Jena Cozza, Tiffany Meeks Named To NFCA All-Region Team
Posted May 14, 2014
May 15, 2014
AMHERST, Mass. - Massachusetts softball standouts Jena Cozza and Tiffany Meeks were named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Northeast Region team as announced by the organization Thursday.
Cozza was named to the first team at second base and Meeks garnered attention at first base on the third team.
Cozza adds the honor to her first collegiate season that has seen the Wantagh, N.Y. native earn Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and second team all-conference, among her award total. She hit .351 on the year, which was the highest for a UMass freshman since 2006 when Whitney Mollica hit .394. She hit a team-high .442 in A-10 play, good for fourth in the league. She also led the team with 11 multi-hit games.
Meeks hit .299 and led the Minutewomen with a .610 slugging pct. and seven home runs as a senior. A season removed from tying an NCAA record with home runs in four-consecutive at-bats, she set a school record with a homer in four-consecutive games in late April, going deep in every game of doubleheaders against Saint Joseph's and Rhode Island in a three-day span.
The Salinas, Calif. native finished her career with 27 home runs to rank sixth in program history. She was a first-team all-region choice and second-team all-conference honoree last year.
392 players from 158 different teams across the nation were selected. The awards honor softball student-athletes from the NFCA's 10 regions with first, second and third teams selected for each region.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each respective region, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to one of three 2014 NFCA Division I All-American teams. In addition, conference pitchers and players of the year not selected to the regional teams will be added for All-America consideration.