Softball

FOUR NAMED NFCA ALL-AMERICANS

FOUR NAMED NFCA ALL-AMERICANS
Posted: Jun 01, 2023

Ottumwa, IA – Four members of the Indian Hills Softball team have been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American team. The four NFCA selections in one season are the most in school history.

Sophomore Destiny Lewis (Indianola, IA/Indianola) was named a 2023 NFCA First-Team All-American to become the first player in school history to repeat as a first-team selection. Lewis was joined by sophomores Madie Anderson (Mt. Pleasant, IA/Winfield Mt. Union) and Sydney Anderson (Elkhart, IA/North Polk) and freshman Julia Kwakernaak (The Hague, Netherlands/Segbroek College) on the second team.

Sydney Anderson becomes just the third player in program history to repeat as an NFCA All-American, joining Lewis and former Warrior standout Cindy Smith (2004-05) while Madie Anderson and Kwakernaak both collect their first-career All-American honors. Indian Hills has now collected 16 NFCA All-American honors dating back to the 2001 season.

Lewis, the two-time ICCAC Player of the Year, is one of just two individuals to repeat as a NFCA First-Team All-American from a season ago. The two-time first-team All-American ranked fourth in the nation this year with 31 home runs and ranked in the top-10 nationally in runs (83) and RBI (92). Lewis closed out her Indian Hills career with eight school records – four single season marks and four career records. Lewis also ranks in the top-five in school history in seven additional categories. As a sophomore, Lewis took hold of the all-time home runs (62), runs (177), RBI (182), and total bases (407) records in Indian Hills history.

Head Coach Lindsay Diehl on Lewis: Destiny is no stranger to being named to an All American team. All season long Destiny was an important piece of this puzzle and was an offensive leader in almost all of our categories and her numbers were right there with the top in all of  D1 softball. She brought it on both sides of the game and deserves every award she gets. 

Sydney Anderson repeats as an NFCA All-American after another dominant season at the plate and in the field. The sophomore, who was named the 2023 ICCAC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, joined the 50-career home run club at Indian Hills after connecting on 19 roundtrippers this past season. Anderson posted a .343 batting averaged on the year with 33 extra base hits, 72 RBI and 52 runs scored. Anderson ranks in the top-five in five different statistical categories in Indian Hills history.

Head Coach Lindsay Diehl on Anderson: Sydney ended her sophomore season the way she played her freshman season. She really picked up her defensive game to be an anchor on both sides of the game for us. Her leadership was a key to all we did as a team both on and off the field. She will definitely be tough to replace and she has left her mark on this program. 

Madie Anderson was selected to the NFCA All-America Second-Team after leading the ICCAC in wins and strikeouts for the second consecutive season. The two-time ICCAC Pitcher of the Year, Anderson went 20-5 in the circle with a 1.71 earned run averaged and 131 strikeouts. Anderson earned five victories in the postseason, including a complete game in one-hitter in the NJCAA Midwest District Championship game. Anderson allowed one run or fewer in 18 starts on the year and tallied a no-hitter on March 30 vs. North Central Missouri.

Head Coach Lindsay Diehl on Anderson: Madie became a different player in the circle for her sophomore season. Her confidence level matched her spin and hitting spots which allowed her to be very dominant so many times throughout the season. She has worked so hard to have the season she did and raised the bar a little more of what a Warrior pitcher needs to look like. 

Kwakernaak made her presence felt offensively during her freshman campaign. The NFCA All-American Second-Team Designated Player selection, Kwakernaak ranked second in the Warriors' lineup with a .455 batting average. The freshman added 10 home runs and 33 RBI while collecting a hit in 20 of the team's final 21 games of the year.

Head Coach Lindsay Diehl on Kwakernaak: After a slow start to Julia's freshman season she made up for it on the backside as she became one of our most potent and consistent hitters in our powerful lineup. Her exit velocity made her scary to face and was clutch for us so many times to get our offense rolling. Julia will come back having the experience of becoming an every day player help lead us back to Alabama. 

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