Bures, Jessup Named To NFCA All-Region Squads
May 25, 2016 | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Rookie infielder Courtney Bures, as well as senior left fielder Jennifer Jessup, both etched their name into the Mississippi State record books as the duo was named to the 33-member all-region squads released by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Wednesday afternoon.
Bures, who was, last week, named freshman all-SEC, first team all-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year, became the fourth different MSU player all-time to earn a spot on the first team all-region squad, while Jessup earned her first career national honor as a member of the second team. Both will now be considered for all-American status which will be announced prior to the start of the NCAA Women's College World Series later this month.
The duo was joined by 12 other players from the distinguished Southeastern Conference on the squads, including Tennessee and Alabama pitching aces Monica Abbott and Stephanie VanBrakle.
Bures leads the team in nearly every offensive statistical category, including batting average (.413) home runs (17) and RBI (54). She has turned in 27 multiple-hit games, 16 multiple-RBI games and 11 multiple-run contests this season, while also pacing the team in both game-winning RBI (7) and game-winning runs scored.
Having shattered MSU's freshman home run record with her 14th of the season at Florida on April 23, the Haymarket, Va., native has since added three more four-baggers to her total and is just one off of MSU's single season record held by former MSU all-American Iyhia McMichael (18 in 2003).
"It's a tremendous honor for Courtney to make the first team as a freshman," said Mississippi State head coach Jay Miller. "She has had a tremendous season for us so far and has done everything we have asked of her. Obviously, it gives her a very good opportunity for her to be considered for all-American honors. Hopefully, she can finish out strong here at the regional tournament."
Jessup, a sixth-year senior for the Bulldogs in 2005, ranks third on the MSU squad with a .307 batting clip that complements 16 extra-base hits and 34 RBI. Jessup is hitting nearly 30 points better than her career batting average coming in, while posting career-bests in runs scored (32), home runs (7), RBI (34), walks (22) and total bases (81). She currently ranks third all-time at Mississippi State in games played, having been penciled into 251 lineups since the beginning of her redshirt freshman campaign in 2001.
"J.J. set some lofty goals for herself coming into this year, and this is one of the things she wanted to achieve," Miller said. "She's had a tough time. She's struggled with some injuries again and her hip never came around like we hoped that it would. That forced her from her natural shortstop position into the outfield, so it's nice for her to get this honor."
Bures, Jessup and their Mississippi State teammates will return to action on Friday afternoon when the second-seeded Bulldogs (33-29) battle third-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (41-9) at the NCAA Region 4 Tournament in Austin, Texas. First pitch of the regional tournament's opening game has been set for 4 p.m. at McCombs Field on the campus of the University of Texas.
2005 NFCA ALL-SOUTH REGION TEAMS
| Pos. | Name | School |
| FIRST TEAM | ||
| P | Monica Abbott | Tennessee |
| P | Stephanie VanBrakle | Alabama |
| C | Ashley Courtney | Alabama |
| 1B | Paige Jones | Auburn |
| 2B | Lauren Boone | Sam Houston State |
| 3B | Kristi Durant | Tennessee |
| SS | Courtney Bures | Mississippi State |
| DP | Lauren Castle | LSU |
| UTL | Holly Currie | Auburn |
| OF | Sarah Fekete | Tennessee |
| OF | Danyele Gomez | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| OF | Jennifer Davis | Texas-San Antonio |
| SECOND TEAM | ||
| P | Brooke Mitchell | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| P | Sarah Pauly | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi |
| P | Jocelyn McCallum | Troy |
| P | Aja Sherman | Louisville |
| P | Carly Kellam | Jacksonville State |
| P | Lacey Swarthout | Chattanooga |
| P | Shalayne Blythe | Sam Houston State |
| C | Tamra Howren | Troy |
| 1B | Beth Jordan | McNeese State |
| 2B | Brittany Bryant | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| 3B | Kristen Glowacz | Houston |
| 3B | Jessica Rogers | Texas-San Antonio |
| SS | Lindsay Schutzler | Tennessee |
| SS | Courtney Moore | Louisville |
| DP | Jordan Praytor | Alabama |
| UTL | Jennifer Jessup | Mississippi State |
| OF | Jill Robertson | Louisiana-Lafayette |
| OF | Camille Harris | LSU |
| OF | Jackie Wilkins | Alabama |
| OF | Maigin Alexander | Jacksonville State |
| OF | Janine Sprague | East Tennessee State |
