Adams, Young Earn NFCA All-Region Honors

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa softball junior Jalen Adams and sophomore Jena Young have earned NFCA Midwest second-team All-Region honors, the association announced on Thursday.

This is the second post season recognition for the two athletes this season. Young earned first team all-Big Ten and all-defensive honors, and Adams earned second team honors.

Young, a Winterset, Iowa, native started all 53 games at second base for Iowa and finished leading the team, hitting .359. In her sophomore campaign Young recorded 56 hits, 27 RBIs, 10 doubles, five triples, and three home runs. She is tied for 14th all time at Iowa with 43 runs scored in a single season. Young recorded 99 putouts and finished the season with a .990 fielding percentage. She had 88 assists and just four errors on the season. In conference play, Young led the team with a .444 batting average, which was fifth in the conference. She had just one error in 82 chances in Big Ten play finishing with a .988 fielding percentage. 

Adams, a Fort Dodge, Iowa, native led the team in the circle with 198.2 innings pitched. Adams had 30 starts and 20 complete games on the season. She posted a career-best 25-6 record, the highest win total for a Hawkeye since Brittany Weil in 2009 (26). Adams recorded a career-best 130 strikeouts, and finished the season with a 2.18 ERA. She had 38 total appearances in the circle for Iowa, and collected two saves. Adams finished the regular season leading the Big Ten in starts, complete games and innings pitches. She was second in the conference and nation with 25 wins and ranked in the top-10 in ERA (4th), batting average against (5th), WHIP (6th), and strikeouts (9th). 

This is the fifth straight season that the Hawkeyes have had an all-region honoree and the second time in three years that Iowa has had two honorees in the same season.