Ashten Pierson
Pierson Repeats as Co-Defensive Player of the Year; Four Bluejays Earn All-BIG EAST Honors
5/6/2025 2:00:00 PM | Softball
The sophomore shortstop is just the second player ever to repeat the honor, joining DePaul’s Maranda Gutierrez
OMAHA, Neb. – Creighton shortstop Ashten Pierson has been named 2025 Co-BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, while senior Sydra Seville and sophomore Sydney Potter earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors and junior Lily West and sophomore Kaelan Schultz claimed Second Team All-BIG EAST accolades.
Pierson is just the second player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year recognition more than once, joining DePaul's Maranda Gutierrez, who won the honor three times from 2019 to 2022.
The Wizard of Wamego, Kan. owned a .946 fielding percentage on 42 putouts, while ranking second in the BIG EAST with 45 total assists during league action. The tenacity of the sophomore infielder helped Creighton hold BIG EAST opponents to just 171 hits in 24 league games. In addition, Pierson logged a .300 batting average at the plate, collecting 21 hits and seven walks while tying for seventh in the BIG EAST with 22 runs scored.
Seville's first team recognition marked the second all-conference accolade as the New Lenox, Ill. native made the All-BIG EAST Second Team last season. The standout senior started in each of Creighton's 24 conference games in the lead-off position, ranking third in the BIG EAST with a .468 batting average, while racking up a BIG EAST single season record 44 hits.
Overall, the senior slugger leads the BIG EAST and ranks third all-time in Creighton history with 72 hits, posting a .389 batting average with nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and a team-leading 42 runs and 20 stolen bases. Seville's 20 stolen bases this season are seventh-most in a single season in program history and the most by a Bluejay since Melanie Dorsey recorded 24 stolen bags in 2005. Earlier this season, Seville recorded the longest hit streak by a Bluejay since at least 1999, collecting a hit in 18 straight games.
One of the league's most improved players, Sydney Potter earned her first All-BIG EAST accolade after a huge season that saw her rank second in BIG EAST play with 35 RBI, third in home runs with 10 and seventh in slugging percentage at .747, while owning a .337 batting average.
The Runnells, Iowa product is one of four Bluejays to start every game this season and owns a .307 batting average with 50 hits, including seven doubles, 15 home runs and 58 RBI. Potter's 58 RBI this season have tied the school record for most RBI in a season, while her 15 home runs are tied for the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
Junior Lily West, one of the most consistent players in the BIG EAST, earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors this season after posting a .341 batting average and ranking tied for sixth with 31 hits in league play. The standout catcher recorded four doubles and three home runs, while ranking fifth in the BIG EAST with 27 RBI and tied for sixth with 22 runs scored.
In total, West has started all 50 games for the Bluejays, ranking second on the team in batting average (.343), hits (60), runs (37), RBI (39), fielding percentage (.988) and putouts (221) while ranking third in stolen bases (9). Earlier this season, West became the 17th Bluejay since 1999 to record 150 in her career, while also becoming just the seventh Bluejay all-time to record at least 50 hits in three separate seasons.
Sophomore Kaelan Schultz rounded out the Bluejays all-conference selections by claiming her first all-conference honors this spring, being named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. The Hastings, Neb. product finished league play with a .338 batting aver on 23 hits, while ranking tied for fifth in the league with nine home runs and tied for sixth with 26 RBI.
Overall, the sophomore leads the team with a .745 slugging percentage, ranking second on the team in batting average (.343) and home runs (12). Schultz also ranks third in RBI with 34 and walks with 18.
UConn's Grace Jenkins was named BIG EAST Player of the Year, while St. John's Ana Serafinko was chosen as the Pitcher of the Year. UConn's Cat Petteys garnered BIG EAST Freshman of the year honors, while St. John's London Jarrard joined Pierson as the Co-BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. St. John's coaching staff was also recognized as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The league announced the awards on Tuesday following a vote of league coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
Creighton (27-23) opens the 2025 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by JEEP as the No. 4 seed and will play fifth-seeded Butler on Wednesday at 11 a.m. CT at the Villanova Softball Complex in Villanova, Pa.
Below is a complete list of the All-BIG EAST teams and specialty award winners.
BIG EAST Player of the Year: Grace Jenkins, Jr., C, UConn
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year: Ana Serafinko, Jr., P, St. John's
BIG EAST Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Ashten Pierson, So., SS, Creighton & London Jarrard, Sr., SS, St. John's
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year: Cat Petteys, Fr., SS, UConn
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John's
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Sydney Carter, Sr., 2B, Butler
Cate Lehner, Jr., OF, Butler*
Kaitlyn Breslin, So., OF, UConn
Rosie Garcia, Sr., 3B, UConn*
Grace Jenkins, Jr., C, UConn*
Payton Kinney, Gr., P, UConn
Cat Petteys, Fr., SS, UConn
Sydney Potter, So.,1B, Creighton
Sydra Seville, Sr., OF, Creighton
Loreley Francia, Jr., P, St. John's
Ana Serafinko, Jr., P, St. John's
Kat Gallant, Jr., P, Villanova
Maranda Runco, So., DP, Villanova
Kelsey White, Sr., UT/P, Villanova*
*Denotes a unanimous selection
^Denotes a tie in voting
All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Lexi Hastings, Sr., OF, UConn
Hope Jenkins, Jr., P, UConn
Kaelan Schultz, So., DP, Creighton
Lily West, Jr., C, Creighton
Baylee Cosgrove, Sr., 2B, DePaul
Victoria Grifone, Gr., P, Providence
Elisa Smith, Jr., OF, Providence
Jess Bianco, Jr., OF, St. John's
London Jarrard, Sr., SS, St. John's
Madison Konopka, Fr., 3B, St. John's
Kelsey Carr, Gr., DP, Seton Hall
Olivia Gilbert, Sr., 1B, Seton Hall
Caroline Hobbes, Jr., 2B, Seton Hall
Kyra Kreuscher, Jr., P, Seton Hall
^Denotes a tie in voting
Pierson is just the second player in league history to win Defensive Player of the Year recognition more than once, joining DePaul's Maranda Gutierrez, who won the honor three times from 2019 to 2022.
The Wizard of Wamego, Kan. owned a .946 fielding percentage on 42 putouts, while ranking second in the BIG EAST with 45 total assists during league action. The tenacity of the sophomore infielder helped Creighton hold BIG EAST opponents to just 171 hits in 24 league games. In addition, Pierson logged a .300 batting average at the plate, collecting 21 hits and seven walks while tying for seventh in the BIG EAST with 22 runs scored.
Seville's first team recognition marked the second all-conference accolade as the New Lenox, Ill. native made the All-BIG EAST Second Team last season. The standout senior started in each of Creighton's 24 conference games in the lead-off position, ranking third in the BIG EAST with a .468 batting average, while racking up a BIG EAST single season record 44 hits.
Overall, the senior slugger leads the BIG EAST and ranks third all-time in Creighton history with 72 hits, posting a .389 batting average with nine doubles, two triples, two home runs and a team-leading 42 runs and 20 stolen bases. Seville's 20 stolen bases this season are seventh-most in a single season in program history and the most by a Bluejay since Melanie Dorsey recorded 24 stolen bags in 2005. Earlier this season, Seville recorded the longest hit streak by a Bluejay since at least 1999, collecting a hit in 18 straight games.
One of the league's most improved players, Sydney Potter earned her first All-BIG EAST accolade after a huge season that saw her rank second in BIG EAST play with 35 RBI, third in home runs with 10 and seventh in slugging percentage at .747, while owning a .337 batting average.
The Runnells, Iowa product is one of four Bluejays to start every game this season and owns a .307 batting average with 50 hits, including seven doubles, 15 home runs and 58 RBI. Potter's 58 RBI this season have tied the school record for most RBI in a season, while her 15 home runs are tied for the seventh-most in a single season in program history.
Junior Lily West, one of the most consistent players in the BIG EAST, earned All-BIG EAST Second Team honors this season after posting a .341 batting average and ranking tied for sixth with 31 hits in league play. The standout catcher recorded four doubles and three home runs, while ranking fifth in the BIG EAST with 27 RBI and tied for sixth with 22 runs scored.
In total, West has started all 50 games for the Bluejays, ranking second on the team in batting average (.343), hits (60), runs (37), RBI (39), fielding percentage (.988) and putouts (221) while ranking third in stolen bases (9). Earlier this season, West became the 17th Bluejay since 1999 to record 150 in her career, while also becoming just the seventh Bluejay all-time to record at least 50 hits in three separate seasons.
Sophomore Kaelan Schultz rounded out the Bluejays all-conference selections by claiming her first all-conference honors this spring, being named to the All-BIG EAST Second Team. The Hastings, Neb. product finished league play with a .338 batting aver on 23 hits, while ranking tied for fifth in the league with nine home runs and tied for sixth with 26 RBI.
Overall, the sophomore leads the team with a .745 slugging percentage, ranking second on the team in batting average (.343) and home runs (12). Schultz also ranks third in RBI with 34 and walks with 18.
UConn's Grace Jenkins was named BIG EAST Player of the Year, while St. John's Ana Serafinko was chosen as the Pitcher of the Year. UConn's Cat Petteys garnered BIG EAST Freshman of the year honors, while St. John's London Jarrard joined Pierson as the Co-BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. St. John's coaching staff was also recognized as the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. The league announced the awards on Tuesday following a vote of league coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
Creighton (27-23) opens the 2025 BIG EAST Softball Championship presented by JEEP as the No. 4 seed and will play fifth-seeded Butler on Wednesday at 11 a.m. CT at the Villanova Softball Complex in Villanova, Pa.
Below is a complete list of the All-BIG EAST teams and specialty award winners.
BIG EAST Player of the Year: Grace Jenkins, Jr., C, UConn
BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year: Ana Serafinko, Jr., P, St. John's
BIG EAST Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Ashten Pierson, So., SS, Creighton & London Jarrard, Sr., SS, St. John's
BIG EAST Freshman of the Year: Cat Petteys, Fr., SS, UConn
BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year: St. John's
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Sydney Carter, Sr., 2B, Butler
Cate Lehner, Jr., OF, Butler*
Kaitlyn Breslin, So., OF, UConn
Rosie Garcia, Sr., 3B, UConn*
Grace Jenkins, Jr., C, UConn*
Payton Kinney, Gr., P, UConn
Cat Petteys, Fr., SS, UConn
Sydney Potter, So.,1B, Creighton
Sydra Seville, Sr., OF, Creighton
Loreley Francia, Jr., P, St. John's
Ana Serafinko, Jr., P, St. John's
Kat Gallant, Jr., P, Villanova
Maranda Runco, So., DP, Villanova
Kelsey White, Sr., UT/P, Villanova*
*Denotes a unanimous selection
^Denotes a tie in voting
All-BIG EAST Second Team^
Lexi Hastings, Sr., OF, UConn
Hope Jenkins, Jr., P, UConn
Kaelan Schultz, So., DP, Creighton
Lily West, Jr., C, Creighton
Baylee Cosgrove, Sr., 2B, DePaul
Victoria Grifone, Gr., P, Providence
Elisa Smith, Jr., OF, Providence
Jess Bianco, Jr., OF, St. John's
London Jarrard, Sr., SS, St. John's
Madison Konopka, Fr., 3B, St. John's
Kelsey Carr, Gr., DP, Seton Hall
Olivia Gilbert, Sr., 1B, Seton Hall
Caroline Hobbes, Jr., 2B, Seton Hall
Kyra Kreuscher, Jr., P, Seton Hall
^Denotes a tie in voting
Players Mentioned
INF
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UTL
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OF
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