DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University softball team has added San Jose State University transfer Kristen Arias to its roster for the upcoming season. Arias, a catcher, redshirted in 2018 in her only season at San Jose.
 
A Fresno, Calif. native, Arias, was a four-year letterwinner for Edison High School. She played 114 career games behind the plate in four seasons for the Tigers. Arias was a four-time All-County Metro Athletic Conference First Team selection, a three-time All-CMAC Defensive Player of the Year winner, Fresno Bee All-Star choice and 940 ESPN Radio First Team honoree.
 
In her final high school season, Arias, batted.469 with 21 extra-base hits with 21 runs batted and 24 stolen bases. She earned multiple honors for her accomplishments on the field and in the classroom, including being selected the Edison High 2018 Female Athlete of the Year, the 2018 B'nai Brith Student Athlete of the Year, the 2018 Junior League of Fresno Student Athlete of the Year and a 2018 City-County All-Star. Arias helped lead Edison to its first-ever Division 2 Valley Championship game where she went 3-for-4 with one tripe and one RBI. She was named the 2018 Division 2 Championship Player of the Game. Arias will major in digital media production at Drake.
 
Arias is one of five new student-athletes for the Bulldogs for the 2019-20 season joining four high school standouts who signed with the program in Nov., 2018. The newcomers fill out a roster that has nine returners, including six starters from last season's team that won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament titles for the second-straight year along with making the NCAA Tournament for the second-consecutive time.