ARLINGTON – As the Texans best season in their Division I era continues to roll on into the conference tournament, the Purple and White had multiple student-athletes pick up WAC regular season awards including Shelby Schultz, the freshman southpaw being named WAC Freshman of the year.
Shelby Schultz has been a hitter’s worst nightmare all season as she helped guide Tarleton State to their best Division I regular season record of 34-20. Shelby Schultz heads into postseason play with a record of 15-4, the second most wins in the conference. In the nation as of May 6, she ranks 12th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.06), 25th in strikeouts per seven innings (8.6) and 27th in total strikeouts (162). Shelby Schultz leads the WAC in all three of those categories as well. The left-hander is also tied for first in the WAC in saves with three with fellow Texan and teammate Alexa Rehmeier.
Through 31 appearances and 20 starts for the freshman ace, Shelby Schultz has struck out a team and WAC leading 162 batters while tossing seven complete games. She has taken control of the circle for 131.1 IP while earning three saves and tossing an individual and combined shutout for two on the season. The Temple native is the first freshman rock slinger in program history since 2017 to strikeout 100 would be hitters and became the first freshman in program history to strikeout 150 in a single season. She ranks seventh so far in single season strikeout total in program history, with more games left to go.
Shelby Schultz’s recognition doesn’t stop there as she is also one of three Texans to be named to the All-WAC first team. The other two student-athletes for the Purple and White are Austin Germain and Kalyn Hill.
Germain and Hill have been a constant power throughout this season, both ranking nationally in multiple categories. Germain is currently second in doubles in the nation with 22 on the season, putting her just two away from tying the program’s single season record and three away from setting the new mark to beat. With her 22 doubles through 50 games, she is tied for first in doubles per game in the nation and leads the WAC. With all the offensive power from Germain, she is the sixth toughest to strike out in the nation as she strikes out just once every 53 plate appearances. Germain sits 28th in the nation in batting average hitting .440 and sits No. 2 in the WAC. She is also 34th in hits with 70 and ranks second in the WAC.
The senior third baseman, through 50 games, leads the team in eight different categories including batting average (.440), OPS (1.226), runs (44), hits (70), doubles (22), total bases (115), slugging % (.723) and on-base % (.503).
Hill, who has caught 18 base runners stealin,g which puts her eighth in the nation and leads all of the WAC. She also sits fifth in the WAC in batting average hitting .390. Hill sits in the No. 3 spot in the WAC in hits with 64 thus far.
The senior catcher through 54 games leads the team in RBI’s with 38 and games started with 54 while she ranks second-best in batting average (.390), OPS (1.073), at-bats (164), hits (64), total bases (99), slugging % (.604) and walks (26).
The Texans have a double bye entering into the WAC Tournament thanks to an impressive second-place finish in the conference, sitting behind only three-peat WAC Tournament Champs Grand Canyon. While GCU may have the top seed and a double bye as well, a semi-finals matchup between the two programs may be one for the ages as the Texans are the only team to not only hand GCU a conference loss this season but did it twice, take the series from the Lopes earlier this season. The series loss marked the first since 2022 and their first conference series loss since 2023. The Stephenville Squad accounts for a third of GCU’s losses this season.
With a double bye in the tournament, Tarleton State will have to wait until late Wednesday night to see who they will face off against in their first tournament action. With the double bye, the Texans are also straight into the double elimination portion of the bracket following back-to-back years in the play-in games that saw the Purple and White drop two one-run games to 2025 WAC Tournament host California Baptist and longtime foe UT Arlington.
See the full list of WAC Awards below:
2025 WAC Softball Season Awards
2025 WAC Player of the Year
Savannah Kirk, So., 2B, Grand Canyon
2025 WAC Pitcher of the Year
Meghan Golden, Sr., Grand Canyon
2025 WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Priscilla Estrada, Sr., SS, California Baptist
2025 WAC Freshman of the Year
Shelby Schultz, LHP, Tarleton State
2025 WAC Coach of the Year
Shanon Hays, Grand Canyon
2025 All-WAC First Team
Matti Severns, So., OF, California Baptist
Taryn Batterton, Jr., RHP, Grand Canyon
Jada Cooper, Fr., UTL, Grand Canyon
Meghan Golden, Sr., RHP, Grand Canyon
Emily Gonzalez, Jr., UTL, Grand Canyon
Savannah Kirk, So., 2B, Grand Canyon
Arianna Ramirez, So., 1B, Southern Utah
Austin Germain, Sr., 3B, Tarleton State
Kalyn Hill, Sr., C, Tarleton State
Shelby Schultz, Fr., LHP, Tarleton State
Britney Moreno, Jr., SS, Utah Valley
2025 All-WAC Second Team
Lina Russo, Sr., RHP, Abilene Christian
Priscilla Estrada, Sr., SS, California Baptist
Ashlee Annett, Jr., 1B, California Baptist
Makaiya Gomez, Gr., OF, Grand Canyon
Avari Morris, So., LHP/RF, Seattle U
Nicola Simpson, Sr., RHP/DP, Seattle U
Karen Spadafora, So., C, Seattle U
Berkley Vance, So., RHP, Seattle U
Michaella Salvatierra, Fr., OF, Southern Utah
Hannah Blincoe, Sr., RHP, Tarleton State
LB Kahahawai-Kekona, Jr., SS, Utah Tech
2025 WAC All-Defensive Team
Priscilla Estrada, Sr., SS, California Baptist
Sydney Soto, Sr., OF, California Baptist
Savannah Kirk, So., 2B, Grand Canyon
Tinley Lucas, So., C, Grand Canyon
Mikee Morris, So., SS, Seattle U
Karen Spadafora, So., C, Seattle U
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