NKU’s Krystal Lewallen

SALEM, Va. - Northern Kentucky University’s Krystal Lewallen has been named the NCAA Division II National Player of the Year in softball.

Lewallen, a junior pitcher from Crestwood, Ky., is 30-0 entering the NCAA Division II World Series. She has led NKU to a 53-0 record this season, with the 53 consecutive victories the most in collegiate softball history.

Lewallen owns an NCAA Division II-leading 0.34 earned run average, and she has struck out 305 batters this season. In addition, the South Oldham High School graduate has posted 19 shutouts this spring, and she was named the most valuable player of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional last week.

This marks the second straight year Lewallen has earned first team All-America honors from the NFCA. She is the first NKU softball performer to ever earn the National Player of the Year award.

Lewallen is the Norse’s career leader in wins (77) and strikeouts (806). She also earned Great Lakes Valley Conference Pitcher of the Year honors. Lewallen is one victory shy of tying her own school record for wins (31), which she set last year.

NKU junior second baseman Ricki Rothbauer also earned first team All-America honors. Rothbauer, a native of Louisville, Ky., and a graduate of DuPont Manual High School, is batting .405 going into the national finals.

Rothbauer also has set NKU single-season records for hits (79), runs scored (48) and triples (9).

NKU senior center fielder Stephanie Leimbach was named second team All-American. Leimbach earlier this season forged a 32-game hitting streak, which ranks fifth all-time in NCAA Division II history. She enters the World Series batting .401 with 24 stolen bases.

Leimbach is also NKU’s career leader in hits (254) and runs scored (151).

NKU will play Le Moyne (N.Y.) at 5 p.m. Thursday in the NCAA Division II World Series.