Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of Hawaii Pacific University

IRVINE, Calif. – Hawai’i Pacific University’s Noel Saunders and Taylor Thompson were selected to the 2022 All-PacWest Conference Softball Team announced on Tuesday by the conference office.

Saunders was named to the All-PacWest Second Team and Thompson to the All-PacWest Third Team by a vote of the conference head coaches.

Saunders, a junior outfielder from Pearl City, Hawai’i/Pearl City, led the Sharks with a .327 batting average to rank 13th in the conference. She chalked up 11 doubles (eighth in the PacWest), two triples and one home run to lead HPU and rank ninth in the PacWest with 24 RBI. She recorded a .442 slugging percentage and an on base percentage of .394. Saunders also posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with two outfield assists from her center field position.

Thompson, a freshman from Phoenix, Ariz./Pinnacle, recorded a 12-14 record for the Sharks with a team-leading 2.28 earned run average. She ranked third in the PacWest with 119 strikeouts and hurled three shutouts. She ranked third in the PacWest with 165.2 innings pitched, was second in the conference with 21 complete games, and seventh in the league with an opposing batting average of .217

The Sharks finished at 23-25 overall, and fourth in the PacWest with a 17-15 record, ending the season on a seven-game winning streak.

The conference also named the special award winners. Concordia Irvine had the PacWest Player of the Year in outfielder Megan Massa, while the PacWest Pitcher of the Year was Biola’s Paige Austin. CUI got the PacWest Newcomer of the Year in pitcher Katlin Entrup, while the Freshman of the Year was Hawai’i Hilo shortstop Jayda Favela. UH Hilo first base Skylar Thomas was selected the PacWest Defender of the Year. Concordia’s Crystal Rosenthal was chosen the PacWest Coach of the Year by her peers.