UMKC’S KELLEY, BAKERSFIELD’S MONROE NAMED WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Missouri-Kansas City’s Katie Kelley and Bakersfield’s Kelsie Monroe have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 16-22. This is the first WAC Hitter of the Week honor of the season and second of her career for Kelley, and the first-ever Pitcher of the Week honor for Monroe.
Kelley, a junior from Coweta, Okla., had multiple hits in each of the Kangaroos’ four games last weekend to post a .786 batting average, a .786 on-base percentage and an astounding 2.000 slugging percentage. For the week, she had five doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs. Kelley became the first Kangaroo ever to homer in three consecutive games – and, ultimately, four consecutive games – and set a program mark for consecutive games with an RBI (5), as well as doubles over a four-game span (5). She leads the league in hitting (.426), doubles (8) and total bases (43).
Monroe, a senior from Los Banos, Calif., threw a complete-game shutout of Pacific in her only appearance last week for a 0.00 ERA. She scattered four hits – all singles – over seven innings while striking out five and walking two, holding the Tigers to a .167 batting average. Monroe now has 33 complete games and four shutouts on her career and with 23 career wins is two shy of the CSUB Division I record (24).
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: Grand Canyon’s Camree Wartman hit .333 with a double, three homers, three sacrifice flies and 12 RBIs in eight games last week ... Kelsey Dodd of New Mexico State hit .429 with two doubles, a home run and four RBIs as the Aggies went 3-2 last week ... Seattle U’s Bubba Morrow hit .500 with two homers and four RBIs over four games last week.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: Grand Canyon’s Taylor Nowlin went 1-2 with a 4.88 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 18.2 innings of work ... Makayla McAdams of New Mexico State went 2-0 with a 2.33 ERA with five strikeouts in 12.0 innings pitched ... Seattle U’s Mandie Sugita went 1-0 with a 2.55 ERA and seven strikeouts over 11.0 innings.
SEATTLE U’S MORROW APPROACHING PROGRAM CAREER DOUBLES RECORD
Seattle U senior Bubba Morrow has 31 doubles on her career, good for second place all-time in program history. She is two shy of the Seattle U all-time career record of 33 held by Allegra Wilde.
BAKERSFIELD’S MONROE APPROACHING ALL-TIME WINS RECORD
With a win complete-game shutout of Pacific on Feb. 21, Bakersfield’s Kelsie Monroe moved closer to the CSUB Division I record for career wins. Monroe now has 23 victories on her career, one away from tying the record. Earlier this season, she became the CSUB Division I all-time leader in innings pitched and currently has 419.2.
UTAH VALLEY PICKS UP FIRST-EVER WIN OVER RANKED OPPONENT
Behind three home runs and a complete-game shutout from Bailey Moore, Utah Valley handed No. 25 Cal State Fullerton a 9-0 defeat in the Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic finale on Feb. 15. The win marked UVU’s first in program history over a ranked opponent at the NCAA Division I level.
NEW MEXICO STATE SCORES MOST RUNS EVER AGAINST NEBRASKA
When it defeated No. 18 Nebraska 16-11 on Feb. 6, it was the most runs ever allowed by the Huskers in a game in the 39-year history of the program. The Aggies had 11 extra base hits in the game – five doubles, a triple and five home runs.
NEW MEXICO STATE PICKED TO WIN 2015 WAC TITLE
In a preseason vote of the six WAC softball coaches, who could not vote for their own team, New Mexico State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the title.
The Aggies took the top spot in the preseason poll with 23 points and three first-place votes, edging out Grand Canyon in second place with 22 points and the other three first-place votes. Seattle U was third with 14 points, while Utah Valley and UMKC tied for fourth place with 13 points each. Bakersfield rounded out the poll with five points.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
New Mexico State senior outfielder Staci Rodriguez was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and Missouri-Kansas City’s Katie Kelley was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in a vote of the league’s six head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
New Mexico State placed the most players on the Preseason All-WAC Team with four, while Grand Canyon and Seattle U had three apiece and UMKC had two.
Joining Rodriguez and Kelley on the Preseason All-WAC Team are Grand Canyon’s Kelsey Barak, Kayla Henry and Nicole Newbury; UMKC’s Cinda Ramos; New Mexico State’s Emma Adams, Fiana Finau and Lacey Rother; Seattle U’s Izzy Geronimo, Lisa Maulden and Bubba Morrow; and Utah Valley’s Brittney Vansway.
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the 13 first team All-WAC players from last year, 11 return for the 2015 season, including reigning WAC Player of the Year Lacey Rother of New Mexico State. Also returning are Rother’s teammates Fiana Finau and Alyssa Ruiz; Grand Canyon’s Kelsey Barak, Nicole Newbury and Lauren Regester; Isabella Geronimo, Lisa Maulden and Bubba Morrow of Seattle U; and Missouri-Kansas City’s Katie Kelley and Cinda Ramos.
Nine of the second team All-WAC selections return for 2015, including four from New Mexico State (Emma Adams, Makayla McAdams, Brennalyn Nakamura and Staci Rodriguez). Also returning are Lindsay Davis and Jenny Hurst of Seattle U, Bakersfield’s Madison Bundy, Kayla Henry of Grand Canyon and Utah Valley’s Brittney Vansway.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST 2015 WAC TOURNAMENT
New Mexico State will host the 2015 WAC Softball Tournament. The five eligible teams will advance to the double-elimination tournament, which will be held at the NM State Softball Complex May 7-9. This is the third time the Aggies have hosted the event, as they did so in 2010 and 2012.