LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Simmons University softball player Lauren Del Vacchio (Murrieta, Calif.) was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-New England Region Third Team, it was announced today by the NFCA.
Del Vacchio earns All-Region honors for the second straight season after being tabbed to the Second Team in 2018. She becomes the first Shark to earn All-Region accolades in back-to-back years since Mikaela Caracciolo (2012-15) was selected following the 2014 and 2015 campaigns. Del Vacchio was chosen as an outfielder this season after being tapped at second base last year.
The junior is named just a week after being tabbed a First Team All-Great Northeast Athletic Conference selection for the third straight year. The center fielder led the GNAC with a school-record 22 walks while ranking second with 56 hits, 40 runs scored, 44 games played, 11th with nine doubles and 19th with a pair of home runs. Despite batting leadoff for most of the season, the five-foot, two-inch Del Vacchio still knocked in 28 runs to place sixth among league leaders and her .400 (56-140) batting mark in all games was the 11th-best mark among GNAC hitters. The outfielder was even better in conference-only games, hitting .472 (25-53) to place seventh in the league. A graduate of Vista Murrieta High School, Del Vacchio led the team with 17 multiple-hit efforts and nine multi-RBI outings. She strung together the longest hitting streak on the team, batting safely in 11 straight games from April 13-28 and hit safely in 33 of 44 games, while going hitless in consecutive games just three times all season and for no longer than two games in a row.
For her career, the Web Design and Development major has started 123 of 124 games she's appeared in while owning a .393 (147-374) batting mark to go with 64 runs batted in, 104 runs scored, 58 walks, 17 stolen bases, eight home runs, 31 doubles and three triples.
Simmons completed the season with a 22-23 mark, including 13-3 in GNAC play to earn the top seed in the South Division, before bowing out in the championship game vs. Saint Joseph, 3-0.
All-Region players are nominated and selected by NFCA member coaches in each of the eight Division III regions. First team All-Region choices are eligible for selection to the NFCA All-America team, which will be announced the evening of May 22 online at NFCA.org and in person at the NCAA Division III Championship banquet in Tyler, Texas.
To download a PDF of the entire All-Region list, click HERE