Freed, Velasquez on All-American Team

UCLA’s Amanda Freed and Oklahoma’s Lynette Velasquez were among the 18 players named Thursday to the Division I All-American first team as selected by the NCAA National Fastpitch Coaches Assn.

Cal State Fullerton’s Stephanie Little, a senior catcher, was a third-team selection. Little was named the Big West Conference player of the year after setting a conference single-season home run record with 22.

Freed, a freshman pitcher for the Bruins, was The Times Orange County player of the year as a junior and senior at Pacifica High. UCLA (59-6) is the top-seeded team in the NCAA softball World Series, which began Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Velasquez, a senior first baseman, played at Marina High and Fullerton College. Also named to the first team was Liza Brown, a senior pitcher for DePaul who once played for Cal State Fullerton.

Selected to the second team were Michigan’s Kelsey Kollen (Mater Dei), a freshman second baseman; UCLA’s Julie Adams (Cypress), a junior third baseman; Southwestern Louisiana’s Kelli Bruce (El Toro), a senior catcher, and Pacific’s Brandee McArthur (Villa Park), a senior pitcher.

Other third-team selections include Arizona’s Lauren Bauer (Foothill), a sophomore outfielder, and Fresno State’s Lovieanne Jung (Fountain Valley), a freshman second baseman.