NFCA Official Release

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - UIC freshman third baseman Tiana Mack-Miller and sophomore pitcher Elaine Heflin have been named to the 2015 National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-Great Lakes Region teams, the NFCA announced on Thursday. Mack-Miller placed on the second team, as Heflin was selected to the third team.

The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third teams selected for each region. The all-region teams were voted on by NFCA member coaches from each respective region, and all the honorees now become eligible for selection to one of three 2015 NFCA Division I All-American teams.

Mack-Miller adds another accolade to her already decorated freshman campaign. The Horizon League Freshman of the Year started all 46 games at third base and led the Flames offensively to end the season with a team-high .371 batting average, 53 hits, 15 doubles, four home runs and 30 RBI, as well as .573 slugging and .442 on-base percentages. An all-League First Team and All-Freshman Team honoree, the freshman had 15 multi-hit games, including a two home run outing against Valparaiso on April 11, and produced nine multi-RBI games with two contests of owning four RBI.

The second team honor is the first for a freshman since 2001, when fellow third baseman Jacque Vaca placed on the team. Mack-Miller becomes just the fourth freshman in program history to place on the team.

Heflin caps a stellar year in the circle with her first NFCA honor. The Horizon League Pitcher of the Year and all-League First Team honoree made 34 appearances and 23 starts to go 12-12 with a 10-3 conference mark, while also picking up three saves. The sophomore led the pitching staff along with one of the top three ERAs in conference at 2.54, along with a 1.91 ERA in league play. A two-time Horizon League Pitcher of the Week, she threw 17 complete games, with two coming as shutouts, and boasted 134 strikeouts in 170.2 innings of work while limiting opponents to a .275 batting average.

Since the third team was added in 2014, Heflin marks the third Flame to place on the team, after shortstop Natalie Hernandez and outfielder Paige Peterson earned the distinction last year, and is the first sophomore to collect the accolade.