LA JOLLA, Calif. – UC San Diego softball's, Jada Cecil and Deena Pederson, earned All-Big West honors on Tuesday as the league announced its postseason awards as voted on by the conference's 10 head coaches.
 
Earning a spot on the All-Big West First Team for the second season in a row, Jada Cecil was the lone Triton to earn postseason honors from the conference. The right-hander tossed a total of 156 innings with 12 complete games and three shutouts. Striking out 171 batters, Cecil forced a .197 batting average against. She finished the year with an 11-10 record and an ERA of 1.97.
 
Junior Deena Pederson earned her first Big West accolades, landing a spot on the Honorable Mention list. Pederson was leading the team at the plate with a .398 batting average before a broken finger ended her season in Hawai'i. The junior was on a seven-game hitting streak at the time, her previous hitting streak was five games with two of those combining for 7-for-9. Pederson tied her previous year's hits in 45 less games and matched her home runs and exceeded her doubles by three.

Titan ace Myka Sutherlin was the clear choice for the Big West Pitcher of the Year, with Fullerton second baseman Alexa Neil the 10 league head coaches' pick for Big West Defensive Player of the Year. Kim Sowder is the Big West Coach of the Year for the fifth time after leading the Beach to a dramatic title on the final day of the regular season, while LBSU outfielder Makayla Medellin was tabbed the Big West Freshman Field Player of the Year. UC Davis standout Anna Dethlefson is the Big West Player of the Year, with CSUN's Lauryn Carranco the Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

The Tritons recently finished their regular season with a 19-33 overall record and 9-18 in the Big West Conference. The Tritons are in the midst of their third season of an NCAA-mandated four-year transition to Division I.

JADA CECIL
Sophomore / Pitcher
Temecula, Calif. / Temecula Valley High School
First Team All-Big West

• Second career All-Big West selection
• Finished regular season second in Big West in three pitching categories (opposing batting average, batters struck out, and batters struck out looking).
• Finished with 11 wins and 12 complete games with three shutouts, 171 strikeouts, and a .197 batting average against.

DEENA PEDERSON
Junior / Utility
Sunnyvale, Calif. / Wilcox High School
All-Big West Honorable Mention

• First career All-Big West selection
• Injured after competing in 29 games and starting in 26.
• Finished with a .398 batting average, .542 slugging percentage, 16 runs, seven RBI, and 45 total bases.
• Only struck out eight times in 83 at-bats.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.