LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its All-America teams last week, with two Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) softball student-athletes making the cut. Lewis University pitcher/outfielder Delaney Garden garnered a spot on the First Team, while McKendree University shortstop Lauren Harris earned Third Team laurels.
On the mound, Garden posted an 18-10 record during the season, earning her the GLVC Pitcher of the Year award. She was recognized as GLVC Pitcher of the Week three times during the season and she was an unanimous All-GLVC First Team selection, her third consecutive first team honor. She posted a conference-best 1.55 earned run average, which also ranks 28th in NCAA Division II. She threw 25 complete games (fifth in the nation), recorded seven shutouts (13th in the nation) and held opposing batters to a .199 batting average over 202.2 innings pitched. Her 237 strikeouts rank 10th in the country. At the plate, Garden hit in all 57 contests for Lewis, helping her earn GLVC Player of the Year honors as well. She led the conference in batting average (.466), which ranks ninth in the nation, while her 62 runs scored also ranks ninth in the country and her 96 hits lead the nation.
Harris earned Third Team honors for the second time in her career and garnered her third-overall national selection. The Woodlawn, Illinois native finished the year with a .438/.521/.653 slash, which marked three-straight seasons with a batting average over .400, a slugging percentage over .600, and an on-base percentage over .500. The junior amassed 77 hits with 21 doubles, one triple, and five home runs over 176 at-bats while totaling 45 runs and 44 RBIs, all while striking out just seven times. Harris' 21 doubles tied the single-season program mark while she put up a third-straight season with double-digit doubles, totaling 54 in her career. She also recorded a hit in 45 of 54 contests on the season with 25 multi-hit performances. The shortstop also provided high-level defense for the Bearcats again on the year with 106 putouts and 70 assists while fielding at a .957 clip, a third-straight season holding a fielding percentage over .950. The 2025 campaign added to the historic career for Harris, as she heads into her senior year in 2025-26.
The NFCA All-America teams are voted on by the Association’s All-America Committees. In Division II, the committee is comprised of one member head coach from each of the NCAA’s eight regions. All student-athletes who were nominated by a member head coach and voted to the first- and second-team All-Region squads were eligible for All-America consideration.