2012 All-PacWest Softball Team

Phoenix, AZ -- Four Urban Knights from the multi-talented Academy of Art University softball team received post-season accolades on the All-Pacific West Conference Softball Teams in an announcement Thursday. Senior outfielder Ashley Lokey and sophomore outfielder Elyse Cordova earned First Team honors while sophomore infielder Lauren Stover and junior pitcher Kimberly Dauer each took home Second Team honors. All four Knights excelled in their respective roles throughout 2012.

"Any time our student-athletes get recognition, it is an honor," head coach Rachel Sherman said. "All four of them work extremely hard, had great seasons, and deserve every bit of recognition. I'm very proud of the four of them as well as the whole team and what we accomplished this season against the odds."

This year, the PacWest coaches or designated representatives from each school selected student-athletes for 30 All-Conference accolades. The squad consisted of a First Team (13 selections), Second Team (13 selections) and honorable mention (five selections) as well as Player of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, Newcomer of the Year, and Freshman of the Year.

With her speed making her dangerous in so many facets of the game, Elyse Cordova followed up a memorable 2011 campaign with an even better 2012. As the PacWest's leader in both batting average (.441) and stolen bases (20), the sophomore outfielder proved to be an extremely difficult out. Cordova also ranked ninth in the conference in on-base percentage (.463), sixth in hits (63), and was in the Top 20 in runs scored (31), triples (2), and slugging percentage (.497).

"Elyse proved that her freshman year was not a fluke," Coach Sherman said. "She smashed her freshman record and backed it up with a phenomenal sophomore season. Unfortunately I think Elyse went unrecognized all season because she is a slapper. To lead the conference in batting average and stolen bases is a huge feat! Her speed was a constant worry for our opponents not only in the box and on the bases but in left field as well. The growth Elyse showed this season in the outfield was awesome. She covered so much ground, made so many great plays and great throws; she was a highlight film this season."

Cordova, an NFCA All-West Region Second Team in 2011, enjoyed four PacWest Weekly Top 10 selections in 2012 and twice tied Academy of Art's single-game steals record (3). The Tulare, CA native would start the year hot with an eight-game hitting streak and proceeded to collect hits by the bunches, completing the year with 18 multi-hit outings and a team-high of seven three-hit games. One of Cordova's best series of the season came versus Humboldt State (Feb. 19) when she went 6-for-7 with two hits including a walk-off during ART U's single-inning runs scored record in the finale. Cordova, who in two seasons is already the Urban Knights' career leader in steals (38), will look to pick up where she left off as a junior after having finished this year on an 11-game hit streak.

Like Cordova, Lauren Stover also showed her all-around skills as a sophomore this past year. She ranked third in the PacWest in doubles (16) and 15th in batting average (.349) while offering one of the best fielding percentages on the team (.960) with the 14th most assists in the conference (87). Often asked as the regular second-place hitter in the lineup to lay down to bunt for a teammate, Stover also ranked in the Top 10 in the conference in sacrifice bunts (8).

"I believe Stover was our most consistent defender," Coach Sherman said. "She made the routine plays and had plenty of highlights herself on defense. Her talk defensively lead our infield and gave them confidence throughout the season. Offensively, Stover had a great season. She is a great #2 batter because she is all about the team and was able to get bunts down when needed or get things started when needed. Because she knows the game so well, she is able to adjust quickly, allowing her to hit above average and pass on great offensive information down the lineup to help make them successful."

This year, Stover enjoyed two separate 10-game hitting streaks with the Urban Knights. The first began on Feb. 17 with her 2-for-3 perfomance at #15 Chico State and saw her notch six doubles before it was complete. The Las Vegas, NV native would heat up once again for another 10 consecutive games on ART U's impressive Hawaii roadtrip. Highlighting the road swing was Stover's 4-for-4 game at Hawaii Pacific (Mar. 19) which tied the program's single-game hits record. Then late in the year, the sophomore would go 6-for-10 with seven RBIs in Academy of Art's first three contests versus Dominican (Apr. 14-15).

Stepping in as both the Urban Knights' #1 starter and a leader for their young pitching staff this past year, Kimberly Dauer (12-10) delivered a tremendous 2012 season in the pitcher's circle. The junior's 2.66 ERA ranked eighth in the PacWest and she was also among the top in conference with 150.0 innings pitched (5th), 68 strikeouts (6th), .245 opposing batting average (7th), and 12 wins (9th).

"I think Kim had a great junior year," Coach Sherman said. "I don't know how our season would have been if Kim wasn't here and didn't step up the way she did. Kim has always been a hard worker which makes others work hard around her, but this season it was about her confidence on the mound. Never once did I see the confidence falter and when your defense sees that strength, they play better. Kim was able to keep so many great hitters in our conference off base. She stuck to plans and saw success against some very well-hitting teams. I'm very proud of her and look forward to having a great senior year."

Dauer closed out the year with an impressive stretch of allowing just 11 earned runs in her final 65.2 innings to effectively lower her ERA to the afformentioned 2.66 by the season's end. The Los Osos, CA native would earn her third career PacWest Pitcher of the Week honor while in Hawaii where she struck out 27 batters in 29.0 innings with three complete games and a shutout in ART U's 5-1 week to end the trip. During that stretch, she would strike out a career-high 10 batters in 10.0 innings versus BYU-Hawaii (Mar. 23), effectively tying the program's single-game innings pitched record. Dauer remained tough late in the season, striking out five in 7.0 innings of scoreless softball against eventual PacWest Champion Cal Baptist on Apr. 21.

This is the second All-PacWest First Team honor for Lokey and the first of Cordova's career. Lokey had received the distinction in 2010 while Cordova was part of the All-PacWest Second Team last year. Dauer and Stover each earn the first All-PacWest Team honors of their respective careers.

See full release on the PacWest website here!