Daniels, Grant Selected to NFCA All-Region Team
5/20/2010 5:43:07 PM | Softball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Outfielders Lisaira Daniels and Veronica Grant have been named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Great Lakes Region second team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced today.
It is the 15th and 16th all-time selections for the Orange and makes six all-time NFCA All-Region selections for fourth-year head coach Leigh Ross. It also marks the first time Syracuse has had multiple NFCA All-Region selections in a season since 2006.
Daniels has started all 56 games for the Orange in the outfield, setting the standard for the SU offense throughout the entirety of the season. A second team All-BIG EAST selection, Daniels is batting .366 with 13 extra-base hits and 25 RBI while also recording an SU single-season record 28 steals. Heading into Friday's NCAA Regional contest against No. 14 Oklahoma, Daniels is tied with SU All-American Alexis Switenko for the single-season record in hits (64).
Only a sophomore, Daniels has already established herself as Syracuse's career leader in average (.342), stolen bases (41), stolen base attempts (45) and sacrifice flies (11) while ranking among the top five on the career lists for triples (6), on base percentage (.405) and slugging percentage (.550).
Daniels is only the second Syracuse softball student-athlete to earn NFCA All-Region honors as a sophomore. Cassie Morales was also a second team NFCA All-Region selection following her sophomore season and went on to earn the honor during both her junior and senior seasons
Grant has started a freshman record 56 games for the Orange this season, primarily in centerfield. She ranks third on the team with a .326 average while leading the team with 19 doubles and 24 extra-base hits. She enters Friday's NCAA Regional contest on Daniels' heels for the single-season stolen base record with 27 swipes on the season.
The Temple City, Calif. native ranks as the best freshman in program history, establishing six SU rookie records. Grant is the freshman record holder in games played (56), games started (56), at bats (178), doubles (19), total bases (90) and stolen bases (27). She also ranks second in hits (58), runs (46), triples (2), on base percentage (.439) and walks (27) while ranking third with 28 RBI.
Grant is the third freshman in program history to garner NFCA All-Region honors, following Tanya Rose in 2002 and Heather Kim in 2006. Rose also earned the honor as both a junior and a senior while Kim left the program following the 2007 season.
NFCA member coaches in each of the five regions select the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region teams and honorees are now eligible to be selected to the three All-America teams. The 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American teams will be announced on Friday, May 28 and will be available on NFCA.org.
Daniels and Grant will lead the Orange into its first NCAA appearance against No. 14 Oklahoma on Friday, May 20 at Robert E. Taylor Stadium on the campus of the University of Maryland. First pitch in the contest is set for 5 p.m. Complete preview of Friday's contest is available here.
