South Raleigh News

Five members of the NC State softball team have been recognized with All-Academic honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA). The honorees are Taylor Ensley, Tori Ensley, Kayla Fekel, Raylee Leiman, and Carly Maxtom.

The NFCA awards this honor to student-athletes from member schools who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. The association plans to release its own announcement in the fall, detailing individual scholar-athletes and listing the top 10 academic teams in each division.

Taylor Ensley had an impressive season, starting all 53 games in right field for NC State. She led the team with 11 doubles and concluded her junior year with a .333 batting average and a .972 fielding percentage, including five assists. Additionally, she received CSC Academic All-District honors at the end of the season.

Tori Ensley was notable as the only freshman to start in the outfield this season, playing 50 games in left field. She achieved a .268 batting average with 33 hits, 22 runs, 13 RBIs, three doubles, and one triple. Her defensive performance was flawless with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage after recording 76 putouts and three assists.

Kayla Fekel made significant contributions during her first season with NC State, appearing in 15 games as a pitcher and finishing with a 3-0 record. She pitched a complete game against UAlbany in February and achieved a career-high four strikeouts.

Raylee Leiman participated in 13 games and started five times throughout the season. In her limited opportunities at bat, she managed five walks and successfully stole two bases.

Carly Maxtom appeared in 11 games as a pitcher, making four starts during her freshman year. She ended with a record of 1-2 and reached a career-high four strikeouts against Presbyterian.