LOUISVILLE, Ky. (May 16, 2019) – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced senior shortstop Jess Hughes, junior utility Anyssa Iliopoulos and freshman catcher Katie Wingert of Rutgers softball as selections to the All-Great Lakes Region Second Team.
 
These awards mark just the third time in Rutgers softball history that at least three Scarlet Knights have been named to All-Region teams, and the first time since 1999 when RU played out of the Northeast Region.
 
The organization honored 392 student-athletes from 163 programs for 2019 NFCA Division I All-Region accolades. The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all the honorees now become eligible for the 2019 NFCA Division I All-America squads.
 
Hughes earns her third career NFCA All-Region nod following a senior campaign that included a .358/.436/.648 slash line, 47 runs, 14 doubles, 10 home runs, 39 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. She is ranked in the Top 10 among NCAA active career leaders in both walks and runs scored, and paced the Scarlet Knights with a .317 average and three home runs against 16 opposing teams listed in the Top 75 of the RPI rankings this season.
 
Iliopoulos grabs her first career All-Region honor after slashing .324/.436/.676 this spring with 12 doubles, 12 homers and 41 RBIs. Named the Big Ten Player of the Week during the final period of the regular season, Iliopoulos also hit .316 with four doubles, two home runs and five RBIs during 16 games against RPI Top 75 teams.
 
Wingert adds an NFCA All-Region decoration to an All-Big Ten Second Team honor during her phenomenal freshman season. Posting her 18^th home run of the season in the NISC opening round victory over Appalachian State on Thursday, Wingert now has 45 RBIs on the year to go with a team-best .710 slugging percentage. The Big Ten Freshman of the Week on April 15 led Rutgers with eight RBIs against RPI Top 75 teams this spring, and added five caught stolen bases during those 16 contests.
 
The Scarlet Knight trio continues to lead the team through its first non-conference postseason tournament appearance since 1996, as Rutgers advanced to take on host Liberty in the winner's bracket of the National Invitational Softball Championship on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. after a 2-1 win over Appalachian State during the morning session.
 
 
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