STARKVILLE, MS - Hot off the heels of a NCAA DIII Regional Championship, four Roanoke College softball players have been named to the 2012 NFCA Division III All-Atlantic Region Team, announced Tuesday.  Leona Rainey and Felice Lowery were each named to first-team honors, Kelly Higbie earned a second-team nod, and Stephanie Clark picked up third-team accolades.  All four of these players were also named to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team. 

Leona Rainey - Junior - Outfield
Rainey, a Sandston, Virginia native, is batting .396 in the 2012 season.  This is her third time in three season being named to the All-Region Team.  Rainey picked up third-team honors in 2010 and was named to the first-team in 2011.  She leads the team in runs (57), home runs (8), and stolen bases (41).  In just her junior year, Rainey holds the Roanoke career record for stolen bases with 103, 11 more than second place.  She is also ranked second nationally in stolen bases per game (1.05).  She holds the single-season records for runs scored and stolen bases, both accomplished in 2012.  Lastly, with one year to play, Rainey sits at the top of the career record list for Roanoke College in batting average (.437) and on base percentage (.508).

Felice Lowery - Senior - Catcher
Lowery, from Madison Heights, Virginia, leads the Maroons in batting with 58 hits and an average of .426.   She was named a member of the 2012 Newport News Regional All-Tournament Team.  Lowery led the Maroons in RBIs for the Regional Tournament, knocking in four runs.  She ranks second on the squad in total bases (92), RBIs (41) and home runs (6).  Lowery ranks in the top-10 career list in numerous statistical categories: slugging percentage (.532), doubles (32), triples (6), home runs (14), RBIs (110), and total bases (234).  She within striking distance of moving up in the record books in every one of those categories during the 2012 NCAA DIII Softball Championship.

Kelly Higbie - Freshman - Pitcher
As just a freshman, the Midlothian, Virginia native has already etched her name into the Roanoke College record books.  Higbie was named Most Outstanding Player for both the ODAC Tournament and the NCAA DIII Newport News Regional Tournament.  Higbie holds a record of 28-8 in 236.2 innings pitched.  She has broken the Roanoke single-season records in wins (28), appearances (41), complete games (33), innings pitched (236.2).  Higbie enters the NCAA DIII Softball Championship with an ERA of 1.48 and a total of 129 strikeouts.

Stephanie Clark - Sophomore - Shortstop
Clark, the Nathalle, Virginia native ranks second on the squad in hitting with an average of .417.  Named a member of the Newport News Regional All-Tournament Team, Clark led all batters hitting 9-for-13 for a mark of .692.  While in Newport News, she also topped the field with a slugging percentage of .923.  She leads the team this season in doubles (17), which ranks third in the single-season record book, just three shy of first place.  She also leads the team in RBIs with 42.  Clark boasts the highest slugging percentage on the team with a mark of .727. 

The Maroons get to continue their outstanding season as they play in the 2012 NCAA DIII Softball Championship, held at Moyer Complex in Salem, Va.  In the opening round, Roanoke will take on Tufts on Friday, May 18th.  The contest is scheduled for a 6:30 PM start.

To see a complete list of the 2012 NFCA Division III All-Region Teams, Click Here.

For More information on the NCAA Tournament, click HERE. For more information on the regional tournament at CNU, click HERE

Don't forget to become a fan of Maroon Athletics on Facebook. You can also follow us on Twitter @rcmaroons. Be sure to check out Roanoke Athletic's Vimeo Channel on our athletics home page and watch various highlight clips from our home games. To keep up to date with Maroon athletics from your mobile phone, click HERE to access the mobile app.

Did you know you can view all home games live online? Click HERE to watch live webcasts of each scheduled home athletic event. You can also access live stats for each home event and select away games by clicking our “Live Stats” link on the athletic homepage.