Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Tom Lyon/Big Ten Conference
Rachel Lewis Earns NFCA All-America Award
5/30/2018 3:52:00 PM | Softball
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern first-year Rachel Lewis has been named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American, the organization announced Wednesday.
Lewis, who won a second-team honor as an at-large selection at second base, is the 11th All-American in program history. All told, those 11 student-athletes have won 20 total All-America awards. Lewis is the fifth first-year player in Northwestern softball history to earn All-America status; she joins an exclusive list that also includes Lisa Ishikawa (1984), Stephanie Churchwell (2005), Tammy Williams (2006) and Adrienne Monka (2009).
Lewis broke NU's freshman records for RBIs (64) and doubles (16) in a season, finishing the year ranked in the top-20 nationally in RBIs per game (1.17), runs scored per game (1.06), total home runs (17) and slugging percentage (.790) before the NCAA Tournament. The total athletic package, she won the Big Ten's overall runs scored and RBI titles while also ranking fourth in all games with 24 stolen bases en route to a unanimous All-Big Ten first-team selection.
Perhaps no day more illustrated Lewis' offensive ability than a three home run, seven RBI day at Illinois during an early-season Big Ten doubleheader:
GRAND SLAM RACHEL LEWIS!!!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) March 28, 2018
Her THIRD home run of the DAY!!!!!!!!#B1GCats 6, Illinois 3 | T2 pic.twitter.com/3kxF1gU3Bb
Prior to her All-America nod, Lewis was named one of 10 finalists for the NFCA National Freshman of the Year award, becoming the first Wildcat to make the list since the honor's inception in 2014.
Lewis not only dominated in the regular season, but showed moxie in the postseason, as well. In the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, she smashed an extra-inning walk-off double to defeat Iowa during the Wildcats' run to the championship game. Then, in the NCAA Athens Regional, she tied an elimination game against Cal with a two-run seventh-inning double before scoring the walk-off run herself to send Northwestern to its seventh Regional final.
RACHEL LEWIS WALK-OFF!!
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 12, 2018
The #B1GCats are headed to the @B1GSoftball semifinals today at 3:30 p.m. against Michigan State!
FINAL: NU 2, Iowa 1 pic.twitter.com/yHsUiqe5UB
One time before tomorrow: enjoy the winning inning from tonight's #B1GCats #NCAASoftball comeback! pic.twitter.com/sdh4PPOc6p
— NorthwesternSoftball (@NUSBcats) May 20, 2018
In Northwestern's overall single-season record book, Lewis' debut ranks second in doubles (16), third in runs scored (59), third in RBIs (64), third in home runs (17) and sixth in slugging (.754).
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