LOUISVILLE, K.Y. — Hot on the heels of her Skyline Conference Player of the Year honor, Payton Walker (Eastvale, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt) of the St. Joseph's University, N.Y. – Brooklyn softball team was named a 2025 National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division III All-Region Second Team selection, announced Friday.

Walker is the third Bear in program history to receive NFCA postseason recognition, following Amber Wainwright (2017) and Ashleigh Hartwig (2019, 2021, 2022).

The sophomore closed out her second season in navy and gray with a .490 batting average, placing third in the Skyline Conference and among Division III's top 20. Walker's .570 on-base percentage contributed to a Division III-best .477 team mark. She also led the league in slugging (.863), RBIs (49), and total bases (88). Her RBI and total base numbers set new single-season program records, toppling 18-year-old marks.

The NFCA announced that 383 student-athletes from 170 schools comprised the 2025 NFCA Division III All-Region teams. Walker is one of four Skyline representatives on All-Region III teams.