Virginia Tech softball pitcher Keely Rochard has been named a first-team All-American, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) announced Wednesday.
Rochard, a junior from Williamsburg, Va., Rochard thus becomes Virginia Tech’s third NFCA All-American in program history and the first since Jenna Rhodes in 2009. Rochard is just the second first-team All-American in school history, joining Angela Tincher as the only two Hokies to receive the honor.
The right-hander currently leads all of NCAA Division I with 348 strikeouts during the 2021 season. Rochard is also in the top three in the country in shutouts with 13 and wins at 29. She leads the ACC in all three categories as well as hits allowed per seven innings (3.76) and strikeouts per seven innings (10.0)
This is hardly Rochard’s first award this season as she was named the ACC Pitcher of the Year on May 11. During the season, Rochard was named ACC Pitcher of the Week three times (March 24, March 30 and May 4) and the NFCA Division I Pitcher of the Week twice (Feb. 23 and March 22). Justin’s World of Softball also named Rochard a first-team All-American Tuesday.
Despite the Hokies’ exit from the 2021 NCAA Tournament, Rochard leads the tournament with 49 strikeouts. In her six starts in the regional and super regional rounds, Rochard went 4-2, holding opponents to a .196 batting average in 37.0 innings. She also became the first pitcher in Hokies’ history to go an undefeated, 3-0 at the NCAA Regionals.
Rochard threw two no-hitters this season, the sixth and seventh of her illustrious career. The first came against Georgia Tech on April 18. The second came on April 30 at Syracuse.
