Cassandra Valdez Named NAIA Softball All-American and Pitcher of the Year
KANSAS CITY, MO. (June 4, 2024) - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 2024 Softball All-America teams as selected by the NAIA-Softball Coaches' Association All-America Committee. Cassandra Valdez of Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) is honored as the National Pitcher of the Year.
This marks the first time an OLLU student-athlete has been named a national player of the year in school history. Valdez was named a First-Team NAIA All-American in 2023 and received Honorable Mention honors in 2022.
Valdez, a graduate student, was the backbone of the Saints' success and a key player for OLLU. Her stellar performance, going 30-1 in the circle and finishing first in the nation with a 0.53 ERA in 197 innings pitched, was instrumental in the team's first Red Banner win in program and school history in 2024. Valdez's individual achievements, including allowing hitters just a .149 batting average in 2024 with a total of 286 strikeouts, further underline her contribution to the team's success.
FIRST TEAM
| Name | Institution | Position | Class | Hometown |
| Annalise Jarvis$^ | Georgia Gwinnett | Pitcher | Jr. | Mt. Juliet, Tenn. |
| Cassandra Valdez$ | Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) | Pitcher | Gr. | Brownsville, Texas |
| Sophie Williams$^ | Science & Arts of Oklahoma | Pitcher | Jr. | Vernon, Texas |
| Brylee Bilger | Indiana Wesleyan | Catcher | Jr. | Surprise, Ariz. |
| Kenzie Chambers | Houston Victoria (Texas) | Catcher | Jr. | Grand Prairie, Texas |
| Haley Fontenot | LSU Alexandria (La.) | Infielder | So. | Morgan City, La. |
| Sarah Giles | Jessup (Calif.) | Infielder | Jr. | Hayward, Calif. |
| Savannah Harweger$ | Marian (Ind.) | Infielder | 5th | Seymour, Ind. |
| Emily Loveless | Reinhardt (Ga.) | Infielder | Sr. | Rockmart, Ga. |
| Kaila Mick% | Oregon Tech | Infielder | Gr. | Klamath Falls, Ore. |
| Jade Gainer | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Outfielder | Jr. | Ringgold, Ga. |
| Baileigh Loux | Oklahoma City | Outfielder | Gr. | Reno, Nev. |
| Autumn Oehlstrom$ | Indiana Southeast | Outfielder | Gr. | Lisbon, Ohio |
| Macenzie Ruth* | Science & Arts of Oklahoma | Outfielder | Sr. | Sulphur, Okla. |
| Lolo Walker | College of Idaho | Designated Player | So. | Meridian, Idaho |
| Emersen Heron | Oklahoma City | Utility | Jr. | Edmond, Okla. |
| Emmalee Hamp (UT)% | Spring Arbor (Mich.) | At-Large | Sr. | Alto, Mich. |
| Kaylie Hoskins (P)^ | Eastern Oregon | At-Large | Jr. | Lake Stevens, Wash. |
| Abby Madere (OF) | Marian (Ind.) | At-Large | So. | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Maeson Schlaud (P) | Madonna (Mich.) | At-Large | Sr. | North Branch, Mich. |
SECOND TEAM
| Name | Institution | Position | Class | Hometown |
| Jordyn Ball | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Pitcher | So. | Fayette, Mo. |
| Shelby Cornelson%^ | Oklahoma City | Pitcher | Sr. | Tuttle, Okla. |
| Allie Puente$ | Hope International (Calif.) | Pitcher | Sr. | Fresno, Calif. |
| Lauren Hill | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Catcher | Jr. | California, Mo. |
| Lauren Johnson% | Cottey (Mo.) | Catcher | Sr. | Lockport, Ill. |
| Chapel Cunningham | Southeastern (Fla.) | Infielder | Jr. | Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| Roni Foote% | Midland (Neb.) | Infielder | Sr. | Omaha, Neb. |
| Kamryn Garvie | Oklahoma City | Infielder | Sr. | Edmond, Okla. |
| Malea McMurtrey | Science & Arts of Oklahoma | Infielder | So. | Lone Grove, Okla. |
| Elizabeth Palumbo | Central Methodist (Mo.) | Infielder | So. | Sterling, Ill. |
| Tara Hoehner | Oklahoma City | Outfielder | Fr. | Minco, Okla. |
| Anna Lay | Cumberland (Tenn.) | Outfielder | So. | Smyrna, Tenn. |
| Shannon McAlinden% | Concordia (Mich.) | Outfielder | Sr. | Riverview, Mich. |
| Karli Quillin | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | Outfielder | So. | Columbia, Tenn. |
| Kaylee Larkin | Taylor (Ind.) | Designated Player | So. | Brownsburg, Ind. |
| Kameryn Etherington | Northwestern (Iowa) | Utility | Sr. | Algona, Iowa |
| Alissa Gauthier (OF) | Madonna (Mich.) | At-Large | Jr. | Goodrich, Mich. |
| Aliyah Rincon (P) | Midland (Neb.) | At-Large | Sr. | Granada Hills, Calif. |
| Kacie Schmidt (P)$ | Oregon Tech | At-Large | Jr. | Beaverton, Ore. |
| Olivia Stunkel (P)% | Marian (Ind.) | At-Large | Jr. | Oakland City, Ind. |
THIRD TEAM
| Name | Institution | Position | Class | Hometown |
| Kira Baker$ | Baker (Kan.) | Pitcher | So. | Eudora, Kan. |
| Talli Burgess% | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Pitcher | Sr. | Crandall, Ga. |
| Katie Machado | Southern Oregon | Pitcher | Sr. | Petaluma, Calif. |
| Amber Atkins | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Catcher | Jr. | South Pittsburg, Tenn. |
| Piper Love | Southern Oregon | Catcher | Jr. | Corvallis, Ore. |
| Nita Cook | Oregon Tech | Infielder | So. | Vernonia, Ore. |
| Becca Dunn | Friends (Kan.) | Infielder | Jr. | Jurupa Valley, Calif. |
| Darcy Gillen | Tabor (Kan.) | Infielder | Sr. | Yuba City, Calif. |
| Kaitlyn Jones | Oklahoma City | Infielder | Sr. | Edmond, Okla. |
| Sierra Selfridge | Science & Arts of Oklahoma | Infielder | Jr. | Mustang, Okla. |
| Amber Gainer | Cumberlands (Ky.) | Outfielder | Jr. | Ringgold, Ga. |
| Lauren Haskins | Stillman (Ala.) | Outfielder | Sr. | Alabaster, Ala. |
| Clare Heitz | Benedictine (Kan.) | Outfielder | Sr. | Riverton, Utah |
| Chelsea Kurtz | Avila (Mo.) | Outfielder | Sr. | Wichita, Kan. |
| Alivia Eggleston | Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) | Designated Player | So. | Madison, Ala. |
| Brooklynn Fischer | Missouri Baptist | Utility | So. | New Florence, Mo. |
| Emma Almodoba (OF) | Embry Riddle (Ariz.) | At Large | Jr. | Tucson, Ariz. |
| Katie Cunningham (P) | Bellevue (Neb.) | At Large | Jr. | Bellevue, Neb. |
| Ryanne Hornsby (P) | William Carey (Miss.) | At-Large | So. | Hattiesburg, Miss. |
| Madison Leffle (OF) | Jessup (Calif.) | At-Large | Jr. | Pittsburg, Calif. |
| Bryce Peacock (OF) | Coastal Georgia | At Large | Sr. | Baxley, Ga. |
| Alexus Reese (INF) | St. Xavier (Ill.) | At Large | Sr. | Schererville, Ind. |
| Bailey Selvage (P) | Benedictine (Kan.) | At-Large | So. | Lincoln, Neb. |
| Madyson Shoebottom (INF) | Williams Baptist (Ark.) | At Large | So. | Bald Knob, Ark. |
| Alexis Teems (OF) | Reinhardt (Ga.) | At-Large | Jr. | Rockmart, Ga. |
$ 2023 1st team
% 2023 2nd team
* 2022 1st team
^ 2022 2nd team