LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thirteen student-athletes have been named to the NFCA’s 2024 Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) All-America team, the Association announced on Thursday.
North Idaho College, the top overall seed at the 2024 NWAC Softball Championships, paced all schools with five recipients. The tournament’s second overall seed, Mt. Hood Community College, followed with three honorees and Southwestern Oregon Community College, the No. 3 seed, came in with two. All-Americans also hailed from Clackamas Community College, Lower Columbia College and Walla Walla Community College. All 13 student-athletes are earning All-America status for the first time.
North Idaho’s quintet of All-Americans powered it to a 37-1 overall record and 28-0 in the East, while securing the league’s top RPI. Freshman pitcher Kristine Schmidt (19-0, 1.80 ERA, 129 K, 5 shutouts, .99 WHIP) tops the NWAC in wins, shutouts and WHIP and is second in ERA and third in opponent’s batting average (.210). Here teammate in the bullpen, sophomore Kennedy Hobson (10-0, 3.27 ERA / .504, 29 HR, 69 RBI, 71 R, 1.264 SLG), was selected as the Joan Joyce Utility/Pitcher All-American with her designation on all collegiate All-America teams renamed last season to honor the late NFCA Hall of Famer.
Joining Schmidt and Hobson, are sophomore third baseman Kani Korok (.459, 18 HR, 70 RBI, .919 SLG), sophomore shortstop Hayden Rockwell (.479, 17 HR, 68 RBI, 1.032 SLG) and outfielder Kaylee Vieira (.484, 17 HR, 68 RBI, 61 R, 1.032 SLG). They, along with Hobson, key a prolific Cardinal offense that is No. 1 in home runs (125), total bases (1033), batting (.439), slugging (.880) and on-base percentage (.515). The four offensive players for NIC rank in top five in multiple categories.
A trio of freshmen, pitcher Bella Carazo (17-2, 1.20 ERA, 206 K), second baseman Madison Walker (.478, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 21 2B, .963 SLG) and outfielder Ava Carroll (.523, 23 2B, 81 H, 74 R) paced the Saints to a 41-4 record, the only 40-win team in the NWAC, and a No. 2 RPI. Carazo owns the league’s lowest ERA and the most strikeouts. Walker is fifth in slugging, RBI and doubles, while Carroll top three in doubles (2nd), hits (3rd) and batting average (3rd).
Sophomores Taylor Brewer and Ryleigh Blaire lead third-seeded SWOCC (34-11) in the circle and at the plate. Brewer is 16-3 with a 2.68 ERA and 160 strikeouts (2nd) over 133 innings. She owns a 1.17 WHIP (2nd) and notched five shutouts (t-1st). Blaire earned All-America status at the Designated Player or Utility/Non-Pitcher position. She leads the Lakers offensively, batting .426 with 12 doubles, nine home runs, 46 RBI and a .512 on-base percentage.
Also earning All-America honors were Clackamas sophomore first baseman Skylar Groesbeck, Lower Columbia sophomore catcher Sawyer Stenson and Walla Walla sophomore outfielder Drew Hashimoto.
Groesbeck leads the Cougars with a .431 batting average, 14 home runs, 49 RBI, 56 runs scored and an .885 slugging percentage. Stenson, who bats .444, is tied for fourth in the NWAC with 17 home runs and ranks in the top 10 with a .915 slugging percentage (10th), 63 RBI (8th) and total bases (9th). Hashimoto won the regular season batting title (.603), and heads into the NWAC championship with a slim four-point lead over her nearest competitor. She also tops the league with 25 doubles and is second in base hits (88) and on-base percentage (.645).
NFCA NWAC All-America athletes are nominated and voted on by NFCA-member head coaches to receive this prestigious accolade.
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