Softball Sees Six Honored by Lone Star Conference

TYLER, Texas – The St. Mary's Softball team was well represented in the annual awards handed out at the Lone Star Conference Pre-Championship Banquet on Wednesday evening.
 
The Rattlers, which earned the seventh seed at the tournament, had two selected to the All-Freshman team, one on the Gold Glove team, three named to the All-Conference First-Team and one on the All-Conference Third-Team.
 
Junior Lauren Gonzales (San Antonio) was honored on both the First-Team All-Conference as well as a Gold Glove recipient. Gonzales leads the team with a .357 batting average, 50 hits and is 39-for-41 in stolen bases. She ranks second in the league in steals and is five away from the school record. In the outfield, Gonzales made only one error all season in 64 chances and she has four outfield assists. At the St. Mary's Athletics Banquet on Tuesday, the junior was named the department's Female Newcomer of the Year.
 
Senior Catalina Cavazos (Houston), who was a Second-Team All-Conference pick a season ago, earned First-Team honors in her final campaign with the Rattlers. She is tied for the league's lead with 20 complete games – out of 23 – and is second in the conference with eight shutouts. Her 5.08 strikeout-to-walk ratio is the best in the Lone Star and she threw a no-hitter earlier this season. She also has three saves and allows only 1.13 walks per game, the lowest average in the tough conference.
 
Junior Ericka Gomez (Stafford, Texas) has made the most of her opportunities. In her third season with the Rattlers she has moved into a full-time starting spot and has split her time between second base and shortstop this year, earning First-Team All-Conference at the utility (non-pitcher) position. Gomez is the hardest batter in the entire league to strikeout, doing so only once every 23.3 at bats and she is fantastic at advancing the runners, leading the LSC with 0.25 sacrifice bunts per game.
 
Sophomore Jamison Holder (Magnolia, Texas) earned Third-Team All-Conference honors for her efforts both at the plate and behind it as she is the team leader in doubles and tied for the lead in home runs. She has been behind the dish in 54 of the team's 55 games, starting at DP in the other. Holder paces the team with 41 RBI and has thrown out eight runnners on the base paths this season.
 
Both Emily Ayala (San Antonio) and Raegan Tennill (Corpus Christi, Texas) earned spots on the All-Freshman team. Ayala is tied with Holder for the team lead in home runs and has accumulated 19 RBI in just 48 at bats. She's also appeared nine times in the circle with four starts and has an 0-1 record. Tennill has played all over the infield and broke the school's single season record for sacrifice flies with six. She is also 5-for-6 in stolen bases.
 
West Texas A&M earned the Player of the Year honors in Ruby Salzman and Freshman of the Year in Emilee Boyer. Pitcher of the Year went to UT Tyler's Tatum Goff, while Shea O'Leary for the Patriots was named the Newcomer of the Year and Mike Reed is the league's Coach of the Year.
 
The Rattlers begin play at the Lone Star Conference Championship on Thursday, May 4 at 11 a.m. against Eastern New Mexico.