Wednesday, May 2, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – One of the top hitters in Division II and three members of red-hot conference co-champion Northwest Nazarene lead the selections to the 2018 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Softball All-Conference Team.

Montana State Billings’ senior outfielder Heather Tracy was named by coaches as the conference Player of the Year after she finished the regular season with a league-leading .488 batting average, ranking her seventh nationally. She finished third in Division II with 82 hits and also led the conference in slugging percentage (.769), on-base percentage (.511) and runs scored (49). Tracy also set MSUB career records in batting average (.426), games played (192) and hits (270). In the process, Tracy became a three-time First Team All-GNAC selection.

Tracy broke up a near sweep of the conference’s special awards for Northwest Nazarene, which claimed a share of its first GNAC regular-season champion and earned its first berth in the GNAC Softball Championships.

The Nighthawks’ Rich Wagner was selected by his peers as the conference’s Coach of the Year. In his sixth year at NNU, Wagner led a Nighthawks’ squad that enters the GNAC Championships with a 28-21 record after finishing with 23 wins the year before. The Nighthawks won five of their seven series against GNAC opponents this season, led the league in batting average (.316) and ranked second in earned run average (3.57).

Northwest Nazarene’s Jordan Adams was the coaches’ choice for both Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Adams took the GNAC by storm in the circle, leading the conference and ranking 30th in Division II with a 1.49 earned run average. She also leads the GNAC in opposing batting average (.196) and strikeouts (138). At one point, Adams won six straight decisions in conference games and struck out 10 or more batters four times.

Nighthawks’ junior outfielder Anna Williams earned the Newcomer of the Year honor. The transfer from Walla Walla Community College finished the regular season with a .346 batting average, one of seven NNU players hitting .300 or better. Williams enters the GNAC Championships second in the conference with 24 walks and tied for fourth with eight home runs.

Adams leads three Northwest Nazarene selections to the first team and eight total selections. Joining Adams as a first-team selection is designated player Brittany Genuardi and catcher Lisa Sylvester. Genuardi leads the Nighthawks and is seventh in the GNAC with a .371 batting average. Her 40 RBIs trails only teammate Kylie Orr, who received second-team honors. Sylvester owns a .329 batting average and a .991 fielding percentage and has thrown out six would-be base-stealers.

Tracy is joined on the first team by MSUB teammate Cameron Cassinelli. The first base honoree finished the season with a .352 batting average and 35 RBIs. She finished tied for second in the GNAC with 10 home runs while setting an MSUB career record with 40 home runs.

Central Washington, which shared the regular-season championship with Northwest Nazarene, landed three players on the first team. Freshman pitcher Lexie Strasser ended the regular season with an 18-8 record and is second in the GNAC with a 2.60 earned run average. She leads the GNAC in wins and innings pitched (158.2) and is tied for second with two saves.

Sophomore third baseman Savannah Egbert paces the Central Washington offense, entering the GNAC Championships ranked second in the conference with a .458 batting average. She leads the GNAC with 32 stolen bases and is 26th in Division II with 0.68 stolen bases per game. Freshman outfielder Katie Kastning finished the regular season with a .379 batting average, sixth in the GNAC, to go along with 12 doubles and 27 RBIs.

Western Oregon landed two first-team selections in junior second baseman Ryanne Huffman and freshman outfielder Tyler Creach. Huffman leads the WOU offense and is fourth in the GNAC with a .409 batting average. Her five triples are second in the GNAC and 30th in Division II. Creach is hitting .404 in her freshman season and is second in the league with 41 runs scored. Both Huffman and Creach have 67 hits on the season, tying for third in the conference.

Simon Fraser senior shortstop Taylor Lundrigan is a four-time All-GNAC selection and earned her only first-team selection. Lundrigan helped lead the Clan to the GNAC Championships with a .351 batting average, 40 hits and 25 RBIs. Saint Martin’s senior outfielder Lindsay Miller led the Saints with a .362 batting average, ninth in the GNAC, and is among three players tied for third in the league with 40 runs scored.

Western Washington sophomore Shearyna Labasan was selected to the first team as a utility player. At the plate, Labasan finished third in the GNAC with a .421 batting average to go along with 59 hits, 11 doubles and 17 RBIs. In the circle, Labasan finished with a 3.48 earned run average and was fourth in the GNAC in both innings pitched (142.2) and strikeouts (102).

Northwest Nazarene leads all teams with eight selections to the GNAC Softball All-Conference Team. Montana State Billings, Simon Fraser and Western Oregon each had five selections. Tracy was the only repeat first-team selection and ends her career as a three-time first-team honoree. A total of 13 honorees are repeat selections.

2018 GNAC SOFTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Player of the Year: Heather Tracy, Montana State Billings
Coach of the Year: Rich Wagner, Northwest Nazarene
Pitcher of the Year: Jordan Adams, Northwest Nazarene
Freshman of the Year: Jordan Adams, Northwest Nazarene
Newcomer of the Year: Anna Williams, Northwest Nazarene

* - Unanimous Selection   + - First Team In 2017 # - Second Team In 2017 @ - Honorable Mention In 2017
$ - First Team In 2016   ^ - Second Team In 2016   % - Honorable Mention In 2016   ! - Honorable Mention in 2015