Blinn College softball pitcher Colleen Bentke (Brenham) has been named a 2017 Division I National Junior College Athletic Association second-team All-American.

Bentke was also named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NJCAA Division I All-Region Midwest second team.

"It really was an honor to be recognized and I couldn't have done it without my team, coaches, and the support of my family," Bentke said. "It has been an amazing experience to play at Blinn."

Bentke came to Blinn as a sophomore after transferring from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The left-hander finished the season with a 21-6 record and pitched 177 total innings. Bentke struck out 148 batters and posted a 1.38 earned run average.

"I think that Colleen is such a consistent performer," head coach Rick Church said.

Bentke's season was highlighted by 2-1, 13-inning victory over San Jacinto College-South on April 13.

Bentke will continue pitching at the University of Texas at Tyler alongside former Buccaneer teammates Sam Junkin (Hunt) and Nicole Garcia (Sugar Land).

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 36 NJCAA national championships since 1987. For more information, visit www.buccaneersports.com.

About Blinn College

With an enrollment of 19,422 students, Blinn ranks among the nation's leaders in transferring students to leading four-year universities and has received national recognition for affordable educational excellence. For more information, visit www.blinn.edu.