Softball Trio Earns NFCA All-Region Honors
5/18/2024 11:15:00 AM | Softball, General
OMAHA, Neb. – Three student-athletes from the Creighton Softball team were honored with All-Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Thursday afternoon.
Seniors Madeline Vejvoda and Cayla Nielsen as well as sophomore Natalia Puchino were recognized as the best of the best from the Great Lakes Region, which consists of 31 schools from the BIG EAST Conference, Big Ten Conference, Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Mid-American Conference and the Northeast Conference.
Vejvoda and Puchino were each named to the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, while Nielsen picked up All-Great Lakes Region Third Team honors. This marks the first NFCA All-Region honors for both Vejvoda and Puchino, while Nielsen is claiming her second honor, as she also earned First Team All-Great Lakes Region accolades a season ago.
Last week, Puchino became Creighton's first BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year honoree, while joining Tammy Nielsen (2004), Tara Oltman (2007, 2008, 2009) and Becca Changstrom as the only Bluejays to ever earn conference Pitcher of the Year accolades. The right-handed hurler also earned unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team honors, marking the first year-end awards of her Bluejay career.
The Milliken, Colo., native lead the league in both conference wins (12) and innings pitched (102), while ranking second in BIG EAST play with 82 strikeouts. Puchino logged a 1.78 ERA while holding opponents to just .170 hitting in 21 BIG EAST appearances, recording a 12-3 record with two saves.
Overall, Puchino ended the year leading the BIG EAST in ERA (1.83), wins (26), innings pitched (206.2), and opponent batting average (.179), while ranking second in the league with 170 total strikeouts. Puchino's 26 wins this season currently rank tied for fourth most in the NCAA this season and is tied for sixth most wins in a single season in program history.
A native of La Vista, Neb., Vejvoda earned a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team earlier this month after leading the team with 32 runs scored and a .404 on-base percentage. The senior second baseman also ranked second on the team in batting average (.353), hits, (61), doubles (12) and walks (17), while recording a team-high six of the Bluejays new school record 20 sacrifice flies this season. In BIG EAST play, Vejvoda raised her average to .397 with 29 hits, while ranking second in the league with 10 doubles and sixth in the conference with 18 runs scored.
Nielsen, a two-time All-BIG EAST First Team honoree, earned her second consecutive spot on the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region teams after logging one of the most prolific careers in Bluejay Softball history. A lefty from Blair, Nielsen posted a team-high 67 hits, 17 doubles and 31 runs scored while hitting at a .342 clip this spring. In addition, Nielsen's 17 doubles this year were tied for the third most in a single season in program history.
Closing out her career as one of the greatest hitters in school history, Nielsen ranks seventh in career batting average (.333), tied for fifth in career hits (209), fourth in career doubles (41), eighth in career total bases (313) and is the school record holder with 137 career runs scored.
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 third 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 48-years, a total of 27 Bluejays have earned NFCA All-Region recognition with five having also been honored as NFCA All-Americans (Angie Rajtora, 1984, Jody Schwartz, 1988, Kelly Brookhart, 1991, Tara Oltman Higgins, 2009, and Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman, 2010).
2023 NFCA Great Lakes Region Teams
First Team
P – Ashley Miller, Northwester
P – Bridget Nemeth, Penn State
P – Grace Vesco, Saint Francis (PA)
C – McKayla Johnson, Ball State
1B – Brooke Johnson, DePaul
2B – Kansas Robinson, Northwestern
3B – Maddie Erickson, Michigan
SS – Jess Oakland, Minnesota
OF – Kelsey Nader, Northwestern
OF – Ellis Erickson, Northern Illinois
OF – Ellie Sieler, Michigan
U/P – Morgan Smith, Rutgers
DP – Hannah Hawley, Michigan State
Second Team
P – Lauren Derkowski, Michigan
P – Natalia Puchino, Creighton
C – Taylor Krapf, Minnesota
1B – Olivia Ulam, Saint Francis (PA)
2B – Madeline Vejvoda, Creighton
3B – Ella White, Butler
SS – Kyleigh Sand, Rutgers
OF – Maddie Gordon, Penn State
OF – Morgan DeBord, Minnesota
OF – Christie McGee-Ross, Canisius
U/P – Rachel Marsden, St. Francis (PA)
DP – Hilary Blomberg, Wisconsin
Third Team
P – Mattison Boyd, Rutgers
P – Brooklyn Shroyer, Fairleigh Dickinson
C – Gaby Garcia, Penn State
1B – Britain Beshears, Michigan State
2B – Sydney Strelow, Minnesota
3B – Haley Wynn, Ball State
SS – Ava Kuszak, Wisconsin
OF – Cayla Nielsen, Creighton
OF – Jess Bianco, St. John's
OF – Savannah Nash, Saint Francis (PA)
U/P – Danielle Stewart, Northern Illinois
DP – Keke Tholl, Michigan
Seniors Madeline Vejvoda and Cayla Nielsen as well as sophomore Natalia Puchino were recognized as the best of the best from the Great Lakes Region, which consists of 31 schools from the BIG EAST Conference, Big Ten Conference, Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Mid-American Conference and the Northeast Conference.
Vejvoda and Puchino were each named to the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region Second Team, while Nielsen picked up All-Great Lakes Region Third Team honors. This marks the first NFCA All-Region honors for both Vejvoda and Puchino, while Nielsen is claiming her second honor, as she also earned First Team All-Great Lakes Region accolades a season ago.
Last week, Puchino became Creighton's first BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year honoree, while joining Tammy Nielsen (2004), Tara Oltman (2007, 2008, 2009) and Becca Changstrom as the only Bluejays to ever earn conference Pitcher of the Year accolades. The right-handed hurler also earned unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team honors, marking the first year-end awards of her Bluejay career.
The Milliken, Colo., native lead the league in both conference wins (12) and innings pitched (102), while ranking second in BIG EAST play with 82 strikeouts. Puchino logged a 1.78 ERA while holding opponents to just .170 hitting in 21 BIG EAST appearances, recording a 12-3 record with two saves.
Overall, Puchino ended the year leading the BIG EAST in ERA (1.83), wins (26), innings pitched (206.2), and opponent batting average (.179), while ranking second in the league with 170 total strikeouts. Puchino's 26 wins this season currently rank tied for fourth most in the NCAA this season and is tied for sixth most wins in a single season in program history.
A native of La Vista, Neb., Vejvoda earned a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST First Team earlier this month after leading the team with 32 runs scored and a .404 on-base percentage. The senior second baseman also ranked second on the team in batting average (.353), hits, (61), doubles (12) and walks (17), while recording a team-high six of the Bluejays new school record 20 sacrifice flies this season. In BIG EAST play, Vejvoda raised her average to .397 with 29 hits, while ranking second in the league with 10 doubles and sixth in the conference with 18 runs scored.
Nielsen, a two-time All-BIG EAST First Team honoree, earned her second consecutive spot on the NFCA All-Great Lakes Region teams after logging one of the most prolific careers in Bluejay Softball history. A lefty from Blair, Nielsen posted a team-high 67 hits, 17 doubles and 31 runs scored while hitting at a .342 clip this spring. In addition, Nielsen's 17 doubles this year were tied for the third most in a single season in program history.
Closing out her career as one of the greatest hitters in school history, Nielsen ranks seventh in career batting average (.333), tied for fifth in career hits (209), fourth in career doubles (41), eighth in career total bases (313) and is the school record holder with 137 career runs scored.
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 third 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 48-years, a total of 27 Bluejays have earned NFCA All-Region recognition with five having also been honored as NFCA All-Americans (Angie Rajtora, 1984, Jody Schwartz, 1988, Kelly Brookhart, 1991, Tara Oltman Higgins, 2009, and Renae Sinkler-O'Gorman, 2010).
2023 NFCA Great Lakes Region Teams
First Team
P – Ashley Miller, Northwester
P – Bridget Nemeth, Penn State
P – Grace Vesco, Saint Francis (PA)
C – McKayla Johnson, Ball State
1B – Brooke Johnson, DePaul
2B – Kansas Robinson, Northwestern
3B – Maddie Erickson, Michigan
SS – Jess Oakland, Minnesota
OF – Kelsey Nader, Northwestern
OF – Ellis Erickson, Northern Illinois
OF – Ellie Sieler, Michigan
U/P – Morgan Smith, Rutgers
DP – Hannah Hawley, Michigan State
Second Team
P – Lauren Derkowski, Michigan
P – Natalia Puchino, Creighton
C – Taylor Krapf, Minnesota
1B – Olivia Ulam, Saint Francis (PA)
2B – Madeline Vejvoda, Creighton
3B – Ella White, Butler
SS – Kyleigh Sand, Rutgers
OF – Maddie Gordon, Penn State
OF – Morgan DeBord, Minnesota
OF – Christie McGee-Ross, Canisius
U/P – Rachel Marsden, St. Francis (PA)
DP – Hilary Blomberg, Wisconsin
Third Team
P – Mattison Boyd, Rutgers
P – Brooklyn Shroyer, Fairleigh Dickinson
C – Gaby Garcia, Penn State
1B – Britain Beshears, Michigan State
2B – Sydney Strelow, Minnesota
3B – Haley Wynn, Ball State
SS – Ava Kuszak, Wisconsin
OF – Cayla Nielsen, Creighton
OF – Jess Bianco, St. John's
OF – Savannah Nash, Saint Francis (PA)
U/P – Danielle Stewart, Northern Illinois
DP – Keke Tholl, Michigan
Players Mentioned
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Thursday, August 21
Creighton Baseball & Softball Fields Groundbreaking - 6/11/25
Wednesday, June 11
Creighton BET Postgame vs. St John's, 5/8/25
Thursday, May 08
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. Seton Hall, 5/4/25
Sunday, May 04
