Lopes land three on 2016 NFCA All-West Region squad

PHOENIX - The GCU softball team had three student-athletes named to the 2016 National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division I All-West Region Team. Pitcher Taylor Nowlin and second baseman Camree Wartman garnered second-team nods, while Nicole Newbury was named to the third-team. This marks the first time in program history that the Lopes have had multiple representatives named to the All-West Region Team.

"It's so exciting to have multiple representatives on the All-Region team especially in such a tough region," head coach Ann Pierson said. "When you look at the other teams that we are coming up against and to have our team selected by these other schools and other tremendous coaches, it's just such an honor for our kids. It's an honor for our program and the university to just be recognized at such a high level."

All three Lopes set themselves apart in one of the toughest softball regions in the country. The field was determined based on overall performance and play against Top 75 RPI teams throughout the season. Wartman finished the regular season with a .392 batting average with 17 doubles and a .662 slugging percentage. She registered hits against all nine Top 75 RPI teams she faced. Wartman was 12-for-34 with three RBI, three doubles, two home runs and two walks against Top RPI opponents. She also garnered All-WAC First-Team Honors.

Nowlin, who earned 2016 Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-WAC First-Team honors, finished her junior year with 132 strikeouts through 160.2 innings pitched. Against Top 75 RPI opponent BYU she pitched a one-hitter with five strikeouts and a 0.00 ERA. She allowed just two hits through 5.0 innings pitched after coming in relief against Oregon State which sits in the top 25 in RPI. Nowlin produced two no-hitters on the season, combined for a third and produced five one-hitters. She finished her junior campaign with a 2.31 ERA and as GCU's All-Time Strikeout Leader.

Newbury finished her senior campaign with a .373 batting average and was 63-for-169 with 23 doubles and six walks. She was perfect in three outings and tallied 14 multi-hit contests. She went 23 straight contests without being struckout and was struckout just seven times during the 2016 season. Newbury was also named to the All-WAC Second-Team.

"Our girls are doing such a good job and it's a testament again to their skills, their work ethic and their commitment to getting better and helping the program get better." Pierson explained. "We're just really proud of what all three of them accomplished on the field and in the classroom this year and we couldn't be happier."

The WAC had a total of six honorees, as Missouri-Kansas City's Katie Kelley rounded out the second team selections and New Mexico State's Emma Adams and Fiana Finau were named to the Third All-Pacific Region Team. Finau was also tabbed 2016 WAC Player of the Year for her performance in conference play. In 2014, Lopes' pitcher Stephanie Pesqueira was named to the All-West Region Second Team.

Nowlin, Wartman and Newbury were among 385 student-athletes from 157 programs to receive 2016 NFCA Division I All-Region accolades. The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third team selections. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to the 2016 NFCA Division I All-American squads.

Grand Canyon University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Nicole Newbury

Taylor Nowlin

Stephanie Pesqueira

Camree Wartman

Related Videos