OKLAHOMA CITY -- Four Wildcats --
Alyssa Denham,
Jessie Harper, Janelle Meoño and
Dejah Mulipola -- have been named NFCA All-Americans, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced on Wednesday.
Mulipola was a unanimous first-team selection, earning her second consecutive NFCA Catcher of the Year honor. Denham, Harper and Meoño were all third-team selections.
The four All-America honors brings Arizona's total to 109 in school history. It also marks the third time in the last four seasons that Arizona has had at least four All-Americans.
Harper's All-America recognition is her third of her career, becoming the 18th player in Arizona history to earn three or more All-America honors. Mulipola is earning her second straight first-team All-America honor, joining a list of 20 Wildcats to earn multiple first-team All-America honors. Denham and Meoño are receiving their first career All-America honors; they are Arizona's 55th and 56th individual All-Americans in school history -- those 56 All-Americans have received 109 total All-America honors.
First-team All-American
Dejah Mulipola -- a second-time All-American -- leads the Pac-12 and is top-10 nationally in both home runs [21] and RBI [63] while hitting .401 on the season. Mulipola is trying to become the first Wildcat since 2003 [Lovie Jung] to hit 20-plus home runs while hitting .400 or better and is trying to become the first player in the Pac-12 to finish top-three in home runs, RBI and batting average since ASU's Katelyn Boyd in 2012. Mulipola was a first-team All-Pac-12 and All-West Region catcher and a member of the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
Third-team selection
Alyssa Denham -- a first-time All-American -- leads the Wildcats in wins [19], ERA [1.88], strikeouts [106] and shutouts [7]. Her 1.88 ERA is sixth in the Pac-12 while her seven shutouts rank 20th nationally. Five of her seven shutouts came in Pac-12 play, including a no-hitter at Stanford [April 1], her third career no-no. Denham was a first-team all-region pitcher and a second-team all-conference selection.
Jessie Harper, a third-team All-American, is receiving her third career All-America nod. The first-team All-Pac-12 shortstop has hit 15 home runs this season, giving her 91 for her career, one shy of the Arizona and Pac-12 record. Harper leads the team with 11 doubles and is slugging .679 -- third best on the team. A Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honoree for the second straight season, Harper has committed just six errors all season defensively.
Third-team All-American Janelle Meoño is Arizona's first freshman All-American since Harper in 2017. The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and the Pac-12 Batting Champion leads the Wildcats and the Pac-12 with a .439 average, third highest in the NCAA among freshmen. The Hacienda Heights, California native is trying to become the first UA freshman since Cailtin Lowe in 2005 to hit above .400. Meoño was a first-team all-conference and all-region selection in addition to a member of the Pac-12 All-Freshman team.
Arizona opens the Women's College World Series on Thursday at 4 p.m. MST vs. Alabama. For more information, go to
ArizonaWildcats.com/Softball and follow @ArizonaSoftball on
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