Concordia and
Biola battled it out all year long in the chase for the PacWest Conference softball crown, almost down to the final day before the Golden Eagles claimed the trophy.
Those two squads were also nip and tuck in the votes for the 2026 All-PacWest Conference teams and special awards. In this battle, Biola has the slight edge with three awards to two for Concordia in the annual vote of the league’s coaches.
Biola can claim
Kendall Nakano as Player of the Year,
DJ Symons as Pitcher of the Year and
Lizzie Byer as Freshman of the Year.
Concordia has
Crystal Rosenthal as Coach of the Year and
Morgan Kneubuhler as Newcomer of the Year.
Hawaii Hilo was the only one to break into the trophy list with
Lexie Tilton named the Defensive Player of the Year.
Both the Eagles and Golden Eagles had nine total players named to the First, Second, and Third teams.
Kendall Nakano’s trophy case is filling up fast. The 2026 Player of the Year was also the 2025 Freshman of the Year. This year, she was second in the PacWest with a .436 batting average and .462 on-base percentage. She had nine doubles, six home runs, drove in 48 teammates and started all 52 games for the Eagles. Defensively, she had just two errors all season long at first base.
The Pitcher of the Year is
Biola’s DJ Symons. The senior left-hander was a workhorse for the Eagles, making 38 appearances and logging 169 innings pitched. She was 15-13 with a 2.40 ERA, and had a 14-6 mark with a 1.54 ERA in conference-only games. She is the conference leader in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched, and saves (five). She fanned 125 batters and opponents hit just .240 against her.
The Defensive Player of the Year already has the 2025 version of this trophy and will now have to make room for another.
Hawaii Hilo’s Lexie Tilton was the co-winner of the award last year and she earned the coaches votes again in 2026. The leftfielder didn’t have an error all season long. Tilton led all PacWest outfielders in putouts in league games with 86 and had 102 on the season. A four-year starter in either left or centerfield, Tilton did not make an error in 2025 as well. The Vulcans have had a Defensive Player of the Year in four of the last five seasons.
The Newcomer of the Year is
Concordia’s Morgan Kneubuhler. The Mt. Sac JC transfer had 20 multiple-hit games and led the PacWest in numerous categories with 17 home runs, 55 RBI, 121 total bases and a 1.170 OPS. She also hit .401 (2nd best in entire league) and was third in hits. She smacked two home runs in three different games including vs No. 3 CSU San Marcos. Concordia now has produced the last six Newcomers of the Year.
Biola has the Freshman of the Year in
Lizzie Byer. The true freshman from Huntington Beach (Marina HS) started in 50 of 52 games in rightfield, and hit .320 on the season. She scored 20 times and drove in 17 runs. She was eighth in the conference in sacrifice bunts with eight, and she had just one error all season long in the outfield.
The Coach of the Year is no stranger to the award, having won it for the fifth time.
Concordia’s Crystal Rosenthal just led her team to their seventh PacWest regular season title in the last ten years with a 29-7 record. The Golden Eagles are 40-14 overall coming into the PacWest tournament, and will surely make their eighth straight NCAA postseason appearance next week. Rosenthal, who is also Concordia’s athletic director, is now 774-211 in her 18 seasons at CUI.
Nakano, Symons and Kneubuhler were also First Team selections. Tilton was a Second Team honoree in 2025 and this is her third all-conference honor overall.
Jessup’s Maddy Ybarra is a First Team second baseman this year after filling the First Team Utility spot last year.
Biola’s Alexa Sheard is this year’s shortstop, after being the First Team second baseman last year as Alexa Medley. BU’s
Jackie Ibarra is a repeat First Team outfielder.
Other players, in addition to Tilton, winning their third award are
Julia Doan (Azusa Pacific), Biola’s Sheard and
Jessica Im (Concordia).
Tomorrow (Tuesday) the PacWest Championships will kick-off with #1 seed Concordia facing #4 Jessup at 2 pm, followed by #2 Biola against #3 Hawaii Hilo at 5 pm. To see all tournament info, visit the Championship page
here.
| 2026 ALL-PACWEST SOFTBALL AWARDS |
| Player of the Year |
Kendall Nakano |
Biola |
| Pitcher of the Year |
DJ Symons |
Biola |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
Lexie Tilton* |
Hawai`i Hilo |
| Newcomer of the Year |
Morgan Kneubuhler |
Concordia |
| Freshman of the Year |
Lizzie Byer |
Biola |
| Coach of the Year |
Crystal Rosenthal |
Concordia |
| 2026 ALL-PACWEST SOFTBALL TEAM |
| Name |
School |
Pos. |
Class |
B/T |
Hometown/Previous School |
| FIRST TEAM |
| Morgan Kneubuhler |
Concordia |
C |
Jr. |
R/R |
Chino Hills, Calif. / Mt. Sac JC |
| Kendall Nakano* |
Biola |
1B |
So. |
R/R |
Norwalk, Calif. / Norwalk HS |
| Maddy Ybarra* |
Jessup |
2B |
Sr. |
L/R |
Roseville, Calif. / CSUDH |
| Audrey Robles* |
Concordia |
3B |
Jr. |
R/R |
Yorba Linda, Calif. / Esperanza |
| Alexa Sheard** |
Biola |
SS |
Sr. |
L/R |
Grants Pass, Ore. /Grants Pass |
| Jackie Ibarra* |
Biola |
OF |
Jr. |
L/L |
Tempe, Ariz. / Corona Del Sol |
| Julia Doan* |
Azusa Pacific |
OF |
Jr. |
L/R |
San Clemente, Calif. / Cypress |
| Maliyah Lawson |
Jessup |
OF |
Jr. |
L/R |
Roseville, Calif. / NOVA Univ. |
| DJ Symons* |
Biola |
P |
Sr. |
L/L |
Seattle, Wash. / Roosevelt HS |
| Janessa Santos |
Hawai`i Hilo |
P |
So. |
R/R |
Moreno Valley, Calif. / Pacific |
| Lillianna Garcia |
Biola |
DP |
Jr. |
R/R |
Hanford, Calif. / CSUDH |
| Gabrielle Rodriguez |
Menlo |
UT |
Sr. |
R/R |
Hollister, Calif. / Monterey Peninsula |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| SECOND TEAM |
| Summer Buck |
Chaminade |
C |
Jr. |
R/R |
Honolulu, Oahu / Kaiser HS |
| Veronica Moore |
Concordia |
1B |
Jr. |
R/R |
Westminster, Calif. / Fullerton |
| Leah Mays |
Vanguard |
2B |
Jr. |
R/R |
Beaumont, Calif. / Oregon St. |
| Kate Tobola* |
Dominican |
3B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Suisun City, Calif. / Angelo Rodriguez |
| Kamryn Walker |
Vanguard |
SS |
Jr. |
L/R |
Holtville, Calif. / Holtville HS |
| Caitlynn Campbell |
Concordia |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Ripon, Calif. /San Joaquin Delta JC |
| Rayna White* |
Hawai`i Hilo |
OF |
Sr. |
L/R |
Milliani, Oahu / Mililani HS |
| Lexie Tilton** |
Hawai`i Hilo |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Mililani, Oahu / Iolani School |
| Kacie Gossett* |
Concordia |
P |
So. |
R/R |
Upland, Calif. / Claremont HS |
| Jayden Nishi* |
Concordia |
P |
Jr. |
L/L |
Torrance, Cailf. / S. Torrance |
| Sierra Pasco |
Menlo |
DP |
Jr. |
L/L |
San Lorenzo, Calif. / San Mateo |
| Gabriella Schneider |
Chaminade |
UT |
So. |
R/R |
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. / Alta Loma |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| THIRD TEAM |
| Ariana Banos |
Biola |
C |
Sr. |
R/R |
San Antonio, Tex. / Cornerstone |
| Hannah Tipton |
Azusa Pacific |
1B |
Sr. |
R/R |
Simi Valley, Calif. / Simi Valley |
| Leilani Salgado |
Biola |
2B |
So. |
R/R |
Downey, Calif. / Downey HS |
| Kennadie Tsue* |
Biola |
3B |
Jr. |
R/R |
Pearl City, Oahu / Iolani |
| Taryn Hirano* |
Hawai`i Pacific |
SS |
So. |
R/R |
Miliani, Oahu / Mililani HS |
| Bella Fraser** |
Azusa Pacific |
OF |
Sr. |
R/R |
Orange, Calif. / Canyon HS |
| Jessica Im** |
Concordia |
OF |
Jr. |
L/R |
Antioch, Calif. / Heritage HS |
| Alyssa Struthers |
Concordia |
OF |
So. |
L/R |
Ben Lomond, Calif. / San Lorenzo Valley |
| Kayla Bousquette |
Biola |
P |
Sr. |
R/R |
Simi Valley, Calif. / Heritage |
| Mari Ipatzi |
Vanguard |
P |
Sr. |
L/L |
Oxnard, Calif. / Oxnard HS |
| Serena Velez |
Concordia |
DP |
Jr. |
R/R |
La Puente, Calif. / Compton C. |
| Megan Ireland |
Vanguard |
UT |
Sr. |
R/R |
Tempe, Ariz. / Corona Del Sol |