Official NWC Release

HILLSBORO, Ore. — Paola Garcia was named the Northwest Conference Rookie of the Year on Thursday, headlining the 10 Pacific Lutheran University softball student-athletes that were named All-Conference from the league office.
 
Garcia was additionally named First Team All-NWC along with teammates Rylie Wada and Kennedy Kila. Cassidy Conrad, Mari Foster, Erin McGrath, Casey Wright, and Anna Foster earned Second Team honors while Cailey Collado and Chaella Galapon were Honorable Mention selections.
 
Garcia snags First Team accolades as an outfielder while also earning NWC Rookie of the Year. The Downey, California native led the Lutes with a .389 batting average while blasting 35 extra base hits, 19 home runs, and 32 RBIs. Garcia is the third Lute to win NWC Rookie of the Year since the award was created in 2017, following in the footsteps of teammate Casey Wright (2021) and assistant coach Kennedy Robillard (2018).
 
Wada lands First Team honors at shortstop. The Honolulu, Hawaii native hit .376 at the plate with 20 runs scored, 16 RBIs, and 10 extra base hits. Wada had nine stolen bases this spring while boasting a .410 on-base percentage. 
 
Kila is the third Lute to earn First Team All-Conference, landing the award as an at-large selection. The Ewa Beach, Hawaii native hit .358 at the plate with a team-high 42 RBIs and 14 home runs. In the field, Kila recorded a team-high 186 putouts while committing no errors the entire season. 
 
Conrad secures Second Team All-League as a pitcher for the second straight year. The Monroe, Washington native pitched 147 1/3 innings this spring, boasting a 15-7 record with 73 strikeouts and 18 complete games. 
 
Mari Foster earns Second Team All-NWC as an outfielder. A First Team All-League selection last spring, the Honolulu, Hawaii native hot .350 at the plate, scoring a team-high 35 runs and stealing 14 bases. Foster racked up 17 extra base hits and had 28 RBIs on the year.
 
McGrath collects Second Team All-NWC as an outfielder. A First Team All-Conference pick in 2022, the Woodinville, Washington native hit .382 at the plate with 33 RBIs and 22 extra base hits. McGrath shattered career milestones for doubles, home runs, and extra base hits this season. 
 
Wright snags Second Team accolades as an at-large selection. The catcher from Federal Way, Washington hit .301 on the year, scoring 30 runs and racking up 27 RBIs.
 
Anna Foster is the fifth Lute to land Second Team honors, earning a spot as an at-large selection. The Stanwood, Washington native had 14 RBIs on the year with a .325 on-base percentage.
 
Collado was named Honorable Mention at second base. The Huntington Beach, California native scored 16 runs this spring with and was outstanding in the field, registering 57 putouts with a .982 fielding percentage.
 
Galapon earns Honorable Mention All-NWC at third base for the second consecutive year. The Federal Way, Washington native had 18 RBIs on the season while scoring 15 runs with a .313 on-base percentage. 
 
PLU (27-16) finished the NWC season in second place with an 18-10 record and fell one win shy of making the Championship Game at the 2023 NWC Tournament.