UTEP’s Ajia Richard Earns NFCA All-Region Honors
LOUISVILLE, Ky.– UTEP softball’s Ajia Richard earned National Fast Pitch Association All-South Region Second Team honors, the NFCA announced on Saturday.
Richard adds the NFCA All-Region selection to her junior season filled with accolades. The Silver City, NM, native was named to the All-Conference USA First Team, the CUSA All-Academic Team, and was named CUSA Player of the Week (3/11).
Richard anchored the third base position in all 47 games this season, leading the Miners in nearly every offensive category, including batting average, OPS, at bats, runs scored, hits, triples, home runs, RBIs, total bases, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and sacrifice flies. She also ranks second on the team in doubles. Defensively, Richard recorded 134 chances with 44 putouts, 85 assists, and turned eight double plays. She reached base safely in 38 of 47 games, with 16 multi-hit and 10 multi-RBI performances.
Notably, Richard tied UTEP and CUSA records with three doubles in a game against Merrimack (Mar. 2), contributing to a team program and league record of 10 doubles in a single game. Also, she achieved a career-high six RBIs in a game against NM State (Mar. 23), placing her fifth all-time in program history, and tied the program record with two home runs in a single game against Sam Houston (Apr. 13). Her individual season record of 41 RBIs ranks sixth in UTEP history.
Richard is the eighth player in UTEP history to earn All-Region recognition and the first since Kacey Duffield earned third-team honors in 2019.
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