By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

College of the Canyons softball was represented with four selections to the 2024 All-Western State Conference (WSC), South Division Team.

Canyons sophomores Gigi Garcia and Kate Garcia were joined by freshmen Nichole Muro and Brooke Petretti in receiving all-conference honors.

Gigi Garcia was the lone First-Team selection after batting .380 with seven doubles and four triples across 42 games. Her 49 hits and 32 RBIs led Canyons in both categories. She also scored 26 runs and swiped 17 bases after getting on-base at a .433 clip. Making the majority of her starts behind the plate she was responsible for handling the Cougars pitching staff. The sophomore out of John Burroughs High School also logged time in center field for the Cougars.

Kate Garcia was named All-WSC, Second-Team after a season in which she led the Cougars and ranked fourth in the conference with a .431 batting average in 37 games played. The sophomore outfielder from John F. Kennedy High School led Canyons in home runs (three), triples (six), doubles (10), slugging percentage (.716) and on-base percentage (.508) while logging 29 RBIs, 33 run scored and 20 stolen bases.

Muro and Petretti were both recognized with Honorable Mention accolades.

Petretti made the majority of her starts at shortstop registering a .321 batting average with a team-best 41 runs scored, which also ranked fifth in the WSC. Those numbers came alongside 26 RBIs and 16 stolen bases for the West Ranch High School grad.

Muro was also an Honorable Mention selection after providing Canyons with a steady presence in the circle down the stretch. The hurler out of Vasquez High School posted a 9-15 record in 31 appearances, including 26 starts, with a 5.99 ERA and 37 strikeouts across a team-high 152 innings. In the postseason, Muro tossed a two-hit shutout vs. Cuesta College to earn her second COC student-athlete of the week award.

Canyons (17-26, 6-6) finished fifth in the WSC, South Division and qualified for the 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs for a third straight season. The No. 15 seed Cougars then got past No. 18 Cuesta College 4-0 in the play-in round before being eliminated by No. 2 Cypress College in second round action.