Softball | May 18

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Second baseman Sam Mallinder (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) and pitcher Danielle Stewart (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) of the Northern Illinois University softball team earned Third Team All-Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), the organization announced Thursday.

Mallinder returns to the Third Team for the second-straight year while Stewart takes home the plaudit for the first time. This is the second-straight year NIU has had two representatives on NFCA All-Region teams. Last season, Katie Keller (Second Team) joined Mallinder on the Great Lakes region list.

In her last year with the Huskies, Mallinder had an outstanding season. She notched 45 hits, with 12 games where she had multiple hits, and drove in 30 runs in 50 starts. Her three triples were tied for the highest number on the team, and she hit two home runs during the season. One of those homers came on April 2 against CMU, and the other occurred on April 15 against Ohio. Finishing the 2023 season with a batting average of .298, Mallinder secured the third-best average on the team.

Stewart played a crucial role in NIU's achievements this season. As a freshman, she led the Huskies' pitching staff with an impressive 3.06 ERA, pitching a total of 139.2 innings. Opposing batters struggled to hit against NIU's standout pitcher, as they could only manage a .230 batting average, which ranked fifth-best in the conference. Moreover, Stewart's 13 wins in the circle placed her fourth in the league, and her 101 strikeouts were the ninth-highest. One of the memorable moments of her season was when she recorded a career-high of nine strikeouts in consecutive games, concluding NIU's series against Buffalo.

The NFCA All-Region teams are prestigious recognitions given to outstanding collegiate softball players from each region across the United States. Teams are composed of athletes who have displayed exceptional skills, leadership, and performance throughout the season.

NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated student-athletes (eight maximum) and voted for the teams. All awarded student-athletes now become eligible for the 2023 NFCA Division I All-America squads.