Prettyman headlines Simpson all-region selections
INDIANOLA, Iowa – Highlighted by Ashley Prettyman's first team selection, Simpson placed five players on the 2013 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-Midwest Region Softball Team.
Prettyman earned first team honors as a designated player, Simpson's lone first team selection. Pitcher Kacee Arey and utility player Hailey Jensen landed on the second team and second baseman Kylie Van Houten and outfielder Chelsea Winegard collected third team honors.
2013 NFCA Division III All-Midwest Region Team
A sophomore from Des Moines, Iowa, Prettyman earned second team All-Iowa Conference honors in her first season with the Storm after transferring from Wayne State. She hit .390 in 38 games and led the team with 15 doubles. She also hit five home runs, had 30 RBIs and posted a team-best .678 slugging percentage.
As a first team all-region selection, Prettyman becomes eligible for All-America consideration.
A senior from Lucas, Iowa, Arey received a third team nod a year ago. She led the team and ranked 19th in the nation (through the regional rounds of the NCAA Tournament) with 21 wins, going 21-9 with a 1.87 ERA in 37 appearances in the circle. Winning 26 games a year ago, Arey became just the second pitcher in Simpson history to record back-to-back 20-win seasons, joining the great Kelly Schade-Fry.
A sophomore from West Des Moines, Iowa, Jensen was an honorable mention all-conference player after leading the team with a .411 batting average and 32 RBIs. She led the team with 17 multi-hit games and hit five home runs while playing four different positions throughout the season, starting games at first base, third base, shortstop and designated player.
A junior from Des Moines, Iowa, Van Houten slugged a team-high seven home runs while hitting .374 with 30 RBIs. She amassed 11 doubles and a triple for a .650 slugging percentage and her 65 assists from second base led the team. Van Houten was a perfect 3-for-3 in stolen base attempts.
A senior from Muscatine, Iowa, Winegard – a first team all-region selection in 2012 – hit .350 with 28 RBIs in 2013. She hit four home runs and led the team in triples (five) and stolen bases (seven). At season's end, Winegard's career batting average stood at .393, the third-highest mark in school history and best since Sara Kahler hit .394 from 2000-01. Her .393 career average is the highest of any Simpson player who spent more than two seasons with the team (2011-13).
Simpson went 29-10 during the season, going 8-6 in the Iowa Conference to finish fourth. The Storm climbed as high as No. 12 in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll and closed the season ranked No. 5 in the Midwest Region.