Five Cougars Earn First Team All-Conference Honors After Historic Season

Following one of the most successful seasons in program history, five Lassen College softball players earned First Team All-Golden Valley Conference honors after helping lead the Cougars to a second place conference finish and the program’s first playoff appearance in 19 years.

Sophomore shortstop Taylor Lauritsen capped off an outstanding season by hitting .421 with 56 hits, 35 RBIs, 12 doubles, and a .586 slugging percentage while starting all 41 games for the Cougars. Lauritsen was one of the most consistent hitters in the conference throughout the season and also provided strong defense up the middle with 67 putouts and 59 assists.

Sophomore Tristyn Lenz earned first team honors after batting .368 with 43 hits, 20 RBIs, and a .424 on-base percentage in 39 games. Lenz consistently delivered timely hits throughout conference play and became one of the team’s most reliable offensive threats in the middle of the lineup.

Freshman first baseman Jhan'z Kaawa-Kawai put together one of the best offensive seasons in Lassen softball history. Kaawa-Kawai finished the year hitting .353 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs while posting an impressive .727 slugging percentage. Defensively, she committed just one error all season at first base and recorded a .995 fielding percentage.

Sophomore outfielder Nadia Velazquez also earned First Team All-Conference recognition after serving as a spark plug at the top of the Cougar lineup all season long. Velazquez scored 32 runs, stole eight bases, and posted a .404 on-base percentage while appearing in all 41 games. Defensively, she was flawless in center field, finishing the season without committing an error.

In the circle, sophomore Abby Lynn earned First Team All-Conference honors after leading the Cougar pitching staff with 10 wins and 92.2 innings pitched. Lynn recorded a 3.63 ERA while helping anchor a Lassen staff that guided the program to 25 overall wins and a 15-5 conference record.

The five all-conference selections helped lead Lassen to one of the most memorable seasons in school history, as the Cougars earned the No. 16 seed in the 3C2A playoffs and returned to postseason play for the first time since 2007.