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Bonstrom, Jimenez & Morris Named NFCA All-Region

by Utah Athletics
May 19, 2022

SALT LAKE CITY – Three Utah softball players were named to the NFCA All-Pacific Region teams on Thursday. Senior Ellessa Bonstrom and junior Julia Jimenez were each named to the first-team as junior Halle Morris was tabbed third-team all-region, her second NFCA recognition of her career. This is the first time since 2019 three Utes have been named NFCA all-region.
 

Bonstrom picked up her first NFCA honor of her career and was selected as an outfielder. This is her second consecutive first-team nod after being named to the Pac-12's first-team a week ago. Off the field, Bonstrom was also recently selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First-Team.

Coming off a career year, Bonstrom set new career highs in runs scored (43), hits (53), triples (2), RBI (44), walks (41), sacrifice flies (5), stolen bases (11) and fielding percentage (.986). She led the team in batting average (.376), home runs (11), sacrifice flies, walks, runs scored, on-base percentage (.503) and slugging percentage (.709). Bonstrom nearly doubled her stolen bases from last year with 11, ranking second on the team.

Jimenez joins Bonstrom with back-to-back first team honors. She was selected by the NFCA as a third basemen and was given her second all-conference honor of her career last week being named to the Pac-12's first-team. 10 days ago, Jimenez earned Utah's first Pac-12 player of the week award since 2017 after leading the Utes to their first series win over the Washington Huskies since joining the conference of champions. A transfer from Michigan, Jimenez has made her presence known in the Pac-12 softball scene having a career year in her junior campaign. She started in all of Utah's 54 games played this season and led the team in RBI's (52) while ranking second in home runs (10), hits (54), walks (21) and slugging percentage (.578). Jimenez saw a career year offensively across the board, setting new bests in batting average (.325), runs scored (27), hits, doubles (10), home runs, RBI, slugging, on-base, sacrifice flies (2) and flashed some leather in the field owning a .958 fielding percentage.
 

Morris earned her second consecutive NFCA all-region honor, the first Utah player to do so since Hailey Hilburn did back in 2018 and 2019. Morris was named to the third-team in the DP or Utility/Non-Pitcher category, being recognized for her versatility she provided all over the field this season. Morris started at first base 24 times, at third base 7 times and started as the designated player in the lineup four times. She made 15 appearances in the circle, all in relief, and threw 30.1 innings striking out 10 batters.

Morris combined with Mariah Lopez for one of Utah's eight shutouts this season. At the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, Lopez started in the circle against UC Riverside throwing four innings, allowing two hits while fanning six as Morris entered in the final inning retiring all three batters to seal the Utah shutout.

At the plate, Morris tied for her career high in batting average (.250) and posted new bests in on-base percentage (.400), sacrifice hits (5) and was solid in the field for Utah with a .975 fielding percentage.

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