After a whirlwind spring where the Urban Knights displayed their true offensive power, the Academy of Art University's softball team concluded their 2011 season, the team's third year of competition, in early May. From their first game back in February, the Urban Knights never let up on their competition, and made sure their presence was known to all who faced them. The team wanted to prove even more so that they are here to play, and that they are not to be taken lightly by the Pacific West Conference. As the Knights battled through a tough schedule, the team came away with their best finish in program history, a 29-20 overall record.
ART U added six new faces to an already solid class of returners. With the added depth to the roster, the new and re-vamped Urban Knight squad was ready as soon as spring neared. Although the team was young, helmed by the experience of just one senior, that didn't stop the Knights as they came out attacking from the very beginning, and stayed that way throughout the season.
“This year we talked all year about preparation,” said Head Coach Rachel Sherman. “We provided them scouting reports, pitched batting practice like the upcoming opponents and provided them with the tools to be successful. Then it was up to them to take the tools and run with them. This year the team did a great job in trusting the plan and executing it.”
The Urban Knights began their season on February 2nd when they hosted Cal State Stanislaus. After a hard fought game, the Knights defeated the Warriors 2-1, and thus began the year on a high note. The team then split with Cal State East Bay, before heading to the very challenging Montana State Billings Tournament in Las Vegas, NV.
The MSU Billings tournament was a grueling three day, five game tournament, that put the young ART U team through their first test. After dropping the first two games of the tournament, the Knights turned things around and won their final three games, including a big win over nationally ranked Lewis University with a score of 3-2. ART U impressed at the tournament, finishing with a team total of 57 hits, 38 runs (including a season high 14 versus Northwest Nazarene), nine homeruns, and 13 stolen bases. At the conclusion on the tournament, the Knights had an impressive team batting average of .326.
ART U was then on a seven game winning streak before a two game series against top ranked Sonoma State. Although the Seawolves defeated the Knights in game one to break the winning streak, Academy of Art ended up splitting the series, bouncing back for a 4-1 win in game two. A few days later, the Knights held their annual “Swing for a Cause” in which they raised money for childhood cancer. During the “Swing for a Cause,” the Knights came away with a sweep over conference challengers Dominican University.
That was the start of a challenging homestand for ART U, in which they hosted all four of the PacWest Hawaii schools. The Knights split the first three series against BYU Hawaii, Hawaii- Hilo, and Hawaii Pacific, the defending national champions. The double header against HPU was one of ART U's most challenging match-ups of the year, and the Knights won game two with a demanding score of 8-0. At the conclusion of the homestand, the Urban Knights swept Chaminade after an impressive offensive display that featured 6-1 and 11-0 victories.
A few weeks later, the Academy of Art University traveled to St. George, UT for a very challenging road trip. There the Knights faced Dixie State College in a four game series. After the Urban Knights defeated the Red Storm 11-10 in game one, the team would fall short in the next three games and ultimately drop the series to Dixie. The Knights were resilient, however, and were eager to bounce back as they faced Notre Dame de Namur the following week. The Urban Knights went straight to work on the Argos, and came away with a sweep, winning 2-1, and 10-2.
The next few contests were reminiscent of how the team had performed all season, with highs and lows. The Knights split several contests over the year, but never gave up in any games, and always battled until the very end.
In their final home games of the 2011 season, ART U came up with a big sweep over CCAA members and cross-town rivals San Francisco State. The Knights battled through extra innings in game one for the 6-5 win, before winning the nightcap with a score of 7-5.
In their last series of the season, the Academy of Art University traveled to Arizona to take on Grand Canyon University in a four game series. Again the Knights had their offense on display, just as they had all season, and the match-ups proved to be a slugfest. The Knights split the first two games with the 'Lopes, losing 6-7 in game one, before rallying in game two for a 7-5 win. The second day was very similar for the two teams. After a back and forth battle, ART U fell 9-11 in game one, but came back in game two for a dramatic win. After tying the game 3-3 off a three run homerun by senior Alana Aweau, the game was forced into extra innings. Finally in the bottom of the 10th , with the international tie-breaker rule in effect, the Urban Knights found a way to push across two runs, and won the game with a final score of 5-4 on a walk-off double by sophomore Jayme Stewart.
“I am sure if you ask anyone on the team what game was the most memorable, they would all say Grand Canyon, game four,” exclaimed Coach Sherman. “We got behind early before Alana hit a home run to tie the game and then we went into extra innings. GCU went ahead in the 10th and with the top of our lineup coming up, we couldn't have ended the season in any more of a dramatic fashion. Jayme doubles off the wall to score Alana and Elyse not just for the win, but to tie last year's win record. That game summed up our season, a team that never gave up on offense and came up clutch when needed.”
After the dramatic come from behind victory to finish their season, the Urban Knights were able to hold their heads high. The team finished with a 29-20 overall record, and took a 4th place finish in conference with a 17-11 record.
“Overall, I think we had a good season,” said Head Coach Rachel Sherman. “I think we could have done better, but I always expect more. The team worked very hard at practice and their work paid off, especially in the batter's box. We increased our team batting average, hit more home runs and more RBIs then in the previous year and that's because of the daily work put in.”
It was the Urban Knights' offense that kept them alive in games this season. Their bats got them out of any trouble they encountered. Of course the team's pitching was its usual stellar self as well, and did a tremendous job at holding their opponents. It is safe to say that it was an all around team effort in the Urban Knights' victories, as everyone did their part to help the team.
The team was led offensively by freshman Elyse Cordova. Cordova finished with a .393 average including 66 hits (3rd in PWC), 40 runs, 19 stolen bases (3rd in PWC), and started all 49 games for the team. She also finished with two homeruns, 22 RBI, 82 total bases, a .488 slugging percentage, and had one intentional walk. “One of the biggest contributors this season was Elyse Cordova. She had a very tough role playing centerfield as a freshman and being in the lineup every day. Her speed allowed us to do so many things offensively that if she was on base, it was often a game changer. She did a great job,really used her offensive tools, and was constantly a threat on the bases,” said Coach Rachel Sherman.
Senior
Alana Aweau also did well. She finished second on the team with a .381 average. Alana recorded 56 hits, 35 runs, seven doubles, seven homeruns, 84 total bases, 24 RBI, a .571 slugging rate, and a team high 25 walks. “
Alana Aweau did a great job stepping into the leadoff spot of the lineup and giving confidence to those who followed her in the lineup. She hit .431 when leading off an inning which is a great stat considering she was in that position a lot,” added Sherman.
Sophomore Jayme Stewart also put up impressive numbers, finishing the season with a .345 average including 48 hits, 23 runs, 13 doubles (2nd in PWC), 40 RBI, 85 total bases, and a team high .612 slugging percentage. Stewart also posted a .984 fielding percentage, the highest on the team. “Having Jayme Stewart back behind the plate for a whole season was huge for us. The pitchers, defense, and coaches are confident with her back there. She has a great presence behind the plate and in the box that makes everyone around her better,” added Sherman.
On the mound, the Urban Knights were led by junior Sierrah Garcia. Garcia finished with a 2.83 ERA, a 13-11 record, threw 12 complete games, and posted 141 strikeouts in 149.1 innings of work (1st in PWC). Also doing well on the mound for the Knights was freshman Katie Brooks. Brooks went 9-5 with a 3.70 ERA, including three complete games. She finished with 43 strikeouts in 107 innings pitched.
As a team, ART U finished 3rd in the conference in batting average (.313), and 3rd in pitching (3.87 ERA). The Urban Knights also out-hit their opponents .313 to .274. The team finished with a total of 429 hits, 261 runs, 52 doubles, nine triples, 29 homeruns, 232 RBI, 67 stolen bases, and 586 total bases.
The Urban Knights did not go un-noticed by their opponents and the PacWest Conference. At the end of the year, the Knights had four players named to the All PacWest Second Team. Senior Alana Aweau received two second team honors for her play at first base and the designated player position. Junior Sierrah Garcia received the honors for her success as a pitcher, sophomore Jayme Stewart received the honors for her play as a catcher, and freshman Elyse Cordova received the honor for her accomplishments in the outfield. Cordova was also named to the NFCA All West Region Second Team as an outfielder.
With the conclusion of the 2011 season, the Urban Knights have now established themselves in the Division II world as well as the Pacific West Conference. Those who have faced the team during their three short years of existence have been challenged by the Knights, and have learned to not take them lightly. As the team continues to make history, and set their own traditions, they also continue developing into a powerhouse in the conference. In just three years, the team has made tremendous strides, and still the future is looking brighter than ever for this young Urban Knights team.
“We know we have a great offense, but we need to clean up our defense so it can take some pressure off our offense,” closed Head Coach Rachel Sherman. “But with almost the whole team returning, and an amazing freshman class coming in, we will be even stronger and I know some people are going to be very worried about us.”
