May 14, 2008

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - After recently completing a record-breaking regular season the No. 13 North Carolina softball team placed five players on the NFCA Southeast All-Region Team as was announced Wednesday. Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year Danielle Spaulding earned first team honors along with junior Lisa Norris and senior Jennifer Jacobs. Cassie Palmer and Breanna Brown both earned second team honors.

Spaulding turned in one of the best all-around seasons in school history as she leads the Tar Heels in the circle with a 0.86 ERA posting a 16-2 record. The Fontana, Calif. has also produced at the plate as she ranks second on the team with a .325 batting average and has connected a team-high 10 home runs this year.

Jacobs has equaled Spaulding in the home run category as the right fielder/first baseman has also take 10 pitches out of the park this season. Jacobs ranks third on the team with a .319 average and has driven in a team-high 39 runs. The honor is Jacobs' second of her career after picking up second team honors following her sophomore year in 2006.

Norris makes it back-to-back years with NFCA All-Region honors after being pegged for the second team a year ago. Norris led the Tar Heels in wins on the year as she tallied a record of 17-4 on the year with a 0.99 ERA in 156.1 innings of work. The Snellville, Ga. native recorded three no-hitters during the year, the first time a Tar Heel pitcher has completed such a feat since Crystal Cox did it in 2005.

Senior leader Cassie Palmer second team honors for the second time during her illustrious four-year career at Carolina. Palmer will leave Carolina ranking in the top five of nearly every offensive category. The Weddington, N.C. native ranks fourth on the team with a .317 batting average to go along with a team-high 18 doubles and 39 RBIs.

Breanna Brown earned second team honors in 2007 and replicated the honor in 2008 thanks to a team-high .348 batting average. Brown has scored a team-best 48 runs, tallied 69 hits and swiped 15 bases this season.

Carolina tied the University of Florida with five overall selections. The Tar Heels ranked second with three first team selections behind the Gators' four. Only the 2000 squad tallied more first team honorees as they garnered four.

The Tar Heels open up the NCAA Tournament on Thursday when they take on BYU at 3:30 p.m. in Anderson Stadium.

NFCA 2008 Southeast All Region Team

First Team Southeast All Region Team
P- Stacey Nelson, University of Florida
P- Lisa Norris, University of North Carolina
P- Allison Kime, University of Central Florida
C- Catherine Lee, Georgia State University
1st- Alexandra Gardiner, University of Florida
2nd- Aja Paculba, University of Florida
3rd- Cheyenne Jenks, Florida Gulf Coast
SS- Shanna Smith, North Carolina State University
OF- Carmen Paez, Florida Gulf Coast
OF- Francesca Enea, University of Florida
OF- Lisa Kingsmore, Winthrop University
UT/Pitcher- Danielle Spaulding, University of North Carolina
UT/Non Pitcher- Jennifer Jacobs, University of North Carolina

Second Team Southeast All Region Team
P- Cari Wooldridge, Winthrop Univeristy
P- Morgan Childers, University of SC, Upstate
P- Amanda Lindsay, Stetson University
P-Ashley Taylor, Radford University
P- Amanda Black, Hampton Uiversity
C- Alyssa Allbritten, North Carolina State University
1st- Andrea Migliori, Stetson University
2nd- Cassie Palmer, University of North Carolina
3rd- Alisa Goler, University of Georgia
3rd- Robyne Siliga, Georgia Southern
SS- Aileen Morales, Georgia Tech University
OF- Breanna Brown, University of North Carolina
OF- Kim Waleszonia, University of Florida
OF- Courtney Quinn, Campbell University
OF- Courtney Young, Howard University
UT/Pitcher- Jessica Cross, Kennesaw State University
UT/Non Pitcher - Ashton Payne, University of South Carolina