TEMPE, Ariz.-- Five Arizona State softball players have earned All-Pac-12 Softball recognition following the 2017 regular season, the league office announced Monday morning.
Seniors Sashel Palacios and Chelsea Gonzales led the way for the Sun Devils receiving All-Pac-12 First Team honors, while sophomore Taylor Becerra and junior Breanna Macha earned Third Team recognition. Freshman pitcher Giselle Juarez rounded out the five postseason honors by earning a spot on the All-Pac-12 Freshman team.
Palacios earned her first-career All-Pac-12 First Team nod, as well as All-Defensive Team honors, following a season in which she started every game behind the plate for the Sun Devils. The Chula Vista, Calif., native has tallied 129 hits in her 406 at-bats this season. Her 10 home runs this season out pace her seven-career long balls heading into the season.
Joining Palacios on the first team was senior shortstop, Chelsea Gonzales. The slugging middle infielder has continued her climb in the ASU record books this season, moving into a tie for sixth in career-home runs (42) and a tie for sixth in career-RBI (179). This season, Gonzales has recorded a team-high .348 batting average. Her 11 home runs rank second on the team, while her 25 extra-base hits rank first among all Sun Devils.
Sophomore third baseman, Taylor Becerra, earned her second All-Pac-12 honor Monday, earning a spot on the league's Third Team. Becerra was a staple in the ASU infield during the 2017 regular season, starting every game in the hot corner. Becerra maintained the team's second-highest batting average at .338.
Macha joined Becerra on the All-Pac-12 Third Team following a 2017 campaign that saw the Mesa, Ariz., native record 12 wins on the year in her 26 appearances. Macha allowed a career-low 56 runs in 2017, just 36 of those earned, en rout to a 2.22 season ERA.
Freshman lefty, Giselle Juarez, rounded out the ASU selections in Monday's All-Pac-12 announcement earning a spot on the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team. Juarez made an impact on the Sun Devil pitching rotation in just her first year on campus, allowing just 81 total hits in her 88.2 innings pitched. The Glendale, Ariz., native made 12 starts in the circle for the Sun Devils and picked up one of the biggest wins of the season at No. 3 Arizona in late April. Juarez had a knack for keeping opposing batters off balance, as evident by her team-leading 78 strikeouts in 2017.
The Sun Devils will be back in action this weekend when they travel to No. 12 Ole Miss to compete in the 2017 Oxford Regional. ASU will begin their postseason run with a 5 p.m. PT matchup against North Carolina. For the first time ever, ESPN will cover every game from all 16 regional sites. Fans can follow all of the action from the Sun Devils postseason run by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Seniors Sashel Palacios and Chelsea Gonzales led the way for the Sun Devils receiving All-Pac-12 First Team honors, while sophomore Taylor Becerra and junior Breanna Macha earned Third Team recognition. Freshman pitcher Giselle Juarez rounded out the five postseason honors by earning a spot on the All-Pac-12 Freshman team.
Palacios earned her first-career All-Pac-12 First Team nod, as well as All-Defensive Team honors, following a season in which she started every game behind the plate for the Sun Devils. The Chula Vista, Calif., native has tallied 129 hits in her 406 at-bats this season. Her 10 home runs this season out pace her seven-career long balls heading into the season.
Joining Palacios on the first team was senior shortstop, Chelsea Gonzales. The slugging middle infielder has continued her climb in the ASU record books this season, moving into a tie for sixth in career-home runs (42) and a tie for sixth in career-RBI (179). This season, Gonzales has recorded a team-high .348 batting average. Her 11 home runs rank second on the team, while her 25 extra-base hits rank first among all Sun Devils.
Sophomore third baseman, Taylor Becerra, earned her second All-Pac-12 honor Monday, earning a spot on the league's Third Team. Becerra was a staple in the ASU infield during the 2017 regular season, starting every game in the hot corner. Becerra maintained the team's second-highest batting average at .338.
Macha joined Becerra on the All-Pac-12 Third Team following a 2017 campaign that saw the Mesa, Ariz., native record 12 wins on the year in her 26 appearances. Macha allowed a career-low 56 runs in 2017, just 36 of those earned, en rout to a 2.22 season ERA.
Freshman lefty, Giselle Juarez, rounded out the ASU selections in Monday's All-Pac-12 announcement earning a spot on the All-Pac-12 Freshman Team. Juarez made an impact on the Sun Devil pitching rotation in just her first year on campus, allowing just 81 total hits in her 88.2 innings pitched. The Glendale, Ariz., native made 12 starts in the circle for the Sun Devils and picked up one of the biggest wins of the season at No. 3 Arizona in late April. Juarez had a knack for keeping opposing batters off balance, as evident by her team-leading 78 strikeouts in 2017.
The Sun Devils will be back in action this weekend when they travel to No. 12 Ole Miss to compete in the 2017 Oxford Regional. ASU will begin their postseason run with a 5 p.m. PT matchup against North Carolina. For the first time ever, ESPN will cover every game from all 16 regional sites. Fans can follow all of the action from the Sun Devils postseason run by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.