honor, claiming Unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team recognition after starting each of Creighton's 24 conference games in the lead-off position. The junior paced the Bluejays and ranked fifth in the BIG EAST with a .400 batting average, while recording the second most hits in the league with 34, which included 11 multiple-hit games. Nielsen's eight home runs during league play were also tied for the BIG EAST lead, as she accumulated a .741 slugging percentage, the fifth best mark in the BIG EAST this season.
Overall, Nielsen led Creighton with a .395 batting average and a .650 slugging percentage, while also pacing the Bluejays with 62 hits, 43 runs scored and six stolen bases. Her 62 hits this season are the most by a Bluejay since joining the BIG EAST and the most since Ellen Homan recorded 67 hits during the 2012 season. She also ranked second in doubles with 11, second in walks with 24 and third in home runs with nine. Nielsen reached base safely in 45 of the 52 games she played in this season, recording a .486 on-base percentage, a mark that ranks sixth best in a single season in Creighton history.
The Blair, Nebraska native was just the eighth Bluejay to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors since Creighton joined the league prior to the 2014 season. Nielsen currently ranks eighth on Creighton's career batting average list with a .329 average during her four seasons as a Bluejay (142 hits).
The NFCA All-Region teams 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 in all 380 student-athletes honored now become eligible the 2023 NFCA All-America teams.
The Great Lakes region consists of 31 schools from six different conferences – BIG EAST Conference (Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Providence, St. John's), Big Ten Conference (Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin), Horizon League (Detroit, Oakland, Robert Morris, Wisconsin-Green Bay), Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (Canisius, Iona, Niagara, Quinnipiac, Siena), Mid-American Conference (Ball State, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan) and the Northeast Conference (Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Merrimack College, St. Francis (PA), Wagner).
Conference Players and Pitchers of the Year from member institutions are added to the thid team if they were not already voted to an All-Region squad. In some instances, limited regional nominations prevent a position from being filled. Complete Great Lakes All-Region teams are listed below.
In the 47-years, a total of 25 Bluejays have earned NFCA All-Region recognition with two having also been honored as NFCA All-Americans (Tara Oltman Higgins, 2009, and Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman, 2010).
2023 NFCA Great Lakes Region Teams
First Team
P – Autumn Pease, Minnesota
P – Danielle Williams, Northwestern
P – Bailey Parshall, Penn State
C – Taylor Krapf, Minnesota
1B – Katie Keller, Wisconsin
2B – Saige Alfaro, Canisius
3B – Emily Maddock, Penn State
SS – Kyleigh Sand, Rutgers
OF – Cayla Nielsen, Creighton
OF – Lexie Blair, Michigan
OF – Natalie DenHartog, Minnesota
U/P – Ava Fitzmaurice, Siena
DP – Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin
Second Team
P – Lauren Derkowski, Michigan
P – Maddie Schwartz, Wisconsin
C – Jordyn Rudd, Northwestern
1B – Nikki Cuchran, Northwestern
2B – Jadin Justman, Wisconsin-Green Bay
3B – Haley Wynn, Ball State
SS – Jessica Oakland, Minnesota
OF – Ellen Hubbard, Merrimack
OF – Morgan Smith, Rutgers
OF – Skyler Shellmyer, Northwestern
U/P – Rachel Marsden, St. Francis (PA)
DP – McKayla Timmons, Ball State
Third Team
P – Kylee Lingenfelter, Penn State
P – Megan Giese, Canisius
P – Sydney Campbell, Oakland
C – Keke Tholl, Michigan
1B – Paige Dorsett, Butler
2B – Sam Mallinder, Northern Illinois
3B – Kayla Chaves, Minnesota
SS – Amaia Daniel, Ball State
OF – Angela Zedak, Northwestern
OF – Kelsey Alexander, Central Michigan
OF – Christie McGee-Ross, Canisius
U/P – Danielle Stewart, Northern Illinois
DP – Kansas Robinson, Northwestern
Nielsen earned a First Team All-Great Lakes Region selection for the first time in her career, becoming just the eighth Bluejay in program history to secure NFCA First Team All-Region honors. She is also the first Bluejay to earn First Team All-Region honors since Amy Baker received First Team All-Midwest Region accolades in 2013.
Last week, Nielsen earned her first all-conference honor, claiming Unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team recognition after starting each of Creighton's 24 conference games in the lead-off position. The junior paced the Bluejays and ranked fifth in the BIG EAST with a .400 batting average, while recording the second most hits in the league with 34, which included 11 multiple-hit games. Nielsen's eight home runs during league play were also tied for the BIG EAST lead, as she accumulated a .741 slugging percentage, the fifth best mark in the BIG EAST this season.
Overall, Nielsen led Creighton with a .395 batting average and a .650 slugging percentage, while also pacing the Bluejays with 62 hits, 43 runs scored and six stolen bases. Her 62 hits this season are the most by a Bluejay since joining the BIG EAST and the most since Ellen Homan recorded 67 hits during the 2012 season. She also ranked second in doubles with 11, second in walks with 24 and third in home runs with nine. Nielsen reached base safely in 45 of the 52 games she played in this season, recording a .486 on-base percentage, a mark that ranks sixth best in a single season in Creighton history.
The Blair, Nebraska native was just the eighth Bluejay to earn All-BIG EAST First Team honors since Creighton joined the league prior to the 2014 season. Nielsen currently ranks eighth on Creighton's career batting average list with a .329 average during her four seasons as a Bluejay (142 hits).
The NFCA All-Region teams 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 in all 380 student-athletes honored now become eligible the 2023 NFCA All-America teams.
The Great Lakes region consists of 31 schools from six different conferences – BIG EAST Conference (Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Providence, St. John's), Big Ten Conference (Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers, Wisconsin), Horizon League (Detroit, Oakland, Robert Morris, Wisconsin-Green Bay), Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (Canisius, Iona, Niagara, Quinnipiac, Siena), Mid-American Conference (Ball State, Central Michigan, Northern Illinois, Toledo, Western Michigan) and the Northeast Conference (Central Connecticut State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Merrimack College, St. Francis (PA), Wagner).
Conference Players and Pitchers of the Year from member institutions are added to the thid team if they were not already voted to an All-Region squad. In some instances, limited regional nominations prevent a position from being filled. Complete Great Lakes All-Region teams are listed below.
In the 47-years, a total of 25 Bluejays have earned NFCA All-Region recognition with two having also been honored as NFCA All-Americans (Tara Oltman Higgins, 2009, and Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman, 2010).
2023 NFCA Great Lakes Region Teams
First Team
P – Autumn Pease, Minnesota
P – Danielle Williams, Northwestern
P – Bailey Parshall, Penn State
C – Taylor Krapf, Minnesota
1B – Katie Keller, Wisconsin
2B – Saige Alfaro, Canisius
3B – Emily Maddock, Penn State
SS – Kyleigh Sand, Rutgers
OF – Cayla Nielsen, Creighton
OF – Lexie Blair, Michigan
OF – Natalie DenHartog, Minnesota
U/P – Ava Fitzmaurice, Siena
DP – Kayla Konwent, Wisconsin
Second Team
P – Lauren Derkowski, Michigan
P – Maddie Schwartz, Wisconsin
C – Jordyn Rudd, Northwestern
1B – Nikki Cuchran, Northwestern
2B – Jadin Justman, Wisconsin-Green Bay
3B – Haley Wynn, Ball State
SS – Jessica Oakland, Minnesota
OF – Ellen Hubbard, Merrimack
OF – Morgan Smith, Rutgers
OF – Skyler Shellmyer, Northwestern
U/P – Rachel Marsden, St. Francis (PA)
DP – McKayla Timmons, Ball State
Third Team
P – Kylee Lingenfelter, Penn State
P – Megan Giese, Canisius
P – Sydney Campbell, Oakland
C – Keke Tholl, Michigan
1B – Paige Dorsett, Butler
2B – Sam Mallinder, Northern Illinois
3B – Kayla Chaves, Minnesota
SS – Amaia Daniel, Ball State
OF – Angela Zedak, Northwestern
OF – Kelsey Alexander, Central Michigan
OF – Christie McGee-Ross, Canisius
U/P – Danielle Stewart, Northern Illinois
DP – Kansas Robinson, Northwestern
Players Mentioned
OF
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