Temecula’s Kelsie Whitmore can now add Big West Field Player of the Year to her resume. The former 2016 Golden Bear graduate, who played golf and baseball at the school, is the 14th Fullerton Titan to ever be named and had one of the best offensive seasons in school history in 2021.
This was the second straight year Fullerton has claimed the award. Whitmore reached base safely in 29 straight games during the season and had an 18-game hitting streak, tied for the second-longest streak in program history. She also finished the season with a slash line of .395/.507/.824 overall and an outstanding line of .492/.612/1.062 in league play including 18 walks. Her slugging percentage of .824 is the second-best mark in school history for a single season while her on-base percentage of .507 is fifth.
Whitmore also led the league in doubles (13), runs (45) and was second in total bases (98). Her 12 home runs, second in the Big West, are tied for the 10th-most in program history for a season. She had a 1.000 fielding percentage and 10 assists as a right fielder as well.
It is her first time being named to the All-Big West First Team as she was a member of the second team in 2019. Whitmore was also named Big West Field Player of the Week April 26 and her past includes being a two-time USA Women’s National Baseball Team gold medalist at the 2015 COPABE Pan American Game qualifier in La Vega, Dominican Republic and at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada and a USA Women’s National Baseball Team silver medalist at the 2014 WBSC Women’s World Cup in Miyazaki, Japan.
The Big West Conference announced the yearly softball awards earlier this summer and Cal State Fullerton collected 16 honors including Field Player of the Year, Freshman Field Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
JP Raineri can be reached by email at sports@reedermedia.com.
