CLEMSON, S.C. – On Saturday afternoon, Clemson Softball’s Valerie Cagle (Yorktown, Va.), McKenzie Clark (Myakka City, Fla.) and Maddie Moore (Loomis, Calif.) were named National FastPitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region Southeast selections. Cagle leads the Tigers with a First Team selection, with both Clark and Moore adding Second Team honors. Cagle’s selection as a utility/pitcher is the fourth of her career, while Clark’s outfield selection is the second of her career and first since 2021. The 2024 honor is Moore’s first-ever NFCA selection. The trio of Tigers mark the most single-season selections that Clemson has garnered through the program’s short five-year infancy and have helped the team to its fourth NCAA postseason appearance.
NFCA Release | 2024 D1 All-Region Teams
Most recently, Cagle was the No. 1 overall draft pick in the Athletes Unlimited College Softball Draft on Tuesday of this week. She is the first female student-athlete in Clemson history to be taken first overall in their respective sport’s professional draft. She garnered her fourth career All-ACC honor after being selected to the third team last week. Ranked as the top two-way player by Softball America in March, the utility/pitcher was selected to the USA Softball Women’s National Team Japan All-Star Series roster. The reigning USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year finished the 2024 campaign with a .338 average, with a .568 slugging percentage and .409 on-base percentage. She recorded 50 hits – seven home runs, seven doubles and three triples – through 44 games and tallied a team-high 42 RBIs with 27 runs scored. A dual threat, Cagle held a 2.54 ERA through 24 appearances with eight wins and two saves. Through 96.1 innings of work, she has struck out 101 while only allowing 35 earned runs.
Clark was a Second Team All-ACC selection after averaging .365 at the plate, including .363 in ACC action. During her senior campaign, Clark put up 61 hits, including tying Moore with a team-high 10 home runs, eight doubles and four triples, for a .641 slugging percentage and .477 on-base percentage. She led the Tigers with 53 runs scored and contributed a career-high 41 RBIs and had been walked 29 times. She concluded her career with two hits, including a triple and a two-run homer with one walk against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday. Earlier this season against Duke, Clark stole her 46th-career base to hold the Clemson career record outright. She started in centerfield in 226 games, including 54 this season.
Moore, a junior, was a First Team All-ACC selection and was ranked as the No. 7 second baseman by Softball America earlier this season. The Tigers’ hitter accumulated a .368 average – including a team-high .438 in ACC play, a .639 slugging percentage and a .477 on-base percentage through 155 at-bats. She contributed 57 hits that includes tying Clark with a team-high 10 home runs, seven doubles and two triples. She recorded 39 RBIs, scored 38 runs and stolen a team-high 15 bases, which ranked in the top 10 in the ACC. The dynamic player has started at both second base and shortstop in 53 games this season.
For complete coverage of the Clemson Softball team, follow @ClemsonSoftball on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
