A nation-leading six University of Florida softball players appear on the 2011 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America teams, announced by the organization on the eve of the 2011 Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla. Three Gators were named to the All-America First Team, including senior first baseman Megan Bush (Anaheim Hills, Calif.), senior outfielder and Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Kelsey Bruder (Corona, Calif.) and sophomore utility player Brittany Schutte (Fountain Valley, Calif.). Freshman pitcher Hannah Rogers (Lake Wales, Fla.) is part of the All-America Second Team. Senior second baseman Aja Paculba (Wildomar, Calif.) and junior center fielder Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) both appear on the All-America Third Team.
Florida’s six student-athletes on All-America teams in 2011 is a program record and the most under head coach Tim Walton, as Florida racked up five All-America honors in both 2008 and 2009. Since Walton took over at the helm of the Gator program, a total of 11 Gators have been named All-Americans, with those 11 athletes bringing in 20 All-America honors.
"As we prepare to play in the College World Series, I have to say today is a very proud moment for me as a coach," Walton said. "Having six players named All-Americans is such an unbelievable accomplishment for our program. Although these are individual awards, having six players represent Florida on the All-America teams says a lot about our team, our program and how special this group of student-athletes truly is."
Wednesday’s honor marks Paculba’s third All-America accolade, as she also was named to the 2008 and 2009 teams. Bruder appears on the All-America team for the second time in her Gator career after also earning a spot on the 2009 squad. Bush, Moultrie, Rogers and Schutte all make their first appearances on the All-America lists, although Bush and Schutte have both been named to the All-Southeast Region previously.
Rogers became the first freshman since Paculba in 2008 to pick up All-SEC, SEC All-Freshman, SEC All-Defensive and All-America honors in her inaugural season donning the Orange and Blue.
Here’s a quick look at their seasons:
| Kelsey Bruder |
| 2011 SEC Player of the Year…2011 Capital One Academic All-America first team…three-time SEC Player of the Week…ranks sixth in NCAA in runs/game and 19th in home runs…USA Softball’s National Player of the Week for two walk-off hits in final two games of Alabama series…led SEC in runs (32), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.883), hits (40), RBI (36) and home runs (11)…tops UF’s all-time list for total bases in a season (140) and her 69 runs this season matches school record set by Aja Paculba. |
| Megan Bush |
| A top 10 finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year…was a candidate for Lowe’s Senior Class award…a first-team All-SEC selection in the infield, named to 2011 SEC Community Service Team…2011 Capital One Academic All-America Second Team selection…shattered SEC/UF career home runs record, now boasting 64…captured UF single-season sac flies record (9), holds career sac flies record…tied for UF’S single-season home runs record (20), has single-season RBI record (78)…ranks fifth in the NCAA in home runs, first in sac flies, sixth in RBI/game and 16th in HR/game…had a career-long and school-record 20-game hit streak earlier this season…drove in a league-leading 36 RBI, knocked an SEC high 11 home runs and four sac flies, ranked third in the league in total bases (61), sixth in slugging percentage (.726) in SEC play |
| Michelle Moultrie |
| A 2011 Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Defensive team selection…2011 Capital One Academic All-America third team selection…has a hit in 55 of UF’S 62 games this season, has reached base safely in 60 games this season…has laid down a staggering 20 bunts for base hits this year in 26 at-bats, with just six sac bunts…the March 1 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week…ranks 14th in the nation in triples and 19th in runs/game as of May 25…ranks first for UF in stolen bases, swiping a single-season school record 28 in her 31 attempts (90.3 percent)…rattled off a career-high 19-game hit streak that ended against Florida State and added another 14-game streak…her .431 batting average is on pace to shatter UF’S single-season record held by Ali Gardiner (.407) in 2008…sports a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 78 total chances, including five assists |
| Aja Paculba |
| A 2011 Second Team All-SEC selection in the infield…holds numerous UF records, but took sole possession of career hits (273) and stolen baseS (66) with UF’S Gainesville Regional championship…has played in and started in all 264 games of her Gator career…has scored 60 runs, tying her for third on the squad and her 15 homers in 2011 nearly equal her previous three years combined (19)…has a hit in 44 of 62 games this season…led all conference athletes with 100 at-bats and helped field four double plays for the Gators in league play. |
| Hannah Rogers |
| A second team All-SEC, Freshman All-SEC and SEC All-defensive team selection…set the freshman record for most wins (33), topping Stephanie Brombacher’s 20 in 2008…her 12 strikeouts against Arkansas are the most this season by a Florida hurler…ranks fourth in the nation in victories, first among freshmen as of May 25…two-time SEC Pitcher of the Week…pitched a career-high 9.0 innings for the Gators against Alabama…did not allow an earned run in her first six conference games and allowed one or fewer in 18 appearances in SEC play this season…has won 17 of her last 18 decisions including postseason, while allowing just 19 earned runs in 116.2 innings during that span (1.14 ERA) |
| Brittany Schutte |
| Was on the USA Softball 50-player watch list for 2011 Player of the Year…tied for team lead in home runs with 20, matching the single-season school record, also ranking fifth in the country with senior Megan Bush…has drawn a team-high 45 walks, but also has 51 strikeouts on the year…one of just six players in the SEC to record eight or more home runs in league play, including a season-best two in the series finale with auburn and back-to-back bombs in the second and third games of the South Carolina series…belted three homers during the two Super Regional games vs. Oregon and reached base in six of seven plate appearances while driving in seven runs. |
