Gomez, Garcia and Reynolds Earn NFCA First Team All-Region Honors
PHOENIX ---
Sophomores Makaiya Gomez and Anisa Reynolds and freshman Brianna Garcia received NJCAA Division II First Team All-South Region honors from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The trio is now eligible for NFCA All-American honors, which will be announced in the coming week.
Gomez, the ACCAC Player of the Year, wrapped up her 2023 campaign with a .533 batting average in 64 games. She led SMCC with 123 runs, 113 hits, 54 walks and 28 stolen bases, setting new school single-season records for runs and walks. She added 25 doubles, two triples, 20 home runs and 88 RBIs.
She had 32 multi-hit games and posted a season-high five hits in a win at Yavapai College on April 11. Gomez recorded 23 multi-RBI games and drove in a season-high seven runs in a February 11 win over Gateway CC. She had a season-high two stolen bases in three games and homered twice in an 11-4 win at Scottsdale CC on March 23. She started the 2023 season with a 25-game hitting streak and ended the regular season on a 15-game streak.
Reynolds was a two-way threat for SMCC who excelled at the plate and in the circle. Offensively, she finished with a .361 batting average, 59 runs and 69 hits in 60 games. She added eight doubles, 25 home runs, 78 RBIs and seven stolen bases. She went 22-4 in the circle with 110 strikeouts and a 3.33 ERA in 159.2 innings.
Reynolds struck out a season-high 10 batters in a March 13 win over Kirkwood CC (IA) and had seven punch outs in a win at Central Arizona on February 23. She posted five multi-home runs games during the 2023 season and blasted three home runs in a home win over Glendale CC on February 18. Reynolds posted a season-high seven RBIs and two home runs in a win at Central Arizona on February 23. She had a season-high four hits with two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs in a win over Gateway CC on February 11.
As the team's shortstop, Garcia batted .442 with 90 runs and 103 hits in 64 games. She added a school-record 28 home runs, 98 RBIs, 26 doubles, a triple and 10 stolen bases.
She had four multi-home run games in 2023, including three bombs in a 12-2 win at Arizona Western on March 7. She had a season-high six RBIs in two games and a season-high four hits in wins over Phoenix College and Pima CC. Garcia had six games with two doubles and scored a season-high four runs twice. Garcia posted hitting streaks of 17 and 13 games during the year.
NJCAA DI & II All-Americans, voted on by their respective All-America committees, will be announced on Friday, June 2.