Kim Frazier is NAIA Player of the Year

DECATUR, Ala. - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2010 Softball All-American teams. Lubbock Christian University is well represented among the players selected by the All-America committee, topping all teams in the NAIA with five All-Americans, including NAIA National Softball Player of the Year Kim Frazier. COMPLETE LIST

Frazier, a sophomore from Buena Park, Calif., finished the season with a .500 batting average (86-for-172), with 22 doubles and 35 home runs, striking out just 14 times. Her 35 longballs are the second most in a season in all collegiate levels, setting an NAIA record. Frazier drove in 106 runs and boasted a 1.238 slugging percentage, which were both NAIA single season records. She is the first Lady Chaparral to earn the distinction of NAIA Softball Player of the Year.

All the All-American honors for the Lady Chaps were First Team accolades.  Joining Frazier was Alyssa Gutierrez (pitcher), Amanda Parsons (catcher), Priscilla FaGaines (outfield) and Kayla Van Dieren (at-large).  Gutierrez, who claimed the honor last season, is one of two players on the list that are two-time First Team recipients.  Gutierrez closes her LCU career with 66 wins and 7 losses.  Her winning percentage of 90.4% is an NAIA record, passing California Baptist’s Candice Thomas, who had an 89.0% winning percentage from 2004-2007.  She finished with a 38-4 mark this season and her 38 wins currently stands fourth on the NAIA single season list. In her two seasons, she allowed 118 runs, which ties a career NAIA record for a pitcher with over 400 innings pitched.  Parsons, a junior from Lubbock, ranked 27^th in hits (75) and batted .401 on the year.  She committed just two errors behind the plate this season.  FaGaines is a junior from Covina, Calif., who batted .405 on the season.  She connected on 19 home runs this season (sixth in NAIA) and ranked fourth in runs (73), sixth in total bases (161), seventh in doubles (21), ninth in runs-batted-in (64) and 12^th in total hits (83).  Van Dieren batted .455 (22^nd in the NAIA) and hit 10 homers.  The Placentia, Calif. native did not commit an error on the field and at the plate she was 13^th in runs-batted-in (60) and 20^th in hits (76).

What is impressive for the Lady Chaps is the fact that four of the five First Team All-Americans will be returning to the Lady Chaps for next season.  LCU went 54-7 this season, making their third consecutive trip to the NAIA National Championships.  LCU led the NAIA as a team in batting (.404), runs-batted-in (487), slugging (.649) and hits (668).  They also ranked second in runs scored (515), fielding (.974), doubles (128), hits per game (11), homers per game (1.4) and runs per game (8.4).