Three Huskers Earn All-Region Honors

Seattle, Wash. - Three Nebraska softball players were honored as all-region selections, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced on Thursday. Junior Julie Brechtel, sophomore Ashley Guile and freshman Brooke Thomason were each named to the NFCA All-Midwest Region second team.

The three all-region selections were the most for Nebraska since four players were selected in 2006. Brechtel, Guile and Thomason are the first Huskers to earn all-region honors since Ashley DeBuhr was a second-team selection in 2007. The honor was the first of each player’s career, while Nebraska’s three selections tied for the highest total in the region.

A native of Fullerton, Calif., Brechtel was the lone second baseman named to the second team. She is currently batting .302 on the season and has produced career-high totals of eight doubles, one triple, six homers and 36 RBIs. Brechtel had a career-best 11-game hitting streak earlier this season and leads Nebraska with 11 multi-RBI games in 2010. Defensively, Brechtel has committed only one error in 151 chances at second base.

Guile, a first-team All-Big 12 selection, is bidding to become only the third Husker to ever hit .400 in a season. She is currently hitting .391 on the year and has doubled 15 times, the most ever by an NU sophomore. Guile ?s 15 doubles are tied for the fourth-highest total in school history, while her.391 average and 34 walks both rank sixth. She also ranks among the top six players in the Big 12 Conference in on-base percentage (3rd, .523), walks (t-3rd, 34), batting average (.4th, .391) and doubles (6th, 15).

For Thomason, the awards continued to roll in for what has been one of the top freshman seasons in school history. A second-team All-Big 12 selection and a Big 12 Player of the Week in March, Thomason is just the fourth Husker freshman ever to earn all-region honors, joining Crystal Carwile (2006), Jennifer Lizama (1997) and Ali Viola (1995). Thomason is batting .333 this season with 14 doubles, 11 homers and 38 RBIs. Her 14 doubles and 25 extra-base hits rank second among all freshman in school history, while her .647 slugging percentage ranks third and her 11 homers and 38 RBIs rank fourth.

Brechtel, Guile, Thomason and the rest of the Nebraska softball team are currently in Seattle, Wash., preparing for the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers practice at Husky Softball Stadium on Thursday morning in preparation of Friday’s game against North Carolina, which will be televised on ESPNU at 4:30 p.m. (Central).