BETHLEHEM, Pa. – As the Lehigh softball team readies to make its second straight NCAA Regional appearance this weekend, three Mountain Hawks were named to the NFCA Mid-Atlantic All-Region teams announced Thursday. Senior Julie Fernandez and junior Liz Lucas were named to the first team, while senior Jen Colquhoun was named to the second team.
The three selections mark the ninth time in ten years that Lehigh has had an All-Region selection in softball and the sixth time in seven seasons that the Mountain Hawks had multiple All-Region selections.
Fernandez becomes Lehigh’s fourth three-time All-Region selection with her first-team honor at first base. The Patriot League’s leading hitter, Fernandez enters the NCAA tournament batting .448 which ranks sixth nationally and second among players participating in regionals this weekend. For the season, Fernandez has a league-best 74 hits and a Lehigh and Patriot League record 22 doubles. Fernandez is also tied for the league lead with 48 RBI.
A four-time first team All-Patriot League selection, Fernandez holds the school and Patriot League record for career doubles with 64 and recently became Lehigh’s and the league’s career hits leader as she now has 262.
Lucas earned the first NFCA All-Region honor of her career for another outstanding season at the plate, and behind it. Lehigh’s starting catcher, Lucas has started all 57 of the Mountain Hawks’ games, batting .346 with 14 doubles, five home runs and 36 RBI. A two-time first team All-League selection and a 2011 ECAC All-Star, Lucas currently ranks seventh in the Patriot League in batting, third in doubles and home runs and fourth in RBI. Lucas has also successfully handled Lehigh’s pitching staff which boasts an impressive 1.69 ERA which leads the Patriot League and ranks in the top 25 nationally.
The Patriot League Player and Scholar-Athlete of the Year in softball, Colquhoun earned her first career All-Region not after putting together one of the finest single seasons in school history. A four-year starter and four-time All-League shortstop, Colquhoun enters regional play batting .438, which ranks second in the Patriot League and 12th nationally. Colquhoun is tied with Fernandez for the Patriot League lead with 48 RBI and her league-best 13 home runs are tied for the school single-season record. She also has 71 hits, including nine doubles and six triples this season.
The Mountain Hawks arrived in Norman, Okla. on Wednesday to prepare for this weekend’s NCAA Norman Regional. Lehigh (40-17) will open up with host and No. 4 national seed Oklahoma Friday at 7:30 p.m. (CT) from the OU Softball Complex. All of Lehigh’s NCAA regional action will be broadcast online for free at Lehighsports.com.