For the first time in school history, three members of the Louisiana College softball team have been named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-American Team.

Senior center fielder Jodi Montagnino (Baton Rouge, La./Christian Life) and senior shortstop Mary Alice Roy (Pride, La./Central Private) each were named to the first team while junior right-handed pitcher Rene' Schwartzenburg (Marksville, La./Marksville High) was named to the second team.

It was the first time in school history that the Lady Wildcats had more than one player named an All-American and, in Montagnino and Roy, the first time that a non-pitcher from LC earned All-American honors.

“Only 14 players make first team,” LC coach Tim Whitman said. “To have 2-of-14 come from your school, and have three of the three of the top 28, that's a big honor not only for our three players but the entire team. A lot of times these types of awards are as much a result of how your team did as they are what you did.

“This is a great reward for all three and it's indicative of the hard work they all put in not only in the regular season but during the offseason as well.”

All three players left their mark upon the Louisiana College record books in addition to establishing themselves as top-tier national performers.

Montagnino, who did not play outfield until her sophomore year, set news school single-season records in home runs (13) and on-base percentage (.508) all while batting .390 with 57 hits, 44 runs scored and 55 RBI and successfully stealing 25 bases on 29 attempts. She also became just the second LC softball player in history to be featured in Sports Illustrated's “Faces in the Crowd” section.

“It was a great surprise,” Montagnino said. “You don't go into a season thinking, 'I need to work hard and do this, this and this so I can be an All-American.' You're just hoping to help your team win. The personal recognition is nice. It makes all the work – the going to the batting cages late and night when you didn't really want to, the long practices, everything – worth while. And to make it as an outfielder, a position that I didn't play until sophomore year, made it even more special. I was able to move from pitcher to center field and make that new position mine.”

Roy set the new school mark for single-season batting average after hitting at a .425 clip for the year and shattered the record for runs scored with 60 (45 had been the mark). She was good for 71 hits, 15 doubles, three triples and 46 RBI and went 23-for-26 on steal attempts, 92 TB, .551 slugging percentage, 25 BB, 25 HP, 10 K, .503 on-base percentage, 23-for-26 on.

“Every athlete works hard to get something like this,” Roy said. “For me to get this kind of an award … it's every athlete's dream. I had a dedication to softball and a passion for it, but I honeslt ynever thought I would be an All-American. That's our pitchers' time to shine. For me and Jodi to both get on, I think it says a lot about where our team is going. My hat's off to all of our coaches. They worked us hard last offseason and last season and it showed.”

Schwartzenburg, last year a third-team All-American, set the new school single-season record for wins (27), games started (27), and strikeouts (195) and tied the single-season mark for complete games (22). She went 27-3 on the year with a 1.03 ERA in 32 appearances. In 182.2 innings, she hurled 12 shutouts, issued just 38 walks and allowed 101 hits (only 15 of which were for extra-bases) and 27 earned runs while allowing opponents to bat just .157.

“It's a good feeling,” Schwartzenburg said. “It's always nice to have someone else recognize your accomplishments. It's an honor for me, Jodi and Mary. This is the All-American team. It's one of the biggest awards you can win. It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

For Schwartzenburg, last year a third-team All-American, it's technically a twice-in-a-lifetime accomplishment and one that the Lady Wildcats coach could not be prouder of.

“As a coach, you love it when the kids you coach get what they deserve,” Whitman said. “I feel like a proud father to see these three receive this honor. I think it says a lot about where we are as a program.
All three of the Lady Wildcats' All-Americans were first-team all Atlantic Region performers as well. The extensive All-American and All-Atlantic Region Teams are listed below:

2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-American Team
First Team
Pos. Name School
P Kim Lambert Luther College
P Molly Rathbun Eastern Connecticut State University
C Tiffany Kruse Luther College
1B Whitney Wyly University of Texas at Tyler
2B Donnalyn Cross Cortland State University
3B Harmony Palmer Claremont-Mudd-Scripps
SS Mary Alice Roy Louisiana College
OF Joey Cronin University of Texas at Tyler
OF Jodi Montagnino Louisiana College
OF Whitney Tornow University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
DP Alyssa Schrader Carthage College
UT Karleigh Prestianni Linfield College
At-large Staci Doucette Linfield College
At-large Jackie Mangola Ohio Northern University
At-large Jessica Rhoads Messiah College
Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Katie Finch Cortland State University
P Rene' Schwartzenburg Louisiana College
C Karlee Quaritsch Augustana College
1B Mary Margaret Boda Muskingum College
2B Christin Mickelboro LeTourneau University
3B Rhiannon Sorrentino Alvernia University
SS Casey Sullivan Tufts University
OF Mandi Fought Ohio Northern University
OF Michelle Gravdahl Salisbury University
OF Sydney Marquardt University of St. Thomas
DP Luigina Facchini Western Connecticut State University
UT Nicole Hedrick Alfred University
At-large Kimi Blewett Ohio Northern University
At-large Emilee Lepp Linfield College
At-large Marta Radcliffe University of St. Thomas
Third Team
Pos. Name School
P Hayley Feindel United States Coast Guard Academy
P Kelly Leary Salisbury University
C Amanda Frederick United States Coast Guard Academy
1B Alison Wright University of St. Thomas
2B Anna Simonson Luther College
3B Megan Mitchell Transylvania University
SS Megan Fieser University of Washington in St. Louis
OF Melissa Carlson University of LaVerne
OF Ashley Peterson Saint Mary's College
OF Bryn Worrilow Springfield College
DP Emily Morris Bridgewater College
UT Whitney Dropsey Hiram College
At-large Cara Montferrat Centenary College (New Jersey)
At-large Megan Soultz DePauw University
At-large Katie Tenboer Central College

2010 All-Atlantic Region Softball Team
First Team
Pos. Name School
P Rene' Schwartzenburg Louisiana College
P Kelly Leary Salisbury University
C Lauren Brenneman Salisbury University
1B Ellyn Kocoloski Emory University
2B Kristy White Virginia Wesleyan College
3B Rebecca Pink Greensboro College
SS Mary Alice Roy Louisiana College
OF Brittany Willingham Randolph College
OF Jodi Montagnio Louisiana College
OF Michelle Gravdahl Salisbury University
DP Emily Morris Bridgewater College
UT Sara Bowen Rhodes College
At-large Brittaney Brown Virginia Wesleyan College
At-large B.J. Cofer Piedmont College
At-large Heather Bormann York College
Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Brittany Therres York College
P Bridgette Holloway Emory University
C Jaclyn Quinn Virginia Wesleyan College
1B Corrine Fitzgibbons NYU-Polytechnic
2B Jennifer Jones Mississippi College
3B Jennifer McKinley Millsaps College
SS Nicole Farber Farmingdale State
OF Cassie Walsh Emory University
OF Kimberly Keys Guilford College
OF Lauren Duguay Lynchburg College
DP Caitlin Fitzgerald Emory University
UT Katie Bruce Lynchburg College
At-large Lindsay Cross Randolph College
At-large Jessica Thomas Emory University
At-large Megan Rizzi Catholic University
Third Team
Pos. Name School
At-large Elizabeth Crowe University of Mary Washington
At-large Brittany Lounge Salisbury University
At-large Kellie Jones The Sage Colleges
At-large Jessie Atkinson Christopher Newport University
At-large Brooke Tapman Frostburg State University
At-large Leona Rainey Roanoke College
At-large Katie Ison LaGrange College
At-large Kelly Smith York College
At-large Hillary Reese Bridgewater College
At-large Chelsea Mitchell Christopher Newport University
At-large Ali Ritter Salisbury University
At-large Jena Franks Birmingham-Southern College
At-large Valeree Williams LaGrange College
At-large Rachel Shumaker Ferrum College
At-large Kristen Rowe Christopher Newport University