LOGAN, Utah – The Mountain West Conference announced its annual postseason softball honors on Tuesday. Utah State was well-represented, as a program-record seven Aggies earned all-conference recognition, including a program-record three players on the league’s first team.
Included on the all-Mountain West first team were junior catcher Grace Matej, junior outfielder Kya Pratt and sophomore outfielder Tatum Silva. Second teamers include the senior infield trio of Ariel Fifita, Giselle Gonzalez and Claudia Medina. Senior outfielder Olivia Marble is the final honoree, earning a spot on the league’s honorable mention team.
The previous record for all-MW honorees by Utah State was four in 2015. The most all-conference honorees in any league was six in the High Country Athletic Conference back in 1986.
Matej, a native of Orangevale, California, was the lone Aggie to earn all-conference honors last season as she was a member of the league’s second team. She earned a spot on the first team this year after hitting .406 (28-for-69) in conference play, ninth best in the Mountain West. Her .870 slugging percentage ranks second in the conference while her .494 on-base percentage ranks sixth. She hit eight home runs (2nd in MW) and six doubles (6th in MW), totaling 60 bases (2nd in MW). Her 28 hits rank seventh in the league, her 16 runs scored rank 12th and her 12 walks drawn rank ninth. As a part-time catcher, Matej posted a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 23 putouts and three assists with no errors.
Pratt, a native of Temecula, California, posted a .409 (27-for-66) batting average in league play, eighth best in the conference. Her .773 slugging percentage ranks third in the conference, while her .473 on-base percentage ranks 10th. She has recorded six doubles (6th in MW) and six home runs (6th in MW), while batting in 23 runs, fourth-most in the Mountain West. Her 51 total bases rank third in the league, while her 27 hits rank eighth. As a fielder, Pratt has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 37 putouts, two assists and no errors.
Silva, a native of Rescue, California, is one of just five underclassmen on the first team. She led the Aggies and ranked third in the conference in batting average in league play, going 27-for-55 (.491) at the plate. She posted the second-best on-base percentage in the league at .554, along with a .618 slugging percentage. She has hit a double and three triples (2nd in MW), while totaling 23 RBIs and 14 runs scored. In the outfield, Silva has a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage with 21 putouts and no errors.
Fifita, a native of San Marcos, California, posted a .352 (25-for-71) batting average in conference play while ranking sixth in the league in RBIs with 21 and fourth in runs scored, also with 21. Fifita hit eight doubles, third-most in the conference, along with a triple and three home runs. She ranked 10th in the league in total bases with 44 and sixth in walks drawn with 13, as she ranked in the top 15 in both slugging percentage (.620) and on-base percentage (.466). As a shortstop, Fifita ranked third in the conference in assists with 58 and eighth in fielding double plays with six, posting a .967 fielding percentage with 30 putouts, 58 assists and three errors.
Gonzalez, a native of San Diego, California, posted a .310 (22-for-71) batting average in league play with 26 RBIs, third-most in the conference. She had two doubles and eight home runs (2nd in MW) for a .767 slugging percentage and a .407 on-base percentage, while tallying 14 runs scored. Her 48 total bases rank fifth in the league and her five times being hit by a pitch rank second. At first base, Gonzalez led the Mountain West in putouts with 185 and ranked second in fielding double plays with 10, recording a .984 fielding percentage with 185 putouts, two assists and three errors.
Medina, a native of West Sacramento, California, posted the seventh-best batting average in the league and second-best on the team as she went 25-for-61 (.410) at the plate in conference play. She recorded four doubles and two home runs, totaling 35 bases. She ranked in the top 20 in the league in both slugging percentage (.574) and on-base percentage (.446), recording 10 RBIs and 12 runs scored. As a second baseman, Medina ranked second in the league in assists with 60, posting a .957 fielding percentage with 28 putouts, 60 assists and four errors.
Marble, a native of Deweyville, Utah, earned honorable mention accolades after ranking 10th in the conference in batting average at .400 (26-for-65) in league play. Marble scored 17 runs, 11th-most in the Mountain West, while tallying eight RBIs with four doubles, a triple and two home runs. Her .487 on-base percentage ranks eighth, while her .585 slugging percentage ranks 16th. In center field, Marble posted a .949 fielding percentage with 35 putouts, two assists and two errors.
