This Week in WAC Softball - April 13
This Week in WAC Softball - April 13
TICKETSMARTER PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE WEEK
After sweeping a three-game conference series at Sam Houston, Tarleton claimed both TicketSmarter softball Athlete of the Week honors. Georgia Capell has been named the Hitter of the Week with Reagan Chism claiming Pitcher of the Week accolades.
Capell registered a .714 batting average with an on-base percentage of .846 in the three-game set. The senior recorded nine RBI and seven runs scored in seven at-bats. She also reached base via six walks. The outfielder smashed three homeruns in the final game of the series in becoming the first Texan player since 2012 to accomplish the feat. For the week Capell had a 2.000 slugging percentage.
In two appearances Chism went 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA in 11 innings of work. She allowed five hits, one earned run and struck out five. She started her week with a five-inning complete game win in which she registered three strikeouts and allowed three hits. During the final day of the series on Saturday, Chism came into the game in the fourth inning with her team trailing by three (10-7). Her six-inning relief appearance saw her allow two hits with a pair of punch outs while keeping the Bearkats scoreless.
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: Ginanna Nocoletti went 9-for-12 at the plate with four runs scored as Grand Canyon posted a pair of wins at home against Utah Valley … Callie Burris reached base in 11 of her 12 plate appearances while scoring five times as Abilene Christian won a pair of home games against Lamar …Deja Westbook had four hits in seven at-bats as California Baptist took two of three from Dixie State … Seattle U’s Lily Garcia had a five-hit weekend at NM State with six RBI in 11 at-bats … In 11 at-bats Sam Bean registered six hits with six runs scored for Lamar … Rachel Campbell had three hits with three RBI for Dixie State in the road series at California Baptist … Utah Valley’s Mikaela Thomson tallied six RBI with three runs scored in the Wolverines three-game series at Grand Canyon
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: California Baptist’s Jazmine Castaneda went 2-0 including a seven-inning one-hitter in the Lancers 3-0 Friday night win … Jacie Hambrick earned the win for Grand Canyon in her start against Utah Valley with a five-strikeout effort in 4.1 innings … Haila Linton struck out seven in 10.2 innings for Lamar in road appearances at Baylor and Abilene Christian; earning the victory against the Wildcats … Seattle U’s Carley Nance struck out seven in a six inning complete game with at NM State … Tyler Denhart had nine strikeouts in 13.0 innings inside the circle during her two starts for Dixie State
THE WEEK(END) AHEAD
In the southwest division, Abilene Christian travels to Tarleton with Lamar hosting Stephen F. Austin. Sam Houston has the “off” weekend in that five-team division and the Bearkats will play a two-game non-conference series at Baylor on Friday and Saturday
Meanwhile, the west division features has a unique match-up as the current division leader, Grand Canyon, travels to defending WAC tournament champion Seattle U. Also in that division California Baptist heads to Utah Valley while NM State makes a trip across the desert to compete against Dixie State.
CONFERENCE LEADERS
Offense
Batting Average: Madison Carr (UVU) - .436
RBI: Carley Nance (SU) - 52
Runs: Gianna Nicoletti (GCU) - 42
Home Runs: Carley Nance (SU) - 13
Georgia Capell (TAR) - 13
On Base Percentage: Calie Burris (ACU) - .550
Pitching
Wins: Kassidy Wilbur (SFA) - 15
Innings Pitched: Kassidy Wilbur (SFA) - 138.0
Complete Games: Kassidy Wilbur (SFA) - 15
Strikeouts: Kassidy Wilbur (SFA) - 177
Saves: Alyssa Argomaniz (CBU) - 3
ERA: Alyssa Argomaniz (CBU) - 2.07
TOP 10 IN THE NATION
A handful of individuals from the WAC find themselves among the top 10 in the nation in offense and pitching
Player, School Category Rank (Stat)
Offense
Gianna Nicoletti, GCU Total Stolen Bases 3rd (35)
Gianna Nicoletti, GCU Stolen Bases Per Game 2nd (0.95)
Carly Nance, SU Total RBI 2nd (52)
Carly Nance, SU RBI/Game 4th (1.37)
Pitching
Carly Nance, SU Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio 9th (8.67)
Sydnee Hebert, SFA Walks Per Game 5th (0.94)
Moreover, as a team Grand Canyon ranks first in the nation with 2.68 stolen bases per game. The Lopes rank ninth in the country with a .332 team batting average.
NCAA RPI
As a conference the WAC ranks 17th in adjusted RPI. There are 32 NCAA Division I softball playing conferences.
Grand Canyon (78th) ranks in the top 100 with Seattle U (101) California Baptist’s ranking of 111th just behind the WAC RPI leaders. Among southwest division schools, Stephen F. Austin (127th) has the best RPI ranking.
SEATTLE U, STEPHEN F. AUSTIN PICKED TO WIN 2022 WAC DIVISION TITLES
With the addition of four Texas schools during the summer of 2021, the WAC separated the 11 playing softball members into two divisions. One division features Texas only schools with the remaining six institutions playing in the Western Division.
Defending WAC tournament champion Seattle U was picked to win the Western Division. NM State, runner-up at the WAC tournament in 2021, was selected in the number two position in the preseason head coaches poll. Grand Canyon was chosen third with Dixie State picked fourth as California Baptist and Utah Valley rounded out the six-team division. The Southwest Division preseason pick went to Stephen F. Austin with Sam Houston selected in the runner-up spot. Abilene Christian was chosen in the third position as Tarleton and Lamar completed that five-team division.
PRESEASON ALL-WAC TEAM
The top two spots on the preseason all-conference team went to a pair of Stephen F. Austin players. Shaylon Govan was selected as the conference’s preseason Player of the Year with Kassidy Wilbur voted the preseason Pitcher of the Year.
The 13-player preseason all-conference team features nine players who earned first- or second-team WAC accolades last season. (! - 2021 First-Team, $ - 2021 Second-Team)
$Kayla Bowen (NMSU) Sr., Util.
!Kristin Fifield (GCU), Jr., Util.
Gaby Garcia (SFA) Jr., C/OF
Shaylon Govan (SFA) Jr., INF/OF
!Hannah Hughbanks (DSU) Jr., OF/1B
!Ramsey Lopez (NMSU) r-Soph., INF
$Carley Nance (SU) Grad, LHP
!Stefanie Madrigal (SU) Jr., RHP
!Gianna Nicoletti (GCU) Sr., OF
!Linnah Rebolledo (UVU) Sr., INF/OF
Kalena Shepherd (UVU) Jr., C
$Olivia Viggiano (SU) Sr., OF
Kassidy Wilbur (SFA) Sr., RHP
SAM HOUSTON TO HOST 2022 WAC TOURNAMENT
Sam Houston will serve as hosts for the season ending WAC tournament from May 12-14 at the Bearkat Softball Complex in Hunstville, Texas.
2021 WAC REGULAR SEASON CONFERENCE RECAP
NM State won the regular season title. When there were seven teams playing for the conference title, the Aggies finished one game better than Seattle U. They won the title with a 14-4 league mark with the Redhawks completing their season with a 13-5 conference record.
Grand Canyon, Utah Valley and California Baptist all won eight regular season games. Dixie State (6 wins) and Tarleton (5) wrapped-up the regular season standings.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE 2021 WAC TOURNAMENT
Seattle U took advantage of hosting the season ending WAC tournament by winning three games without a loss to win the four-team event and claim the league’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament.
Seeds:1-NM State, 2-Seattle U, 3-Grand Canyon, 4-Utah Valley
G TEAMS R-H-E
1 Utah Valley 6-8-1
NM State 5-10-0
2 Grand Canyon 4-8-0
Seattle U 5-10-0
3 NM State 6-9-1
Grand Canyon 2-6-4
4 Seattle U 5-9-2
Utah Valley 1-3-0
5 NM State 4-7-0
Utah Valley 3-8-0
6 Seattle U 7-8-0
NM State 5-7-2