Wednesday, May 3, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Another banner season for Central Washington, led by conference Player of the Year Kailyn Campbell, tops the list of selections to the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball All-Conference Team.

The Wildcats accounted for four of the conference’s special award winners. Campbell led the way as the near unanimous selection by coaches as the Player of the Year. The senior first baseman finished the regular season with a .488 batting average, which ranks fifth in NCAA Division II. She is currently ranked second nationally with 24 doubles while also ranking ninth with an .858 slugging percentage.

Campbell enters the GNAC Championships leading the league in runs scored (55), doubles and total bases (139). She is tied for second in the GNAC in home runs with 12 and is fourth in the league with 16 stolen bases. The all-conference selection is Campbell’s fourth after earning first team laurels in 2015 and 2016 along with honorable mention selection in 2014.

Central Washington’s Mike Larabee was named by his peers as the Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. In just his second year leading the Wildcats, Larabee has led CWU to a pair of GNAC regular season titles and the 2016 GNAC championship. He has led CWU to a 33-13 overall record so far this season. In his two seasons, Larabee has coached Central Washington to a 75-30 overall record and a 38-18 mark in GNAC contests.

For the second straight season, the Wildcats’ Kiana Wood has been named the conference’s co-Pitcher of the Year. The senior leads the GNAC with a 2.36 earned run average and an 18-2 record. In 145.1 innings, Wood has allowed 70 runs, 49 earned, and has struck out 44. In addition to her 18 wins, Wood has four saves on the season, a figure that ranks 20th in Division II. Wood earned GNAC Pitcher of the Week honors in three consecutive weeks between Apr. 2 and 16.

Wood shares the Pitcher of the Year honor with Western Washington’s Anna Kasner, who was also named as one of two recipients of the Freshman of the Year award. Kasner enters the GNAC Championships ranked third in the league with a 2.68 earned run average and is one of two WWU pitchers to win 12 games this season. In 115 innings, Kasner allowed 51 runs, 44 earned, and struck out 153 batters to rank 40th in Division II. Her 9.3 strikeouts per seven innings ranks eighth nationally. In addition, Kasner finished rhe regular season hitting .365 in 21 games.

Kasner was named GNAC Pitcher of the Week twice and was the NFCA Division II Pitcher of the Week in the first week of the season. She also finished the regular season with selection as the GNAC Softball Player of the Week.

Northwest Nazarene’s Brittany Genuardi shares the Freshman of the Year honor, marking the second year that a NNU player has been selected. Genuardi led the Crusaders with a .388 average and finished fifth in the GNAC with 48 RBIs. Genuardi had 19 extra base hits on the season, including nine home runs. In addition to the freshman honor, Genuardi was named to the All-GNAC First Team.

Central Washington’s Jacie McDaniels was tabbed for Newcomer of the Year in addition to being named to the All-GNAC Second Team. The junior transfer from Walla Walla Community College finished the season with a .341 batting average while starting in all 46 games for the Wildcats. She also finished 57 hits, eight doubles and 12 home runs and a .605 slugging percentage.

Central Washington placed seven players on the All-GNAC Softball Team, including three first team selections in Wood, Campbell and second baseman Taylor Ferleman. Saint Martin's had six players named to the squad while Western Washington finished with five. Joining Kasner on the first team for the Vikings is first baseman Emily Benson, who repeats as a first team selection. Saint Martin’s is represented on the first team by outfielders Lauren Diuco and Mary Dettling. Dettling was a first team selection in 2016 while Diuco was a second team pick.

Western Oregon received two first team selections in shortstop Kelsie Gardner and third baseman Destiny Kuehl. Gardner is a four-time All-GNAC selection and earned first team honors in 2015 and 2016. Kuehl earned her third All-GNAC nod after earning first team honors in 2015 and second team honors last year.

Montana State Billings is represented in the first team by outfielder Heather Tracy and designated player Megan Dettling. Tracy repeats as a first team selection while Dettling jumps up to the top tier after earning second team honors in 2016. Concordia’s lone first team selection, outfielder Meghan Luebbert, was the GNAC Player of the Year in 2016.