FULLERTON, Calif. – Cal State Fullerton softball collected a program-high 18 All-Conference accolades, including Gina Oaks Garcia's first Big West Coach of the Year award in her first year as head of Titans Softball, the conference announced Tuesday. 

Gina Oaks Garcia coached the Titans to their second straight regular-season Big West Championship title in her first season as head coach, recording a 37-15 overall record and 22-5 record in conference play. She became the fourth coach in program history to receive the honor and the first since Kelly Ford in 2022. Judi Garman, who recruited Oaks Garcia to become a Titan in 2000, earned the honor in 1981 (WCAA). Michelle Gromacki, who coached Oaks Garcia, earned the honor twice, while Ford, who brought Oaks Garcia back to Cal State Fullerton as an assistant coach in 2024, received the honor five times. 



Ava Arce was named Big West Field Player of the Year and a First Team selection after a record-breaking season. Arce was the only Titan to start in all 52 games played, slashing .414/.441/.701 with 65 hits, 12 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBI and 29 runs. Arce received four Big West Field Player of the Week awards, while leading the conference in batting average, slugging, hits and RBI. Her 60 RBI rank tied for 23rd in the nation with four other Division I players. On May 3, Arce sent a ball over the outfield wall for a go-ahead two-run home run against Cal State Bakersfield to break Jenny Topping's 2001 program record of 59 RBI for most RBI scored in a single season. With runners in scoring position, Arce went 30-for-60 (.500) at the plate, while batting .457 (22-for-63) with runners on base and .750 (6-for-8) with bases loaded. Arce is the first Titan to receive a Big West Field Player of the Year award since Megan Delgadillo in 2022. 



Nataly Lozano was named Freshman Field Player of the Year, while receiving First Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team honors. She is the first Titan to receive Freshman Field Player of the Year honors since Hannah Becerra's All-American season in 2021. Lozano's first collegiate hit came as a three-run home run against No. 3 Oklahoma at the season-opening Easton Classic (Feb. 7). Lozano joined Arce as a four-time Big West Weekly honoree, posting a .378 batting average, which is third best on the team. In her rookie season, Lozano recorded 59 hits, 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs and 43 RBI. On the base path, Lozano went 7-for-10, while recording 55 putouts and two assists from right field. 



Eva Hurtado became the fourth Titan in program history to be named Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year, while also receiving a spot on the All-Freshman Team and an Honorable Mention. Hurtado started as a relief pitcher for the Titans, quickly working her way into the three-pitcher rotation. She ended the regular season with her first Pitcher of the Week honor after a standout performance in the circle against Cal State Bakersfield, where she tossed 5.2 shutout innings. Overall, Hurtado (6-3) posted a 4.13 ERA across 89.1 innings of work. She held opponents to a .252 average with 65 strikeouts. She recorded a career-high innings pitched (7.0) and strikeouts (6) versus Hawai'i on March 29. 



Colby McClinton joined Arce and Lozano on the All-Big West First Team. The junior second baseman slashed .388/.454/.479 on the season with 47 hits, four doubles, two triples, a home run and 21 RBI. She scored 33 runs for the Titans, while going 13-for-15 on stolen base attempts. She set a new career-high for three stolen bases in a single game against Long Beach State on April 5. She recorded a career-high with three runs scored against UC Santa Barbara (March 15) and four hits against UC Riverside (April 27). In the middle infield, McClinton posted a .953 fielding percentage with 78 putouts and 83 assists. 



Alexia Lopez joined the First Team after holding it down behind the plate for the Titans in 51 starts in 52 appearances. Lopez posted a .986 fielding percentage as catcher with 260 putouts and 21 assists. With help from the middle infield, Lopez caught 11 runners trying to steal. In the box, Lopez slashed .353/.415/.453 with 12 extra base hits, 29 RBI and 29 runs scored. She showed control at the plate, earning 15 walks which is tied with Lozano for most walks on the team. Her speed was effective on the bases, swiping all five of the bags she attempted to steal. 



Trisha McCleskey was a force to be reckoned with in the circle, earning her first All-Conference First Team honor. McCleskey was named Big West Pitcher of the Week twice this season after impressive performances in the circle. Against conference opponents, McCleskey recorded a team-low 2.92 ERA with 10 wins, two saves, six complete games and four shutout victories. Across 83.1 innings, she held Big West hitters to a .227 average, striking out 62 batters. She pitched a seven-inning game eight times this season, setting a career-high eight strikeouts against UC Davis on April 18. Overall, McCleskey tossed 153.2 innings with 102 K for the Titans compared to her 14.2 IP and 11 K in 2024. 



Sarah Coccillos received All-Freshman and Second Team honors after starting 45 of the 50 games she appeared in at third base. In her freshman season, Coccillos batted .376 (53-for-141) with nine doubles and three home runs. She drove in 33 runs for the Titans, while scoring 14 runs. Defensively, Coccillos made 37 putouts with 77 assists at the hot corner. 



Sarah Perez joined Coccillos as a Second Team All-Conference recipient. In conference play, Perez batted .376 with 35 hits, two doubles, two triples, nine RBI and 24 runs scored. Perez batted .344 on the season with 56 hits, five doubles, two triples and 15 RBI. She stole 10 out of the 11 bases she attempted to steal, bringing her career stolen bases to 18. As the primary shortstop, Perez made 70 putouts and 102 assists, while turning 10 double plays for a .950 fielding percentage. 



Leanna Garcia received an Honorable Mention after silencing opponents in the circle. The left-hander finished the regular season with a 15-5 record (4.65 ERA), pitching 93 innings. Six of her 17 starts came as complete games, including a career-high 11 strikeout outing against UC San Diego on March 7. She recorded one save and led the team with 104 K which is best for third in the conference. 



Sophia Guevara and Maggie Paulovich joined Garcia with Honorable Mention honors from the conference, earning their first Big West accolades. Guevara slashed .236/.287/.321 with 25 hits, seven doubles, a triple and 11 RBI, while scoring six runs for the Titans in 48 appearances. She set a career-high two RBI at Cal Baptist (April 1) and recorded her first career triple against Bethune-Cookman at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic (Feb. 21). Between first base and catcher, Guevara posted a .955 fielding percentage with 58 putouts and six assists. 



Paulovich started in five of the 32 games she appeared in, splitting time between shortstop and the outfield. Paulovich slashed .448/.484/.500 with 13 hits, two double and two RBI, including a walk-off run-rule victory over CSUN with a base knock on April 12. She flexed her speed on the bases, stealing three bases and scoring 16 runs. 



The Titans season will continue after being crowned the 2025 Big West Regular-Season Champions as the No. 1 seed at the inaugural Big West Softball Championship hosted at Anderson Family Field. The Titans get a first-round bye, playing their first double-elimination game on Thursday, May 8 at 1:00 p.m. against the winner of Wednesday's matchup between Long Beach State and Hawai'i. 

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