LOUISVILLE, Ky.- Kiran Sanford (Two Rivers/Mishicot) collected National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region VIII First Team honors on Friday (May 15) while pitching in the NCAA Division III Championship St. Louis Regional.
 
Sanford, the WIAC Newcomer and Pitcher of the Year, as well as a First Team selection, earned her first career regional honor by posting a 16-2 record with a save in the circle during the regular season across 23 appearances and 19 starts. She went the distance in 10 of her starts and shutout six opponents. Across 118 innings, she allowed 85 hits and walked 22 against 147 strikeouts, giving up 26 runs (22 earned) for a 1.31 earned run average.
 
Sanford notched conference shutouts against UW-Eau Claire on April 11, UW-La Crosse on April 17 and UW-River Falls on April 26. She has not allowed more than three runs during any of her 26 total appearances this year.
 
Sanford pitched the first 5.1 innings of the Titans' Division III Championship-opening, 12-inning marathon 1-0 win over Illinois College on Thursday (May 14), fanning 10 Lady Blues while scattering three hits for zero runs, before going three innings in Friday's 2-1 victory over host Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.). She allowed the Bears to score once on four hits while striking out four batters. Sanford did not factor into either decision.
 
Headed into Friday's game, Sanford ranked ninth in Division III with 162 strikeouts and 8.9 strikeouts per seven innings, 14th in with a 6.48 strikeout-to-walk ratio, 16th with a 1.26 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP, 20th with six shutouts, 31st with 5.00 hits allowed per seven innings, and 34th with 16 victories.
 
Oshkosh (31-8-1, 11-3 WIAC) won the WIAC regular season title for the sixth time in program history (1984, 1985, 2007, 2021, 2024, 2026) and qualified for the Division III tournament as an at-large bid.
 
The Titans will play in their fourth-consecutive regional championship on Saturday (May 16) at 11 a.m. against the winner of Friday afternoon's second game.