WAVERLY, Iowa --- The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) released its 2026 All-Region teams on Friday, May 15 with Wartburg's Carley Bredar and Bella Mulder each earning a spot on Region IX teams. Bredar earned a spot on the second team and Mulder earned a third-team selection to mark each of their first career NFCA honors.
Bredar and Mulder are the 20th and 21st All-Region honorees under head coach Jamie Mueller. This is the 30th season in program history earning at least one All-Region honor for Wartburg dating back to 1987.
Earlier this week, Bredar was named first team All-Conference, which was the first first-team selection of her career and her second-straight All-Conference selection. The junior center fielder has Wartburg's top batting average through 42 games played hitting at .397. Bredar has logged eight extra-base hits (seven doubles and one triple) this season and has batted in 24 runs (all are career highs). The Eldrige, Iowa native has also been active on the base paths this season with 27 stolen base. Bredar has been versatile at the plate as she is currently 19th in Division III in walks per game and she has only been struck out six times all season. She has started every game at center field so far this season for the Knights and has logged 57 putouts with three assisted putouts.
Mulder also earned All-Conference honors earlier this week with a second-team selection, which marked the first of her career. The sophomore infielder/designated player leads the Knights in extra-base hits so far in 2026 with 13 doubles, one triple and eight home runs (all career highs). The Grimes, Iowa native has a team-leading 43 RBI this season and is hitting .386. Mulder has appeared in all 42 games this season between the DP and second base positions. She ranks in the top 100 nationally in total bases, RBI and home runs. The sophomore set new personal single-games bests earlier this season with two home runs and six RBI in one inning during a 10-7 comeback win over Illinois Wesleyan.
From the NFCA
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the 386 student-athletes from 161 schools who comprise the 2026 NFCA Division III All-Region teams.
Region VI's Virginia Wesleyan, which headed into this week's NCAA tournament undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the GoRout/NFCA Division III Top 25 Coaches Poll, was one of four schools to place a division-best seven players on its region list, with four on the first team, two on the second team and one on the third team.
Tufts (Region I), Trine (Region VII) and Worcester Polytechnic (Region II) were the other three with seven selections. Like the Marlins, Trine and Worcester Polytechnic had four first-teamers. Additionally, Saint Mary's (Region IX) placed all four of their All-Region selections on the first team.
Six schools — Colby (Region I), Manhattanville (Region III), Rowan and Stockton (both Region IV), and East Texas Baptist and Texas Lutheran (both Region X) — had six players chosen. Nine teams had five recipients, while 15 more scored four honorees.
Twenty-five schools had three players recognized, while 40 got two, and 62 had one. Among the winners, there are 137 seniors, 125 juniors, 76 sophomores, 46 freshmen and two graduate students. The awards honor student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with selection to one of three teams. NFCA member head coaches nominate and then vote for the winners in their respective region. Coaches may nominate a maximum of eight players from their squad.
If they were not already voted to an All-Region squad, conference Players and Pitchers of the Year from member institutions are added to the third team in their region, so long as they are nominated by their member head coach and receive votes. All honorees move forward to be considered for selection for the three NFCA Division III All-America squads, which will be announced May 27 on NFCA.org and the Association's social media accounts.
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