Northwestern University Athletics
NFCA Honors Four Wildcats with All-Region Awards
5/19/2016 2:13:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Led by first-team selection Andrea Filler, four Wildcats earned National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region awards Thursday.
Sabrina Rabin and Amy Letourneau won second-team NFCA All-Region honors and freshman Morgan Nelson was tabbed as a third-teamer.
Both Filler and Letourneau are now three-time NFCA All-Region award winners; Rabin has earned All-Region status in each of her first two collegiate seasons.
Filler is a back-to-back first-teamer and a three-time overall honoree with her 2016 selection. The fifth-year senior shortstop ranks in the top-25 in the nation in runs batted in, home runs and sacrifice flies while ranking 36th in slugging percentage. Fully 66 percent of her hits this year have been for extra bases. Her defense up the middle also has been outstanding, contributing to Northwestern ranking fifth in the nation in double plays turned.
Letourneau also is a three-timer in terms of the NFCA All-Region award, winning second-team recognition in 2013, a third-team award in 2015 and a second-team accolade again this year. Letourneau is enjoying her best year since a spectacular sophomore season, ranking among the nation's leaders in runs batted in and home runs at the plate while rating 32nd in the country in saves from the circle. She won the Big Ten RBI title with 29 in league play. In addition to her team-leading win and strikeout total, Letourneau also was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team in the circle.
Rabin's speed has given her the second-straight NFCA All-Region second-team award of her Northwestern career. The sophomore ranks 11th in the country in stolen bases per game and 37th in runs scored. She has ended the year on an 11-game hitting streak with runs scored in 13 of NU's last 14 contests, a stretch which includes an .857 (6-for-7) performance at the Big Ten Tournament that earned her All-Tournament team selection.
Nelson turned on the jets in the second half of the 2016 season, batting a team-best .383 since the midpoint of the year to pick up a third-team NFCA All-Region honor. She was able to harness her combination of raw power (eight home runs, 41 RBIs) and speed (16-of-17 in steals) wreak havoc on the Big Ten, earning the conference Freshman of the Week award after hitting .625 and slugging 1.500 against eventual Big Ten Tournament champion Minnesota during a series in early April.
Northwestern opens the NCAA Athens Regional at noon CT/1 p.m. ET tomorrow, Friday, May 20, against Oklahoma State on ESPN3. To view the complete 2016 NFCA All-Region teams, visit this .pdf from the NFCA.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Softball
P/1B
/ Softball
IF/C
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballSoftball - Marina Mason Tosses One-Hit Shutout, 'Cats Claim Series Win vs. Minnesota (5/3/26)
Monday, May 04
The Foundation: Northwestern Softball | 2026 Senior Class
Friday, May 01
Softball - Wildcats Open Weekend with 5-1 Win Over Minnesota (5/1/26)
Friday, May 01
Softball - Marina Mason's Complete Game Shutout Fuels a 1-0 Series Sweeping Win at Purdue - 4/26/26
Sunday, April 26
