This Week in WAC Softball - Feb. 5
This Week in WAC Softball - Feb. 5
Complete Release in PDF
GRAND CANYON TO HOST 2019 WAC TOURNAMENT
Grand Canyon will host the 2019 WAC Softball Tournament. All six eligible teams will advance to the double-elimination tournament, which will be held at the GCU Softball Stadium May 8-11. This is the first time the Lopes have hosted the event.
NM STATE PICKED TO WIN 2019 WAC TITLE
In a preseason vote of the seven WAC softball coaches, who could not vote for their own team, NM State was selected as the preseason favorite to win the title.
The Aggies took the top spot in the preseason poll with 35 points and five first-place votes, while Grand Canyon was just behind in second with 32 points and the other two first-place votes. Seattle U was selected to finish in third place with 25 points, just ahead of Utah Valley in fourth place with 21 points. League newcomer California Baptist and Kansas City tied for fifth place with 13 points, while CSU Bakersfield (8) rounded out the poll.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
NM State sophomore first baseman Kelsey Horton was selected as the Preseason Player of the Year and teammate Kayla Green was selected as the Preseason Pitcher of the Year in a vote of the league's seven head coaches, who could not vote for their own players.
NM State and Seattle U placed the most players on the Preseason All-WAC team with four, while Grand Canyon had three.
Joining Horton and Green on the Preseason All-WAC Team were Brianna Aguilar, Shea Smith and Sierra Smith of Grand Canyon; Peyton Angulo and Lyndsay Steverson of Utah Valley; Nikki Butler and Victoria Castro of NM State; and Madison Cathcart, Ally Choate, Andie Larkins and Carley Nance of Seattle U.
SEATTLE U'S CATHCART, NM STATE'S HORTON NAMED TO USA SOFTBALL WATCH LIST
Seattle U's Madison Cathcart and NM State's Kelsey Horton were among the 50 players on the USA Softball Preseason Player of the Year Watch List. The WAC was one of seven conferences to have multiple players honored, joining the ACC and Big South with two players recognized. A total of 14 conferences and 35 schools were represented.
Cathcart posted a monster 2018, leading the WAC in batting average (.444), on-base percentage (.596) and slugging percentage (.954). The first baseman became the first SU player to be chosen National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region. She was named first team All-WAC and to the All-Tournament Team at the WAC Tournament. Cathcart set eight single-season school records, including 19 home runs, 20 doubles and 53 walks. She ranked in the top 10 nationally in six statistical categories.
Horton comes into her senior season after setting the NM State program record for home runs (25) and total bases (154) for a single season. Individually, she ranked in the top 25 nationally in several statistical categories in 2018, ranking second in homers and home runs per game (0.47), third in RBIs per game (1.21) and total bases, seventh in slugging percentage (.911) and 22nd in runs per game (0.98). Horton was also named the WAC Player of the Year for a second-straight season and was named MVP of the WAC Tournament.
The Top 25 Finalists for the 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 24. While an athlete does not have to be on the Watch List to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced May 8 and the Top 3 announced May 22. The 2019 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed May 28.
TOP RETURNING STAT LEADERS
The top returning stat leaders in the WAC from last year include:
|
Category
|
Name, School
|
Statistic/'18 Rank
|
|
Batting Average
|
Madison Cathcart, SU
|
.444/1st
|
|
Slugging Pct.
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Madison Cathcart, SU
|
.954/1st
|
|
On Base Pct.
|
Madison Cathcart, SU
|
.596/1st
|
|
Runs
|
Kelsey Horton, NMSU
|
52/1st
|
|
Hits
|
Sierra Smith, GCU
|
76/1st
|
|
RBIs
|
Kelsey Horton, NMSU
|
64/1st
|
|
Doubles
|
Madison Cathcart, SU
|
20/1st
|
|
Triples
|
Sierra Smith, GCU
|
5/1st
|
|
Home Runs
|
Kelsey Horton, NMSU
|
25/1st
|
|
Stolen Bases
|
Skylar Cook, SU
|
28/1st
|
|
ERA
|
Shianne Smith, SU
|
2.42/1st
|
|
Wins
|
Kayla Green, NMSU
|
14/T-1st
|
| |
Carly Nance, SU
|
14/T-1st
|
|
Saves
|
Shianne Smith, SU
|
3/1st
|
|
Strikeouts
|
Carly Nance, SU
|
123/1st
|
|
Innings Pitched
|
Brianna Aguilar, GCU
|
168.1/1st
|
|
Opponent Batting Average
|
Shianne Smith, SU
|
.210/1st
|
RETURNING ALL-CONFERENCE PLAYERS
Of the 13 first team All-WAC players from last year, eight return for the 2019 season, including NM State's Nikki Butler, Kayla Green and Kelsey Horton, Seattle U's Madison Cathcart, Ally Choate and Andie Larkins, and Utah Valley's Peyton Angulo and Lyndsay Steverson.
Eight of the second team All-WAC selections return for 2019, including three from Seattle U (Carley Nance, Kaylee Ree and Bailey Thompson). Also returning are Grand Canyon's Brianna Aguilar and Yesenia Morrison, CSU Bakersfield's Paige Johnson, NM State's Victoria Castro and Utah Valley's and Brianna Moeller.