Three Indiana softball players earned All-American honors after the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its All-American teams Wednesday evening.
“This announcement shows the strength of our team with two-thirds of our lineup representing All-Region honors and now a third being selected as All-Americans,” Indiana softball head coach Shonda Stanton said. “It’s a tremendous honor for Brianna, Taryn and Taylor who put up game-changing individual performances propelling Team 50 to a record-breaking season.”
The announcement comes one day after Indiana freshman Taryn Kern was named to D1Softball‘s All-American First Team and Freshman Team.
Kern, alongside sophomores utility player Brianna Copeland and outfielder Taylor Minnick, collected postseason honors. Kern and Copeland were named NFCA Second-Team All-Americans, while Minnick earned Third-Team All-American.
Indiana is just one of three schools to have three All-American selections. The other two are the University of Tennessee and the University of Washington, which are in the Women’s College World Series beginning Thursday in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The trio of Hoosiers selected all held batting averages over .300, with Kern leading the way at .404. The three were at the top of Indiana’s lineup in home runs and total bases, combining for 49 and 377, respectively.
Kern won Big Ten Player and Freshman of the Year, was named to the All-Big Ten First Team and Freshmen Team and was a finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year.
Copeland was one of the best two-way players in the country, collecting a 22-4 record in the circle while recording 148 strikeouts, as well as throwing her first-career no-hitter this season. The Alabama native earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and NFCA All-Region First Team.
Besides NFCA Third Team All-American, Minnick was selected to the All-Big Ten First Team and was with Copeland on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team and the NFCA All-Region First Team.
The three All-American honorees are the most in a single season in program history. Stanton has now coached six total All-Americans, with the previous three coming when she was at Marshall University from 1999-2017.
