The National Park College (34-20, 16-8 NJCAA Region II) softball Nighthawks had three players make the All-Region team.
"I am really proud of them," NPC head softball coach Autumn Wyatt said.
Sophomore outfielder Emma Hayes, freshman second baseman Reagan White and freshman catcher Gracie Redmon snagged All-Region honors.
Nighthawks were No. 18 in the nation in hits with 517. Hayes was responsible for 77 and White collected 71 hits for the Nighthawks this season.
Hayes had a .405 batting average, 20 RBIs and scored 52 runs this season.
"Emma was a sophomore for us this year," Wyatt said. "She came off All-Region outfield honors last year, as well. She picked back up where she left off last year with another great season. She led us in a lot of categories, stole even more bases than last year."
Hayes will be transferring to Freed-Hardeman University for her final two years of eligibility. Freed-Hardeman is a private institution and its athletics competes at the NAIA level.
Hayes became NPC all-time leader in runs (105), hits (140) and stolen bases (72) in her two years as a Nighthawk.
"If you flip through that record book," Wyatt said, "Emma Hayes' name is going to pop up a lot. She's got hits, stolen bases, runs, single-season records along with career records. I think a lot of those are going to stand for a while, but I also think we have to tools to where those records are going to be pushed a little bit."
"It is going to be fun to see where those records end up," Wyatt said. "I am really proud of Emma and the mark she left on NPC."
The freshman phenom, White lead the Nighthawks in batting average (.423), runs scored (54) and stole 39 bases this season.
"I think the really cool thing about Reagan White is she is not really a second baseman," Wyatt said. "Before we got rolling into season, we had some depth concerns at second base. Reagan stepped up and said, 'You know what, I will take it upon myself and I will start getting some repos at second base.' I think we can all see how that ended up."
"She clearly became the starting second baseman," Wyatt said, "after being an outfielder for the entirety of fall and offseason. Her ability to step into a roll that is way different from she is used to, but also thrive in it. It was so great to see."
White had a team high .473 slugging percentage making her very dangerous with a softball bat in her hands.
Redmon smacked 39 hits, six of which went for doubles and three home runs. Redmon had a .305 average, getting on base .416% of the time and slugged for .422.
"Gracie was an absolute workhorse for us behind the plate," Wyatt said. "She comes from Benton High School. I know that she is used to high-level softball. The transition from high school to college and the sheer number of games we play is a lot different. You are playing about double the games you would play in high school. Sometimes we played six days a week."
Redmon's fielding percentage stood at .996 through 52 games making her glove very deadly behind the plate picking off 11 runners.
"She caught 95% of the games for us behind the plate," Wyatt said. "Not only was she just catching back there, but she was also really commanding the field. She did a great job by making our pitchers feel calm and feel confident with her back there. I just love the leadership that she showed as a freshman. I think that the future is very bright for Gracie."
Redmon's plate presence was as strong as her catcher's mitt walking 21 times and collecting 27 RBIs as a freshman.
NPC in the regional tournament had then 53-0 Murray State College on the ropes in round two, but the Nighthawks dropped the game 5-4.
"They competed at a high level all year," Wyatt said. "They were put in some very pressure situations and remained calm. They all stepped up and filled their roles."
Hayes, White and Redmon's names fill the National Park record books and have set the tone for what it means to be a part of Nighthawk softball. NPC 2022-23 campaign resulted the most wins in program history and NJCAA Region II runners-up.
"I know that we just finished, but looking forward to next year just makes me so excited. That is one of the things we really honed-in on in our exit meetings with these returning freshman is the leadership piece that they are going to provide next year," Wyatt said.
"That is going to be crucial for how successful we are next year," Wyatt said. "As of now we are bringing in anywhere from 13-16 newcomers. The returning freshman that did make All-Region or everyday starters for us in the lineup are going to take these newbies under their wings. I have no doubt we are in good hands next year."