SARATOGA -- After an incredible pair of seasons at West Valley, Viking softball first baseman Raylene Cruz was named Female Student-Athlete of the Year at the 2026 Scarf Ceremony. Cruz, who started as a freshman on a sophomore-heavy team in 2025 and became a leader on a young, talented 2026 squad, was a force on both sides of the ball as a Viking.

As a freshman, Cruz became a fixture in the middle of West Valley's order. On a team with tons of sophomore talent (and a pair of freshmen who left for the Division I level after just one year), Cruz stuck out and made an immediate impact. She batted cleanup from game one through the end of the season, blasting three hits while driving in four in the first game of her collegiate career. In her first plate appearance, she showed one of the skills that would become synonomous with her name by the end of her career, her bat-to-ball skills and ability to drive in runners in any scenario. She drove in the Vikings' first run of her first season with a sacrifice fly.

Cruz hit .333 as a freshman, but one of her strongest traits was her ability to get on base. In a powerful lineup, Cruz almost acted as another leadoff hitter in the middle of the order. If power hitters like Bri Chambers-Lee or Rylee Gomez cleared the bases in front of her, Cruz had the ability to start another rally. Her 22 walks were third-most by a freshman in Viking history, and her .455 on-base percentage is tied for ninth by a Viking freshman.

Described by head coach Vicky Piatt as a "stud" ahead of 2026, Cruz found a way to one-up her freshman season as a leader of the team. She retained her spot in the heart of the Vikings' order, but switched her mentality to become more of a run producer. She finished second on the Vikings with 31 RBI and hit a pair of home runs.

One of the biggest year-over-year improvements for Cruz was her complete refusal to strikeout as a sophomore. After striking out around 15-percent of the time as a freshman, by no means a poor mark, dropped under 7-percent as a sophomore. All in all, she slashed .416/.493/.552, for an OPS of 1.045, homering twice and doubling 11 times.

Following the season, Cruz committed to Simpson University in Redding to continue her academic and athletic career. She continues a long run of success that the Vikings have had transferring student-athletes to the four-year level.