LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Their season may be over, but more accolades continue to pour in for the Linfield Wildcats as four players, including three first-teamers, earned selection to the 2022 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-Region X Team.
 
Junior Tayah Kelley is one of three pitchers who were named First Team All-Region X by the NFCA. The Northwest Conference Pitcher of the Year joins Texas Lutheran's Ashlyn Strother and Belhaven's Kennedy Carruth. The Wildcats claimed two of the three outfield spots on the first team in senior left fielder Katie Phillips, the NWC Player of the Year, and senior right fielder Baily Paul, a member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Team and Linfield's recipient of the female Vern Marshall Award, given to the student-athlete who best demonstrates tenacity. Freshman second baseman Brynn Nelson locked up Third Team All-Region X honors to round out Linfield's selections.
 
All honorees to the All-Region teams will move forward to be considered for selection for three NFCA Division III All-America teams, which will be announced on May 24.
 
The Linfield Female Co-Athlete of the Year, Kelley earned her second straight First Team All-NWC nod in 2022. She finished the season with a 25-5 record in the circle with two saves in 180 2/3 innings pitched. Kelley led the NWC with six shutouts, a .181 opposing batting average and a 1.78 ERA. Her 22 complete games are tied for seventh in Division III while her 252 strikeouts are third. The 252 strikeouts are also officially Linfield's new single-season record. She surpassed the previous record of 231 set by Montana McNealy in 2015.
 
Phillips earned her third All-NWC selection and her second on the first team. A staple in the Wildcat lineup since arriving in McMinnville as a freshman, Phillips batted .405 on the season with a .409 on-base percentage and a team-leading .624 slugging percentage. She led the 'Cats with 70 hits, 19 doubles, five triples and 108 total bases while scoring 46 times and driving in 42 runs.
 
Phillips and Paul formed one of the most formidable outfield duos in Division III. Also a First Team All-NWC selection, Paul was everything head coach Jackson Vaughan could've asked for in a leadoff batter. She led Linfield with a .415 batting average and a .536 on-base percentage while scoring 52 times and stealing 31 bases on 35 attempts. Her season also included 59 hits, 33 RBI, 12 doubles, four triples, a pair of home runs, 27 walks and 10 hit by pitches.
 
Linfield's home run leader with six, Nelson batted .359 in a breakout rookie campaign that earned her Second Team All-NWC honors. She started in 43 games, notching 42 hits and 39 RBI and ranking third on the team with a .590 slugging percentage. Nelson went 7 for 11 in four games at the NCAA Division III Marshall Regional with two doubles and four RBI. Nelson, Kelley and senior first baseman Abi Proffitt were all named to the Marshall Regional All-Tournament Team.
 
Linfield wrapped up its season at 38-9 overall (25-3 NWC). The 'Cats' title run ended with a 5-3 loss to Belhaven on Championship Saturday in the regionals. The 2022 season marked the 18^th consecutive season that the 'Cats won at least 30 games. They claimed their 17^th NWC regular season title and won their eighth NWC Tournament championship in 11 seasons.