Tag: Ava Hernandez

Softball’s Ava Hernandez has Little League jersey retired

Ava Hernandez, a freshman standout at OLLU, has been honored with the retirement of her jersey number by the Alice Little League Softball organization, a testament to her exceptional contributions to the sport.

Stepping into her first year with the Saints, Hernandez played a pivotal role in the team’s victory at the 2024 NAIA Softball World Series in late May. As an outfielder during the postseason, she and the team remained undefeated, winning all seven games and securing the team’s and OLLU’s first-ever national championship.

The Alice Little League invited Hernandez as a special guest during its closing ceremonies on June 6 and surprised her by announcing that her jersey would be retired.

Hernandez was a part of Little League for eight years, from 2015-2022.

“When they made the announcement, I was in shock. This meant the world to me. To know that my little 10-year-old self, who grew to love pitching, was being recognized for the hard work I put in to become the pitcher I am today was absolutely amazing.”

Throughout the Saints 50-3 regular season, Hernandez showcased her versatility and skill. As a starting pitcher in 20 games, she recorded an impressive 18 wins and two losses. In her 25 appearances, she pitched seven shutouts in 114.1 innings, striking out 93 for an ERA of 1.47. As an outfielder, she played in 54 games as a starter, maintaining a batting average of .362. 

Hernandez was named to the RRAC All-Conference First Team as a pitcher and Second Team as an outfielder. She received RRAC Freshman of the Year honors.

During the ceremony, officials at the Alice Little League expressed their pride in Hernandez’s journey, saying, “Ava’s softball career started on the same little league field as our players, and as she continues to play at the higher level, she serves as a role model to many. Tonight, we retired Alice Little League alumni Ava Hernandez‘s jersey number 44. We are so proud of you, Ava, and as always, we wish you the best in all your future endeavors! Thank you for coming tonight and supporting our Alice Softball Little League. Your achievements are a source of immense pride for our community.”

Hernandez said, “I wouldn’t be the player I am today without the help of Little League, and for that, I am eternally grateful. We all start somewhere, and that is where I started.”

Softball faces Cottey College in NAIA opening round

The top-seeded OLLU softball team (50-3) will face fourth-seed Cottey College at 2:30 p.m. today in the NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round at the St. Mary’s University Softball Field.

OLLU is competing in the San Antonio Bracket, one of two brackets featuring four teams. The eight remaining host cities will feature five teams. The winners of each bracket will advance to the 43rd Annual NAIA Softball National Championship, which will be held May 23-29 at the South Commons Complex in Columbus, Ga.

Head Coach Bruce Lenington commented, “The exciting part of this time of year is that everyone has the same record, same ranking and same goal. Our players are ready to compete and leave it all on the field.”

The Saints were runners-up in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) Championship Tournament after capturing the regular-season title with a perfect 24-0 record. This year, they received the No. 1 rank in every regular-season NAIA Softball Coaches’ Poll.

After losing to Central Washington in early February, the Saints went on a 45-game win streak before losing twice to LSU-Alexandria in the conference tournament.

The Saints are led by Cassandra Valdez, who has 57 runs, four triples, 14 home runs, 42 walks and 28 stolen bases. She also leads the team in OBP with .529 and SLG with .824. Kayla Dreese leads the Saints in hits with 56, in doubles with 13 and batting average with .427. Natalie Rodriguez leads the team in 44 RBIs.

OLLU’s pitching ranks among the nation’s best. Cassandra Valdez has an ERA of 0.67, second-best in the NAIA. She has logged nine shutouts, three saves and a record of 23-1. She has 228 strikeouts. Ava Hernandez has an ERA of 1.41 with a record of 19-2. She has eight shutouts and 99 strikeouts.

No. 1 softball extends winning streak to 31 after sweeping Xavier

Fueled by 20 hits, 19 runs and 16 RBIs, the NAIA’s No. 1 ranked OLLU softball team swept Xavier University of Louisiana, 9-0 and 10-2, on Saturday to extend its winning streak to 31 games. 

The Saints improve to 35-1 overall and 12-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Gold Nuggets drop to 7-11 and 5-7 in the RRAC. Prior to the game, the team honored Marissa Bradley for her senior’s day.

In the opener, Madison Garza and Cassandra Valdez homered. Valdez also struck out 11 in five innings and won her 13th game of the season.

In the second game, Madison Garza and Ava Hernandez each drove in three runs and Valeria Vielma allowed four hits and secured the win.

Valdez hurls perfect game, OLLU Softball sweeps Southwest

Saints pitcher Cassandra Valdez threw a perfect game against the University of the Southwest and the No. 1 ranked OLLU softball team went on to sweep the Mustangs, 8-0 and 9-0, extending their winning streak to 23 games.

In the road opener last on March 14, Valdez struck out 13 of 15 batters, set the OLLU record for most shutouts in a career with 18 and won her 11th game. 

In the second game, Ava Hernandez threw a one-hit shutout, striking out 10, and improved to 13-1 on the season. 

The Saints moved to 27-1 overall and 8-0 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Mustangs fell to 9-11 and 0-3.

No. 7 Softball sweeps No. 6 Science and Arts in doubleheader

The No. 7 ranked OLLU softball team swept a doubleheader from No. 6 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO), 2-1 and 7-2, this past weekend. The Saints improve to 10-1 overall while the Drovers drop to 4-2.

In the opener, OLLU pitcher Cassandra Valdez struck out eight and held USAO to six-hits. Saints pitcher Ava Hernandez won the second game for OLLU, allowing four hits across 5 ⅓ innings, while Valdez secured the save. Hernandez also drove in two runs in the 7-2 victory.