SAN BRUNO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference today announced junior Gordy Bravo and sophomore McKenna Bull have earned Player and Pitcher of the Year while head coach Gordon Eakin was voted Coach of the Year Thursday.
BYU softball landed seven on the All-Conference Team for the second year in a row.
Senior outfielder Lacey Hofstedt, sophomore first baseman Ashley Thompson and sophomore catcher Sydney Broderick joined Bravo and Bull on the All-WCC First Team. Sophomore outfielder Mercedes O’Connor and junior third baseman Coco Tauali’i were selected to the All-WCC Second Team.
Bravo, the centerfielder and leadoff hitter, posted the 11th-best batting average in the nation with .463 while hitting .490 in conference play. She collected 24 hits, three doubles and two home runs while driving in 10 runs and scoring 20. She led the conference in hits, runs scored and on-base percentage in WCC play.
Bull dominated in WCC play, posting an undefeated record at 11-0 with a 1.55 ERA in nine complete games, including four shutouts. Opponents hit a lowly .171 off the sophomore ace, allowing only 16 earned runs and striking out 64 batters against 31 bases on balls. She was atop the league in ERA, opposing batting average, innings pitched, strikeouts, wins, starts and appearances. Bull also set the BYU single-season win record with her 34 victories in the regular season, surpassing Paige Affleck’s 32-win season in 2010.
The senior slapper Hofstedt turned in one of the biggest improvements from last season. The Folsom, California, native hit a blistering .512 in WCC competition to lead the conference while also ranking in the top 35 in the nation at the conclusion of the regular season. The speed player recorded 21 singles and one extra-base hit while also posting a .553 OBP and stealing eight bases. Her ability to get on base in the ninth spot of the batting order bolstered the Cougar offense as she scored 15 runs in WCC action.
Thompson led the WCC by driving in 19 runs while hitting .381 with four home runs and a .738 slugging percentage. She tied the school record for hits in a game with her 5-for-5 and six-RBI performance in the second game against Pacific.
Broderick pulled through as a strong defensive player at catcher while providing a solid bat on offense. She registered a .327 average with a conference-high five doubles, two home runs and 13 RBI.
O’Connor played an important role in the third spot in the order, hitting .350 with three home runs and 12 runs batted in, notching a .650 slugging percentage while tallying five sacrifice hits.
Tauali’i provided a strong bat in the seventh spot of the order as she led the league in home runs with six to go along with 15 RBI. She recorded a WCC-leading .763 slugging percentage in conference play, including four home runs in BYU’s second conference sweep of the season.
Head coach Eakin collects his second consecutive award for Coach of the Year, guiding the Cougars to a 13-2 WCC record with a 39-12 mark overall.
San Diego’s Kailey Hill was named Freshman of the Year and Loralie Fitzpatrick of Saint Mary’s was voted Defensive Player of the Year.
BYU represents the WCC in the NCAA tournament competing in the Eugene Regional.
View the full list of All-WCC selections.