LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced 380 student-athletes from 154 programs have received 2021 NFCA Division I All-Region accolades on Thursday. Cal State Fullerton softball had four student-athletes named to the All-West Region team including Hannah Becerra to the first team, Kelsie Whitmore to the second team and both Julia Valenzuela and KK Humphreys on the third team. The four honorees are the most the program has had since 2016.
The awards honor softball student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with first, second and third-team selections. NFCA member head coaches from each respective region voted on the teams, and all student-athletes now become eligible for the 2021 NFCA Division I All-America squads.
Kelsie Whitmore, also the 14th Titan to be named Big West Field Player of the Year, and she had one of the best offensive seasons in school history. It is the second straight year Fullerton has claimed the award as Ari Williams won it in 2019. Whitmore reached base safely in 29 straight games during the season and had a 18-game hitting streak, tied for the second-longest streak in program history.
She finished the season with a slash line of .395/.507/.824 overall and an outstanding line of .492/.612/1.062 in league play including 18 walks. Her slugging percentage of .824 is the second-best mark in school history for a single season while her on-base percentage of .507 is fifth.
She led the league in doubles (13), runs (45) and was second in total bases (98). Her 12 home runs, second in the Big West, are tied for the 10th-most in program history for a season. She also had a 1.000 fielding percentage and 10 assists as a right fielder.
She was named Big West Field Player of the Week on April 26.
Hannah Becerra, the Big West Home Run Queen, was also named Freshman Field Player of the Year. She is the third Titan to claim the honor and also the second straight honoree as Alexa Neil was co-recipient in 2019. At the dish she was a terror, hitting .356/.439/.763 while leading the Big West in home runs (14), total bases (103), and was second in RBI (47). Her 14 home runs are the most by a freshman in a single season in school history and tied for the fourth-most overall for a single season. The 47 RBI are tied for the sixth-most in school history.
Becerra, playing at third base all season, had a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 with 34 putouts and 85 assists.
She was named Big West Freshman of the Week four times during the season and Big West Field Player of the Week once.
Becerra was also named to the All-Big West First Team and Freshman Team.
Julia Valenzuela joined 2011 honoree K.C. Craddick as the two Titans to be named Big West Defensive Player of the Year since the inception of the honor in 2011. She had a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 during Big West play with 24 games played, 90 total chances to with 84 putouts and six assists. She caught two of the eight runners that tried to steal on her. For the season, she had a fielding percentage of .983 with 239 chances, 217 putouts, 18 assists and four errors. Her .990 fielding percentage for her career is tied for 10th all-time in program history.
Valenzuela also had a great year with the bat in her hands as she posted numbers of .396/.409/.612. She led the team in batting average at .396 and was second in the Big West with 55 hits (139 at-bats). The senior drove in 34 RBI and had five homers. She was also named Big West Field Player of the Week on Feb. 15 and March 1.
It is her first time being a First-Team All-Big West honoree after being on the second team in 2019 and 2018.