June 1, 2011
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Missouri softball team has matched a program best, as three Tigers have earned 2011 NFCA All-America recognition, announced Wednesday afternoon by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The 2001 Missouri squad also had three All-Americans, two of which were awarded by the NFCA while the other was named by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
Missouri's three NFCA All-America selections were the most amongst Big 12 teams. Redshirt sophomore Chelsea Thomas earned her first career All-America honor, as she was named to the first team. Selected to the second team was junior Ashley Fleming, who was also recognized for the first time, while senior Rhea Taylor becomes the first three-time All-American in Missouri history after being named to the third team for the second straight season.
Thomas, the 2011 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year, is currently 31-6 on the year with a 0.83 earned run average, the best in the country. She is one win shy of tying the single season mark at Missouri, and has broken the season school record with 364 strikeouts. She's tossed 13 complete game solo shutouts, including two perfect games and a no hitter, has walked only 44 batters and has given up just 18 extra base hits this season. Thomas was one of three finalists for USA Softball's National Player of the Year award, and was Big 12 Pitcher of the Week six times this year while also being named USA Softball Player of the Week and NFCA Player of the Week earlier in the season.
Following up her breakout sophomore season, Fleming has been one of the best hitters on the Tiger squad all season long as she currently has a .358 batting average to go with 14 home runs and 62 RBI. Her .721 slugging percentage is tops on the squad, while her .452 on-base percentage is second amongst her teammates. She's also been perfect in the field in 62 chances, the majority of which have come in right, and is 16-for-16 in stolen bases. Her 14 home runs this season are tied for eighth-most in a year at Missouri, while she is just three RBI shy of breaking the school's single-season mark of 64, a record that has stood for 16 seasons.
Taylor wraps up an illustrious career with one final All-America honor. The Tiger senior enters World Series play with a team-best .371 batting average with 52 runs scored, four home runs and 43 stolen bases in 45 attempts. During the 2011 postseason, Taylor is hitting .500 (13-for-26) with 10 runs scored, two home runs, seven RBI and is nine-for-nine in stolen bases. She's currently second all-time in the Big 12 with a .407 career batting average, .002 out of first, and needs just one more run to break the league's all-time mark.
Missouri has now had 22 All-Americans in the history of their program, with seven of those coming in the last five years under head coach Ehren Earleywine. The Tigers open up the Women's College World Series on Thursday night against the fourth-seeded Florida Gators. Action gets underway at approximately 8:30 p.m. CT and will air live on ESPN2. Fans can also listen live on KTGR 1580 AM/100.5 FM in the Columbia area.