Softball Team and 13 Players Receive Academic Honors from NFCA

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) logo net to an NCAA softball
August 4, 2023

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- The Willamette University softball team has been recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) for its exceptional team grade point average in 2022-23. In addition, 13 Bearcats have been honored as Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes.

Qualifying for the individual honor were Adele Benny (Sr., OF, Bee Cave, TX/Lake Travis HS), Carrie Dose (Sr., 1B/P, Eugene, OR/Churchill HS/Buena Vista Univ.), Cora Erickson (Jr., C, Issaquah, WA/Issaquah HS), Kendra Knapp (Sr., OF, Portland, OR/Sunset HS), Julia Koorn (Jr., 1B/3B, Purmerend, Netherlands), Samantha Loomis (Grad., P, Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo HS/Marymount Univ.), Sophia Lucio (So., OF, Martinez, CA/College Park HS), Mia Lund (Jr., OF/UT, Omaha, NE/Westside HS), Brianna Majors (Sr., SS/2B, San Diego, CA/Cathedral Catholic HS), Gianna Marchese (Grad., 3B/1B, Seattle, WA/Bishop Blanchet HS/St. Martin's Univ.), Alexandra Richards (So., OF, Bellevue, WA/Newport HS), Mia Rogers (Fy. 2B/SS/P), and Maggie Sawyer (FY., UT, Boise, ID/Borah HS).

Willamette players qualifying All-America Scholar-Athlete status for the third year in a row were Lucio, and Lund. Players honored for the second consecutive year were Benny, Dose, Knapp, Loomis, Majors, Marchese, and Richards.

Teams included on the NFCA's list achieved a team GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale in 2022-23. Willamette ended the year with a 3.46 team GPA.

Softball players earned All-America Scholar-Athlete status by achieving a 3.5 or higher GPA during the 2022-23 academic year. A total of 8,297 softball players at the NCAA, NAIA, and junior college levels were named All-America Scholar-Athletes. NCAA Division III, which includes Willamette, placed 2,369 student-athletes on the list.

"I'm really proud of the way the girls place a priority on their studies," Willamette Head Softball Coach Paige Hall said. "Willamette does a great job of setting students up for success even when we are in the heart of our season."

Note:  Academic year listed for each student-athlete is for the 2023 season

Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes

Headshot of Adele Benny Adele Benny (Sr., OF) played in 26 games this season. She scored 10 runs and was 6 for 6 on stolen bases. On defense, she earned 17 putouts, one assist and just one error for a .947 fielding percentage. She was named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly CoSIDA). Benny hit .257 as a junior with 14 runs scored. In her career, she played in 88 games, scored 35 runs, hit three doubles, and belted one home run. She was 23 for 26 on career stolen bases. She registered 65 putouts on defense.

 

Headshot of Carrie Dose Carrie Dose (Sr., 1B/P) missed most of the 2023 season due to an injury. She competed in six games and batted .444 with one double and one home run. She also drove in seven runs. In 2022, Dose contributed a .345 batting average and belted four doubles while playing in 23 games. She attained a .979 career fielding percentage with 39 putouts, eight assists, and one error.


 

Headshot of Cora Erickson Cora Erickson (Jr., C) batted .283 this spring while pounding four doubles. She scored nine runs and registered five RBIs. She played in 26 games and saw action at catcher and designated hitter. As a catcher, she provided WU with 101 putouts and eight assists on defense. In 2022, she hit .338 for the Bearcats. Erickson's career statistics in 58 games include a .300 batting average, 12 runs, 13 RBis, and five doubles. She has achieved 168 putouts, 17 assists, and four errors on defense for a .979 field percentage.

 

Headshot of Kendra Knapp Kendra Knapp (Sr., OF) saw action in all 38 games this season and made 36 starts. She batted .284 for the Bearcats and tied for second on the team with 13 doubles. She scored 25 runs, registered 14 RBIs, and smacked two  home runs. Knapp earned 46 putouts and two assists in the outfield. At Willamette, she played in 100 games over the past four seasons, while providing a .264 career batting average to go along with 37 runs scored, 29 RBIs, 17 doubles and four homers. She made 128 putouts on defense and finished her career with a .938 fielding percentage.

 

Headshot of Julia Koorn Julia Koorn (Jr., 1B/3B) transferred to Willamette this season after playing at the junior college level for Arizona Western College. For the Bearcats, she played in 14 games, competing at first base and third base. At the plate, she earned 28 at bats and blasted one double. She was 1 for 1 on stolen bases. On defense, she recorded a .933 fielding percentage with five putouts, nine assists, and one error.

 

Headshot of Samantha Loomis Samantha Loomis (Grad., P) played in three games as a pitcher this spring. Also pitched in three games in 2022 after transferring to Willamette from Marymount University in California. While at Marymount, she helped the team win the 2019 Cal Pac Championship and she threw the first no-hitter in Marymount history. She pitched 10 2/3 innings for the Bearcats in 2023.

 

Headshot of Sophia Lucio Sophia Lucio (Jr., OF) competed in the outfield and was a pinch-runner for the Bearcats this year. She scored 12 runs and registered three RBIs while hitting one double. She was 6 for 7 on stolen bases. She was chosen Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators. In 2022, she hit a career-best .440 with 11 hits in 25 at bats. Her career stats include a .286 batting average, 30 runs, eight RBIs, and an impressive 22 for 23 on stolen bases. She has contributed 66 putouts on defense during her career.

 

Headshot of Mia Lund Mia Lund (Jr., OF/UT) saw action in all 38 games with 36 starts in 2023. She hit .276 for the Bearcats, scored 17 runs, and was credited with 21 RBIs. She belted 10 doubles and tied for the team lead with four home runs. She was 9 for 11 on stolen bases. Lund earned 75 putouts and three assists on defense while supplying WU with a .975 fielding percentage. She was chosen Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators. Lund batted .342 in 2021 and hit .336 in 2022. She has a .317 career batting average to go with 68 runs scored and 46 RBIs. Her career totals also include 22 doubles, three triples, eight homers, and 53 for 56 on stolen bases. She has made 229 career putouts.

Headshot of Brianna Majors Brianna Majors (Sr., SS/2B) provided the Bearcats with a .333 batting average this season while starting all 38 games. She ranked second on the team with 23 RBIs. She scored 20 runs, hit 13 doubles, and smacked two home runs. She was 7 of 9 on stolen base attempts and supplied 62 putouts and 75 assists on defense. Majors was named Honorable Mention All-NWC. She hit .381 during the shortened season in 2020 and batted .321 in 2021. Her career batting average is .314 with 38 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs. She has scored 67 runs in her career, while driving in 66 runs. She is 38 of 43 on stolen bases. She has accumulated 207 putouts and 235 assists on defense.

Headshot of Gianna Marchese Gianna Marchese (Grad., 3B/1B) played in 100 games during her Willamette career. In 2023, she saw action in 34 games and registered 84 putouts and 20 assists on defense. On offense, she contributed 12 RBIs, belted nine doubles, and made four sacrifice bunts. She hit .271 in 2022 despite missing much of the season due to an injury. During her career, she achieved 29 RBIs, scored 27 runs, connected for 19 doubles, and pounded two homers. She produced 205 putouts and 84 assists on defense.

 

Headshot of Alexandra Richards Alexandra Richards (So., OF) competed in 20 games this spring. She recorded 18 putouts, two assists, and just one error on defense for  a .952 fielding percentage. At the plate, she scored seven runs and drove in two runs for Willamette. She was 3 for 3 on stolen bases. She was named Academic All-District by the College Sports Communicators. In two seasons with the Bearcats, Richards has played in 53 games. She has made 70 putouts and earned three assists, with two errors for a .973 career fielding percentage. She has scored 13 runs while going 6 for 8 on stolen bases.

Headshot of Mia Rogers Mia Rogers (Fy., 2B/SS/P) was injured this season and did not play in any games. Prior to arriving at Willamette, she played at Skyline High School in Sammamish, Washington. She was a team captain as a senior and set Skyline's record for hits in a single season. She tied the Skyline record for doubles in a season. She was chosen Honorable Mention All-King County in Class 4A as a first-year player and as a senior.
 

 

Headshot of Maggie Sawyer Maggie Sawyer (Fy., UT) was injured and did not play in any games this spring. Sawyer also is a member of the Willamette women's basketball team. She played three sports and was a four-year letterwinner at Borah High School in Boise, Idaho. She also competed in basketball and swimming. Sawyer was chosen Honorable Mention All-Conference in softball as a senior and in basketball as a junior. In swimming, she helped Borah place second in the 200-yard medley relay at the State Championships.