SOFTBALL: JESSICA LOPEZ NFCA PITCHER OF THE YEAR
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the student-athletes chosen for this season's NFCA Cal JC special awards.
Santiago Canyon College's Sabrina Rivera took home two plaudits, earning Diamond Sports/NFCA Catcher of the Year and New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe Award honors. Santa Ana College's Emily Rosas was tabbed Schutt Sports/NFCA Player of the Year and Fullerton College's Jessica Lopez captured Schutt Sports/NFCA Pitcher of the Year honors.
Rivera, who is being recognized for her prowess behind the plate and on the base paths, batted .371 with 33 hits, nine doubles, 11 RBI and 16 runs scored. Defensively, the sophomore threw out four runners attempting to steal and committed just one miscue in 110 chances for a .991 field percentage. An NFCA All-American, Rivera led the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) with 17 stolen bases in 18 attempts, including four against Golden West College on May 21.
An All-American at the Utility/Pitching position, Rosas tied for a CCCAA-best 14 victories and led the league with 125 innings pitched. She struck out 80 batters and recorded the seventh-lowest ERA at 1.51. For the year, she hit .358 with 24 hits, two triples, 11 RBI and a .511 on-base percentage.
Lopez fanned a CCCAA-high 126 batters, an average of 7.31 per seven innings. The sophomore hurler also matched Rosas with 14 victories and posted a 1.86 ERA in 120.2 innings of work. Lopez, an NFCA All-American, fanned 10-plus batters three times, including a season-high 11 at Mt. San Antonio, and also twirled four shutouts.
NFCA All-Region and All-American athletes must be nominated by their NFCA-member head coach, are voted for by the coaches in their region or division, and ultimately selected by the full membership to receive this prestigious accolade. These honorees are in the top 1% of student-athletes competing during the 2021 season. All special awards are also selected and voted on by the All-American committee members or by the entire division.
National Fastpitch Coaches Association Contact: Brian Stanley, Director of Communications, brian@nfca.org or (502) 409-4600
