Four Cougars receive NFCA All-Pacific Region honors

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After a successful regular season, McKenna Bull, Libby Sugg and Caitlyn Larsen Alldredge were named to the 2017 NFCA Division I All-Pacific Region First Team with Rylee Jensen making the third team, as announced by the NFCA on Thursday.

The Cougars got four players on the all-region teams, the most since 2012. Additionally, BYU hasn’t had anyone on the first team since 2012, when JC Clayton and Delaney Willard were both on the All-Pacific Region First Team. Three players were last on the first team in the same season in 2011.

Bull has now been on an NFCA All-Pacific Region Team in all four years of her years at BYU, just the second in BYU history to do so. The other was Ianeta Le'i (2003-06). This is her first time on the first team. It is the first all-region honor for Sugg, Alldredge and Jensen.

In the last season of her career, Bull had the strongest year yet, currently maintaining a 1.23 ERA with a .194 opponent batting average and 11 shutouts. She was named West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Year for the third-straight year after receiving nine WCC Pitcher of the Week nods. She has three complete-game wins against ranked opponents and five games with double-digit strikeouts. During the Cougars’ 22-game win streak, she pitched 57.2-consecutive scoreless innings, a BYU record.

Sugg received her first all-region honor after a strong sophomore campaign. She was named to the All-WCC Second Team, being named WCC Player of the Week once. During this year, she had a team-best nine games with three or more RBI. She leads the team in RBI with 52 and in home runs with 12 all while hitting .338.

This season has been a breakout year from Alldredge, who was named WCC Player of the Year on Tuesday. She was WCC Player of the Week three times and has five games this year where she went a perfect 3 for 3. Additionally, she has five games with three or more hits. Starting every game at third base, Alldredge is currently hitting .362 and is second on the team in RBI and home runs with 40 and 10, respectively. Her 12 doubles and .702 slugging percentage lead the team.

Freshman outfielder Jensen started her BYU career strong. In addition to the all-region nod, she was WCC Co-Freshman of the Year and was WCC Player of the Week twice. She went 5 for 5 in her first five collegiate at bats, going 4 for 4 in the season-opener against Nebraska. She tied the single-game record for doubles in a game with three against Nevada. In a doubleheader against San Diego, she hit a walk-off homer in both games to enforce the run-rule win. She was named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week in early May.

The Cougars play today against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the NCAA regionals in Salt Lake City. The game begins at 4 p.m . MDT and is televised live on ESPN3. It can also be heard on BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143.