Willamette's Franchi Named to NFCA Division III Third Team

Franchi was chosen First Team All-Northwest Conference this season as a utility player.

Sophomore right-handed pitcher/designated player Nikki Franchi from Willamette University throws to first base for an out. Photo: Kevin Hays

SALEM - Sophomore right-handed pitcher/designated player Nikki Franchi from Willamette University have been named Third Team NFCA Division III All-West Region for the 2007 season, as selected by the West Region head coaches.

Overall, 45 players received First Team, Second Team or Third Team NFCA All-West Region honors.

A total of eight players were selected from the Northwest Conference. The West Region of NCAA Division III is the largest region in size and includes 14 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Washington, Wyoming and Utah.

Franchi was Willamette’s top pitcher this spring with a 10-8 record and 144 strikeouts in 122 2/3 innings.

She set school records with 144 strikeouts and 8.22 strikeouts per seven innings pitched. The previous Willamette record for pitching strikeouts in a season was 101 by Brittney Tachara in 2005.

Franchi was chosen First Team All-Northwest Conference this season as a utility player.

In addition to leading the WU pitching staff, she also achieved a .390 batting average with a school record 15 doubles, plus one triple and two home runs.

She led the Bearcats with 29 RBIs for the third-highest RBI total in Willamette history. She recorded a total of 41 hits during the season and scored 14 runs. She earned a .610 slugging percentage and a .453 on-base percentage.

She also was nominated for the NFCA All-West Region Team as a utility player.

In two seasons at Willamette, Franchi has struck out 198 batters, while building her pitching record to 15-12 (.556). Her strikeout total ranks second on Willamette’s career list.

She needs just 11 strikeouts to reach the school record of 209, set by Tausha White from 1990-93.

On offense, she has a career batting average of .379, with 55 hits in 145 at bats. She has scored 22 runs to go with 16 doubles and 38 RBIs.

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