SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--Concordia is the 2024 Pacific West Conference softball champion, the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and the winner of a whole bunch of All-PacWest softball awards.
The Golden Eagles earned five of the six special awards, announced on the eve of the PacWest tournament which starts Wednesday at Penguin Field on the campus of Dominican University.
Concordia also had four players named to the First Team and five more earned Second Team honors. The All-PacWest Team and special awards are voted on by the conference's coaches.
The one special award that wasn't given to a Golden Eagle was the Player of the Year. Chaminade junior shortstop
Taryn Fujioka earned that honor. Fujioka led the PacWest in hitting with a .415 average and it wasn't close. Her average was more than 40 points higher than the next hitter in the conference, and she also led the league in slugging percentage (.644) and OPS (1.125). The third-year Silversword had three four-hit games and scored 26 times, fourth best in the conference. Defensively, she had 96 assists and helped turn nine double plays, the fifth highest team total in NCAA Division II.
Fujioka is the first Chaminade player to ever win the Player of the Year award.
The rest of the special awards belonged to the Golden Eagles, including Coach of the Year
Crystal Rosenthal. CUI won the PacWest regular season title by five games with a 24-4 record, and they come to San Rafael with a 36-14 overall mark and No. 17 national ranking. Rosenthal has now won three straight Coach of the Year honors and four in the last five years that the award has been given.
Concordia has also won five of the last six Pitcher of the Year awards, with the 2024 plaque going to
Cortney Koelmans. The fourth-year Golden Eagle had an 18-4 record in 2024 with a 1.26 ERA. She stepped up in many big games this year for her team, fanning 12 and 10 batters respectively against two of the region's top teams in Northwest Nazarene and CS San Marcos, and she saved the best for last late in the season with a perfect game at Azusa Pacific, facing the minimum 21 batters and fanning six of them.
CUI centerfielder
Kaia Nisby is the Defensive Player of the Year. Well known around the conference for her acrobatic, diving and leaping catches, the fourth-year Golden Eagle was a Gold Glove nominee in 2023. This year she went the entire season again without an error and also had a pair of assists. In her career, in 150 chances, she has no errors and has thrown out 12 base runners.
The future also looks bright for the Golden Eagles, who have the Newcomer and Freshman of the Year. The Newcomer is pitcher
Megan Casper, a grad senior, who made her way to Irvine after playing at UC Riverside. Casper bolstered an already strong Golden Eagle pitching staff, throwing 48 innings (16 appearances) in a combination of starts and bullpen work. She has a 4-1 mark with one save and an ERA of 2.32.
The Freshman of the Year is
Jessica Im. The speedy outfielder hit in the lead-off spot for Concordia and led the Golden Eagles in hitting with a .338 average. Her 44 hits also led the squad as did her 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts, which listed second in the PacWest. She scored 21 times and had an OPS of .829.
There were eight repeat First Team selections from the 2023 list, including
Caitlin DeCanio of Azusa Pacific who earned her third All-PacWest honor. DeCanio shared First Team first base honors this year with CUI's
Missy Nemeth. APU's
Katie Korstrom gained her third All-PacWest award as a pitcher.
Dominican's
Shelby Keltner was named to the Second Team, marking the fourth season she has earned All-PacWest honors.
Jaeda Kumaewa-Cabunoc of Chaminade, also a Second Team pick in 2024, gained her third All-PacWest selection. Third Team pick
Abie Nowak of Biola now has three all-conference certificates.
| 2024 ALL-PACWEST SOFTBALL AWARDS |
| Player of the Year |
Taryn Fujioka |
Chaminade |
| Pitcher of the Year |
Cortney Koelmans |
Concordia |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Kaia Nisby |
Concordia |
| Newcomer of the Year |
Megan Casper |
Concordia |
| Freshman of the Year |
Jessica Im |
Concordia |
| Coach of the Year |
Crystal Rosenthal |
Concordia |
| 2024 ALL-PACWEST SOFTBALL TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Class |
B/T |
Hometown/Previous School |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Keaolani Takemura-Brehme* |
Chaminade |
C |
Sr. |
R/R |
Pearl City, Oahu/Mid-Pacific Int. |
| Missy Nemeth* |
Concordia |
1B |
Gr. |
L/R |
Glendora, Calif./Glendora HS |
| Caitlin DeCanio** |
Azusa Pacific |
1B |
Jr. |
R/R |
Clovis, Calif./Clovis HS |
| Alexa Medley |
Biola |
2B |
Fr. |
L/R |
Grants Pass, Ore./Grants Pass HS |
| Gianna Kerschbaum |
Hawai`i Pacific |
3B |
So. |
R/R |
Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore HS |
| Mia Alvarez |
Azusa Pacific |
SS |
Sr. |
R/R |
Montebello, Calif./Cal Baptist |
| Kaia Nisby* |
Concordia |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Lodi, Calif./St. Mary’s HS |
| Jessica Im |
Concordia |
OF |
Fr. |
L/R |
Antioch, Calif./Heritage HS |
| Olivia Lee* |
Dominican |
OF |
Sr. |
L/R |
Concord, Calif. / Holy Names Univ. |
| Katie Korstrom** |
Azusa Pacific |
P |
Sr. |
R/R |
Abbotsford, BC/Yale Secondary |
| Cortney Koelmans* |
Concordia |
P |
Sr. |
R/R |
Oakdale, Calif./Oakdale HS |
| Larchelle Tuifao* |
Chaminade |
DP |
Jr. |
R/R |
Ewa Beach, Hawai`i/Kapolei HS |
| Jewel Larson |
Hawai`i Pacific |
UT |
Jr. |
R/R |
Waipahu, Hawai`i/Pearl City HS |
| SECOND TEAM |
| Shelby Pfeiler* |
Concordia |
C |
Jr. |
R/R |
Rancho Cordova, Calif./Folsom HS |
| Mary Baccay* |
Concordia |
2B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Elk Grove, Calif./Cosumnes River CC |
| Jaeda Kumaewa-Cabunoc** |
Chaminade |
3B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Kaneohe, Hawai`i/Roosevelt HS |
| Taryn Fujioka* |
Chaminade |
SS |
Jr. |
L/R |
Aiea, Hawai`i/Pearl City HS |
| Rayna White |
Hawai`i Hilo |
OF |
So. |
L/R |
Mililani, Hawai`i/Mililani HS |
| Bella Fraser |
Azusa Pacific |
OF |
So. |
R/R |
Orange, Calif./Canyon HS |
| Megan Johnson |
Concordia |
OF |
Sr. |
L/R |
Turlock, Calif./Pitman HS |
| Katlin Entrup** |
Concordia |
P |
Sr. |
R/R |
Claremont, Calif./Univ. of San Diego |
| Shelby Keltner*** |
Dominican |
P |
Sr. |
R/R |
Redding, Calif./Enterprise HS |
| Raylene Roybal* |
Biola |
DP |
Sr. |
R/R |
Pico Rivera, Calif./Calvary Chapel |
| Michalah Robison |
Concordia |
UT |
Sr. |
R/R |
Penryn, Calif./Del Oro HS |
| THIRD TEAM |
| Brie Nowak* |
Biola |
C |
Sr. |
R/R |
Winchester, Calif./Vista Murrieta HS |
| Abie Nowak** |
Biola |
1B |
Sr. |
L/R |
Winchester, Calif./Vista Murrieta HS |
| Sommer Quinones |
Azusa Pacific |
2B |
Jr. |
L/R |
West Covina, Calif./Bishop Amat |
| Jayda Fevela |
Hawai`i Hilo |
SS |
So. |
L/R |
Ewa Beach, Hawai`i/Campbell HS |
| Kaitlyn Hawkins* |
Biola |
3B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Ontario Christian |
| Lexie Tilton |
Hawai`i Hilo |
OF |
So. |
R/R |
Mililani, Hawai`i/Iolani School |
| Cailee Grayhorse-Pupecki* |
Academy of Art |
OF |
Sr. |
L/R |
Los Angeles, Calif./Venice HS |
| Ally Chin |
Azusa Pacific |
OF |
Sr. |
L/R |
El Cerrito, Calif./El Cerrito HS |
| Chloe Sales |
Hawai`i Hilo |
P |
Jr. |
L/L |
Ewa Beach, Hawai`i/Weatherford |
| Raylene Roybal* |
Biola |
P |
Sr. |
R/R |
Pico Rivera, Calif./Calvary Chapel |
| Aly Montesino |
Azusa Pacific |
DP |
Sr. |
L/L |
Murrieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta HS |
| Alexis Folks |
Academy of Art |
UT |
Jr. |
L/R |
Wheat Ridge, Colo./Northeast CC |
*
Previous All-PacWest Selection