COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Despite the 2020 season being cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nevada softball team saw three of its players in Sierra Mello, Lauren Gutierrez and Kendall Fritz named to the Mountain West All-Conference team. This marks first time honors for Fritz and second time honors for Mello and Gutierrez.
Mello was a consistent force at the plate where she had 11 multi-hit games and recorded at least one hit in 20 of the 24 contests on the year while also starting every game at second base. She finished the year batting .429 which ranked her second in the Mountain West and 77th in the NCAA along with 33 hits which ranked her second in the conference and 31st in the NCAA. Mello led the team in batting average, hits, runs, triples, total bases and hit by pitch while second on the team in at bats, tied for second in doubles and tied for second in stolen bases. In the opening weekend, went 2-for-2 against No. 3 Oklahoma with a run scored and a triple pushing her to be named to the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge All-Tournament Team In the final performance of the season, went 3-for-3 against Sacramento State with two runs scored, two RBI and a double. Â
Gutierrez, a junior shortstop, finished the season hitting .364 with 20 hits and four extra base hits while recording five multi-hit games on the year. The Upland, Calif. native ranked second on the team in batting average and fourth in overall hits. In the series finale against Stanford, she went 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored to seal the victory over the Cardinal. During the Wolf Pack Classic, Gutierrez went 3-for-4 against Weber State, 2-for-2 against Sacramento State and then posted a career high two doubles in the weekend finale against Sacramento State, all three led Nevada to victory.
Sophomore right handed pitcher, Fritz, returned to the circle as a starter for the Pack and made a team high 14 appearances and 13 starts. The Frisco, Texas native had her first start on the season against No. 3 Oklahoma and pitched 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts in Mexico. Just two weeks later, in a record setting weekend, went 3-0 in the Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament with wins over (RV) Oregon State, Seattle U and Hawai`i. Fritz pitched an eight inning complete game shutout over Oregon State while tallying 12 strikeouts, tying her career high. The following game, recorded another complete game shutout over Hawai`i while allowing just one hit. She combined for 25 strikeouts in 22 innings pitched with only two earned runs for a 0.64 ERA on the weekend. Fritz finished the season with 84 ⅔ innings pitched with 72 strikeouts putting her fifth in the Mountain West and 70th in NCAA for strikeouts.
2020 Mountain West All-Conference Team:Â
Bradie Fillmore, Boise State
Karlee Johnson, Boise State
Alison Seng, Boise State
Corina Gamboa, Colorado State
Jessica Jarecki, Colorado State
Ashley Michelena, Colorado State
Schuylar Broussard, Fresno State
Hailey Dolcini, Fresno State
McKenzie Wilson, Fresno State
Kendall Fritz, NevadaÂ
Lauren Gutierrez, Nevada
Sierra Mello, Nevada
Andrea Howard, New Mexico
Briana Martinez, New Mexico
Cameryn O'Grady, New Mexico
Taylor Adams, San Diego State
Maggie Balint, San Diego StateÂ
Shelby Thompson, San Diego State
Suzy Brookshire, San José State
Cassidy Clark, San José State
Shannon Haddad, San José State
Jenny Bressler, UNLVÂ
Justine Federe, UNLV
Mia Trejo, UNLV
Mazie Macfarlane, Utah State
Stephanie Reed, Utah State
Kapri Toone, Utah State
