Bearcats Tie for 13th in NCAA Division III for Home Runs in Softball Season
By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- During the shortened 2020 softball season, the Willamette University Bearcats tied for 13th in NCAA Division III with 10 home runs. The Bearcats blasted their homers in 13 games played. Willamette also earned rankings in many other team and individual categories. All rankings are unofficial since teams were unable to complete most of their schedules.
In addition to the team's national ranking for home runs, two Bearcats were tied for 33rd in the rankings for individual home runs. Jocelyn Glasgo (Sr., P/OF, Rochester, WA/Tumwater HS) and Brianna Majors (Fy, SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS) each smacked three home runs during the season.
Willamette's highest ranking among the 450 teams in NCAA Division III was in an unusual category. The Bearcats were ninth with 16 batters hit by a pitch. Bailey Hillmick (Jr., DP/UT, Athena, OR/Weston-McEwen HS) led the way, as she was hit seven times, to rank second in individual hit by pitches and fourth in hit by pitches per game (7 in 10). Vanessa Almaraz (Sr., OF, Simi Valley, CA/Simi Valley HS) was hit three times to place 49th in hit by pitches.
As a team, WU was ranked in several additional offensive categories. The Bearcats were 33rd with four sacrifice flies, 54th with 22 doubles and 60th with 40 walks. Willamette was listed 64th with 20 stolen bases. WU's team slugging percentage of .419 ranked 129th in Division III. The Bearcats placed among the top third of teams with rankings of 140th in hits (89) and 145th in runs scored (54). On defense, the Bearcats were 158th with a .949 fielding percentage.
Marykate DeLuca (Fy, C, San Diego, CA/San Diego International Studies) was 15th in the nation with two sacrifice flies. Hillmick was 45th with a .639 on-base percentage, while Glasgo placed 50th with eight stolen bases. Majors held a ranking of 53rd with 32 total bases (one base for a single, two bases for a double, etc.). Glasgo was 108th with 28 total bases.
Also on offense, Hillmick ranked 88th with 0.8 walks per game (8 in 10) and Majors was 112th with 18 hits. On the pitching rankings, Ashley Medina (Fy., P, San Ysidro, CA/Otay Ranch HS) and Glasgo each tied for 18th with one save. Medina was 35th with five complete games pitched.
Four Bearcats led Willamette's lineup with batting averages above .300 for the season. Majors hit .383 with a team-high 11 RBIs. She also tied for the team led with 11 runs scored. Hillmick batted .381 to go along with her eight walks and seven hit by pitches. Glasgo batted .349 and tied Majors with a team-high 11 runs. Shaye Mott (Fy, P/1B, Livermore, CA/Granada HS) registered a .304 batting average.
Hillmick provided a team-leading .714 slugging percentage. Glasgo and Gianna Marchese (So., 3B/1B, Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet HS/St. Martin's Univ.) tied for first on the team with four doubles. Medina pitched 44 1/3 innings on her way to a 3.47 earned run average and a 3-4 record. Medina led the team with 30 strikeouts in the circle.
On defense, DeLuca was credited with 52 putouts and seven assists with no errors for a 1.000 fielding percentage. Payten Healy (So., SS, Crescent City, CA/Del Norte HS) led the team with 27 assists, while Almaraz topped the outfielders with 29 putouts.