2022 All-PacWest Teams

IRVINE, Calif. – Recently concluding one of the program's most prolific power-hitting careers with multiple Academy of Art softball records broken, senior catcher/infielder Lauryn Henderson received All-PacWest Second Team as announced by the Pacific West Conference on Tuesday.

Hitting for extra bases more than 20 times in 2022, Henderson connected for some of her biggest hits in conference play. She led the PacWest with a .659 slugging percentage in conference games (.659) was fourth overall in the PacWest with six home runs and 20 walks as well as fifth in both doubles (14) and OPS overall (.995). In addition to scoring the eighth-highest run total in the conference (26), she ranked 11th in runs batted in (23), logging a team-high eight multi-RBI games.

"Every time Lauryn stepped in the box, we had a great shot of making something happen," said Head Coach Nikki Gentile. "Not only is she disciplined and explosive, but she's a heads-up, quick, and aggressive baserunner who made out to be a difference-maker for us. Congratulations to her and all her accomplishments and milestones reached this year and throughout her career here at ART U."

Heating up with an eight-game hit streak that featured a homer and eight runs batted in during early March, Henderson closed her collegiate career with an impressive month of April. She first hit a game-winning home run on Apr. 1 (one of a pair of two-run shots in two days) en route to being named Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team then, while the Urban Knights were on their Hawaii roadtrip, she broke the program's career home runs record with her 23rd blast in a 6-3 victory over Chaminade on Apr. 18.

The Game Development major would later be named PacWest Player of the Week for the third time in her career after she went 4-for-6 with three extra-base hits (including two doubles to tie the ART U career record with 42) and three runs scored (including the game-winning run) on Senior Day versus Holy Names. Over the final four games of the season, Henderson walked five times to break the program's career walks record (82) and fittingly homered to start what would end up being a 7-5 win for Academy of Art over Biola in the year's finale.

Along with being among the program's top 10 in every major career statistical hitting category except for triples, Henderson's 2022 All-PacWest Second Team honor is her third time on the All-PacWest Team after she earned First Team in 2021 and was Third Team in 2019.