Spain Park has 3 named NFCA All-Region softball team

Published 3:05 pm Tuesday, July 2, 2019

By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Sports Editor

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association revealed that 160 student-athletes, representing 99 programs, received 2019 NFCA High School All-Region accolades, including three local players from Spain Park High School.

After spectacular seasons for the Jaguars, Annabelle Widra, Maddie Majors and Lydia Coleman were all named to the All-Region South Team.

In the South Region, Spain Park tied with two other schools for the most players named to the All-Region team from the same school. Their three players equaled the total of both Keller (Texas) High School and North Davidson (Kentucky) High School.

Out of five different regions and 160 athletes, no team had more than five players named to any specific All-Region team, making Spain Park one of just nine schools to have at least three players earn a spot.

These awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s five regions with first- and second-team recognitions. NFCA member coaches from each region’s respective committees selected the honorees, and recipients are now eligible for the 2019 NFCA High School All-America squads.

For those three Spain Park players, Widra and Majors were named to the All-Region First Team, making them two of the best 16 players in the southeast this season, while Coleman earned a spot on the second team, making her one of the best 32 players in the region.

Widra’s 2019 season was one of the best in the state this year both pitching and hitting, which earned her a spot on the All-County and All-State teams, while also being named the county’s Pitcher of the Year and a MaxPreps All-American.

Pitching wise, Widra posted an ERA of 1.33 with a county-high 237 strikeouts. In 137 innings, she allowed just 26 earned runs to finish the season 22-2 overall.

After bettering her ERA this season, and picking up just one less victory and 27 less strikeouts in 29 less innings pitched, Widra brought her career strikeout total to 772 with two more years of pitching left. She has thrown for at least 237 strikeouts in all three years as a starting pitcher, throwing 272 in eighth grade and 264 last season, and now has 890 total since starting her seventh grade year.

At the plate, Widra batted .490 and finished second in the county with 72 hits and led the county with 70 RBIs. She had 18 doubles, four triples and six home runs. Widra also added 32 stolen bases and 27 walks this season.

Majors has been one of the best players in the state for several years, and she closed out her career in dominant fashion. Her senior season featured an average of .448, while finishing fourth in the county with 65 hits and second in the county with 69 RBIs. She picked up 36 runs scored, 14 doubles and 10 home runs.

Coleman also had an impressive season for Spain Park, batting above .400 at .464 with 39 hits and 22 RBIs. It marked the second year in a row she batted near .500 after posting a batting average of .488 last year with 28 RBIs.

Widra and Coleman will both be back as juniors in 2019, while Majors has graduated after a stellar career.