From June 17 to August 9, GoMatadors.com will present the top CSUN Moments from the 2023-24 sports season. Today’s moment features the CSUN softball team which hit the 25-win mark for the second-straight season.
The CSUN softball team posted its second consecutive 25-win season as four student-athletes were named All-Big West during the 2024 season.
After earning its first postseason berth since 2015 following a 28-24 season in 2023, the Matadors won 25 games in 2024. CSUN has now won 53 games over the last last two seasons, its best win total in back-to-back seasons since the 2017-2018 seasons.
CSUN raced out to a 10-1 start to the year, winning 10 consecutive games for the first time in nine seasons. During the hot stretch, CSUN notched its first win over a Power Five team in six seasons with a 5-3 win over Maryland. Other key wins during the year included a nine-inning 8-7 win over Dayton and a 5-1 win over Saint Mary’s, both future NCAA Tournament teams. CSUN also defeated future Big West champion Cal State Fullerton, 3-1, behind a complete game effort from Lauryn Carranco in the circle.
Four Matadors went on to earn All-Big West honors as Lulu Sanchez led the way earning Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year. Mikayla Carman and Sanchez also received All-Big West First Team. Carranco and Shaylan Whatman would earn spots on the All-Big West Second Team.
A first-team All-Big West and All-Freshman team selection, Sanchez was second on the team in RBI with 21 and third on the team in hits with 40. She boasted a .333 batting average, .475 slugging percentage, and .967 fielding percentage, while starting 42 of the 44 games.
Carman was first on the team in hits (56) and doubles (9), second in runs (21), and third on the team in RBI (20). The junior started 50 games, boasting a team-high .366 batting average along with a .451 slugging percentage, and a .968 fielding percentage.
Whatman led CSUN in several categories including runs scored (44), triples (3), home runs (10), and in RBI (28). She was second on the team in hits with 50 and third in doubles with eight. The senior registered a .327 batting average, a .614 slugging percentage, and a .944 fielding percentage while playing in all 51 games. Her memorable senior campaign included her selection to the Australian Women’s Softball Team, the “Aussie Spirit,” for the 2024 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) World Cup in Castions di Strada, Italy from July 15-21.
In the circle, Carranco held the lowest ERA on the team with 2.83 and was tied for the most wins with 12. She also collected the most shutouts with four and pitched the most innings (153.1) on the staff. The sophomore tallied 103 strikeouts in the season.
Also stellar in the classroom, CSUN had five student-athletes named to the 2023-24 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in Whatman, Carman, Carranco, Isabella Alonso and Kaylee Escutia.
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