Ceremony honors graduating Red Hawk softball players
For Immediate Release
04.23.2013
REDDING, Calif. - A special ceremony was held a week early for five graduating Simpson University softball players who will be playing in the NAIA tournament when the rest of their classmates walk the stage on Saturday.
About 140 family members and friends attended the April 20 event, held on the university’s softball field. Seniors Morgan Davis of Redding, Cali Avey of Riverbank, Nicole Hutchins of Rancho Cordova, Hayley Rodriguez of Torrance, and Bryanna Esquivel of Cypress donned caps and gowns and walked across the stage, receiving hard covers for their future diplomas.
Professor Wally Quirk was the guest speaker. President Larry McKinney, Rich Brown, vice president for Student Development, softball coach Wayne Stower, and Derrick Pringle Jr., assistant athletic director, also participated.
The Red Hawks were named the No. 2 seed in the NAIA Unaffiliated Grouping No. 1 Softball Tournament, hosted April 25-27 by Concordia University in Irvine. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NAIA Softball National Tournament.
Grouping No. 1 includes two California Pacific Conference teams (Simpson and William Jessup) and four teams from the Golden State Athletic Conference (Concordia, Vanguard University, Hope International University, and Biola University).
The Red Hawks finished the regular season with a Cal Pac Conference record of 10-6 and an overall season record of 32-24. Last year they won the Cal Pac Conference and were the No. 3 seed in the NAIA regional tournament, eliminated in the second round of play.
Photo, from left, Hayley Rodriguez, Nicole Hutchins, Bryanna Esquivel, Morgan Davis, and Cali Avey. Photo by Carol Thacker.
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Simpson University is a Christian university offering undergraduate, graduate and teaching credential programs. Simpson's athletic department offers intercollegiate programs in women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, basketball, cross-country, golf, baseball, and, most recently, women's softball. For more information about Simpson University athletics, please visit simpsonu.edu/athletics, or to arrange a personalized visit, call 1-888-9-SIMPSON or visit simpsonu.edu.
Contact: SU Public Relations
mediarelations@simpsonu.edu
(530) 226-4737
