LOUISVILLE, Ky. – McKenzie Newcomb and Emma Austin of the Southern Illinois University softball team have been selected to the 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) D1 Midwest All-Region teams.
Newcomb earned a spot on the Second Team, while Austin was voted to the Third Team. This is the first appearance on an All-Region team for either senior.
This spring, Newcomb went 20-5 with a 1.81 ERA and 1.05 WHIP in 37 appearances and four games started. The veteran pitcher posted 144 strikeouts with 26 walks across 146.2 innings pitched. Newcomb also had two saves, including one against Missouri on April 9.
Austin finished the year with a .365 batting average and 66 hits, the third-most in a single season in program history. The senior outfielder scored 38 runs, had an on-base percentage of .408, and led the Missouri Valley Conference in stolen bases with 21.
As a conference, the Missouri Valley had a total of seven players named to the NFCA D1 Midwest All-Region teams. Southern Illinois had the second-most players featured from the MVC behind only Northern Iowa who had three. Missouri State and Illinois State both had one each.
