CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Five members of the Virginia softball team earned All-Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association it was announced by the organization with the release of its annual teams on Thursday (May 14).
Senior left-hander Courtney Layne and junior third baseman Bella Cabral were named to the first team, while senior right-hander Eden Bigham and junior first baseman Macee Eaton were named to the second team. Senior shortstop Jade Hylton was a third team selection.
By selection to an All-Region team, the players are eligible for All-America honors.
Layne earned All-Region honors for the first time and holds a 12-4 record entering NCAA Regional play this weekend. She ranks fourth in the ACC in ERA (2.31) and leads the ACC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.36) and walks per 7.0 (1.50), and ranks second in the ACC in WHIP (1.04). She has struck out 96 batters this season and holds four saves in addition to her 12 victories in the circle.
Cabral earned All-Region honors for the second straight season. The third baseman leads the Cavaliers with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. She’s broken into the top 10 on the Virginia career list in home runs. She was named the NFCA National Player of the Week this season after hitting six home runs in a seven game stretch with a 2.621 OPS. She scored 10 runs and drove in 13 that week. She was a third-team All-ACC honoree this season.
Bigham earned All-Region honors for the fourth straight season. She leads the Cavaliers with a 14-4 record this season along with three saves. Bigham has a 3.28 ERA and has struck out 102 batters this season, marking the fourth straight season with at least 100 strikeouts.
Eaton leads the Hoos at the plate with a .443 batting average and 61 RBI entering NCAA Regional play. She ranks eighth in the ACC in batting average and seventh in RBI. Eaton is chasing her own single-season RBI record, needing just two more to tie the Virginia record she set a year ago. She was a first team All-ACC honoree this year.
Hylton earned All-Region honors for the fourth consecutive season. She leads the Virginia offense with 52 runs scores and leads things for the Hoos by anchoring the top of the lineup. She bats at a .359 clip and has drawn a team-leading 35 walks.
Virginia returns to action on Friday night (May 15) when the Cavaliers take on Indiana in NCAA Regional play at Tennessee. First pitch is set for 8 p.m. on ESPN2.
