Three members of the eighth-ranked Francis Marion University softball team – senior pitcher and first baseman Jenna Walling, senior outfielder Anderson Thrower, and senior shortstop Madalyn White – have garnered first-team All-Region honors from two different organizations.  The trio were honored this week by both the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA).  Walling was also tabbed as the D2CCA's Pitcher of the Year for the Southeast Region.

White gains first-team honors for the second consecutive year, while Walling was a first-team selection by the NFCA last year and a second-team pick by the D2CCA in 2025.

The 47-11 Patriots will face third-ranked University of North Georgia (49-9) in the NCAA Division II Southeast Super Regional this week.  The best two-out-of-three series will be held in Dahlonega, Ga., and will start with a single game on Thursday (May 21) at noon.  The second game and the "if necessary" game will both be played on Friday at noon and 2:30 p.m. respectively.

Walling, a native of Johns Island, S.C., owns a 27-7 pitching mark with four saves and a 1.68 earned run average.  At the place, she is batting .317 and leads the Patriots with nine home runs and 55 RBIs.  Named the Conference Carolinas 2026 Pitcher of the Year, Walling ranks third nationally in complete games (school-record 30), ninth in innings pitched (221.0), seventh in wins, and 15th in strikeouts (204).  Opponents are batting just .226 against her.  She was named the Conference Carolinas Tournament MVP for the second straight year, and was twice named the Wilson/NFCA National Pitcher of the Week in 2026.  She is second on program's career wins list with 84-17 mark, is the career leader in saves (8), and is third in innings pitched (656.0) and strikeouts (524).

Thrower, a native of Hanahan, S.C., is hitting a team-best .432 with 42 runs scored, 23 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases.  A member of the 2026 Conference Carolinas All-Tournament Team, she has registered 22 multi-hit games and seven multi-RBI games, and has reached base safely in 49 of 55 games.  She ranks 25th nationally in total hits (80), 20th in sacrifice bunts per game, and 44th in batting average. 

White, a native of Currie, N.C., is batting .427 from the lead-off spot with a team-high 57 runs scored and 19 runs batted in.  She owns a .511 on-base percentage and has stolen 32 bases in 34 attempts.   With 22 multi-hit games, she has safely reached base in 46 of 48 contests.  Nationally, she ranks 12th in runs per game, 34th in runs scored, 44th in stolen bases, 45th in on-base percentage, and 56th in hitting.  Named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year last month, White is the program's all-time leader in hits (304), runs scored (238), and games played (222).

Walling is a product of First Baptist School and is part of the University's Masters of Business Administration program, while White is a graduate of Heide Trask High School and is a double major in biology and healthcare administration. Thrower is a product of Hanahan High School and is also a double major in biology and healthcare administration.

      
          Jenna Walling               Anderson Thrower                 Madalyn White