ECU softball’s Jackson, Johnson earn NFCA All-Mideast Region honors

GREENVILLE, N.C. – East Carolina sophomore outfielder Emma Jackson and graduate first baseman Morgan Johnson have been named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Mideast Region First Team and Second Team respectively according to an announcement by the organization on Saturday afternoon.

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association’s 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region nominated student-athletes (eight maximum) and voted for the teams. All awarded student-athletes now become eligible for the 2024 NFCA Division I All-America squads.

Jackson becomes the first Pirate since Toni Paisley in 2011 to earn all-region first team honors while Johnson is the first Pirate tabbed to the second team since Shelby Johnson and Kristi Oshiro in 2014.

The duo of Jackson and Johnson made an immediate impact on the Pirates’ offense in their first year, each hitting 13 home runs to combine for 26 of ECU’s 44 home runs on the season and helping lead the Pirates to their most wins in a season since 2011 and most AAC wins in a year since joining the American prior to the 2015 season.

The Chincoteague, Va. native tallied 24 doubles on the year which is the second-most in a single season in program history and led the Pirates at the plate in batting average (.397), hits (75) and RBI (50). She was named the American Athletic Conference Player of the Week after the opening week of the season as she posted 15 hits to go along with a .652 batting average and an on-base percentage of .680 in ECU’s first six games. Jackson recorded three or more hits in nine games, including a 4-for-4 performance at the plate against Youngstown State on Mar. 2.

Johnson hit .364 at the plate and tallied 60 hits, 47 RBI, eight doubles and a team-high 254 putouts in 54 games played for the Pirates at first base. The Evans, Ga. native had a five-game stretch at the Pirate Clash where she went 7-for-13 with 16 RBI and four home runs to earn a spot on the AAC’s Weekly Honor Roll. She also held a streak of reaching base in 26 games from February 17 to March 28 and had a stretch of four home runs in five games.

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