LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On Friday afternoon the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the 2023 NCAA Division III softball All-Region teams. Among the 373 student-athletes honored were a pair of Messiah Falcons with
Elianna Litwin and
Lydia Collison earning All-Region honors. Litwin and Collison both claimed the first All-Region honors of their careers with Litwin earning a spot on the First Team for her play at third base and Collison claiming a Second Team accolade for her efforts in the circle.
The regional honors come just a week after the duo both earned First Team All-MAC Commonwealth honors.
The Falcons third baseman,
Elianna Litwin, put together the finest season of her career during her senior campaign this year. She started on fire and never slowed up, hitting .415 on the season with 51 hits, 39 RBI, 14 extra-base hits, 30 runs scored, 16 walks, and just eight strikeouts. She set new career highs in every offensive category while also starting all 42 games for the Falcons. She led Messiah in batting average, RBI, on-base percentage, walks, and hits all while holding down a key spot in the middle of the order. She also stole four bases on four attempts.
Lydia Collison claims the 22nd All-Region honor from a Messiah pitcher in program history. Her strong season in the circle as the Falcons' ace resulted in a 2.53 ERA across 121.2 innings this season. She held a 16-3 overall record with 83 strikeouts on the season. Collison completed nine complete games this year with one shutout against Neumann on Feb. 25. Collison appeared in 24 games in the circle, while starting 21 for the Falcons.
With their two honors on Friday afternoon, Messiah now has 87 All-Region honors in program history. Those 87 honors have come across 27 different seasons. As mentioned, Collison claimed the 22nd honor for a pitcher in Messiah history, while Litwin becomes just the third third baseman to earn regional honors. Cathy Hevener (1992) and Lindsay Hall (2008) were the prior two third basemen.
