LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Three softball players from the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) were deemed All-Americans by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) on May 31.
The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the Association’s All-America Committees. In Division III, the committee is comprised of one member head coach from each of the NCAA’s 10 regions. All student-athletes who were nominated by a member head coach and voted to the first, second or third team All-Region squads were eligible for All-America consideration.
All-Americans Debbie Hill and Anna Koeppl recently assisted Trine University to the 2023 NCAA Softball Championship title; the first MIAA program to win a national championship in softball.
Freshman Debbie Hill was selected to the All-America First Team. The first-team Utility/Pitcher award has been renamed beginning this year to honor the late Joan Joyce, an NFCA Hall of Famer and pioneer of women’s sports. Hill, who was just named the 2023 TUCCI/NFCA Division III Freshman of the Year, is the inaugural honoree of this distinction. Following the regular season, Hill earned a spot on the All-MIAA First Team. She concluded the 2023 campaign as the conference leader with 187 plate appearances, 62 hits, 19 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 runs batted in, 130 total bases, 46 walks, an on-base percentage of .583, and a .935 slugging percentage. On the mound, Hill is the MIAA's leader with 9.21 strikeouts per game.
Senior Anna Koeppl was announced to the All-America Second Team. Koeppl was voted the 2023 MIAA Most Valuable Pitcher after leading the Thunder to the regular-season title and became a three-time All-MIAA honoree. She finished the season as the league's leader with 22 games started, 16 wins, and an earned-run average of 0.51.
Outfielder Hannah Biddlecome, a graduate student at Calvin University, was named to the All-America Third Team. Following the regular season, Biddlecome was deemed the 2023 MIAA Most Valuable Position Player after leading the Knights to a 13-3 record in conference play (29-11 overall). Biddlcome became a four-time All-MIAA honoree this season. She finished the year as the MIAA's leader with a batting average of .477 and second in the league with 61 hits.
The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches. Known for its highly-regarded TUCCI/NFCA Freshman of the Year Awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to a comprehensive drills database, to in-person events and National Convention.
MIAA Student-Athletes Honored by NFCA
Calvin - Hannah Biddlecome (Third Team)
Trine - Debbie Hill (First Team), Anna Koeppl (Second Team)
