Makaleigh Dooley Named All-American, by NFCA and D2CCA

TAMPA, Fla. - The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA/NACDA) released their 2019 All-American lists. The University of Tampa was represented by Makaleigh Dooley, receiving national honors for the second consecutive year. 

Dooley was named to the NFCA All-America First Team, eclipsing the Second Team honors from last season. The Tampa native is the second player in UT history to earn NFCA First-Team honors (Kayla Cox, '13). Ultimately, she is the fifth Spartan to be crowned an All-American. The senior excelled in the eyes of the D2CCA, as she was named to the All-America Second Team. In 2018, the right-hander earned recognition as a D2CCA All-America Honorable Mention.

The Spartans' ace in the circle racked up 28 wins, setting a school record for most victories in a season, and finished the year with a 1.02 ERA in 39 appearances. Additionally, Dooley set a school record with 253 innings pitched, breaking her record from last year (247.1). She set career high's in strikeouts (231), complete games (30), earned runs allowed (37), games started (35) and tied the school record - which she tied in 2018 - with 39 appearances. 

Dooley finished her collegiate career at the top of the UT record books; she trails only Deanna Henriott in appearances (129) and wins (75), 3rd in complete games (86), innings pitched (784.1), and 4th in strikeouts (657). The senior will exit UT with a 1.49 ERA as she looks to continue her career overseas in Germany. 

For the NFCA, fifty-one student-athletes from 38 different institutions have been chosen to one of three 2019 NFCA Division II All-America teams, the Association announced at the NCAA Division II Championship banquet on Wednesday evening at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in Denver, Colo.

Super Regional participants Winona State topped the charts with four All-Americans, while South Region champion West Florida took home three honors. Arkansas Tech, Augustana, Cameron, Central Oklahoma, Concordia Irvine, Grand Valley State, Southern Indiana and Trevecca Nazarene garnered two accolades apiece. The Trojans were the only program to have two first-team selections.

To view the NFCA All-America teams, click here. 

For the D2CCA, this is the 13th season of the All-America program which is selected by CoSIDA members from schools playing in NCAA Division II and fourth in which the program was solely sponsored by the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association. For the second consecutive year, North Georgia pitcher Kylee Smith has been selected as the Ron Lenz national Pitcher of the Year award, while one of top offensive players in the nation in Truman State's Christa Reisinger was named as the national Player of the Year on the Division II Collegiate Commissioners Association's All-America softball team for the 2019 season. 

The first team on the 2019 D2CCA All-America squad features 10 players that were named as either the pitcher or player of the year in their conference. All three pitchers earned pitcher of the year honors, as Smith was joined by Nunes, whose 33 wins in circle leads the nation and Grand Valley State's Allison Lipovsky, who helped lead GVSU to the Midwest Region title. 

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