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Grand Canyon University Athletics
GCU Head Coach Ann Pierson was selected the PacWest Coach of the Year.
Barak, Pierson Earn Top PacWest Honors
5/3/2012 9:08:00 PM | Softball
Six Players Selected All-PacWest
Grand Canyon picked up three of the five top individual awards and placed six players on the 2012 All-PacWest Softball Team, released by the league office today.
Shortstop Kelsey Barak was named the league’s Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Head coach Ann Pierson was named Coach of the Year.
Barak, first baseman Lauren Regester, outfielder Kara Holtorf and flex Kiley Raica were all chosen for the first team. Nicole Upshaw and Claire Zampini were named to the second team as its designated player and utility player, respectively.
“This is a great acknowledgement of their hard work all year long,” said Pierson of her recognized players. “They’re a team of coachable kids that have worked to get better to play at this level. It’s a true testament of their coachability, work ethic and talents.”
Barak, a freshman from Fontana, Calif., is in the conference’s top 10 in 17 different categories and in the top five in 14. She leads the league in hits (72), RBI (54) sacrifice flies (6), total plate appearances (204) and assists (173).
She is second in double plays turned (20), total bases (124) and triples (6) and third in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.485). Barak ranks fourth in the conference in slugging percentage (.694), runs scored (42) and at-bats (170) and fifth in defensive chances (274).
“She’s a tremendous player on both sides of the ball,” said Pierson. “She’s had an outstanding year and what a great honor to be chosen by other coaches as the best of the best. I’m proud of Kelsey and all of our honorees.”
It’s the second time in three years GCU has had the PacWest Player of the Year. Teddy Barry won the award in 2010. It is the second straight year GCU has had the PacWest Freshman of the Year honor. It was won by Zampini in 2011.
Pierson is in her ninth season and is the only coach in GCU softball history. Earlier this year she reached the 250-win mark of her career and has an all-time record of 251-219-2.
Her club’s performance in 2012 surprised many. The Antelopes were picked to finish fourth in the PacWest. With a lineup that many times included six freshmen and two sophomores, they finished third and earned the program’s second NCAA tournament bid in the last three years. GCU is 34-19 on the season and finished 21-9 in the PacWest.
“It starts with two great assistant coaches (Bryanne Norris and Katie Cochran) and their tireless hours and goes to a team of tremendous players and people,” Pierson said. “It’s a great honor to be chosen by all the coaches of the PacWest that I have so much respect for. I’m humbled by the honor.”
Regester, Holtorf and Raica joined Barak on the first team.
Regester, a freshman from Chandler, Ariz., has been GCU’s starting first baseman in all 53 games. She is the conference leader in fielding double plays with 28 and leads in putouts with 459. She’s hitting .339 with a team-best 13 doubles, ranking fourth in the conference. She’s tied for second on the Antelopes in homers with four and also has three triples, which is eighth in the league. Her 59 hits rank eighth in the league. She has 41 RBI, which is sixth in the PacWest.
Holtorf has saved her best season for last. The senior from Peoria, Ariz., has set school-career marks in stolen bases, runs scored and at-bats, while hitting a robust .387, eighth in the PacWest. Holtorf has 54 career stolen bases, 172 runs scored and 735 at-bats. She’s second all-time in hits with 244.
This season, she fell one-game shy of tying the school-record for longest hitting streak when her consecutive game mark stopped at 15 against California Baptist. She currently has a 10-game streak heading into Friday’s NCAA West Region contest against No. 10 CSU Dominguez Hills.
Holtorf leads the PacWest with 46 runs scored and is third in hits with 67. She’s fifth in stolen bases with 14.
Raica, from Tucson, Ariz., was selected to the first team as its flex player. Another freshman, Raica has been GCU’s most active pitcher, both as a starter and reliever. Raica is 13-7 with a 2.92 ERA and has a four saves, to lead the PacWest. She’s thrown 13 complete games and has five shutouts.
Zampini, who has played both in the outfield and at second base, was the PacWest’s second-team utility player. She is hitting .317 with 16 RBI and has a .439 on-base percentage. Along with 38 hits, she has reached 18 times via a base on balls and nine more by being hit by pitch. She is one of four GCU players with double-figure stolen bases with 10.
Upshaw, Grand Canyon’s fourth freshman to receive all-conference accolades, has started the last 24 games as the team’s designated player. She has jumped in and been one of the club’s most productive hitters. Though ninth on the team in at-bats, Upshaw is tied for second in homers (4), tied for fourth in doubles (7) and third in RBI (26). She is second in slugging percentage (.534) and is fourth on the team in batting average at .350.
GCU takes on CSU Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. at 2:30 p.m. Friday in the second of two games in the NCAA West Region I tournament. Fans unable to attend can follow the action with live links available at www.GCULopes.com.
ALL-PACWEST TEAM
Shortstop Kelsey Barak was named the league’s Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Head coach Ann Pierson was named Coach of the Year.
Barak, first baseman Lauren Regester, outfielder Kara Holtorf and flex Kiley Raica were all chosen for the first team. Nicole Upshaw and Claire Zampini were named to the second team as its designated player and utility player, respectively.
“This is a great acknowledgement of their hard work all year long,” said Pierson of her recognized players. “They’re a team of coachable kids that have worked to get better to play at this level. It’s a true testament of their coachability, work ethic and talents.”
Barak, a freshman from Fontana, Calif., is in the conference’s top 10 in 17 different categories and in the top five in 14. She leads the league in hits (72), RBI (54) sacrifice flies (6), total plate appearances (204) and assists (173).
She is second in double plays turned (20), total bases (124) and triples (6) and third in batting average (.424), on-base percentage (.485). Barak ranks fourth in the conference in slugging percentage (.694), runs scored (42) and at-bats (170) and fifth in defensive chances (274).
“She’s a tremendous player on both sides of the ball,” said Pierson. “She’s had an outstanding year and what a great honor to be chosen by other coaches as the best of the best. I’m proud of Kelsey and all of our honorees.”
It’s the second time in three years GCU has had the PacWest Player of the Year. Teddy Barry won the award in 2010. It is the second straight year GCU has had the PacWest Freshman of the Year honor. It was won by Zampini in 2011.
Pierson is in her ninth season and is the only coach in GCU softball history. Earlier this year she reached the 250-win mark of her career and has an all-time record of 251-219-2.
Her club’s performance in 2012 surprised many. The Antelopes were picked to finish fourth in the PacWest. With a lineup that many times included six freshmen and two sophomores, they finished third and earned the program’s second NCAA tournament bid in the last three years. GCU is 34-19 on the season and finished 21-9 in the PacWest.
“It starts with two great assistant coaches (Bryanne Norris and Katie Cochran) and their tireless hours and goes to a team of tremendous players and people,” Pierson said. “It’s a great honor to be chosen by all the coaches of the PacWest that I have so much respect for. I’m humbled by the honor.”
Regester, Holtorf and Raica joined Barak on the first team.
Regester, a freshman from Chandler, Ariz., has been GCU’s starting first baseman in all 53 games. She is the conference leader in fielding double plays with 28 and leads in putouts with 459. She’s hitting .339 with a team-best 13 doubles, ranking fourth in the conference. She’s tied for second on the Antelopes in homers with four and also has three triples, which is eighth in the league. Her 59 hits rank eighth in the league. She has 41 RBI, which is sixth in the PacWest.
Holtorf has saved her best season for last. The senior from Peoria, Ariz., has set school-career marks in stolen bases, runs scored and at-bats, while hitting a robust .387, eighth in the PacWest. Holtorf has 54 career stolen bases, 172 runs scored and 735 at-bats. She’s second all-time in hits with 244.
This season, she fell one-game shy of tying the school-record for longest hitting streak when her consecutive game mark stopped at 15 against California Baptist. She currently has a 10-game streak heading into Friday’s NCAA West Region contest against No. 10 CSU Dominguez Hills.
Holtorf leads the PacWest with 46 runs scored and is third in hits with 67. She’s fifth in stolen bases with 14.
Raica, from Tucson, Ariz., was selected to the first team as its flex player. Another freshman, Raica has been GCU’s most active pitcher, both as a starter and reliever. Raica is 13-7 with a 2.92 ERA and has a four saves, to lead the PacWest. She’s thrown 13 complete games and has five shutouts.
Zampini, who has played both in the outfield and at second base, was the PacWest’s second-team utility player. She is hitting .317 with 16 RBI and has a .439 on-base percentage. Along with 38 hits, she has reached 18 times via a base on balls and nine more by being hit by pitch. She is one of four GCU players with double-figure stolen bases with 10.
Upshaw, Grand Canyon’s fourth freshman to receive all-conference accolades, has started the last 24 games as the team’s designated player. She has jumped in and been one of the club’s most productive hitters. Though ninth on the team in at-bats, Upshaw is tied for second in homers (4), tied for fourth in doubles (7) and third in RBI (26). She is second in slugging percentage (.534) and is fourth on the team in batting average at .350.
GCU takes on CSU Dominguez Hills in Carson, Calif. at 2:30 p.m. Friday in the second of two games in the NCAA West Region I tournament. Fans unable to attend can follow the action with live links available at www.GCULopes.com.
ALL-PACWEST TEAM
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