There's no doubt in head coach Rick Church's mind: Sydney Wellmann is the best defensive first baseman he's had in his 15 years at Blinn.

"I can say that unequivocally," Church said. "She's also been a consistent offensive component to our team. She's a .350 hitter who's really fulfilled her role as the No. 4 hitter admirably."

Through 40 games this season, Wellmann is batting at a .347 clip, has driven in a team-best 49 RBI, scored 32 runs and has 43 hits—24 for extra bases.

"I recently went on a visit and loved it," she said. "It's not a big campus, I loved the coaches and the players and it felt like a really good fit for me."

St. Mary's, an NCAA Division II program, is 41-8 this season with two series remaining before the Heartland Conference Tournament begins May 1.

"The past two years at Blinn have been awesome," she said. "I love the coaches and have a huge respect for them and how they run the program."