May 29, 2008

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State incoming softball player Rachel Evans was named to the NJCAA third-team All-America team for the 2008 season. She also earned first-team all-region 18 honors by the Scenic Western Athletic Conference.

Evans, a native of Woods Cross, Utah and an alumni of Viewmont High School, helped lead Southern Idaho to the SWAC Region 18 Championship and helped the Golden Eagles earn a trip to the NJCAA National Tournament, as the team finished the season 47-22 overall and second in the SWAC with a 29-13 ledger.

Evans was fifth on the team this season, hitting .344 as she started all 62 games she played in. She was also second in RBI (46) and third in hits (65), while she posted a .439 slugging percentage and a .425 on-base percentage. Evans was seventh in the conference in hits and tied for seventh in runs scored.

"I think it's a great honor that she worked hard for and she did all the right things to be named All-American," said Utah State head softball coach Candi Letts. "We look forward to her coming into our program and bringing that same edge and fight that she has. She's a good athlete and has the ability to help our program become better."

At regionals, Evans went 8-for-16 at the plate, scoring four runs and tallying seven RBI. She led CSI on May 3 when it beat Salt Lake CC, 21-1, as she went three-for-five on the day with two runs scored and five RBI. At nationals, Evans batted two-for-three overall with a run scored on May 15 in the Golden Eagles' 5-2 victory against Mclennan CC.