SB | Five Gaels Named to All-WCC Team
5/17/2022 1:00:00 PM | Softball
SAN MATEO, Calif. — The West Coast Conference announced their annual All-WCC teams on Tuesday afternoon, and Saint Mary's Softball landed five players across the three teams. Two of the five earn All-WCC honors for the second time in their careers, while three are first-time honorees from the conference.
For the first time in her career, Marissa Nishihara takes home first team honors from the West Coast Conference, after ending the conference slate as the Gaels most productive hitter. For the season, Nishihara hit .309 with a team-best 21 runs, but she picked her game up even more in conference play. She had an even-.400 batting average against the West Coast Conference, and led the Gaels with six runs batted in. She also had five multi-hit games in WCC play, including a four-hit performance at San Diego on April 9.
The two repeat award winners, Indya Smith and Sofia Earle, both were named Second Team All-WCC. Smith turned around her season after getting off to a sluggish start, finishing the season with a .267 average and a team-best seven doubles while driving in 15 runs. In WCC action, Smith was even better, hitting at a .324 clip with an OPS of .878, recording the second most hits for the Gaels in WCC games (12). Earle was the best pitcher on the Gaels staff this season, finishing third in the West Coast Conference in strikeouts and complete games, while finishing fourth in innings pitched. Her 138 strikeouts this season are the fourth-most in a single-season in SMC history.
Two late bloomers on the season earned honorable mention honors from the WCC, as Bry Waters and Reyna Heredia both finished out the year as two of the team's best hitters. Waters tied Nishihara with a .400 batting average in conference play while swiping three bases, and finished the year with an impressive .360 batting average in 22 games. In her first full collegiate season, Heredia came on strong down the stretch, hitting .346 in conference play, with an OPS of .816. Her conference batting average was third-best on the team.
The five All-WCC members for Saint Mary's this season are the second-most they've recorded since the WCC added softball in 2014, with just last year's team having more (six). This year's Gaels team won their most games since the 2017 season
The full postseason awards list from the WCC can be seen below.
2022 WCC Softball Major Honors
Coach of the Year - Tairia Flowers, LMU
Defensive Player of the Year – Delaney Scully, Pacific
Freshman of the Year – Jasmine Sofowora, LMU
Pitcher of the Year – Jenna Perez, LMU
Player of the Year – Georgia Blair, LMU
All-Conference First Team
Huntyr Ava, BYU
Georgia Blair, LMU
Marissa Chavez, BYU
Alyssa Daniell, LMU
Martha Epenesa, BYU
Autumn Moffat-Korth, BYU
Marissa Nishihara, Saint Mary's
Jenna Perez, LMU
Sydney Poole, LMU
Ashley Trierweiler, Santa Clara
Taylei Williams, BYU
Violet Zavodnik, BYU
All-Conference Second Team
Morgan DeBord, LMU
Rian Dirmeyer, Pacific
Sofia Earle, Saint Mary's
Hannah Edwards, Santa Clara
Lauren LaHood, Santa Clara
Carly Lucchetti, Pacific
Izzy Owen, San Diego
Hannahjo Peterson, BYU
Alyssa Podhurcak, BYU
Courtney Rose, San Diego
Indya Smith, Saint Mary's
Jasmine Sofowora, LMU
Chloe Temples, BYU
All-Conference Honorable Mention
Mallory Barber, BYU
Megan Dedrick, LMU
Andrea Gonzalez, LMU
Sage Hager, Santa Clara
Reyna Heredia, Saint Mary's
Savannah Hooks, LMU
Sammy Needham, Santa Clara
Joecella Roberts, San Diego
Delaney Scully, Pacific
Alexis Torculas, San Diego
Bry Waters, Saint Mary's
For the first time in her career, Marissa Nishihara takes home first team honors from the West Coast Conference, after ending the conference slate as the Gaels most productive hitter. For the season, Nishihara hit .309 with a team-best 21 runs, but she picked her game up even more in conference play. She had an even-.400 batting average against the West Coast Conference, and led the Gaels with six runs batted in. She also had five multi-hit games in WCC play, including a four-hit performance at San Diego on April 9.
The two repeat award winners, Indya Smith and Sofia Earle, both were named Second Team All-WCC. Smith turned around her season after getting off to a sluggish start, finishing the season with a .267 average and a team-best seven doubles while driving in 15 runs. In WCC action, Smith was even better, hitting at a .324 clip with an OPS of .878, recording the second most hits for the Gaels in WCC games (12). Earle was the best pitcher on the Gaels staff this season, finishing third in the West Coast Conference in strikeouts and complete games, while finishing fourth in innings pitched. Her 138 strikeouts this season are the fourth-most in a single-season in SMC history.
Two late bloomers on the season earned honorable mention honors from the WCC, as Bry Waters and Reyna Heredia both finished out the year as two of the team's best hitters. Waters tied Nishihara with a .400 batting average in conference play while swiping three bases, and finished the year with an impressive .360 batting average in 22 games. In her first full collegiate season, Heredia came on strong down the stretch, hitting .346 in conference play, with an OPS of .816. Her conference batting average was third-best on the team.
The five All-WCC members for Saint Mary's this season are the second-most they've recorded since the WCC added softball in 2014, with just last year's team having more (six). This year's Gaels team won their most games since the 2017 season
The full postseason awards list from the WCC can be seen below.
2022 WCC Softball Major Honors
Coach of the Year - Tairia Flowers, LMU
Defensive Player of the Year – Delaney Scully, Pacific
Freshman of the Year – Jasmine Sofowora, LMU
Pitcher of the Year – Jenna Perez, LMU
Player of the Year – Georgia Blair, LMU
All-Conference First Team
Huntyr Ava, BYU
Georgia Blair, LMU
Marissa Chavez, BYU
Alyssa Daniell, LMU
Martha Epenesa, BYU
Autumn Moffat-Korth, BYU
Marissa Nishihara, Saint Mary's
Jenna Perez, LMU
Sydney Poole, LMU
Ashley Trierweiler, Santa Clara
Taylei Williams, BYU
Violet Zavodnik, BYU
All-Conference Second Team
Morgan DeBord, LMU
Rian Dirmeyer, Pacific
Sofia Earle, Saint Mary's
Hannah Edwards, Santa Clara
Lauren LaHood, Santa Clara
Carly Lucchetti, Pacific
Izzy Owen, San Diego
Hannahjo Peterson, BYU
Alyssa Podhurcak, BYU
Courtney Rose, San Diego
Indya Smith, Saint Mary's
Jasmine Sofowora, LMU
Chloe Temples, BYU
All-Conference Honorable Mention
Mallory Barber, BYU
Megan Dedrick, LMU
Andrea Gonzalez, LMU
Sage Hager, Santa Clara
Reyna Heredia, Saint Mary's
Savannah Hooks, LMU
Sammy Needham, Santa Clara
Joecella Roberts, San Diego
Delaney Scully, Pacific
Alexis Torculas, San Diego
Bry Waters, Saint Mary's
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Players Mentioned
LHP
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