SB | Castillo, Ferguson and Lane Named WCC First Team All-Academic, Brown, Cervantes, Silva and Zabat Earn Honorable Mention Status
5/14/2026 12:01:00 PM | Softball
SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The reigning West Coast Conference Softball Champions proved that they are just as talented in the classroom as they are on the diamond, as seven Gaels were honored as WCC All-Academic team members, including three earning first team status. Victoria Castillo, Hannah Ferguson and Taylor Lane were those three first team honorees, while Braxton Brown, Tori Cervantes, Kiah Silva and Mia Zabat were all named as honorable mention all-academic team members. The three first team nods tied for the most in conference this season.
In order to be considered for the all-academic team, student-athletes must:
(a) Maintain a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA) based on the most recently completed term at the time of the nomination, so for softball this would be the fall semester. Prior to the nomination, the appropriate institutional academic authorities shall review the grades of the prospective nominees.
(b) Be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.
(c) Have at least sophomore athletic and academic standing with at least one year in residence completed at the nominating institution. (True freshmen, redshirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers may not be nominated). An ineligible transfer refers to somebody who transferred to your team following the 2024-25 season and is on your roster for the first time in 2025-26.
(d) Participate in at least 50 percent of the institution's completed contests. Pitchers may be nominated if they participate in at least 25 percent of the institution's completed contests.
Castillo earned her third straight first team all-academic honor, meaning that she earned the distinction every year she was eligible for it. Castillo put up some of the best offensive numbers of her collegiate career as a senior, earning her second second team All-WCC nod, and maintained a 3.87 GPA as a senior sociology major.
Ferguson picked up her first first team all-academic nod after being named honorable mention all-academic in 2024. The Gaels leader in batting average, the conference leader in runs scored, and the nation's leader in triples, Ferguson earned her second first team All-WCC recognition this year after missing all of last season due to injury. She also maintained a 3.64 GPA as a senior kinesiology major.
A fifth year senior, Lane earned her second first team all-academic honor and her third overall after earning honorable mention last year. Known as a brilliant clutch power hitter for the Gaels, Lane crept into the top-10 in program history for home runs, and top-five in program history for RBI this year. Now a grad student, Lane did all of this while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in her postgraduate education studies.
Braxton Brown, Tori Cervantes, Kiah Silva and Mia Zabat all earned honorable mention all-academic status. A junior, Braxton Brown had her best season thus far as a Gael, setting the program single-season RBI record, and maintained a 3.23 GPA as a public health major for her first academic all-conference honor. Cervantes picked up her third straight honorable mention academic all-conference award, as the senior maintained a 3.45 GPA as a kinesiology major. Both Kiah Silva and Mia Zabat earned honorable mention all-academic status in their first years eligible. Silva holds a 3.48 GPA as a sports management major, while Zabat holds a 3.70 GPA as a business major.
#GaelsRise
In order to be considered for the all-academic team, student-athletes must:
(a) Maintain a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average (GPA) based on the most recently completed term at the time of the nomination, so for softball this would be the fall semester. Prior to the nomination, the appropriate institutional academic authorities shall review the grades of the prospective nominees.
(b) Be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials.
(c) Have at least sophomore athletic and academic standing with at least one year in residence completed at the nominating institution. (True freshmen, redshirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers may not be nominated). An ineligible transfer refers to somebody who transferred to your team following the 2024-25 season and is on your roster for the first time in 2025-26.
(d) Participate in at least 50 percent of the institution's completed contests. Pitchers may be nominated if they participate in at least 25 percent of the institution's completed contests.
Castillo earned her third straight first team all-academic honor, meaning that she earned the distinction every year she was eligible for it. Castillo put up some of the best offensive numbers of her collegiate career as a senior, earning her second second team All-WCC nod, and maintained a 3.87 GPA as a senior sociology major.
Ferguson picked up her first first team all-academic nod after being named honorable mention all-academic in 2024. The Gaels leader in batting average, the conference leader in runs scored, and the nation's leader in triples, Ferguson earned her second first team All-WCC recognition this year after missing all of last season due to injury. She also maintained a 3.64 GPA as a senior kinesiology major.
A fifth year senior, Lane earned her second first team all-academic honor and her third overall after earning honorable mention last year. Known as a brilliant clutch power hitter for the Gaels, Lane crept into the top-10 in program history for home runs, and top-five in program history for RBI this year. Now a grad student, Lane did all of this while maintaining a 4.0 GPA in her postgraduate education studies.
Braxton Brown, Tori Cervantes, Kiah Silva and Mia Zabat all earned honorable mention all-academic status. A junior, Braxton Brown had her best season thus far as a Gael, setting the program single-season RBI record, and maintained a 3.23 GPA as a public health major for her first academic all-conference honor. Cervantes picked up her third straight honorable mention academic all-conference award, as the senior maintained a 3.45 GPA as a kinesiology major. Both Kiah Silva and Mia Zabat earned honorable mention all-academic status in their first years eligible. Silva holds a 3.48 GPA as a sports management major, while Zabat holds a 3.70 GPA as a business major.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
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