2021 All-PacWest Teams

IRVINE, Calif. – Leading Academy of Art softball throughout its 2021 season, three Urban Knights were selected in Tuesday's announcement of the All-PacWest Teams with one earning a separate award as well. Junior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson was named All-PacWest First Team as a utility, sophomore Bethany Mitchell was named All-PacWest Second Team as an outfielder, and infielder Haley Randall was named PacWest Freshman of the Year in addition to making the All-PacWest Third Team as at second base.

Blending an extremely powerful bat with a patient eye, Henderson was the lone Urban Knight to bat over .400 by the regular season's send. She ranked first in the PacWest and top 40 in NCAA Division II in slugging percentage (.788), was tied for the lead in home runs (5) and second in triples (2) while logging the third-highest batting average (.425). The Game Development major's 19 walks were also third in the conference, her 25 runs scored ranked fourth, and her 23 runs batted in and 10 doubles were each fifth overall.

Henderson reached base in 26 of 28 games played, closing the regular season with that 26-game streak very much active. Additionally, she drove in a run in 14 of those contests and enjoyed a particularly memorable Mar. 27 doubleheader versus Dominican where she homered twice in a Mar. 20 doubleheader versus Holy Names with the second of those resulting in a walk-off win. One week later, the Gilbert, Ariz. native hit for the cycle over a Mar. 27 doubleheader against Dominican and earned her first of two PacWest Player of the Week honors as a result. Those performances opened a 13-game stretch that saw her drive in 19 runs, culminating in her second PacWest Player of the Week selection following ART U's second series against HNU.

"Lauryn has been our offensive machine all season long," said Head Coach Nikki Gentile. "She has this sense of ease and confidence that lets everyone know she's going to produce some damage. She did a great job hitting to all parts of the field this year and adjusting to change-ups. She's a fantastic hitter and I can't wait to see what she does in her final campaign next year."

A nominee for PacWest Defensive Player of the Year, Mitchell showed all five tools throughout the 2021 season. In addition to hitting .302 with 10 runs driven in and seven stolen bases, she ranked second in the PacWest in triples (2), sixth in runs scored (23), and seventh in doubles (8) while offering a .960 fielding percentage as the squad's regular starting centerfielder. All totals were career-highs despite the team playing 11 fewer games than Mitchell's freshman year in 2019.

After doubling in three straight games during Academy of Art's first series versus Holy Names, Mitchell found herself among the PacWest leaders in doubles with seven in just her first 14 games played. That impressive stint led into one for the record books as she tied the program's longest stretch with a run scored in 10 consecutive games (Mar. 27 - Apr. 12). One of numerous examples, the Graphic Design major secured a game-saving catch in the seventh inning of a win over Holy Names on May 6 while her lone outfield assist came on Mar. 27 when she caught a runner trying to stretch a double into a triple to help shut down a potential Dominican comeback in the final inning.

"Bethany is our most improved player of the year," Gentile said. "Her work ethic and passion for the game is unwavering and it shows when she's out there in center field. This year, she made catches and throws that a coach could not even dream of and she was an incredible difference-maker for us defensively this year. She had a huge increase in her offensive game this year too and seven stolen bases will only increase next year."

The first PacWest Freshman of the Year in Academy of Art history, Randall showed both her consistency and power at the plate as well as her versatility around the diamond. She finished the 2021 regular season tied for first in the PacWest in home runs (5), fourth in runs batted in (26), fifth in slugging percentage (.641), and sixth in batting average (.385).

A three-time PacWest Freshman of the Week, Randall started a 15-game hitting streak on Mar. 19 which would tie the program record and saw her drive in 21 runs during that stretch. The Art Education major became the sixth Urban Knight in program history to homer twice in a single game on Mar. 27 and was soon bestowed her first PacWest Freshman of the Week honor. Her second award followed a 4-for-5 effort on Apr. 9 which included her fourth homer of the year and three more RBIs. Productivity remained the name of Randall's game as she either had a hit or drove in a run in each of the final seven games of the regular season, collecting the final PacWest Freshman of the Year honor along the way. By the regular season's end, Randall had recorded a hit in 22 of her 27 games played.

"We are so proud of Randy and the type of player she is," Gentile said. "She's always had that monster of a swing and now she has the confidence to match. She started in every position on the dirt this year except pitcher and catcher and that just shows how strong of a glove she has a well. She is a pleasure to coach, and this year is just a taste of what she'll do in the next three years."

This is the second All-PacWest Team honor for Henderson in her career while it is the first for both Randall and Mitchell.