SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Big West announces its all-conference honors for Softball on Tuesday afternoon. Two Gauchos earned major awards, with Dani Rauscher earning Big West Freshman Player of the Year and Sophia Clark earning Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year. Including Rauscher and Clark, the Gauchos had a total of 10 All-Big West selections, the most in a single season in program history.
 
Rauscher was unbelievable all season long. The San Jose native earned not only Big West Freshman Player of the Year, but also First Team honors and All-Freshman Team recognition. After assuming the center field role during the second weekend of the season, Rauscher did not look back. After the second weekend of play, her batting average dipped below .400 just once. One of the best freshman seasons in recent memory, the freshman was named Freshman of the Week twice and Player of the Week once. The left-handed slapper led the team in hits and batting average while also being the second freshman in program history to be named to the NFCA National Freshman of the Year Top 25 Watchlist.
 
Sophia Clark was equally as impressive as Rauscher, but in the circle. The San Diego native was not only named The Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, but also earned All-Big West Second Team honors and was named to the All-Big West Freshman team. The right-hander twirled 106 innings, posting a 3.30 earned run average with nine complete games and two shutouts. She struck out 45 batters. Her first collegiate win in the circle was a complete game, two-hit shutout against San Diego. Additionally, from February 26 to April 4, she earned a win in the circle in eight of her nine starts in the circle.
 
Emily Carr propelled herself to one of the best outfielders in The Big West this season. The junior raised her batting average by 130 points from a season ago. Carr set single-season marks for runs (27), hits (50), home runs (7), RBIs (34) and walks (19). One of four Gauchos to record 50 or more hits in the 2026 season, Carr ranks among the top 10 in The Big West in on-base percentage, OPS and RBIs.
 
The 2025 Big West Pitcher of the Year impressed the conference once again as Malaya Johnson was named an All-Big West Second Team selection. Johnson's dominance in the circle has flourished over the past month and a half. The senior has dropped her ERA by 1.05 runs per seven innings while racking up 42 strikeouts in that span. Johnson currently holds the lowest earned run average on the team with a 3.09 ERA while posting an 11-9 record with 11 complete games, three shutouts over 111 innings. She also ranks among the nation's best in strikeout-to-walk ratio and walks allowed per seven innings.
 
Sophomore Giselle Mejia has earned her second All-Big West selection in as many years after being named All-Conference Second Team for the 2026 season. The outfielder's consistent approach at the plate led to another outstanding year. Mejia batted 0.380 across 137 at-bats with 10 doubles and 32 runs batted in while scoring 23 times herself. Her 30 doubles through her first two seasons are just two off of cracking the top 10 for career doubles, and her career 0.377 batting average would rank third all-time for a career.
 
Tehya Banks earned her second All-Conference recognition, being named All-Big West Honorable Mention. The shortstop set new marks in batting average (0.343), runs scored (41), hits (57), home runs (6), RBIs (24) and stolen bases (11). Her 41 runs scored currently rank tied for seventh-most in a single season. Consistently hitting in the two-hole, the Chino Hills native has been key up the middle for the Gauchos on defense, ranking top 100 nationally for assists and helping turn 13 double plays. Banks ranks fourth in The Big West in runs scored and seventh in hits.
 
Bella Fuentes produced another All-Conference season in her final year in the Blue and Gold. The senior has been named All-Big West Honorable Mention following the 2026 regular season. Fuentes hit 0.297 with six doubles and eight home runs while ranking second on the team with 33 RBIs. The third baseman played in all 52 games and, dating back to the 2025 season, has played and started in all 114 games over the past two seasons.
 
Delaina Ma'ae earned her first career All-Big West selection, being named to the Honorable Mention team. The Gauchos' backstop hit 0.278 across 45 games while setting a new season-high in doubles (9) and home runs (9). She is currently closing in on setting a new mark for RBIs, sitting at 23. Ma'ae ranks top 10 in The Big West in slugging percentage and home runs. Behind the dish, the Garden Grove native is equally as impressive. A career .995 fielding percentage, the sophomore did not commit an error in 186 chances and ranks eighth nationally in caught stealing, having thrown out 15 potential base stealers.
 
Also earning All-Big West Honorable Mention recognition is freshman Jaelyn Toledo. One of the toughest hitters to strikeout in all of collegiate softball, Toledo hit 0.3690 in the regular season. Appearing in 45 games and making 42 starts, she is just two hits away from reaching 50 hits in her first season with the Gauchos. She has clubbed four doubles while driving in 12 runs and scoring 23 times herself. Reaching base at over a .400 clip, the freshman has struck out just eight times in 130 at-bats.
 
A 2024 All-Big West Second team selection, Ainsley Waddell returns to All-Conference recognition, earning Honorable Mention recognition. Waddell set the best marks of her career during the 2026 season. A season-best .343 batting average on 47 hits, including nine doubles and seven home runs, produced 28 RBIs for the junior. Waddell set a career best slash line of .343/.421/562. In the circle, she pitched 48.2 innings, including two shutouts, two complete games, highlighted by a complete-game one-hitter against CSUN and a complete-game three-hitter against Cal State Bakersfield.
 
The fourth and final Gaucho freshman to earn all-conference recognition is none other than Ella Myers. The Monterey native was named to The Big West All-Freshman Team. Despite limited playing time at the beginning of the season, Myers produced when it mattered most. She began her career a perfect 5-for-5 and after recording her first out at the plate, never allowed her batting average to dip below .400. In 31 at-bats, Myers recorded 13 hits, good for a .419 average. She clubbed a triple and three home runs while driving in 12 runs and scoring eight times herself. In the circle, Myers posts a 3-3 record across 18 appearances.
 
THE BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS
UC Santa Barbara heads to The Big West Championships as the No. 3 seed in the bracket. The Gauchos will take on the No. 6 seed UC San Diego at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 6 in the First Round of the Championships. Santa Barbara swept the regular season seires against the Tritons. With a win, the Gauchos will take on No. 2 seed Hawai'i. UC Santa Barbara's 18-9 conference record is the most conference wins the Gauchos have recorded in a single season. To view the complete bracket and Championship information, visit bigwest.org.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
All games will be played at Anderson Family Field on the campus of Cal State Fullerton, in Fullerton, California. All games will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available.