NFCA FULL RELEASE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Simmons University Softball standout two-way player, Piper Kinney has been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region First Team (utility/pitcher), as announced by the organization on Friday afternoon.
The NFCA All-Region teams are voted on by member coaches from each region, with First Team selections advancing to the national ballot for All-America consideration.
In a region heavily represented by the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), Kinney and Rivier University's Liv Harnish stood out as the lone non-NESCAC selections on the NFCA All-Region First Team. Overall, only six of the 39 All-Region honorees came from outside the conference.
One of the top pitchers in all of Division III throughout the season, Kinney finished the year ranked fourth nationally with 190 strikeouts while also tying for third in the country with nine complete game shutouts.
Most recently, Kinney was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Pitcher of the Year following a record-setting senior campaign. Through 164.1 innings pitched, the right-hander posted a career-best 1.87 earned run average alongside 19 wins, 19 complete games, and nine complete game shutouts.
A true dual-threat, Kinney also earned All-Conference Second Team honors at the utility position after splitting time in the circle, at designated player, and at first base. Batting lead-off, she turned in the best season of her career at the plate, batting .364 with 48 hits and a team-leading 35 runs scored. Splitting time between the circle and first base, Kinney recorded 84 putouts and 32 assists with a .975 fielding percentage.
Kinney becomes the first Shark to earn NFCA First Team All-Region honors since current Interim Head Coach Maddie Castigliego received the recognition in 2023 as well as just the fifth player in program history to earn that accolade. No stranger to regional honors, however, Kinney captured a Third Team nod as a pitcher in 2023 and 2024.
