Marinesi Named First Team All-SCIAC & Character Award Winner, Barker and Ekman Earn Second Team

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.— The 2019 All-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) honors were announced on Wednesday and Kendall Marinesi was named First Team and voted the Character Award winner while Rachel Barker and Celeste Ekman garnered Second Team honors. 

Marinesi (Santee, Calif.) was named First Team for the second consecutive year. The junior third baseman was a huge part offensively and defensively. She recorded 12 home runs, which are 11^th most in the nation, and tops in the conference. She is also 10^th in the nation for slugging percentage (0.920) and 12^th in total bases (103). She has the sixth best batting average in the SCIAC with .417 and has the fourth most RBI and doubles with 39 and 12, respectively. Also at the plate, she has tallied 48 hits, four triples and 16 walks. At third base, she has 36 put outs and 104 assists, while committing just six errors. 

As the Character Award honoree, Marinesi displays sportsmanship and outstanding character on and off the field. She is a true leader on the field, offensively amongst conference leaders, and defensively at third base. She is a great sport as she compliments other team's athletes on plays/hits and is friendly with other coaches. She is a tremendous leader and the epitome of a Division III student-athlete. She is a high achiever in the classroom and in the community. This year she organized a fall Special Olympics softball clinic at the Ventura County softball tournament, volunteered with skills clinics for Special Olympics (DIII Week), wrote letters to first responders (DIII Week) and volunteers/teaches in 4th grade classes. She is also an active member in the Cal Lutheran FCA. 

In her first and lone season with the Regals, Barker (West Hills, Calif.) earned Second Team All-SCIAC. The senior has done anything and everything she is asked. She has played catcher, first base, third base and shortstop. She tallied 154 putouts and 29 assists with a .924 fielding percentage. She has drawn the fourth most walks in the conference with 14, has 11^th most hits with 45 and the 12^th best batting average with .388. She has tallied eight doubles, one home run, 25 RBI and 15 runs. 

Ekman (Camarillo, Calif.) garnered Second Team honors in her first season with the Regals. The junior also moved around the infield and split time at second base and shortstop. She had the 14^th best average in the SCIAC with .378 and tallied the eighth most RBI with 29 and the 11^th most hits with 45. She recorded one home run, eight doubles and drew six walks while touching a total of 56 bases. She tallied an on base percentage of .398 and a slugging percentage of .471. Defensively, she had 60 put outs and 68 assists with a fielding percentage of .921.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' Chloe Amarilla was Athlete of the Year, Lauren Richards was Newcomer of the Year and Gina Oaks earned Coaching Staff of the Year. Liz Rodarte of Pomona-Pitzer was the Pitcher of the Year. 

SCIAC Release: SCIAC All-Conference awards
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director