Tuesday, April 30, 2024
by Evan O'Kelly, Assistant Commissioner For Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – Ahead of Thursday’s opening round of the 2024 GNAC Softball Championships, players from the top-two seeds took home the top awards as the all-conference team was announced on Tuesday.

Western Washington sophomore Hailey Rath, who led the GNAC in hitting during the 2024 campaign with a .395 batting average, was voted by the coaches as the GNAC Player of the Year. Northwest Nazarene senior Sidney Booth became the first player in conference history to be named the GNAC Pitcher of the Year three times, after she claimed the award in both the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

Western Oregon senior pitcher Mackenzee Collins was named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, and Saint Martin’s third baseman Heather Ebner was selected as the GNAC Freshman of the Year. After piloting Western Washington to a program-record 39 victories during the regular season, Viking skipper Sheryl Gilmore earned her first GNAC Coach of the Year honor.

In addition to her near-.400 batting average, Rath ranked second in the conference with 42 RBIs, tied for first with 13 doubles and tied for fourth with seven home runs. Rath’s 62 hits were the most of any GNAC player, and she ranked fourth in the GNAC in slugging at .637 and seventh in on-base percentage at .427. Rath became the sixth player in the league’s history to win both the GNAC Freshman of the Year (2023) and GNAC Player of the Year awards, and the first to do so in back-to-back seasons. After becoming the third Viking to win the GNAC Freshman of the Year award last season, Rath became the fourth Viking to win the GNAC Player of the Year honor as she joined Emily Benson (2019), Alexie Levin (2014) and Liza Teichler (2007).

Leading the GNAC with 162 strikeouts this spring, Booth made history with her third GNAC Pitcher of the Year honor. The senior left-hander led the conference with 22 wins and an opponents’ batting average of .176, while ranking second in ERA (1.32) and innings pitched (153 2/3). Booth authored a league-leading nine shutouts and added a pair of saves as she helped the Nighthawks capture their fourth consecutive GNAC regular-season title. Booth also became the eighth player in GNAC history to earn first-team all-conference four times, and is the first Nighthawk with that achievement.

In her first year after transferring from UTEP, Collins was right behind Booth with 155 strikeouts across her 152 1/3 innings of work for the Wolves. The right-hander ranked fifth in the league with an ERA of 1.98, fourth with an opponents’ batting average of .211 and seventh with nine victories. Collins broke the WOU single-game record with 16 strikeouts in a nine-inning effort against Simon Fraser on March 30, on the way to one of her two GNAC Pitcher of the Week awards this spring. She is the third Wolves player to garner GNAC Newcomer of the Year, joining Katie Fleer (2008) and Shannon Prochaska (2005).

Ebner was a big reason for the Saints’ success this spring, as the freshman led her team to a third-place finish in the conference standings. Ebner ranked second in the GNAC with a .377 batting average, second with a .656 slugging percentage and first in on-base percentage at .487. Ebner delivered seven home runs and a league-third best 39 RBIs, and she tied Rath for the most doubles in the league with 13. Ebner becomes the sixth Saint to win GNAC Freshman of the Year, joining Chloe Leverington (2022), Britney Patrick (2021), Sam Munger (2012), Lacey McGladrey (2011) and Joslyn Eugenio (2010). SMU’s six award winners are the most of any GNAC school since the conference was founded in 2002.

Gilmore became the third Viking to earn GNAC Coach of the Year, joining Amy Suiter (2011) and Lonnie Hicks (2007). WWU’s historic season began with a GNAC-record 13-game winning streak to open the season and featured a school-record 17-game winning streak. Currently ranked No. 14 in the NFCA top-25 poll, the Vikings have appeared in the rankings all season long rising to as high as No. 11.

Joining Booth on the first team were fellow pitcher Gina Skinner and senior second baseman Emma Mulligan. Skinner ranked fourth in the GNAC with a 1.42 ERA, fifth in opponents’ batting average at .219 and she earned 13 victories across her 103 2/3 innings pitched. After missing last season with an injury, Mulligan started all 45 games for the GNAC champion Nighthawks, batting .320 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. Mulligan also ranked second in the conference with 18 stolen bases, and committed just six errors in 209 chances at second base for a fielding percentage of .971.

Along with Rath, WWU first baseman Ashley Jacobson and third baseman Maleah Andrews were first-team all-conference selections. Jacobson hit .338 with seven long balls and 29 RBIs, while Andrews batted .338 with 12 doubles, four home runs and a team-high 41 runs scored.

Ebner wasn’t the only SMU freshman to garner first-team recognition, as outfielder Ashley Goodale earned a spot in her first collegiate season. Goodale matched Ebner with a .377 batting average, while ranking second in the conference with an on-base percentage of .452. Goodale started 40 games for the Saints, while striking out just 10 times in 161 plate appearances and stealing four bases.

Veteran catcher Alyssa Benthagen represented Central Washington on the first team, after capping her final regular season by leading the Wildcats back into the conference tournament as the No. 4 seed. Benthagen led CWU with a .336 batting average, three home runs and 21 RBIs, while starting all 45 games and handling the pitching staff.

Along with Collins, WOU’s Kate Ronning garnered first-team all-conference recognition. The utility player, who played 29 games at second base and 17 at third, batted .311 with six doubles, 15 RBIs and five stolen bases.

Simon Fraser landed a pair of first-team all-conference outfielders in senior Megan Duclos and junior Abby McGlynn. Duclos hit .326 with 20 RBIs and a GNAC-leading 29 stolen bases, and became the conference’s all-time stolen base leader with a total of 87 reached on her final day as a collegiate player. McGlynn posted a .292 batting average while starting all 42 games for the Red Leafs, and led the team with six home runs while driving in 20.

Among the conference’s leading sluggers in 2024 was Teagan Seeton of Montana State Billings, who also earned first-team recognition. The junior led the GNAC with a school-record 16 home runs during the regular season, and posted the conference’s top slugging percentage at .720. Seeton drove in 37 runs while ranking second in the league with 39 runs scored and 53 hits.