Hilltoppers' Donzella is NFCA All-American

Hilltoppers' Donzella is NFCA All-American

   LOUISVILLE, Ky. – West Liberty University senior catcher Kat Donzella made history on Tuesday when she was named to the 2021 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NCAA Division II All-America Team. A third-team selection in the nationwide balloting, Donzella is the first Lady Hilltopper ever to earn All-America honors.

   Tuesday’s honor was merely the latest in a growing list of post-season awards for the former Wheeling Park High School all-stater. Donzella had been voted Mountain East Conference Player of the Year after leading Coach Herb Minch’s Hilltoppers to their second consecutive MEC title and was also named to the NFCA and D2CCA All-Atlantic Region teams.

   Donzella put together one of the best seasons in West Liberty softball history in leading WLU to its second straight NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament berth. The 2021 MEC Tournament MVP was a major offensive force at the plate, where she led the conference in hits, runs, doubles, home runs, total bases, batting average, slugging percentage and on-base average. The speedy Donzella also made things happen on the basepaths, ranking among the top base-stealing threats in the region with 23 swipes – including a clutch steal of home to turn the tide in the MEC Tournament finals.

   Donzella ranked No. 2 nationally with 77 hits and her 134 total bases checked in at No. 4 among all NCAA D2 players but the rest of her final numbers were almost off the charts, as well: a .458 batting average with a .798 slugging percentage and .518 on-base average. She pounded out 19 doubles and slugged 12 home runs while scoring 49 runs and driving in 37 more. An elite receiver behind the plate, she led the MEC with 12 caught stealing and ranked among the national leaders in fielding percentage (.996) with just 2 errors in 512 total chances.

   The Hilltopper catcher was one of 54 players from 43 teams to earn NCAA Division II All-America honors from the NFCA this spring and the only one hailing from a Mountain East Conference school. Shippensburg first baseman Hannah Marsteller and Millersville catcher Faith Willenbrock were first-team All-Americans from the Atlantic Region. Shepherd third baseman Nicole Purtell was a second-team pick while Kutztown first baseman Jenna Lipowski joined Donzella as a third-team selection.

   The 2021 NCAA Division II World Series gets under way in Denver, Colo. this week. Atlantic Region champion West Chester (Pa.) is the No. 7 seed and will take on No. 2 seed St. Anselm (N.H.) Thursday at 6 p.m.

SOFTBALL

NCAA Division II

2021 NFCA All-America Team

FIRST TEAM

Pos.       Player                                            School

P             Morgan Perry                              Saint Anselm

P             Mackenzie Ward                         MSU-Mankato

P             Kenzee Smith                               Indianapolis

C            Shanna McBroom                       West Texas A&M

1B          Hannah Marsteller                     Shippensburg

2B          Sydni Hawkins                             Missouri Western

3B          Alyssa Herrera                             Georgian Court

SS           Nicole Pennington                      Valdosta State

OF          Lauren Wedman                         Colorado Mesa

OF          Kendall Cornick                           Augustana

OF          Ruby Salzman                              West Texas A&M

UT/P      Hannah Rose Corbin                  Columbus State

Util        Lauryn Henderson                      Academy of Art

C            *Faith Willenbrock                     Millersville

1B          *Tatum Brummitt                       UNC Pembroke

P             *Kylee Smith                                North Georgia

UT/P      *Ellie Smith                                  Colorado Mesa

C            *Bailey Byers                               Malone

 *-denotes at-large selection

SECOND TEAM

Pos.       Player                                            School

P             Ashley Mickschl                           Augustana

P             Abbey Busby                                Palm Beach Atlantic

P             Ally Muller                                    Adelphi

C            Ashley Perez                                UT-Tyler

1B          Mahina Sauer                              Southern Nazarene

2B          Sam Catron                                  Hillsdale

3B          Nicole Purtell                               Shepherd

SS           Margaret Simmons                     North Georgia

OF          Rajene Bowe                               Dominican

OF          Shelby Robb                                 Metro State-Denver

OF          Allie Miller                                    Auburn-Montgomery

UT/P      Sidney Booth                               Northwest Nazarene

Util        Kylee Leonhardt                          Lenoir-Rhyne

Util        *Izzy Starr                                     Humboldt State

P             *Kali Crandall                               Oklahoma Christian

P             *Callie Nunes                               Concordia-Irvine

SS           *Tatum Dow                                Western Washington

OF          *Taylor Shingler                          Maryville

 *-denotes at-large selection

THIRD TEAM

Pos.       Player                                            School

P             Ali Shenefield                               Rollins

P             Payton Foster                              UT-Tyler

P             Hannah Beatus                            Grand Valley State

C            KAT DONZELLA                           WEST LIBERTY

1B          Molly Cobb                                   Auburn-Montgomery

2B          Kiley Robb                                    Valdosta State

3B          Teala Howard                              West Florida

SS           MaKray Odom                             Trevecca Nazarene

OF          Mary Pardo                                  Augustana

OF          Courtney Barnhill                        Angelo State

OF          Caitlyn Canady                            Columbus State

UT/P      Ava Fitzmaurice                           New Haven

Util        Torri Chute                                   Augustana

P             Andrea Morales                          Rogers State

1B          Jenna Lipowski                            Kutztown

3B          *Kaitlyn Weis                               NW Missouri State

OF          Gabrielle Simms                          University of the Sciences

UT/P      Morgan Hill                                  Valdosta State

 *-denotes at-large selection