“We were fortunate to find Kayla during the late recruiting period,” said Powers. “She is going to make a good addition to our program and I expect her to make an impact in the middle of our hitting lineup next season. She will also compete in the outfield and give us depth at first base.”
KAYLA SHUSTER-GONZALES
Outfield/First Base, R/R, 5’8”, Escondido, Calif./San Pasqual
A four-year varsity starter at San Pasqual High School in Escondido, Calif., Kayla Shuster-Gonzales is a three-time All-District Team honoree. Still in competition during her senior season, she helped lead the Eagles to playoff appearances in her first three seasons. In 2010, she recorded seven total home runs, with two in a single game including a walk-off home run in extra innings. She is a two-time 4.0 Academic Athlete Award winner at SPHS (2010, 2012), was named Rookie of the Year in 2010, and received the 2011 Golden Eagle Award for inspiration and leadership. Academically, she is ranked in the top seven percent of her graduating class, was named to the Principal’s Honor Roll all four years, received the Compass Scholar Award, and earned a 4.0 GPA during her freshman, junior, and senior years. She has competed with several club teams including the San Diego Renegades 14U (2009, 2010), The Next Level 16U (2011), The Next Level 18U Gold (2012), and San Diego Legacy 18U Gold (2013). In 2009, she helped lead the San Diego Renegades 14U to a second place finish at Western Nationals and in 2010, she helped lead the team to an ASA Nationals appearance. Shuster-Gonzales also enjoys helping her community with the Escondido Girls Softball League as well as volunteering with Kinder Care.
The Seattle U softball team has two more regular season conference series and a non-conference doubleheader to finish out the 2013 regular season. The Redhawks face Western Athletic Conference leader, New Mexico State, in Las Cruces, N.M. this weekend, for a single game on Friday, Apr. 26 at 5 p.m. PT and a doubleheader on Saturday, Apr. 27 at 3 p.m. PT. Stay up to date with Redhawk Athletics on GoSeattleU.com, @su_athletics on Twitter, and Seattle U Athletics on Facebook.