Photo by: Steve Branscombe
Croker Selected MVP To Lead Softball’s All-Tourney Trio
2/26/2023 5:21:00 PM | Softball
Alyssa Gappa and Lily West also recognized
EL PASO, Texas, -- Three members of the Creighton softball team have been selected to the All-Tournament Team at the UTEP Invitational. Senior Saren Croker was namede MVP and was joined on the All-Tourney squad by junior Alyssa Gappa and freshman Lily West.
Croker went 5-for-15 (.333) from the plate with five RBI and a home run on the weekend to land Tournament MVP honors for the first time in her career. Croker helped the Bluejays to a 10-2 run-rule victory over UTEP on Saturday night by blasting a three-run home run, the first home run of her career, over the left field wall to give Creighton a 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Minnesota native capped off the weekend by driving in the game winning runs with a single to left center in the Bluejays 2-1 victory over Tarleton State.
Gappa led the Creighton offense with a .571 batting average on a team-high eight hits (8-of-14), including five doubles, two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored. The junior from Omaha went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in the Bluejays first game of the weekend against New Mexico. Gappa followed that up with a pair of solo home runs in the Bluejays setback to New Mexico State on Friday night. She then set a career-high going 4-for-4 with three RBI while becoming the first Bluejay in program history to hit three doubles in a single game against Kansas City. This was also the first All-Tournament Team selection in Gappa's career.
West finished the weekend with a .267 average with four hits, three walks, four RBI and four runs scored to help the Bluejays to a 3-2 record. The freshman from Oklahoma collected a season-high three hits and three RBI in the Bluejays' 10-2 run-rule victory over UTEP. West hit her first career double in the win while scoring two runs of her own.
The Bluejays have now won three straight games as they improved to 6-8 on the year.
Creighton will return to action on Saturday, March 4 when they take on Bethune-Cookman at 2 p.m. in the first of eight games at THE Spring Games in Madeira, Fla.
UTEP Invitational
All-Tournament Team
Rachel Becker (Oklahoma State)
Saren Croker (Creighton)
Jordan Dickerson (Tarleton State)
Rylan Dooner (UTEP)
Tallen Edwards (Oklahoma State)
Savannah Favre (UTEP)
Alyssa Gappa (Creighton)
Kelci Hill (Tarleton State)
Savanna Montoya (CSU Bakersfield)
Ajia Richard (UTEP)
Ally Vonfeldt (Kansas City)
Lily West (Creighton)
MVP: Saren Croker (Creighton)
Croker went 5-for-15 (.333) from the plate with five RBI and a home run on the weekend to land Tournament MVP honors for the first time in her career. Croker helped the Bluejays to a 10-2 run-rule victory over UTEP on Saturday night by blasting a three-run home run, the first home run of her career, over the left field wall to give Creighton a 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Minnesota native capped off the weekend by driving in the game winning runs with a single to left center in the Bluejays 2-1 victory over Tarleton State.
Gappa led the Creighton offense with a .571 batting average on a team-high eight hits (8-of-14), including five doubles, two home runs, five RBI and three runs scored. The junior from Omaha went 1-for-2 with a double and a walk in the Bluejays first game of the weekend against New Mexico. Gappa followed that up with a pair of solo home runs in the Bluejays setback to New Mexico State on Friday night. She then set a career-high going 4-for-4 with three RBI while becoming the first Bluejay in program history to hit three doubles in a single game against Kansas City. This was also the first All-Tournament Team selection in Gappa's career.
West finished the weekend with a .267 average with four hits, three walks, four RBI and four runs scored to help the Bluejays to a 3-2 record. The freshman from Oklahoma collected a season-high three hits and three RBI in the Bluejays' 10-2 run-rule victory over UTEP. West hit her first career double in the win while scoring two runs of her own.
The Bluejays have now won three straight games as they improved to 6-8 on the year.
Creighton will return to action on Saturday, March 4 when they take on Bethune-Cookman at 2 p.m. in the first of eight games at THE Spring Games in Madeira, Fla.
UTEP Invitational
All-Tournament Team
Rachel Becker (Oklahoma State)
Saren Croker (Creighton)
Jordan Dickerson (Tarleton State)
Rylan Dooner (UTEP)
Tallen Edwards (Oklahoma State)
Savannah Favre (UTEP)
Alyssa Gappa (Creighton)
Kelci Hill (Tarleton State)
Savanna Montoya (CSU Bakersfield)
Ajia Richard (UTEP)
Ally Vonfeldt (Kansas City)
Lily West (Creighton)
MVP: Saren Croker (Creighton)
Players Mentioned
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Creighton Baseball & Softball Fields Groundbreaking - 6/11/25
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Creighton BET Postgame vs. St John's, 5/8/25
Thursday, May 08
Creighton Softball Highlights vs. Seton Hall, 5/4/25
Sunday, May 04
