SAN FRANCISCO – Academy of Art University Softball unites toward the common goal of making program history this week under fourth-year head coach Sonja Garnett. Combining their positive energy alongside one another on a "bus" toward an ART U record 30+ wins, the 2018 Urban Knights mix a strong core of All-PacWest Team honorees with new and talented athletes.

An influx of youth energized Academy of Art University softball throughout its 2017 season. Highlights from a squad that would produce the most All-PacWest Team honorees in program history included the best collective single-season batting average (.315), six doubleheader sweeps, ART U's first two no-hitters against NCAA Division II opponents, and the Urban Knights' fourth time posting at least 25 victories. For more on the Knights' accomplishments last year, click here!

ART U's 55-game regular season schedule begins in Las Vegas with the Montana State Billings Desert Stinger Tournament at the start of February (Live Stats & select Live Video, homepage), moves to Brisbane on Feb. 7 for the Knights' home-opener, remains local until a Southern California roadtrip in mid-March, departs PacWest play briefly for No. 5 Humboldt State and the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, enters a stretch of 12 of 16 games at home, and eventually ends on the road against PacWest preseason favorite California Baptist and 2017 NCAA DII West Super Regional runner-up Dixie State (ranked No. 9 in the NFCA preseason poll) in early May. For more on the Knights' 2018 schedule, click here!

Backed by more than three years of service to Academy of Art Softball, the 2018 senior class features infielder Samantha Klune and pitcher Brenna Mitchell. Both All-PacWest Team honorees as freshmen and steady production since has placed both among the program's top 10 in a variety of categories. Klune ranks eighth in career doubles and home runs as well as ninth in career slugging percentage. Mitchell, despite not pitching in 2017 due to injury, carries the second-lowest career earned run average as well as the third-most wins and strikeouts in program history.

Making up the Knights' two-member junior class will be 2017 All-PacWest Team infielder Brenna Youngquist and utility Katie Tablada. Offering a .325 batting average along with 24 runs batted in and three home runs in 2017, Youngquist served as an important fixture at first base for Academy of Art, owning the second-highest fielding percentage on the team (.978) as well.

The program's largest freshman class turned sophomores will be led by 2018 Preseason All-PacWest Team recipient pitcher Hannah Rose Balke. En route to setting the program's single-season wins record with 21, she also led the PacWest 188.0 innings pitched (20 innings more than the next closest), was tied for the lead in complete games (26), and ranked third in strikeouts (133). Alongside Balke on the 2017 All-PacWest Team, utilities Gracie Sotomayor and Dominique Seva'aetasi both return for their respective second years after serving critical roles on both sides of the softball last season. Rounding out the sophomores will be outfielder Gabi Hirsch, catcher Ryia Grant, as well as two redshirts in pitcher Sarah Wapner and catcher/utility Taylor Ah Mook Sang.

ART U's six freshmen figure to provide increased depth defensively as well as with the bat. Pitchers Cecilia Lopez (Fullerton Union High) and Brooke Larsen (Del Campo High) will combine with Mitchell and Balke to give Academy of Art its largest rotation in program history. Appropriately, the addition of catchers Lauryn Henderson (Campo Verde High), Alyssa Brundage (College of Southern Nevada), and Austyn Matlick (Tahoma Senior High), who redshirted with the team in 2017, will complete those batteries and utility Jayda Alaan (Diamond Ranch High) figures to make an immediate impact after a productive high school career in which she registered a .452 on-base percentage.

Having worked hard through the fall and this spring, ART U Softball's first stop "On the 30" will be this Friday in Vegas.