LOUISVILLE, Ky. - In a season that featured countless record-breaking moments, it was only fitting for Northwest's Saige Koczka to make history one more time.

After earning first team All-South Region honors on Monday, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association labeled Koczka to the NJCAA Division II All-American team on Friday afternoon, making the Southaven slugger the first NFCA All-American in program history.

"I am so proud of Saige and all of her hard work," Northwest coach Chelsea Bramlett said. "I have seen her win so many battles that have come her way and watching her succeed has been amazing. She is one of the few hitters and fielders that are feared and I believe she has a big future ahead of her. We are excited to get her back for another season."

The NJCAA Division II All-America team is voted on by NFCA member coaches in the country's three regions. They select 13 players for the team, unless there is a tie for one of the positions, in which case the tied players are both awarded honors. Due to COVID-19, no awards were presented in 2020.

NFCA All-Region and All-American athletes must be nominated by their NFCA-member head coach, are voted for by the coaches in their region or division, and ultimately selected by elected All-American committee members to receive this prestigious accolade.  These honorees are in the top 1% of student-athletes competing during the 2021 season.  All special awards are also selected by the All-American committee members or by the entire division.

Koczka was elected as a unanimous choice for utility/pitcher honors, batting .489 with 65 hits, 20 doubles, two triples, 14 home runs, 59 RBIs and 48 runs scored. Her season totals in doubles, RBIs, total bases (131) and slugging percentage (.985) are all new single-season program records, while her 48 runs scored are good for second most in a season.

Koczka's name remained on the conference and national leaderboards all season, as her .489 batting average put her atop the MACCC and in the Top 25 nationally among Division II hitters with 100 or more at-bats.

Additionally, Koczka now owns a program-record .486 batting average and is tied for third all-time with Angela Carden (2009-10) in career doubles (22). Her 67 RBIs are the most by a single player since Lauren Riley's total of 68 from 2012-13.

In the field, Koczka totaled 50 putouts and a .934 fielding percentage, while also stepping into the circle for 51.1 innings pitched, 31 strikeouts and a 5-4 season record.

Northwest finished 20-18 on the season, earning its first MACCC Tournament bid since 2017 and its first trip to the Region 23 Tournament since 2012. The Rangers' 12-6 victory against 15th-ranked LSU Eunice also marked the program's first ever region tournament win.