(Greenville, SC) The National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) announced their regional softball awards on Wednesday and five Cardinals were recognized. Lauren Reichel, Shannon McAlinden, Koryn Playford and Abbie Begley were all named to the NCCAA D1 Midwest All-Regional Team and Head Coach Hailey Cavanagh was named the region's Coach of the Year.
Reichel was among the NCCAA leaders in several statistical categories. Reichel led the team and was sixth in the NCCAA in innings pitched with 149 and was fourth in the NCCAA in total strikeouts with 156. The Cardinal ace allowed a batting average of .220 which was third in the NCCAA. In 23 starts she posted a record of 14-7 and threw 15 complete games with an ERA of 2.30. Reichel was named NCCAA Player of the Week three times this season.
McAlinden led the team in batting average with a .395 mark which also made her 26th in the NCCAA. The shortstop/centerfielder posted a team best .535 slugging percentage. McAlinden also led the team in RBIs with 33 which put her at 17th in the NCCAA. The freshman was named NCCAA player of the week on March 29th when in the four games, the freshman standout went 10-14, scored five runs, and recorded eight RBIs. Her batting average was .714 with a slugging percentage of 1.071 throughout that week.
Sophomore standout Koryn Playford had a breakout year for the Cardinals. Playford posted a .383 batting average with 31 runs and a team high 21 stolen bases. Her 21 stolen bases ranked fifth most among the NCCAA.
Newcomer Abbie Begley became a dependable leadoff hitter for the Cardinals, playing in every game. Begley led the team in runs and hits with 34 and 66 respectively. Those marks put her at 18th in the NCCAA in runs and third in hits.
Head Coach Hailey Cavanagh has been at the helm for four seasons, and led the Cardinals to three consecutive winning seasons. The Cardinals clinched a spot in the NCCAA World Series for the second full season in a row, earning a #2 seed in the 2021 rendition.
Concordia will kick off the NCCAA World Series on Tuesday, May 18th against Alice Lloyd College at 2:30 pm before rounding out pool play against Carolina University the next morning.
