BELLINGHAM, Wash. –Western Washington University softball players Anna Kasner and Shearyna Labasan have been named to the 2017 Division 2 Collegiate Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-West Region team.
Kasner (Fr., Milton, WA/Fife) was a first-team selection as a pitcher and Labasan (So., Mililani, HI/Maryknoll) was a second-team selection as a utility player.
Kasner concluded her historic freshman season earning Great Northwest Athletic Conference co-Pitcher of the Year, co-Freshman of the Year, First Team All-GNAC honors and now all-region acclaim. She went 16-6 with a 2.29 ERA (47 ER, 143.2 IP) in 27 games (23 starts) in the circle, with 188 strikeouts (9.16 K/7.0 IP), 6 shutouts and a .209 opponent batting average. Kasner led all West Region pitchers in strikeout ratio, and was 2nd in overall strikeouts, tied for 4th in shutouts and among the top 10 in ERA.
In WWU single-season history her season recorded several top 10 marks, including strikeouts (2nd, 188), shutouts (T3rd, 6), wins (5th, 16), starts (6th, 23), complete games (T8th, 16), innings pitched (9th, 143.2) and lowest opponent batting average (10th, .209).
Kasner also contributed to WWU’s historic season as an offensive player, batting .380 (30-for-79) with 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs and 28 RBI.
Labasan was a two-way threat for the Vikings, going 12-6 with a 3.37 ERA (63 ER, 131.0 IP) in 24 appearances (19 starts) in the circle and hit .360 (63-for-175) with 39 runs scored, 10 doubles and a team-high 14 stolen bases primarily as the designated player. The Second Team All-GNAC selection made entries into the WWU single-season record book in at-bats (3rd, 175), hits (T5th, 63), runs scored (7th, 39) and games started (T9th, 52).
The Vikings concluded the 2017 season with a 34-19 record, tying for the 2nd-most wins in a season in the 25 years of program history. WWU caught fire at the end of the season winning 17 of its last 21 games, including sweeping through GNAC Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Division II Championships for the fourth time. The Vikings were the No. 8 seed in the West Region, and recorded the first NCAA Tournament victory in program history with a 5-3 upset over top-seeded and regional host Cal State Monterey Bay.
The D2CCA all-region teams are voted on by the sports information directors in the GNAC, PacWest Conference, and California Collegiate Athletic Association. Kasner is now eligible for the D2CCA All-America voting, by virtue of being a first-team all-region selection.
— @WWUSoftball1 —
