(Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran University athletics)

TYLER, Texas -- Texas Lutheran sophomore Kelly Jurden was named Wednesday to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association All-America Second Team and picked up the NFCA's Golden Shoe Award for NCAA Division III. NFCA All-America Release

Jurden, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, added her All-America award to a list of awards that includes First Team All-SCAC, First Team All-Region, Academic All-District, and now a Golden Shoe award.

The New Balance/NFCA Golden Shoe is given to the best base stealer in each division. Jurden won the award for NCAA Division III.

Jurden leads the NCAA Division III in stolen bases (55) and in stolen bases per game (1.31). Jurden is 55-for-57 in steal attempts this year. She has shattered the TLU and SCAC single-season records for steals.

In just two years, Jurden has 84 steals. She is closing in on the TLU career record for steals, 100, held by Ashley Jacobsen (2012-15).

Jurden's All-America award marks the fourth straight season TLU Softball has produced an All-American. Taylor Yancey was a Third Team All-American in 2016, and Maitlin Raycroft was a Second Team All-American in 2017 and 2018.

As the team's lead-off hitter, Jurden is hitting .473 with 55 runs scored, 61 hits, three doubles, a triple, and a home run. She is slugging .535 and has an on-base percentage of .555. She has committed one error all season in the outfield, where she has played left field and center field.

As a team, the Bulldogs are seventh in batting average, third in on-base percentage, first in steals per game, 11th in earned run average, 14th in scoring, and 16th in win-loss percentage.

Jurden also ranks fifth in runs per game (1.31) and 20th in on-base percentage.

TLU is 35-8 overall. TLU is the champion of the SCAC, the Marshall, Texas Regional, and the McMinnville, Ore. Super Regional.

Jurden and the Bulldogs open the NCAA Division III Softball World Series on Thursday against Williams College (Mass.). The Bulldogs are the No. 4 seed in the double-elimination tournament. The Ephs are the No. 5 seed. Game time is set for 1:30 p.m. at the University of Texas at Tyler's SuddenLink Field.