University of Massachusets Athletics
Plourde Named All-Region First Team
May 20, 2011 | Softball
May 20, 2011
AMHERST, Mass. - UMass junior pitcher Sara Plourde was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Northeast Region First Team, as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Thursday. This is the second All-Region honor in a row for the Bristol, Conn. native who leads the NCAA in strikeouts for the second consecutive year as well.
The All-Region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, and all the honorees will now be eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams. In addition, conference pitchers and players of the year not selected to the regional teams were added for All-America consideration.
This marks the 20th year in a row UMass has placed a player on an All-Region squad.
Plourde set the bar high in 2010, going 40-8 with a 1.30 ERA and a NCAA-leading 556 strikeouts in 311 1/3 innings, but she managed to maintain an elite level of performance in 2011, going 27-15 with a 1.30 ERA and again leads the country with 498 strikeouts in 295 1/3 innings. Plourde recorded 13 shutouts, including four no-hitters, one of which was a perfect game.
Plourde was named Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, as well as First-Team All-Conference and now All-Northeast Region First Team, all for the second consecutive season. She was named A-10 Pitcher of the Week on four occasions, running her career total to 10 times. She was named NFCA All-American Third Team in 2010.
Plourde will enter her senior season in 2012 in third place on the UMass career strikeouts list with 1,121 and ranks first in strikeouts per seven innings with 11.96. She is fifth in career wins with 73.
The NFCA Division I All-America teams will be announced at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 1.
