THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.— Cal Lutheran softball had optimism as the Regals were fighting for a Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Tournament berth in 2020, but the season was cut short due to COVID-19.
The Regals ranked in the top-100 of 10 statistical categories with individuals being ranked in six areas. CLU's highest rankings were 30th in total sacrifice flies, 36th in total sacrifice bunts, 55th in hits allowed per seven innings and 56th in home runs.
The team's eight seniors are Celeste Ekman, Lexie Findley, Kendall Marinesi, Lauren Salvati, Sierra Scali, Olivia Serrano, Catherine Slabaugh and Brittany Workman.
The NCAA announced that they will grant a year of eligibility for spring sport student-athletes who saw their seasons cut short in 2020, however, it is likely that eight seniors have worn the Purple and Gold for the final time.
Ekman (Camarillo, Calif.) was a member of Second Team All-SCIAC in 2019. In just two years at Cal Lutheran, the infielder started all 48 games she played in. She had a batting average of .368 and tallied 11 doubles, two home runs and 33 RBI. In the infield for the Regals, she had a fielding percentage of .946. Ekman is a member of the CLU Scholar-Athlete Society.
Findley (Simi Valley, Calif.) was off to a hot start in 2020. The catcher was impressive from the plate and hitting .367 with 11 hits, six runs and five RBI. She added an on-base percentage of .459 and drew five walks.. In four years at CLU, Findley played in 74 games, making 54 starts. She totaled 26 hits, 23 RBI, 20 runs and had a fielding percentage of .962. She is a member of the CLU Scholar-Athlete Society.
Marinesi (Santee, Calif.) will go down as one of the best to play softball for the Purple and Gold. With more awards to come in 2020, the third baseman was NFCA First Team All-West Region, First Team All-SCIAC, Google Cloud Academic All-District Frist Team and Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III Player of the Week (03/13) in 2019. During her sophomore season of 2018, she was also NFCA Third Team All-West Region, First Team All-SCIAC and Google Cloud Academic All-District First Team. In the CLU record books, she sits third with 15 home runs and a slugging percentage of .713. She tied the program's season mark for home runs in 2019 with 12. In her four-year career, Marinesi hit .393 with 118 hits, 29 doubles, 86 RBI, 68 runs and has a fielding percentage of .932. She is a member of the CLU Scholar-Athlete Society.
Salvati (Carmel, Calif.) has been at Cal Lutheran for the past two seasons. She came in and made an immediate impact in the outfield, making great plays at centerfield. She started all 52 games since she joined the program and tallied 83 putouts and 10 assists for a fielding percentage of .969. At the plate, she recorded a .293 hitting percentage with 48 hits, four doubles, two triples, 28 runs, 17 RBI, 15 walks and was 9-for-10 on stolen bases.
Scali (Yucca Valley, Calif.) has been with the Regals all four years. As a member of the pitching staff, she has appeared in 14 games and 19.1 innings pitched as a reliever. On the mound and in the field, she has played in a total of 19 games. She has a perfect fielding percentage and an on-base percentage of .222. She has been inducted into the CLU Scholar-Athlete Society every year.
Serrano (Oxnard, Calif.) has spent the past four years with the Regals on the mound. She has 17 wins while pitching 272.2 innings. Serrano has recorded 77 strikeouts and has a fielding percentage of .972. She has thrown 13 complete games in her career and has held opponents to a batting of .344. For her career, pitching and in the field, Serrano has competed in 52 games for the Purple and Gold. At the plate, she has an average of .246 with 16 hits, seven RBI and five runs.
Slabaugh (Davis, Calif.) has played in 118 games, making 109 starts, during her four-year career. Slabaugh was clutch at the plate and in the field. In 2019, she delivered two walk-off hits, both over conference competition, against Occidental and Whittier. For her career, Slabaugh hit .248 and recorded 80 hits, including 18 doubles and a triple. She touched 100 total bases as she tallied 39 RBI and 36 runs. While playing mainly right field, and also second base, she had a fielding percentage of .967. She is a member of the CLU Scholar-Athlete Society.
Workman (Canyon County, Calif.) has been mainly a pitcher, and also done some hitting, for Cal Lutheran over the past four years. She has played in 88 games, while making 52 appearances in the circle. Workman pitched 10 complete games in her career and recorded 89 strikeouts. Defensively, she had a fielding percentage of .874. At the plate, Workman tallied 34 hits and recorded 26 runs and 20 RBI. She touched 49 total bases as she added six doubles, three triples and one home run. She is a member of the CLU Scholar-Athlete Society.
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Release by Ryan Jorgenson, Sports Information Director
