By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A pair of Western Washington University sophomore softball players have been named to the 2025 NFCA Division II Player and Pitcher of the Year Watchlist.
Pitcher
Kaiana Kong and third baseman
Maleah Andrews were part of a group of 116 players nationwide that will be under consideration for the postseason Player and Pitcher of the Year awards. As the season moves along, players can be added to the list by the NFCA All-American committee.
The list features 15 players from the West Region with WWU joining Cal State San Marcos, Concordia Irvine and Cal State East Bay with two players on the watchlist. The entire 116-player list features players from 87 programs and 21 different conferences across the country.
Kong (Ewa Beach, HI/Campbell HS) is 5-0 with a team-leading 1.92 ERA (15 ER, 54.2 IP) through the first 31 games of the season, appearing in 24 games (2 starts). She was the national saves leader in 2024 during her freshman season with 11 and over her two-year collegiate career is 21-1 with a 1.55 ERA and 13 saves. During the 2025 season Kong has recorded 42 strikeouts while only issuing four walks.
Andrews (Shoreline, WA/Bothell HS) is listed amongst the national batting average leaders ranking 2nd in NCAA II at .535 (53-for-99). Andrews has recorded a hit in 28 of 31 games with 14 multi-hit games. She also 2nd in the nation with a .620 on-base percentage and among the leaders with 13 doubles and 22 walks. In two seasons as a Viking Andrews is a career .412 hitter (127-for-308) in 95 games with 31 doubles, seven triples, 10 home runs, 59 RBI and 61 walks.
Here is a look at the listing of the 15 West Region players that were part of the national watchlist:
- Jillian Albayati - INF- Jr. - Cal State San Marcos
- Maleah Andrews - INF - So. - Western Washington
- Kai DeLeon - SS - Sr. - San Francisco State
- Heather Ebner - INF - So. - Saint Martin's
- Jayda Favela - SS - Sr. - Hawaii Hilo
- Sarah Giles - INF - Sr. – Jessup
- Charlie Johnson - P - Jr. - Sonoma State
- Kaiana Kong - P - So. - Western Washington
- Jayden Nishi - P - So. – Concordia
- Marissa Quintero - P - So. - Cal State East Bay
- Kayla Rodgers - OF - Gr. – Concordia
- Jayline Sloss - P - Sr. - Cal State San Marcos
- Alyssa Smokey - DP - Sr. - Cal Poly Humboldt
- Tereise Tosi - INF - Sr. - Cal State San Bernardino
- Ashlee Toy - P - Sr. - Cal State East Bay
UP NEXT FOR THE VIKINGS
The No. 11 nationally ranked and first-place Vikings (22-9, 6-2 GNAC) return to GNAC action this weekend (Friday-Saturday, April 4-5) with a four-game conference series at Northwest Nazarene in Nampa, Idaho. Links to follow the live stats and webcast are available at
wwuvikings.com/Live. The complete 2025 schedule can be viewed online at
wwuvikings.com/Team33.
