This Week in WAC Softball - Feb. 19
This Week in WAC Softball - Feb. 19
Complete Release in PDF
SEATTLE U'S THOMPSON, NANCE NAMED WAC ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
Seattle U's Bailey Thompson and Carley Nance have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for Feb. 11-17. This is the first-ever honor for Thompson and the first honor of the season and third of her career for Nance.
Thompson, a sophomore catcher from Tucson, Ariz., hit .615 (8-for-13) with a 1.846 slugging percentage as she posted a double, five home runs and 11 RBIs as the Redhawks went 5-0 at the Rebel Classic for Seattle U's first 5-0 non-conference weekend since 2014. She also added six runs scored, three walks and 24 total bases. Thompson had an extra-base hit in all five games, with a home run in four of the five games and three games with three RBIs. In the final game of the weekend, she was 3-for-3 with a pair of homers against Weber State. After her monster weekend, Thompson leads the WAC in home runs (6) and ranks second in slugging percentage (1.292), RBIs (13) and total bases (31).
Nance, a sophomore left-hander from Maple Valley, Wash., went 3-0 with a save over 17.1 inning pitched last week. She posted a 0.81 ERA and 16 strikeouts to just one walk, only allowing just two earned runs on 14 hits. Nance opened the week with a win against Fordham, when she struck out six over 4.0 innings, giving up one earned one. She earned the save against Hawai'i on Saturday, when she pitched 2.2 scoreless innings. Later that day, she earned a complete-game victory, allowing one earned run on four hits while striking out five. In 3.2 innings of relief on Sunday, Nance gave up two hits and struck out four batters to get the win. Nance leads the WAC with 25 strikeouts of 33.1 innings.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Kayla Tadewosian hit .400 with two doubles and three RBIs ... Shea Smith of Grand Canyon hit .529 with three doubles, one RBI and one stolen base ... Kansas City's Maegan Rollow hit .545 with two doubles, two home runs, five RBIs and three stolen bases ... Victoria Castro of NM State hit .667 with four doubles, two homers, five RBIs and two stolen bases.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: CSU Bakersfield's Daryn Hitzel went 1-0 with a 2.00 ERA and four strikeouts ... Brianna Aguilar of Grand Canyon went 1-1 with a 2.62 ERA ... Kansas City's Kailyn Packard went 2-0 with a save, a 0.47 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 15.0 innings ... Samaria Diaz of NM State went 0-1 with a save, a 1.20 ERA and 12 strikeouts over 11.2 innings.
THREE PLAYERS RANK IN WAC CAREER TOP 10
NM State senior Kelsey Horton currently hold the all-time WAC record for career slugging percentage (.788), ranks fourth in home runs (58), sixth in batting average (.394), seventh in RBIs (178) and tied for eighth in total bases (430). Seattle U junior Madison Cathcart ranks sixth in slugging percentage (.715), while Grand Canyon senior Sierra Smith is tied for 10th in triples (12).
UVU'S HUBBARD PICKS UP 200TH CAREER VICTORY
With his team's 11-3 six-inning victory over Seton Hall on Feb. 9, Utah Valley head coach TJ Hubbard picked up his 200th career victory. In his ninth season as a head coach, Hubbard boasts a 201-223-1 (.474) career record. He is 40-62 (.392) in three seasons at Utah Valley.
CSUB'S BUCK-ZIEGLER EARNS 100TH CAREER WIN
CSU Bakersfield head coach Crissy Buck-Ziegler earned her 100th career victory on Sunday, Feb. 10 when the 'Runners defeated Montana 3-2. In her eighth season at the helm, Buck-Ziegler is 102-246-1 (.294).
NM STATE'S HORTON APPROACHING PROGRAM CAREER RECORDS
Kelsey Horton continues to climb the NM State career record books. The senior sits in second for home runs (58), third in total bases (430) and fourth in both runs scored (171) and RBIs (178).
WAC PLAYERS RANK AMONG TOP 50 IN NCAA ACTIVE CAREER LEADERS
Several WAC players rank among the Top 50 nationally in the NCAA's active career leader charts. The rankings and categories are listed below.
|
Player
|
School
|
Category
|
Total
|
Ranking
|
|
Sierra Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
At bats
|
559
|
20th
|
|
Shea Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
At bats
|
555
|
25th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
At bats
|
546
|
32nd
|
|
Caitlyn Lloyd
|
CBU
|
Batting average
|
0.404
|
13th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Batting average
|
0.394
|
23rd
|
|
Peyton Angulo
|
Utah Valley
|
Batting average
|
0.391
|
27th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Runs
|
171
|
4th
|
|
Shea Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Runs
|
131
|
22nd
|
|
Sierra Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Runs
|
119
|
33rd
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Hits
|
215
|
9th
|
|
Shea Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Hits
|
203
|
16th
|
|
Sierra Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Hits
|
197
|
20th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Doubles
|
39
|
10th
|
|
Shea Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Doubles
|
38
|
14th
|
|
Sierra Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Triples
|
12
|
6th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Home runs
|
58
|
1st
|
|
Madison Cathcart
|
Seattle U
|
Home runs
|
28
|
38th
|
|
Lyndsay Steverson
|
Utah Valley
|
Home runs
|
26
|
49th
|
|
Hannah Thieroff
|
CBU
|
Home runs
|
26
|
49th
|
|
Victoria Castro
|
NM State
|
Home runs
|
29
|
50th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Slugging percentage
|
0.788
|
8th
|
|
Caitlyn Lloyd
|
CBU
|
Slugging percentage
|
0.751
|
12th
|
|
Madison Cathcart
|
Seattle U
|
Slugging percentage
|
0.712
|
26th
|
|
Bailey Thompson
|
Seattle U
|
Slugging percentage
|
0.67
|
34th
|
|
Hannah Thieroff
|
CBU
|
Slugging percentage
|
0.652
|
44th
|
|
Nikki Butler
|
NM State
|
Slugging percentage
|
0.645
|
47th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
RBIs
|
178
|
3rd
|
|
Sierra Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
RBIs
|
125
|
28th
|
|
Madison Cathcart
|
Seattle U
|
RBIs
|
114
|
46th
|
|
Victoria Castro
|
NM State
|
RBIs
|
112
|
49th
|
|
Madison Cathcart
|
Seattle U
|
Walks
|
82
|
29th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Total Bases
|
430
|
2nd
|
|
Sierra Smith
|
Grand Canyon
|
Total bases
|
300
|
25th
|
|
Victoria Castro
|
NM State
|
Total Bases
|
292
|
49th
|
|
Nikki Butler
|
NM State
|
Hit by pitch
|
30
|
20th
|
|
Kelsey Horton
|
NM State
|
Hit by pitch
|
21
|
45th
|
|
Kayla Green
|
NM State
|
Pitching appearances
|
118
|
15th
|
|
Andie Larkins
|
Seattle U
|
Pitching appearances
|
104
|
32nd
|
|
Andie Larkins
|
Seattle U
|
Games started
|
85
|
14th
|
|
Kayla Green
|
NM State
|
Games started
|
75
|
30th
|
|
Andie Larkins
|
Seattle U
|
Innings pitched
|
502
|
26th
|
|
Kayla Green
|
NM State
|
Innings pitched
|
449
|
36th
|
|
Kellye Springstead
|
CBU
|
ERA
|
2.21
|
44th
|
|
Kayla Green
|
NM State
|
Wins
|
39
|
38th
|
|
Kayla Green
|
NM State
|
Saves
|
7
|
20th
|
|
Samaria Diaz
|
NM State
|
Saves
|
6
|
35th
|