It was announced earlier today that the University of Redlands softball team landed six student-athletes among the All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Teams, as decided upon the head coaches during their end-of-season meeting. Senior second baseman Vicki King (Thousand Oaks, CA) and senior center-fielder AJ Carrasco (Whittier, CA) represent the Bulldogs on the First Team, while senior left-fielder Grace Rose (Villa Park, CA), senior catcher Dani Santos (West Covina, CA), and senior pitcher Lauren Henson (Highland, CA) collected Second-Team honors. Furthermore, sophomore third baseman Summer Smith (San Bernardino, CA) gained Redlands' spot on the SCIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
King collects her second First-Team nod and third overall All-Conference award in the final year of her career. In 28 SCIAC games played this season, she has put together a slugging percentage of .652 and a batting average of .326 off of 29 hits that include seven doubles, a pair of triples, and six home runs, which rank her among the best in the conference. She has tallied 27 RBI for third-best among the SCIAC foes while also touching home 17 times. On defense, she has contributed 117 putouts and 36 assists for a fielding percentage of .981.
Carrasco lands on the First Team for the third-consecutive season. While competing in all 28 conference games as the leadoff hitter, she owns a slugging percentage of .738 and a .438 batting average, which places her second in the SCIAC. In conference competition, she has uncorked 35 hits, as highlighted by four two-baggers, four triples to lead the SCIAC, and four home runs. Carrasco has scored 28 times to rank third in the SCIAC. Her conference-leading on-base percentage of .533 has stemmed from reaching on 17 walks and striking out only twice. In addition, her speed has allowed her to swipe 16 bags for the most among the conference foes. While patrolling center field, she owns a perfect fielding percentage with 54 putouts and six assists.
While earning their inaugural All-SCIAC awards, Henson, Santos, and Rose represent the Maroon and Gray on the Second Team.
Rose receives this honor following the best season of her four-year career. While ranking among the top five in the conference, she has tallied a batting average of .424 with 36 hits, five of which were doubles. She has scored 14 times, provided nine RBI, and swiped five bases. After supplying 27 putouts in left field, she also boasts an unblemished fielding percentage during conference competition.
Santos has served as the Bulldogs' catcher in 21 conference games, during which she garnered a batting average of .356 with 16 hits, including three doubles and three home runs. She also accounted for 11 RBI and seven runs against SCIAC foes. Behind the plate, she was perfect on defense with 16 putouts and four assists while contributing to one double play.
Henson has served as the team's starting pitcher in 12 conference games out of her 15 appearances en route to seven wins and one shutout. Her most notable win came on April 1 when she threw a complete game en route to a 3-2 showing against the eventual SCIAC champions from the University of La Verne. In conference competition, she owns an ERA of 2.73 in 82 innings pitched this season. In 22 total chances, her defensive effort has been flawless against SCIAC foes.
Smith represents the Bulldogs on the SCIAC All-Sportsmanship Team as a first-year competitor for Redlands. While playing in 25 conference games, she tallied 11 hits, including two doubles and a round-tripper, while amassing six RBI and 10 runs scored. She provided 10 sacrifice hits and sacrifice flies. She recorded a .957 fielding percentage at the hot corner with 55 assists and 11 putouts.
Redlands (26-14, 16-12) finished third in the regular-season conference standings and now looks forward to competing in the SCIAC Postseason Tournament on Friday, May 6, and Saturday, May 7. The Bulldogs square off against the No. 2-seeded Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges on Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the University of La Verne's Campus West Softball Field.