LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Headlined by four First Team honorees, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) had 14 student-athletes named to the 2026 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-Region X (West) team it was announced last Friday.
Texas Lutheran led all SCAC programs with six selections, followed by St. Thomas with four, Concordia (Texas) with two and LeTourneau and Ozarks with one honoree each. This year marks the 11th consecutive full season the SCAC has placed six or more student-athletes on the NFCA All-Region squad.
Representing the SCAC on the First Team was Texas Lutheran’s Katelyn Howard, Caelee Clark and Riley Davila, along with St. Thomas’ Samatha Crumrin.
Howard, a senior right-hander from Waller, Texas was named the SCAC Pitcher of the Year earlier this month. Howard paced the Bulldogs pitching staff with a 21-1 record and 87 strikeouts in 138.0 innings, while heading into the NCAA Super Regional weekend with a 0.86 ERA, ranked third best currenting in all of NCAA Div. III.
Clark, a senior second baseman from Montgomery, Texas was named the SCAC Player of the Year for the third time in the last four years earlier this month. She leads the nation in both runs scored (74) and stolen bases (86) and is first in the SCAC in batting average (.507), hits (77) and on-base percentage (.566). Earlier this season, set the all-time NCAA record for stolen bases in a career, across all divisions, which currently 303 and counting going into the weekend. She is on pace to become the first athlete in SCAC softball history to lead the league in hits in three different seasons and currently ranks second all-time with 259 hits. Her 74 runs scored this year in a new SCAC record and became the conference’s all-time leading run scorer, with 243 total runs scored.
Davila, a junior outfielder from Angleton, Texas has been a steady presence in the Bulldogs lineup in her first season in Seguin. A First-Team All-SCAC outfielder, Davila is second in the SCAC in runs scored (61), hits (68), triples (4), plate appearances (174) and at bats (151), while finishing third in stolen bases with 40 and fourth with a .450 batting average.
Crumrin, a sophomore first baseman from Katy, Texas was named First Team All-SCAC earlier this month in helping lead the Celts to their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years. She finished third in the SCAC in hits (60), fourth in doubles (14), sixth in RBI (40) and tenth in batting average (.417).
In addition, five SCAC players were named Second Team All-Region, Texas Lutheran senior catcher Taylor Vannett, St. Thomas junior second baseman Viviana Vargas, St. Thomas senior outfielder Rebecca Archibald, Concordia (Texas) junior utility player Kylie Kirk and Texas Lutheran senior designated player Serena Gonzalez. All five earned All-SCAC honors earlier this month, including Vannett, Archibald, Kirk and Gonzalez earning First Team accolades.
Rounding out the SCAC All-region honorees were Ozarks junior pitcher Bailee Cowell, St. Thomas senior catcher Chloe Bennett, TLU junior first baseman Cady Bowyer, LeTourneau senior second baseman Riley Shipp and Concordia (Texas) senior outfielder Kylie Denaro were named to the All-region Third Team. Denaro was named First Team All-SCAC, while the other four student-athletes earned Second Team All-SCAC accolades this season.
The awards honor student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions with selection to one of three teams. NFCA member head coaches nominate and then vote for the winners in their respective region. Coaches may nominate a maximum of eight players from their squad.
If they were not already voted to an All-Region squad, conference Players and Pitchers of the Year from member institutions are added to the third team in their region, so long as they are nominated by their member head coach and receive votes.
All honorees move forward to be considered for selection for the three NFCA Division III All-America squads, which will be announced May 27 on NFCA.org and the Association’s social media accounts.
To view the entire NFCA All-Region Teams, click here.
