PHOENIX – Seattle University softball placed a league-high seven Redhawks on the 2019 All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Teams, released by the conference Tuesday night. Ally Choate, Carley Nance, and Bailey Thompson were named First Team, while Madison Cathcart, Andie Larkins, Kaylee Ree, and Olivia Viggiano claimed Second Team honors.
Seattle U won its first-ever WAC regular-season title and will look for its first WAC Tournament crown this week. It has set a Division I program record with 36 wins in 2019.
Choate, after earning All-WAC First Team as a freshman in 2018, followed with an even better campaign this year. The native of Yelm, Wash., led the WAC in batting average (.411), on-base percentage (.468), hits (69), and tied for the league lead in runs scored (45). The sophomore rightfielder has six doubles, three triples, and two home runs this season.
Nance was an All-WAC Second Team choice in 2018. As a redshirt sophomore, Nance has continued her excellence in the pitching circle and added a power element to the SU lineup offensively. She paced the WAC with a 1.95 ERA in 28 appearances. Nance went 16-8 with 11 complete games and 89 strikeouts. At the plate, the native of Maple Valley, Wash., hit .283 with five home runs and five doubles.
Thompson, a 2018 All-WAC Second Team pick, upped her production as well this season. The Tuscon, Ariz., native batted .315 with a .432 on-base percentage and a .622 slugging percentage. Thompson smashed 12 homers and eight doubles to go with 18 walks and 13 hit by pitches. The sophomore catcher was terrific in WAC play, topping the league in on-base percentage (.523) and slugging percentage (.765).
In 2018, Cathcart was chosen All-WAC First Team. She followed up with another stellar season, hitting .322 with a WAC-high 51 RBIs and 29 walks. The junior recorded 11 home runs and 11 doubles in 50 starts at first base. Cathcart hit a walk-off home run to beat New Mexico State on March 30, lifting SU to its first-ever series win over the Aggies.
Larkins put together a tremendous senior year, collecting her second straight All-WAC Second Team award. The Tuscon, Ariz., native went 12-3 with a 2.33 ERA in 22 appearances in the circle. In WAC action, Larkins was superior, going 5-0 with a 1.32 ERA in 47.2 innings of work. The righthander was the lone WAC hurler to go unbeaten with more than one win in conference play this year. She pitched the fourth no-hitter in program history on April 20, blanking CSU Bakersfield for five innings at Logan Field.
Ree wrapped up her career with another splendid campaign. The 2018 All-WAC Second Team choice came back to bat .333 with 10 doubles and four homers in 2019. She was magnificent in conference play, leading the WAC with a .450 batting average and 27 hits across 18 games. The Gresham, Ore., native hit a walk-off single to help the Redhawks beat NM State on March 29 at Logan Field.
Viggiano immediately established herself as a threat at the top of the SU order in her rookie season. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native hit .335 with 20 stolen bases and 45 runs scored in 51 starts in centerfield. She tied for the WAC regular-season lead in steals and runs and ranked fourth in hits (57).
The Redhawks earned a bye and will open WAC Tournament action on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.