Smith And Lenahan Named To NFCA All-South Region First Team

EUGENE, Ore. - Hours before starring in the NCAA Eugene Regional, Mississippi State senior catcher Ka'ili Smith and sophomore third baseman Sam Lenahan were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-South Region First Team, the organization announced Thursday. The honor is the first of Lenahan's career and the second for Smith (2009), with the two first-team selections tying for fourth-most in the Southeastern Conference.

"I am extremely proud of Ka'ili and Sam and what they have accomplished this season," Head Coach Vann Stuedeman said. "I cannot wait to watch them perform in the NCAA Eugene Regional."

Smith became the sixth player in school history to earn multiple first-team all-region honors, picking up the nod after hitting .352 with 56 hits, 10 doubles, 29 RBIs and a team-best 42 walks. Inside one of the toughest conferences in the country, the Hawaiian Hammer led the team with a .341 clip, pacing Stuedeman's squad with 28 hits, 16 runs and 20 free passes. Smith's best week of her senior campaign came April 9-15, when she was named SEC Player of the Week after raking with a .615 average (8-for-13). During that stretch, Smith knocked in six runs, scored six times, drew two walks, cranked out two doubles, tallied a triple, stole a base and registered a .923 slugging percentage.

Lenahan became the fourth Bulldog sophomore in the history of the program to be named to the NFCA All-South Region First Team. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native finished the regular season with a .329 average, knocking out 53 hits, driving in 26 teammates, tapping the dish 26 times and collecting half a dozen doubles. In her last game against No. 3 Alabama in the nationally-televised first round of the 2012 SEC Tournament on May 10, the sophomore slugger went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a run.

Bulldog fans can watch Smith, Lenahan and the rest of Starkville's Team Thursday through Saturday at the 2012 NCAA Eugene Regional. Free live audio and video streaming of all of MSU's games in Eugene will be available through HailStateTV at www.hailstate.com/hstvlive. The audio will feature MSU play-by-play announcer Anthony Craven while the video will be available through HSTV via a stream share from the University of Oregon. The video can also be accessed through Oregon's official web site at www.goducks.com/liveEvents/liveEvents.dbml. For more information on the MSU softball program, follow the team on Twitter at @MStateSB and like the team on Facebook at Facebook.com/MStateSB.