Marshall University Athletics
Four @HerdSB Players Honored as NFCA All-Region
5/18/2017 12:00:00 AM | Softball
NFCA All-Region Teams
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Four Marshall softball players were honored as NFCA Mideast All-Region selections on Thursday, announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). Infielders Morgan Zerkle and Elicia D'Orazio along with pitcher Jordan Dixon were first team selections. Catcher Taylor McCord was named to the second team.
"We have a number of playmakers that are having one of their best seasons," Herd coach Shonda Stanton said. "When a number of individual athletes such as these four do just that, we see the team succeed.
"These honors show our strength up the middle and it is nice for them to receive the recognition for their outstanding play."
Zerkle has been honored by the NFCA each of her four seasons. In 2017, the senior shortstop became Marshall's all-time leader in stolen bases (160) and triples (13). Zerkle was named the Conference USA Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. The Milton, W.Va., native will be playing this summer for the USA Women's National Team and was a selection of the Scrap Yard Dawgs in the 2017 National Pro Fastpitch draft. She is currently second in the country in batting average (.484) and 11th in stolen bases per game (.77). She is slugging a career-best .804 as she leads Marshall in extra base hits with 26 total; 12 doubles, five triples and nine home runs. She belted a three-run home run in her final at-bat at home.
D'Orazio has been a terror on the base paths throughout the 2017 season. The junior has been listed among the top five in stolen bases per game for the majority of the year. She currently leads the country with 1.10 per game and a Herd single-season record of 56. She is one away from tying the Conference USA single-season record set by Chrystal Stevens of Southern Miss in 2000. Along with a career-high in steals, she also has career-bests this season in average (.405), runs (48), hits (70), doubles (six) and total bases (82). In 2017, she became the sixth player in team history to record 100 career steals and is currently fourth all-time (119). D'Orazio was a C-USA All-Conference second team selection. This season is her second NFCA All-Region honor.
Dixon has put her name across the top of the Marshall pitching record book. The senior ace is Marshall's all-time leader in 12 categories and this season became the first Herd pitcher to record 100 wins (107), 1,000 strikeouts (1,104) and 1,000 innings pitched (1,052.2). This was the third honor from the NFCA for the 2017 Conference USA Pitcher of the Year. Dixon is second in the country in wins with 31, and had a win streak of 17-consecutive starts. She has a career-best 1.73 ERA and eight shutouts. Opposing batters are hitting just .188 against Dixon this season. The Edmond, Okla., native is also the first pitcher in Herd history to record 20 or more wins, 200 or more strikeouts and 200 or more innings pitched all four years. Dixon pitched two no-hitters in 2017, including one over WKU (May 11) in the C-USA Tournament. It was just the second no-hitter in C-USA Tournament history.
This was the first NFCA All-Region selection for McCord. The junior catcher continued to demonstrate why she is one of the best behind the plate in the country and stepped up tremendously on the offensive side as well. After throwing out a Herd record 21 runners last season, Taylor "The Sniper" McCord gunned out 15 more this year and eight pickoffs. At the plate, she has moved up to the three spot in the lineup and has produced in key moments for Marshall. McCord has career-highs this season in average (.366), runs (41), hits (52), doubles (11), home runs (12), RBIs (51), total bases (101) and stolen bases (19). The Gilbert, Ariz., native is one of five Marshall players with 50 or more RBIs in a season. McCord was named All-Conference first team and to the C-USA All-Academic team.
The Herd (41-10) takes the field next in Lexington, Ky., for the NCAA Regional Tournament against Illinois (37-18). First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m., eastern and can be seen on ESPN 2. The game will also be broadcast on 88.1 WMUL-FM and online at www.marshall.edu/wmul.
