May 14, 2008
ATLANTA – Georgia Tech senior shortstop Aileen Morales has been selected to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association second-team All-Southeast region it was announced today. Morales joins former Tech stand-outs Jessica Sallinger and Stephanie Webb as the only three-time award winners in school history.
“This is such an honor to be included with some of the top players in the region,” Morales said. “I have had such a privilege to play at Tech for four years with so many great teammates and I am really looking forward to this weekend and the opportunity to go back to the University of Florida.”
Morales will leave Georgia Tech with her name all over the school and ACC record books. This season, the Columbus, Ga., native leads the team with a .344 batting average (eighth in the ACC), .550 slugging percentage (seventh), .422 on-base percentage (eighth), 45 runs scored (third), 62 hits (tied for fourth), nine doubles, five triples (first), 21 walks (tied for ninth) and 44 stolen bases (first). She is also among the team leaders with 30 RBI and six home runs.
Morales has already broken the all-time Georgia Tech stolen base record this season and needs one more to break her own single-season record (44 in 2005). Morales is second all-time in ACC history and first at Tech with 213 runs scored and needs just 11 more for the league record. She is fourth in the ACC annals in stolen bases and had a stretch of 31 consecutive thefts this year at one point. Morales has made dazzling plays from her shortstop position and not committed an error since April 3, a span of 19 games. She has 17 multi-hit games and eight multi-RBI games this season.
Earlier this month, Morales was named to the All-ACC first-team and was a second-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District pick.
Morales and the Yellow Jackets are on their way to Gainesville, Fla., for the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Jackets will face No. 1 Florida in the first round Friday night at 6:00 p.m. On Saturday, Tech will play either South Florida or Central Florida in the double-elimination tournament. Last year, the Jackets went 1-2 at the Gainesville regional.
