By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University center fielder Myranda Ramirez (Jr./So., Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS) has been selected as the 2015 Northwest Conference Player of the Year, in voting by the NWC head coaches. Ramirez also was chosen for First Team All-NWC honors, as she led the conference with a .500 batting average.

Two Bearcats were named Second Team All-NWC. They are Heather Winslow (Sr., 1B, Oregon City, OR/Oregon City HS) and Ashley Pender (Jr., 2B, Reno, NV/North Valleys HS).

Honorable Mention recognition went to Willamette players Amanda Absher (Sr., DP, Elk Grove, CA/Franklin HS), Jenna King (Sr., RF, Camarillo, CA/Adolfo Camarillo HS), Erin Norris (Sr., C, Salem, OR/South Salem HS) and Kayla Rieger (Sr., 3B, Anacortes, WA/Anacortes HS/Adelphi Univ.), .

Overall a total of 40 athletes earned All-NWC status. Twelve players were chosen for First Team honors, with 12 more on the Second Team. An additional 16 players received Honorable Mention.

The Bearcats completed the 2015 season with a 16-22 overall record, including a 13-15 record (6th place) in the NWC. Willamette earned a 15-9 record in its final 24 games.

First Team All-Northwest Conference

Myranda Ramirez (Jr./So., CF) earned First Team All-NWC honors and was chosen NWC Player of the Year. She ranked first in the NWC with a .500 batting average that topped the rest of the conference by nearly 100 points. She scored 29 runs and recorded 26 RBIs, while hitting nine doubles, one triple and two home runs. She stole 13 bases.

 

She played in 37 games with 32 starts. On defense, she recorded 43 putouts and contributed one assist from center field.

Ramirez helped the Bearcats earn a .333 team batting average. Willamette scored 211 runs and bounded out 91 extra-base hits, with 66 doubles, 14 triples and 11 home runs.

In two seasons in the WU lineup, Ramirez has hit .407 with 54 runs scored and 32 RBIs. She has played in 72 games with 61 starts. She is 25 of 33 on stolen bases.

Second Team All-Northwest Conference

Heather Winslow (Sr., 1B) was named Second Team All-NWC for the second time. She received First Team All-NWC honors in 2014 and was Second Team All-NWC in 2012. This year, she batted .411 and led the Bearcats with 31 runs, 11 doubles and three homers. She was 30 of 38 on stolen bases. She hit two triples and drove in 20 runs.

During her junior year, she hit .420 with 39 runs and 22 RBIs. She pounded out 12 doubles, two triples and two home runs.

In her WU career, Winslow attained a .364 career batting average. She scored 115 runs and provided 74 RBIs, while smacking 33 doubles, seven triples and 11 home runs. She concluded her career 75 of 88 on stolen base attempts. On defense, she accumulated a school record 851 putouts, with 33 assists and a .978 fielding percentage.

She ranked second all-time for the Bearcats with a .480 on-base percentage and was third with a .565 slugging percentage. She was hit by pitches a school record 43 times and received 46 walks. On defense, she ranks second with 21 double plays turned.

Winlsow played in a Willamette record 148 games with 145 starts. She started all 40 games during her junior year and started all 38 games this season.

Ashley Pender (Jr., 2B) was named Second Team All-NWC this season. She was chosen First Team All-NWC in 2013 and was Honorable Mention All-NWC in 2014. Pender hit .378 for the Bearcats this spring, while scoring 18 runs and recording a team-high 28 RBIs. She started 36 games and went 11 for 11 on stolen bases. She led the Bearcats with 60 assists on defense.

As a sophomore in 2014, she hit .375 and played in all 40 games with 39 starts. She scored 24 runs and ranked fifth in the NWC with 35 RBIs.

During her freshman year, she batted .359 with 28 runs and 31 RBIs. She ranks third all-time at Willamette with a .371 career batting average.

Her career statistics also include 132 hits, 70 runs, 32 doubles four triples, and seven homers. She has contributed 94 RBIs and is 17 of 19 on stolen bases. She has played in 113 games in three seasons with 112 starts.

Honorable Mention All-Northwest Conference

Amanda Absher (Sr., DP) was selected Honorable Mention All-NWC for the second year in a row. She earned a .337 batting average this season and ranked second for Willamette with 27 RBIs. She scored 14 runs, while pounding out 10 doubles, one triple and two homers.

In 2014, Absher hit .314 with 18 runs and 18 RBIs. She belted six doubles, two triples and two homers. During the 2013 season, she smacked two doubles and five homers.

During her career with the Bearcats, she has hit .313 and has connected for 18 doubles, three triples and nine home runs. She has played in 105 games (80 starts) and had achieved 45 runs and 64 RBIs. She owns a career .525 slugging percentage and a .426 on-base percentage.

Jenna King (Sr., RF) earned Honorable Mention All-NWC recognition for the second consecutive season after being and named Second Team All-NWC in 2013. She played in 128 games during her Willamette career, including 113 starts. She recorded a .309 career batting average to go along with 108 hits and 62 runs. She was 47 of 54 on stolen bases.

She achieved 117 career putouts in the outfield an also gained two assists with no errors. She maintained a perfect 1.000 career fielding percentage.

This year, she registered a .352 batting average, while playing in all 38 games with 37 starts. She scored 22 runs and provided 10 RBIs. She stole 15 bases on 17 attempts. King also provided 41 putouts and one assist on defense.

In 2013, she hit .340 with 19 runs and nine RBIs. She scored 16 runs in 2014, while striking out only two times in 119 at bats. During her final two years with the Bearcats, she had just five strikeouts in 227 at bats.

 

 

Erin Norris (Sr., C) was chosen Honorable Mention All-NWC this spring after earning Second Team All-NWC honors in 2014. She batted .299 for the Bearcats this season. She scored 10 runs and supplied WU with 18 RBIs. She played in 35 games with 25 starts and contributed 58 putouts on defense.

In her career, Norris saw action in 120 games (95 starts). She started all 40 games as a junior in 2014. She put together a .283 career batting average and a .394 career on-base percentage. She pounded out 77 hits, including 20 doubles, while scoring 47 runs, walking 42 times and earning 61 RBIs.

Norris also belted three triples and seven home runs during her career. She was 12 of 14 on stolen bases, including 8 of 9 in 2014.

Kayla Rieger (Sr., 3B) received Honorable Mention All-NWC status this season. She was named Second Team All-NWC in 2014.

She moved from the outfield into third base this year and provided the Bearcats with a .383 batting average. She competed in all 38 games with 37 starts. She crossed the played 29 times and recorded 22 RBIs. She blasted 10 doubles, four triples and two homers. She finished the year with 59 putouts and 60 assists on defense.

In two seasons since transferring from Adelphi University in New York, Rieger has attained a .351 batting avreaged, while playing in 72 games with 69 starts. She has scored 45 runs to go along with 15 doubles and five triples. She is 31 of 37 on career-stolen pages. During the 2014 season, she hit .312 with 16 runs and 10 RBIs.