Former Sabino standout Cassie Castaneda made the Summit League Preseason Players to Watch list as announced by the league on Wednesday. Castaneda is a senior catcher for North Dakota and she hit .276 overall last season with a .672 OPS and she started all 47 games behind the plate. Castaneda posted 37 hits with 14 RBI, nine doubles 11 walks and an on-base percentage of .329 and she threw out a league best 16 runners caught stealing and had a .989 fielding percentage.
Former Tucson diver Delaney Schnell was named Pac 12 Diver of the Week for the third time this year after she completed a diving sweep against No. 1 Arizona State. In the women’s 1-meter, Schnell posted a final score of 359.03, putting her 57 points above the runner up. Schnell also picked up a win in the women’s 3-meter, finishing with a 359.55, 82 points higher than her closest competitor.
This list will be updated all year in an effort to recognize all former local prep stars who have gone on to achieve either academic and/or athletic awards at the next level. These are not high school awards but collegiate and professional recognitions. NOT CHAMPIONSHIPS. If you are aware of anything I have missed along the way, please let me know. amoralesmytucson@yahoo.com
Portions from news release.
12 athletes have been recognized for 2023 – we had 201 athletes recognized in 2022.
Cassie Castaneda/Softball
Sabino/North Dakota
Summit League Players to Watch (2/8)
Delaney Schnell/Diving
Tucson/Arizona
Pac 12 Diver of the Week (1/17)
Pac 12 Diver of the Week (1/24)
Pac 12 Diver of the Week (2/7)
Dominique Acosta/Basketball
Nogales/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (2/2)
Allie Skaggs/Softball
Ironwood Ridge/Arizona
D1Softaball Top 100 (1/10)
All-Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Softball America Preseason 1st Team (1/31)
Yannira Acuña/Softball
Salpointe ASU
D1Softaball Top 100 (1/10)
All-Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Softball America Preseason 1st Team (1/31)
Carlie Scupin/Softball
Tucson/Arizona
D1Softaball Top 100 (1/10)
USA Softball Top 50 Watch List (1/25)
All-Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Softball America Preseason 2nd Team (1/31)
Ellessa Bonstrom/Softball
Canyon del Oro/Utah
D1Softaball Top 100 (1/10)
All-Pac-12 Preseason Team (2/1)
Luisa Chavez/Basketball
Rio Rico/Pima
ACCAC D-II Player of the Week (1/25)
Kiko Romero/Baseball
Canyon del Oro/Arizona
d1baseball Top 50 JUCO Transfer (1/4)
Nick Gonzales/Baseball
Cienega/AA Altoona Curve
N0. 8 Pittsburgh Pirate Prospect (1/17)
Jessie Niegocki/Softball
Mountain View/Rider
Extra Inning Softball Top 15 (1/17)
Dillan Baker/Basketball
Salpointe/Pima
ACCAC Player of the Week (1/14)