STARKSVILLE, Miss. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced the 2009 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region Teams today. Three University of Hawai'i softball players—Tanisha Milca, Stephanie Ricketts, and Amanda Tauali'i were selected to the All-West Region team for the first time in their careers.

Milca, a senior rightfielder from Kailua, O'ahu (Kailua HS), led the 'Bows in multiple offensive categories this season while setting several career-highs for herself. She was one of two Rainbow Wahine to start all 51 regular-season games in 2009. She led UH with a .353 batting average and also tallied team-highs with 40 runs scored, 61 hits, and 10 doubles. She also had the most multiple-hit games (17) and strung together UH's longest hitting streak of the season (11). Milca was second on the squad with 12 home runs and 33 RBI and a .618 slugging percentage. She finished her career in third place all-time in UH softball history with 136 runs scored and tied with former UH All-American, Tyleen Tausaga, for third with 33 career home runs. Milca earned all-WAC honors all four years.

WAC Freshman of the Year, Ricketts, had a strong freshman campaign to start her Rainbow Wahine career. The right-handed pitcher from San Jose, Calif. (Archbishop Mitty HS) posted a 21-9 regular season record with a 1.87 ERA in 220.2 innings pitched. Ricketts made 40 appearances on the season with 25 completed games in 27 starts. She had a streak of 16 straight complete games in the middle of the season. Highlighting her first UH season were a pair of no-hitters over Louisiana Tech and Boise State. She also had five one-hitters and had nine shutouts overall. Ricketts walked just 43 batters while fanning 173, holding opposing teams to a .192 batting average. She has already etched her name in UH's single-season record book. Ricketts is tied for fifth in wins, fifth in strike outs (173), and became just the fifth pitcher in UH history to throw over 220 innings.

First baseman, Amanda Tauali'i, had a break out year this season, setting career-highs in every offensive category. She led UH in triples (3), home runs (15), and RBI (37) as well as slugging percentage (.745) and total bases (111). She finished the regular season hitting .342 (51-for-114) with 28 runs scored and nine doubles. Tauali'I, a junior from Torrance, Calif. (North Torrance HS), led Hawai'i with nine multiple-RBI games. Her season highlights include belting two grand slams against Ohio State and Memphis and launching three solo home runs in this year's series opener against Nevada (3/27). She was selected to the All-WAC first team this season.  

In the West Region Hawai'i led the WAC placing three players on the first team along with Fresno State pitcher Morgan Melloh, Louisiana Tech shortstop Amberly Waits, and New Mexico State second baseman Tiare Jennings.

Nevada pitcher Katie Holverson, third baseman Sam Bias, and outfielders Britton Murdock and Brittany Puzey were named to the All-Pacific Region team to give the Wolf Pack the most Region honorees in the WAC with four. Joining them on the Pacific Region team was third baseman Kathy Cox of Boise State.

The all-region teams are chosen by NFCA member coaches from each of the 10 regions on their regular season statistics, each of the honorees are now eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams. A total of 264 players from 121 different teams comprise this year's regional teams. One change to note, this year there is just one team per region (First Team). The team has the same number of members of the previous year's first and second teams combined. The change gives the regional representatives more leeway in presenting candidates for All-America selection. 

The NFCA Division I All-American teams will be announced at 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 27.

West Region-FIRST TEAM
Pos.	Name	School
P	Hillary Bach	Arizona State University
P	Morgan Melloh	Fresno State University
P	Missy Penna	Stanford University
P	STEPHANIE RICKETTS	UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I
C	Stacie Chambers	University of Arizona
C	Kaila Shull	University of California, Los Angeles
1B	Krysten Cary	California Polytechnic State University-SLO
1B	AMANDA TAUALI'I	UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I
2B	Tiare Jennings	New Mexico State University
2B	Amanda Kamekona	University of California, Los Angeles
3B	Krista Donnenwirth	Arizona State University
3B	Jennifer Griffin	Long Beach State University
3B	Shannon Koplitz	Stanford University
3B	Jenae Leles	University of Arizona
SS	Ashley Hansen	Stanford University
SS	Amberly Waits	Louisiana Tech University
OF	Kaitlin Cochran	Arizona State University
OF	Alissa Haber	Stanford University
OF	Brittany Lastrapes	University of Arizona
OF	TANISHA MILCA	UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I
OF	Katie Schroeder	University of California, Los Angeles
OF	Lauren Schutzler	University of Arizona
UT/P	Anna Cahn	California Polytechnic State University-SLO
UT/P	Megan Langenfeld	University of California, Los Angeles
UT/Non-P	GiOnna DiSalvatore	University of California, Los Angeles
UT/Non-P	Jessica Mapes	Arizona State University