2017 NFCA All-America Teams

For the third time in one day, GVSU's Jenna Lenza earned All-America honors. Late Wednesday night (May 24) at a banquet in conjunction with the Division II College World Series, Lenza was chosen to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Second Team, capping off quite a day for the senior second baseman.

Earlier on Wednesday, Lenza was voted to the All-America First Team by the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA), selected by sports information directors from across the country. She is only the third Laker in school history to receive D2CCA All-America honors since the program began in 2007. Later in the day, Lenza was chosen as a CoSIDA Academic First Team All-American, the first GVSU player to do so since 2014. A nursing major, Lenza graduated from GVSU with a 3.81 cumulative grade point average and left her name scattered throughout the Laker softball record book.

Her third award on Wednesday was selected by Division II head coaches from across the country and cemented Lenza as a consensus All-American. Formerly known as Daktronics, the now-D2CCA All-America program was established in 2007. Since then, only Lenza and all-time GVSU and GLIAC home run leader Katie Martin have been named to both the NFCA and D2CCA All-America teams in the same season. Martin did so in both 2011 and 2013. Lenza's former teammate and hard-hitting third baseman Miranda Cleary received Daktronics First Team All-America honors and Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-America plaudits in 2014.

Lenza joins another exclusive group, as the senior from Orland Hills, Ill. joins Martin (2011, 2013), current assistant coach Jen Rivera (formerly Mackson) (2002, 2003), and Kim Biskup (1999, 2000) as the only NFCA All-Americans in school history.

The three All-America honors caps off an outstanding senior season and career for Lenza, who received a number of honors throughout her playing days. Naturally, she was a First Team All-Midwest Region selection from both the NFCA and D2CCA this postseason, which ultimately led to her inclusion on the All-America teams. She was also a Second Team All-Midwest Region choice by the D2CCA in 2016 and Daktronics in 2014. In addition, she was the second baseman on the All-GLIAC First Team in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Lenza was the top offensive player in the GLIAC this season. In conference-only games, she led the conference in batting average (.522), on-base percentage (.616), slugging percentage (.821), runs (28), doubles (11), walks (17), and total bases (55), leading the Lakers to the 2017 GLIAC regular season championship.

Overall, Lenza hit .456 on the year with 73 hits, 45 runs, a GLIAC single-season record 23 doubles, five home runs, and 31 RBI. Her .529 on-base percentage joined her 23 doubles as GLIAC season highs, while she was second among all league players in batting average and walks (24), third in runs and total bases (111), fourth in hits and slugging percentage (.694), 10th in home runs, and 14th in RBI.

Her 23 two-baggers obviously set a new school record for doubles in a season, while she is now third all-time in single-season batting average and on-base percentage. Lenza is also ninth in slugging percentage and tied for 10th in total bases in a season in GVSU history.

The impressive numbers and records continue to her career tallies. Lenza is second in Laker history with 58 career doubles, third with 88 walks, and is fifth in both on-base percentage (.454) and total bases (364). She is also tied for fifth in runs scored (158). Filling out her top-10 credentials are sixth-place rankings in hits (244) and slugging percentage (.570), a seventh-place mark in batting average (.382), and a ninth-place spot in home runs (18).

Only one other GLIAC player - Wayne State utility/pitcher Lyndsay Butler - was named to the NFCA All-America Teams, as she was a First Team honoree. There were 17 players on each of the three All-America teams for a total of 51 players honored by the NFCA. The 2017 National Player of the Year was Minnesota State senior pitcher Coley Ries.

Lenza was part of an impressive Laker senior class that went 138-62 over its four-year career, good for a .690 overall winning percentage. Grand Valley State advanced to the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons, won the 2017 regular season conference championship, and captured the 2016 Midwest Region title while advancing to the College World Series for the third time in school history.