LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. – The Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) announced their 2026 softball awards with the Bulldogs earning seven selections, five landing on the 1st Team and another two on 2nd Team.
The Bulldogs' seven selections match last year's total and are the most since 2011 with the record of 10 coming in 2005. Their five first team selections are the most since 2021, a COVID-19 shortened season. The last full season with five picks was 2014 when pitching coach Kaitlyn Hooper-Bell was a 1st Team All-SCIAC performer as a pitcher. Then in 2010 was the record with seven.
Katlyn Gandara (Whittier, CA) makes the 1st Team, which is her fourth selection of her career. She is the first player since Amanda Lievanos (2011-12, 2014-15) to earn four 1st Team selections. During SCIAC play she was second in batting average (.448), slugging percentage (.690), and on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) (1.228) and led the conference in on-base percentage (OBP) (.538). She also had the most runs batted in (RBI's) with 26, doubled the third-most times (8), added two home runs, and was hit by a pitch (HBP) the most times (8).
In the circle Gandara was fifth in earned run average (ERA) (2.33), sixth in innings pitched (66), eighth in strikeouts (20), first in wins (10), and co-leader with the fewest walks allowed (4). In the field defensively in the circle, and at first base, she had perfect fielding percentage, one of only six qualified players to do so. She was also on the receiving end of three double plays, the ninth-most.
During her best season of her career, Adyson Kim (Millbrae, CA) makes the 1st Team at third base for her first career selection. She was seventh in slugging percentage (.569), eighth in runs scored (17), second in RBI's (23), tied for fifth in doubles (6), and tied for fifth in triples (2). Defensively she helped the Bulldogs turn four double plays, the fourth-most.
Brooklyn Bard (Long Beach, CA) makes it on the 1st Team as an outfielder. It is her second selection after making 2nd Team last year. She was 10th in the conference in batting average (.397), second in OBP (.506), seventh in slugging percentage (1.006), second in runs scored (22), fifth in hits (27), tied for fifth in triples (2), second in walks drawn (15), and first in stolen bases (20).
In her first season as a starter, Leila Gomez (San Bernardino, CA) earns 1st Team honors as an outfielder. She finished tied for the sixth-highest average (.417), led the conference in runs scored (23), tied for second in hits (30), tied for fifth in triples (2), and was second in stolen bases (15).
Jenay Scott (Merced, CA) repeats as a 1st Team All-SCIAC selection after earning it last season. She was the SCIAC batting champ (.449), finished fourth in slugging percentage (.623), seventh in OBP (.486), fourth in OPS (1.109), tied for fifth in runs scored (20), led the conference in hits (31), tied for fifth in doubles (6), and tied for the lead in triples (3). She was one of the other five players to post a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
In her second and final season as a Bulldog, Natalie Lowthers (Wrightwood, CA) makes the 2nd Team as a catcher. She finished ninth in slugging percentage (.552), sixth in OPS (1.014), tied for sixth in hits (26), tied for ninth in RBI's (15), finished 10th in doubles (5), and tied for fifth in home runs (2). Defensively behind the plate, and at first base, she was sixth in putouts (93), tied for sixth in runners caught stealing (3), and seventh in total chances (104).
Making the 2nd Team at second base was Avery Provenzano (San Jose, CA). She hit .312 with a .369 OBP, and a .441 slugging percentage. She tied for ninth in runs scored (15), tied for ninth in RBI's (15), tied for third in sacrifice flies (2) and defensively she was tied for fourth in doubles plays (4).
The Bulldogs won the SCIAC regular season title with one loss (20-1) which gave them the No. 1 seed in the SCIAC Tournament and hosting rights. The double elimination tournament begins Friday, May 8 and continues through Sunday, May 10.
