Four Ducks Earn All-America Honors
05/30/18 | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY - The Oregon softball team tied a program record, with four players being named National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Americans, the organization announced on Wednesday at the Women's College World Series media day.
Pitcher Megan Kleist and catcher Gwen Svekis were both named first team NFCA All-Americans while pitcher Miranda Elish was a second team choice and third baseman Jenna Lilley was a third team pick.
The four All-America selections matched the program record set in 2013, when pitcher Jessica Moore (1st), catcher Alexa Peterson (1st), outfielder Janie Takeda (1st) and second baseman Kaylan Howard (3rd) were each named All-Americans.
The Ducks have now had 22 All-America selections in nine seasons under head coach Mike White and 30 total in program history.
Kleist and Lilley join first baseman Julie Cavanaugh (1990, 1991), Moore (2012, 2013), Takeda (2013, 2014, 2015), pitcher Cheridan Hawkins (2014, 2015, 2016) and shortstop Nikki Udria (2016, 2017) as repeat All-Americans.
No. 1 seed Oregon opens the 2018 WCWS on Thursday (9 AM PT, ESPN) against No. 8 seed Arizona State.
C Gwen Svekis - First Team All-American
Gwen Svekis was named both an All-American and the NFCA national catcher of the year on Wednesday. The Davie, Fla., native has been a fixture in the Oregon lineup for the last four seasons but has saved her best for last in a strong senior campaign. Prior to the start of the WCWS, Svekis is hitting .325 with a career-highs in both home runs (17) and RBIs (57). The catcher's 17 long balls this season ranks third in the Pac-12, with most of them coming against top competition. Svekis hit eight of her homers against top-25 teams, with two each in games against No. 9 Arizona and No. 7 Arizona State. Last weekend, she hit .500 in UO's Super Regional series win against Kentucky, going 4-for-8 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs. Also a rock behind the plate, Svekis was named to the Pac-12 all-defensive team this season as well as being a first team all-league and first team all-Pacific region pick. Svekis was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch draft by the Chicago Bandits. Along with her classmate and fellow All-American Jenna Lilley, Svekis won three Pac-12 titles and advanced to the WCWS three times during her career.
RHP Megan Kleist - First Team All-American
Megan Kleist was named an All-American for the second straight season. Last year the right-hander was a second team selection. Kleist heads into the WCWS leading the NCAA with a 12.59-to-1 strikeouts to walk ratio. The junior has more wins this season (21) than walks allowed (17). Kleist was named the Pac-12 pitcher of the year after posting a 0.96 ERA in the regular season. Her current 1.14 ERA ranks 12th in the nation. Kleist fired a pair of no-hitters this year, coming in back-to-back games against Florida State and Montana. The Appleton, Wis., native also tossed a one-hitter against then-No. 2 ranked Oklahoma on April 19, snapping the Sooners' 30-game winning streak. Kleist is 21-6 overall this season with a 1.14 ERA. She has 214 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 172.1 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .171 against her. Kleist made nine starts against the other WCWS teams this year, posting a 1.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 55.1 innings with only eight walks.
RHP Miranda Elish - Second Team All-American
Miranda Elish came to Oregon as the top pitching prospect in the country and showed her potential last season as a freshman, going 12-0 with a 1.79 ERA in 105.2 innings. This season, however, has been a breakout campaign for the sophomore. Elish ranks fourth in the NCAA with a 0.89 ERA going into the WCWS. The first team all-Pac-12 pick has 235 strikeouts and just 29 walks in 164.1 innings pitched, good for fourth in the NCAA with a 8.1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Elish has allowed more than three earned runs in a game just once all season and has allowed only one earned run in her last six starts, spanning 34.0 innings, entering the WCWS. Last weekend, after the Ducks dropped their Super Regional opener against No. 16 seed Kentucky, Elish led Oregon to back-to-back wins to clinch the series. Elish allowed just two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk in 12.0 total innings with 14 strikeouts against the Wildcats. Elish had great success against another SEC foe, then No. 7 ranked LSU, at the Mary Nutter Classic. The Crown Point, Ind., native fired a two-hit shutout against the Tigers with 10 strikeouts. Elish also tossed her first collegiate perfect game this season against Portland State on April 3. In the first seven-inning perfect game in UO history, Elish racked up a career-high 16 strikeouts out of 21 total outs.
3B Jenna Lilley - Third Team All-American
Jenna Lilley arrived at Oregon in 2015 and set the softball world on fire. The North Canton, Ohio, native was named a second team All-American as a freshman after hitting .427 with 16 doubles. Lilley struggled at the plate in her sophomore and junior seasons but has bounced back in a big way as a senior. Entering the WCWS, Lilley has started all 60 games for the Ducks while hitting .367 with a team-high 14 doubles. She ranks second in the Pac-12 with a .484 on-base percentage after drawing 35 walks compared to 15 strikeouts this season. The senior is hitting .421 so far in the postseason, with five runs scored, five RBIs and three doubles in six games. Lilley was named first team all-Pac-12 and and first team all-Pacific region this season. The third baseman has consistently had one of the best gloves in the nation and this year was named to the Pac-12 all-defensive team. Along with her classmate and fellow All-American Gwen Svekis, Lilley won three Pac-12 titles and advanced to the WCWS three times during her career. Lilley was picked by her hometown Cleveland Comets in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch draft.
Pitcher Megan Kleist and catcher Gwen Svekis were both named first team NFCA All-Americans while pitcher Miranda Elish was a second team choice and third baseman Jenna Lilley was a third team pick.
The four All-America selections matched the program record set in 2013, when pitcher Jessica Moore (1st), catcher Alexa Peterson (1st), outfielder Janie Takeda (1st) and second baseman Kaylan Howard (3rd) were each named All-Americans.
The Ducks have now had 22 All-America selections in nine seasons under head coach Mike White and 30 total in program history.
Kleist and Lilley join first baseman Julie Cavanaugh (1990, 1991), Moore (2012, 2013), Takeda (2013, 2014, 2015), pitcher Cheridan Hawkins (2014, 2015, 2016) and shortstop Nikki Udria (2016, 2017) as repeat All-Americans.
No. 1 seed Oregon opens the 2018 WCWS on Thursday (9 AM PT, ESPN) against No. 8 seed Arizona State.
C Gwen Svekis - First Team All-American
Gwen Svekis was named both an All-American and the NFCA national catcher of the year on Wednesday. The Davie, Fla., native has been a fixture in the Oregon lineup for the last four seasons but has saved her best for last in a strong senior campaign. Prior to the start of the WCWS, Svekis is hitting .325 with a career-highs in both home runs (17) and RBIs (57). The catcher's 17 long balls this season ranks third in the Pac-12, with most of them coming against top competition. Svekis hit eight of her homers against top-25 teams, with two each in games against No. 9 Arizona and No. 7 Arizona State. Last weekend, she hit .500 in UO's Super Regional series win against Kentucky, going 4-for-8 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs. Also a rock behind the plate, Svekis was named to the Pac-12 all-defensive team this season as well as being a first team all-league and first team all-Pacific region pick. Svekis was taken with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch draft by the Chicago Bandits. Along with her classmate and fellow All-American Jenna Lilley, Svekis won three Pac-12 titles and advanced to the WCWS three times during her career.
RHP Megan Kleist - First Team All-American
Megan Kleist was named an All-American for the second straight season. Last year the right-hander was a second team selection. Kleist heads into the WCWS leading the NCAA with a 12.59-to-1 strikeouts to walk ratio. The junior has more wins this season (21) than walks allowed (17). Kleist was named the Pac-12 pitcher of the year after posting a 0.96 ERA in the regular season. Her current 1.14 ERA ranks 12th in the nation. Kleist fired a pair of no-hitters this year, coming in back-to-back games against Florida State and Montana. The Appleton, Wis., native also tossed a one-hitter against then-No. 2 ranked Oklahoma on April 19, snapping the Sooners' 30-game winning streak. Kleist is 21-6 overall this season with a 1.14 ERA. She has 214 strikeouts and just 17 walks in 172.1 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .171 against her. Kleist made nine starts against the other WCWS teams this year, posting a 1.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 55.1 innings with only eight walks.
RHP Miranda Elish - Second Team All-American
Miranda Elish came to Oregon as the top pitching prospect in the country and showed her potential last season as a freshman, going 12-0 with a 1.79 ERA in 105.2 innings. This season, however, has been a breakout campaign for the sophomore. Elish ranks fourth in the NCAA with a 0.89 ERA going into the WCWS. The first team all-Pac-12 pick has 235 strikeouts and just 29 walks in 164.1 innings pitched, good for fourth in the NCAA with a 8.1-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Elish has allowed more than three earned runs in a game just once all season and has allowed only one earned run in her last six starts, spanning 34.0 innings, entering the WCWS. Last weekend, after the Ducks dropped their Super Regional opener against No. 16 seed Kentucky, Elish led Oregon to back-to-back wins to clinch the series. Elish allowed just two runs (one earned) on six hits and one walk in 12.0 total innings with 14 strikeouts against the Wildcats. Elish had great success against another SEC foe, then No. 7 ranked LSU, at the Mary Nutter Classic. The Crown Point, Ind., native fired a two-hit shutout against the Tigers with 10 strikeouts. Elish also tossed her first collegiate perfect game this season against Portland State on April 3. In the first seven-inning perfect game in UO history, Elish racked up a career-high 16 strikeouts out of 21 total outs.
3B Jenna Lilley - Third Team All-American
Jenna Lilley arrived at Oregon in 2015 and set the softball world on fire. The North Canton, Ohio, native was named a second team All-American as a freshman after hitting .427 with 16 doubles. Lilley struggled at the plate in her sophomore and junior seasons but has bounced back in a big way as a senior. Entering the WCWS, Lilley has started all 60 games for the Ducks while hitting .367 with a team-high 14 doubles. She ranks second in the Pac-12 with a .484 on-base percentage after drawing 35 walks compared to 15 strikeouts this season. The senior is hitting .421 so far in the postseason, with five runs scored, five RBIs and three doubles in six games. Lilley was named first team all-Pac-12 and and first team all-Pacific region this season. The third baseman has consistently had one of the best gloves in the nation and this year was named to the Pac-12 all-defensive team. Along with her classmate and fellow All-American Gwen Svekis, Lilley won three Pac-12 titles and advanced to the WCWS three times during her career. Lilley was picked by her hometown Cleveland Comets in the 2018 National Pro Fastpitch draft.
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