Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Benita Sanchez and Angelo State’s April Haywood Earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player And Pitcher Of The Week Awards

Southeastern Oklahoma State senior 1B Benita Sanchez has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player of the Week while Angelo State’s April Haywood earns Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Pitcher of the Week notice for the week ending Sunday, February 8, 2009, it was announced today.

Benita Sanchez, a senior from Farmington, N.M., hit .737 for the opening week of the 2009 season, collecting 14 hits in 19 at-bats. She had an .800 on-base percentage, adding six walks to her 14 hits, reaching base a total of 20 times in her 25 plate appearances. With two home runs, a pair of doubles and seven RBI last week, she is slugging 1.211 from the leadoff position and has played error-free defense at first base. … Continue Reading

Oklahoma’s Amber Flores Named Inaugural Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week for 2009

Oklahoma junior shortstop Amber Flores has been named the first Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week for the 2009 season.

The Calexico, Calif., native led Oklahoma to the Hawai’i Paradise Classic tournament title last weekend and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Flores hit .643, going 9-for-14 on the weekend with 15 RBI, nine runs scored and a .1429 slugging percentage as Oklahoma rebounded from a season-opening loss to host Hawai’i with two victories over UAB, one over then-No. 19 LSU and a victory against the Rainbow Wahine in Sunday’s rematch. … Continue Reading

Lock Haven Tops NFCA Division II Preseason Top 25 Poll

Lock Haven University has been selected to top the NFCA Division II Top 25 Coaches Poll, it was announced today. Following a dramatic extra-innings loss to Humboldt State in last year’s NCAA Semifinal, the Eagles recorded 388 of a possible 400 points despite garnering just six of a possible 16 first-place votes. Defending NCAA Champion Humboldt State pulled the remaining 10 first-place votes but sits in second place in the preseason poll. Last season’s runner-up, Emporia State, ranks 23rd while Lock Haven’s co-semifinalist, St. Edward’s, is ranked third. … Continue Reading

Wisconsin-Whitewater Tops Division III Preseason Poll

Defending national runner-up Wisconsin-Whitewater received four first-place votes, taking the No. 1 spot in the preseason NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll, the association announced Wednesday.

Wisconsin-Whitewater returns all but two starters to a team that finished 2008 with a 39-11 record, finishing second in the nation to Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference rival Wisconsin-Eau Claire, which starts out the 2009 season in the No. 2 spot after its national championship season a year ago. … Continue Reading

Florida Tops USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Poll

The University of Florida, which set an NCAA record with 70 victories in the 2008 season, has been selected by the NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll Committee as the No. 1 team for the 2009 USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Preseason Poll The Gators finished tied for third at last year’s Women’s College World Series behind NCAA Division I Champion Arizona State and runner-up Texas A&M. The Sun Devils received half of the available first place votes (15) and are ranked second in the preseason poll. … Continue Reading

2009 Hall of Fame Class Announced by the NFCA

The morning after inducting a six-member Hall of Fame class as part of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) annual convention, the NFCA announces its Hall of Fame class of 2009.

Frank Cheek of Humboldt State University, Bill Edwards of Hofstra University, Diane Ninemire of the University of California will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame on Friday, December 11, at the Renaissance Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. The 2009 class will bring the NFCA’s Hall of Fame to 50 members. … Continue Reading

NFCA Hall of Fame Inducts Six

The NFCA welcomed The Class of 2008 into its Hall of Fame Friday night at the 25th annual NFCA Convention being held at the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort in Marco Island, Florida.

The six member Hall of Fame class included Gary Bryce, Sandy Fischer, Eugene Lenti, Jay Miller, Donna Newberry and Gary Torgerson. … Continue Reading

NFCC Course 403 Offered In St. Paul, Minn., Nov. 7-9

NFCC Course 403 will be offered in St. Paul, Minn., on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in Koch Commons 113 Fireside Lounge.

Course 403, entitled “Position Play & Individual Defensive Skills,” will include instructors John Tschida, the head coach at St. Thomas; Bill Edwards, head coach at Hofstra; and Alyson Habetz, associate head coach at Alabama.

The course emphasizes how to analyze and teach the skills required to play each of the nine softball positions. In addition, participants will:

• Study the mechanics of throwing, tossing and fielding
• Examine the techniques used to cover bases, back up, check runners, retrieve balls and cut-off throws
• Identify and break down the skills required to play each defensive position
• Analyze and correct typical errors in performance
• Review and discuss situational game charts
• Accumulate drills for the practice of position play skills.

Anyone interested in attending can visit nfca.org/college or contact John Tschida at 651/962-5922 or jbtschida@stthomas.edu.

NFCC classes can be taken for personal growth and development as a coach or as an opportunity to earn continuing education units through Mississippi State University, Master Coach status or credits toward a master’s degree in kinesiology through Texas Woman’s University.

Lemont Rockers Named NFCA’s Travel Ball Coaching Staff Of The Year For 2008

Head coaches Gary Lagesse and Mike Batts along with assistant coaches Al Lierman, Pat Rzegoski and Dan Bryant teamed to lead the Lemont Rockers 18U DD (Illinois) team to the 18A ASA National Championship.

The Rockers opened the double-elimination 18A national tournament with a 2-0 victory over the Orange County Dynasty. Following that 2 p.m. game, Team Manager Jim (DiDi) DiGregorio passed away while en route to a team meal.

Back at the hotel, the team voted to stay and finish out the tournament, despite the death of their coach. The Rockers returned to the field at 8 p.m. that night and proceeded to win an additional seven games as they captured the 2008 USA/ASA Girls 18A Fastpitch National Championship.

“Although the passing of DiDi was such an enormous loss to the athletes, coaches and the Rockers program, some absolutely beautiful things took place after his death, from opposing teams,” said Joe Pavone, the Rockers Organization President, succeeding his friend DiDi. “Every team that the Rockers played thereafter either expressed their heartfelt condolences, joined them in prayer after the game or in the case of Eastside Elite, presented our athletes with flowers.”

Broad Run High School Named NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year

Head coach Ed Steele and assistant coach Dave Morris of Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va., have been selected as the NFCA’s High School Coaching Staff of the Year for 2008.

Steele and Morris led the Spartans to an undefeated (26-0) season and second straight state championship and the top spot in the final USA Today/NFCA Top 25 High School Poll for the 2008 season. Broad Run hit .413 for the season and outscored its opposition 218-3. Four Broad Run seniors are moving on to play at NCAA Division I programs. Broad Run’s coaching staff was also selected as the South Region Coaching Staff of the Year.

The other Regional Coaching Staff of the Year winners included:

East Region
Masuk High School (Monroe, Conn.)
Head Coach: Jacqui Sheftz
Sheftz helped lead Masuk to an undefeated (27-0) record and repeat Class LL state championship. Masuk won a fourth consecutive Southwest Conference title and has now won 51 straight games over multiple seasons.

North Region
Susquehannock High School (Glen Rock, Pa.)
Head Coach: Dave Pollick
Assistant Coaches Don Mercadante and Katie Pollick
Susquehannock successfully defended its Class 3A state championship despite having lost four key seniors from the 2007 championship team. The Warriors outscored its opposition 155-15, while rolling to a 24-2 record and knocking off previously undefeated Milton in the championship game. This is the first team in the modern era to repeat as a state champion in Pennsylvania. The Warriors pitching staff had a team ERA of 0.57 with 314 strikeouts and just 31 walks.

South Central Region
Aledo High School (Aledo, Texas)
Head Coach: Kevin Cook
Assistant Coaches: Kelly Skidmore and Tricia Hackfield
The Ladycats posted a 39-game undefeated streak during the 2008 season and successfully captured a second consecutive District 8-4A Championship as well as winning the Burleson Varsity and Arlington Spring Break Classics. Senior Whitney Canion was selected as the Gatorade Texas Player of the Year.

West Region
Sheldon High School (Sacramento, Calif.)
Head Coach: Mary Jo Truesdale
Truesdale’s Sheldon team won a second-consecutive California-San Joaquin D1 sectional, winning the Livermore Stampede and posting a runner-up finish at the Nike Faster to First Tournament. Sheldon held the No. 1 ranking for Division I schools in California for the entire season. Sheldon appeared atop the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll twice during the 2008 season, becoming first high school in Northern California to be ranked No. 1 nationally in any sport. Sheldon was fourth in the final USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll for 2008.

NFCC Schedule Begins in Anchorage Oct. 17-19

The 2008-09 National Fastpitch Coaches College schedule is set to start this year’s schedule October 17-19, in Anchorage, Alaska.

Course 403, entitled “Position Play & Individual Defensive Skills,” will include instructors Bill Edwards, the head coach at Hofstra; Cindy Bristow, former ISF Director of Development and owner of Softball Excellence; and Heather Tarr, head coach at the University of Washington.

The course emphasizes how to analyze and teach the skills required to play each of the nine softball positions. In addition, participants will:

• Study the mechanics of throwing, tossing and fielding
• Examine the techniques used to cover bases, back up, check runners, retrieve balls and cut-off throws
• Identify and break down the skills required to play each defensive position
• Analyze and correct typical errors in performance
• Review and discuss situational game charts
• Accumulate drills for the practice of position play skills.

Instruction will take place at the Boys & Girls Club, 315 N. Price Street, Anchorage, Alaska. NFCA members can sign up for $225, while non-members are welcome for a registration fee of $250.

Anyone interested in attending can visit nfca.org/college or contact Don Brooks at 907/562-1580 or asa@alaska.net to register or for more information.

NFCC classes can be taken for personal growth and development as a coach or as an opportunity to earn continuing education units through Mississippi State University, Master Coach status or credits toward a master’s degree in kinesiology through Texas Woman’s University.

NFCA Announces Girls Got Game Team Academic Awards

he National Fastpitch Coaches Association is pleased to announce the Girls Got Game Top Ten All-Academic Teams, based on GPAs submitted for the 2007-2008 school year. Through this program, the NFCA honors high school and collegiate softball teams for their success in the classroom.

NCAA Division II school Grand Canyon University led all four-year colleges with a 3.680 cumulative team grade-point average. Tennessee Tech University turned in the top GPA in Division I and Macalester College holds the top team GPA in Division III.

Wallace-Hanceville, the NJCAA Division I National Champions for 2008, also led the way with the top GPA for all member junior college programs.

This year’s top academic performers in six membership categories (NCAA Divisions I, II, III; NAIA; junior college; and high school weighted and non-weighted) are:

NCAA Division I

1. Tennessee Tech University, 3.540; 2. Gardner-Webb University, 3.478; 3. Seton Hall University, 3.450; 4. Southern Illinois University, 3.447; 5. DePaul University, 3.429; 6. Saint Louis University, 3.428; 7. University of Evansville, 3.420; 8. Mississippi State University, 3.414; 8. University of South Carolina, 3.414; 10. Bucknell University, 3.402.

NCAA Division II

1. Grand Canyon University, 3.680; 2. Grand Valley State University, 3.575; 3. Southeastern Oklahoma State University, 3.482; 4. Lewis University, 3.428; 5. Emporia State University, 3.416; 6. Tiffin University, 3.412; 7. Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 3.409; 8. Rockhurst University, 3.406; 9. Quincy University, 3.388; 10. Chowan University, 3.380; 10. Barry University, 3.380.

NCAA Division III

1. Macalester College, 3.549; 2. Wartburg College, 3.540; 3. Kalamazoo College, 3.531; 4. Emerson College, 3.523; 5. Skidmore College, 3.522; 6. Elmhurst College, 3.493; 7. Gettysburg College, 3.488; 8. Piedmont College, 3.450; 8. Springfield College, 3.450; 10. University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, 3.445.

NAIA

1. Evangel University, 3.636; 2. McKendree College, 3.540; 3. Mount Vernon Nazarene University, 3.498; 4. Missouri Valley College, 3.459; 5. Saint Xavier University, 3.450; 6. Peru State College, 3.449; 7. Olivet Nazarene University, 3.406; 8. Central Methodist University, 3.389; 9. Oklahoma City University, 3.367; 10. Spring Arbor University, 3.356.

Junior College

1. Wallace State Community College-Hanceville, 3.642; 2. Cleveland State Community College, 3.400; 2. Sierra College, 3.400; 4. Iowa Western Community College, 3.392; 5. Phoenix College, 3.370; 6. College of Southern Idaho, 3.337; 7. Walla Walla Community College, 3.329; 8. Shawnee Community College, 3.326; 9. Kirkwood Community College, 3.277; 10. Triton College, 3.246.

HIGH SCHOOL (weighted)

1. Newsome HS (FL), 4.095; 2. Washburn Rural HS (KS), 4.084; 3. Splendora HS (TX), 4.062; 4. West Chester East HS (PA), 4.009; 5. Adlai E. Stevenson HS (IL), 3.981; 6. Yorktown HS (VA), 3.960; 7. Rowland Hall – St. Mark’s HS (UT), 3.950; 8. Ennis HS (TX), 3.880; 9. Oliver Ames HS (MA), 3.820; 10. Elyria HS (OH), 3.811.

HIGH SCHOOL (non-weighted)

1. Saint Thomas Aquinas HS (KS), 3.747; 2. Madison County HS (GA), 3.734; 3. Milford HS (OH), 3.720; 4. Benjamin Russell HS (AL), 3.716; 5. Hopkins HS (MN), 3.715; 6. Southaven HS (MS), 3.713; 7. Hubbard HS (TX), 3.710; 8. Plainedge HS (NY), 3.700; 9. Milwaukee Lutheran HS (WI), 3.699; 10. Freeport HS (FL), 3.690.

NFCA Announces 2008 Diamond Sports Catcher Of The Year Honorees

09/22/08 – NFCA Release
The NFCA and Diamond Sports, the NFCA’s “Official Protective Equipment,” have released the 10 catchers who have been named the winners of the 2008 Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award.

Diamond Sports and the NFCA present the award annually to the top catcher from NFCA member schools in each of the following divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC, Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) and high school.

Divisional committees consisting of NFCA member coaches determined the 2008 Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award winners. The recipients of this year’s awards, by division, are as follows:

NCAA Division II
Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State
A first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American, Bramlett was also selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America squad for 2008. Bramlett, a first-team All-SEC catcher, hit .450 for the season with three doubles, three triples, two home runs, 25 RBI and a team-high 52 runs scored, setting a school record for runs by a sophomore. Bramlett was named one of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award and stole 46 bases on 50 attempts during the 2008 season.

NCAA Division II
Jessica Shiery, Abilene Christian
The first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American at catcher, Shiery led the Wildcats with a .440 batting average, starting all 61 games and going 77-for-175 at the plate. She knocked a team-high 20 doubles and 12 home runs for 44 RBI on the season while drawing 53 walks to rank fifth in NCAA Division II. Shiery was the first player in ACU history to earn first-team All-America honors. She was also selected to the NCAA Division II South Central Region All-Tournament Team, Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-South Central Region first team and first-team All-Lone Star Conference South Division for the 2008 season.

NCAA Division III
Nicky Neuman, University of Redlands
Neuman led the Bulldogs to their fourth consecutive Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. Neuman was named the SCIAC Player of the Year and a Louisville Slugger/NFCA First-team All-American. She led the Bulldogs in most offensive categories, hitting .407 with 68 hits, 40 runs scored, 15 doubles and six home runs while adding four triples and 28 RBI. She struck out just two times on the season and picked off an impressive 18 would-be base-stealers during the 2008 season.

NJCAA Division I
Kelsey Meyers, Iowa Western Community College
A Louisville Slugger/NFCA First-Team All-American, Meyers caught all 66 games for IWCC during the 2008 season. Offensively, she posted a team-high .440 batting average with 11 hits, 12 home runs and 82 RBI with a .658 slugging percentage. Over 262 at-bats during the season, Meyers struck out just four times. She is now attending Rogers State University.

NJCAA Division II
Lacy Goodman, Phoenix College
Goodman, the Louisville Slugger/NFCA First-Team All-America catcher for NJCAA Division II, hit .550 on the season with 105 hits, 92 RBI, 23 home runs, 19 doubles and 31 stolen bases. Goodman, the ACCAC Player of the Year, was also named first-team All-ACCAC, All-Region 1, NJCAA All-America, and was selected as the MVP of the 2008 NJCAA National Championship Tournament as the Bears won a fifth consecutive National Championship.

NJCAA Division III
Amanda Page, Monroe Community College
Page led Monroe Community College to a third consecutive NJCAA Division III Championship. For the 2008 season, Page hit .614, posting 97 hits with 12 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 78 RBI on the season. A first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America catcher, Page was named an NJCAA Division III first-team All-America as well as garnering Regional NJCAA Player of the Year honors, first-team NJCAA All-Region notice and a selection to the NJCAA Division III All-Tournament Team for the national championship tournament.

Cal JC
Kathryn Sumner, Ohlone College
Sumner accumulated 51 runs scored in 50 games for Ohlone College during the 2008 season. Hitting .410 for the season (62-for-151), Sumner led the team with 15 sacrifices and led her conference with 32 stolen bases on the season and had a state-high six triples for the year. An All-Conference, All-Northern California and Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first-team selection, Sumner also recorded 34 RBI on the season.

NWAACC
Ashley Fargher, Spokane Falls
Farger hit .425 for the 2008 season, going 57-for-134 at the plate with 39 runs scored, 13 doubles, a triple and six home runs for 42 RBI. Defensively, she threw out 11 of a possible 19 base stealers while leading her team in every offensive category. She was also named an NWAACC Eastern Region first-team All-Star.

NAIA
Heather Vaughn, Emmanuel College
Vaughn had an impressive .527 batting average during the 2008 season with Emmanuel College, recording 77 hits, 19 home runs, 56 RBI, 49 walks and 52 runs scored with a 1.041 slugging percentage on the year. In 199 plate appearances during the season, Vaughn struck out just four times. The NAIA National Player of the Year and Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) Player of the Year, Vaughn was also named to the National Christian College Athletic Association’s All-South Region Team as well as Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first-team honors.

High School
Calli Wood, Bryan HS (Texas)
Wood, who is currently a freshman at Sam Houston State, was a three-year letterman at Bryan High School. During her senior season, Wood hit .496, going 57-for-115 with 28 runs scored, 42 RBI, nine doubles, 11 triples and three home runs over 36 games played. She was selected to participate in the Texas Girls Coaches Association All-Star Game and was named a first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America catcher.

Central Washington's Mallory Holtman Earns National Sportsmanship Award

(Courtesy NCAA.org) The Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct (CSEC) announced that softball student-athlete Mallory Holtman of Central Washington University and the St. John Fisher College’s baseball team have been named the national 2008 NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners.

Nominees for this award must exemplify positive sportsmanship characterizing the highest level of respect, caring, fairness, unselfishness, civility, honesty, integrity and responsibility during competition. Each conference may nominate one female and male candidate who has exemplified one or more of the criteria.

Holtman gained national exposure when she and teammate Liz Wallace carried an opposing player around the bases after Western Oregon senior Sara Thcholsky suffered an injury during her home-run trot, leaving her unable to walk. Holtman, a business administration major, was team captain and coached youth softball in the community.

The St. John Fisher College’s baseball team faced SUNY Oswego in a play-in game for the Eastern College Athletic Conference tournament. The head coach from Oswego was struck in the side of the head by a line drive. The St. John Fisher’s team decided unanimously to concede the game to SUNY Oswego, allowing them to win and focus on the health of their coach. SUNY Oswego went on to win the ECAC tournament.

The CSEC selects a male and a female winner from each of the three NCAA divisions. The candidate pool also includes nominees from independent institutions. From the divisional winners, one national male and female winner is chosen for the NCAA national award.

Division I winners are Latasha Jarrett, a track and field student-athlete from University of Hartford and Peter French, a fencing student-athlete from the Air Force Academy. Additionally, the Lipscomb University men’s soccer team received special recognition from the committee. Division II winners are Holtman and Einar Often, a skiing student-athlete from University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Division III winners are Kristen Carter, a cross-country student-athlete from Grove City College and the St. John Fisher College’s baseball team.

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Americans

First Team
Pos. Name School
P Stacey Nelson University of Florida
P Anjelica Selden University of California, Los Angeles
P Angela Tincher Virginia Tech
C Chelsea Bramlett Mississippi State University
1B Alexandra Gardiner University of Florida
2B Samantha Findlay University of Michigan
3B Tonya Callahan University of Tennessee
SS Tammy Williams Northwestern University
OF Kaitlin Cochran Arizona State University
OF Brittany Rogers University of Alabama
OF Holly Tankersley University of Louisiana at Lafayette
UT/P Megan Gibson Texas A&M University
UT/Non-P Lauren Grill University of Mississippi
At-Large/P Katie Burkhart Arizona State University
At-Large/SS Courtney Bures Mississippi State University
At-Large/1B GiOnna DiSalvatore University of California, Los Angeles
At-Large/3B Kelley Montalvo University of Alabama
At-Large/UT-P Charlotte Morgan University of Alabama

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Angel Shamblin University of Houston
P Jordan Taylor University of Michigan
P Brooke Turner Long Beach State University
C Noelle Micka University of Nevada
1B Stephanie Fischer Tennessee Tech University
2B Aja Paculba University of Florida
3B Amber Patton DePaul University
SS Savannah Long University of Oklahoma
OF Alessandra Giampaolo University of Michigan
OF Lisa Kingsmore Winthrop University
OF Rhea Taylor University of Missouri
UT/P Danielle Spaulding University of North Carolina
UT/Non-P Kiki Munoz California State University, Fullerton
At-Large/2B Mindy Cowles Arizona State University
At-Large/OF Francesca Enea University of Florida
At-Large/OF Amber Flores University of Oklahoma
At-Large/P D.J. Mathis University of Oklahoma
At-Large/P Morgan Melloh Fresno State University

Third Team
Pos. Name School
P Kelsi Dunne University of Alabama
P Nikki Nemitz University of Michigan
P Missy Penna Stanford University
C Rachel Folden Marshall University
1B Laine Roth University of Arizona
2B Amanda Kamekona University of California, Los Angeles
3B Brette Reagan Baylor University
SS Jessica Valis University of Houston
OF Alissa Haber Stanford University
OF Jackie Vasquez Arizona State University
OF Laurie Wagner University of Houston
UT/P Megan Langenfeld University of California, Los Angeles
UT/Non-P Brittany Vanderink Ohio State University
At-Large/3B Krista Donnenwirth Arizona State University
At-Large/3B Jamie Hinshaw Texas A&M University
At-Large/OF Brittany Lastrapes University of Arizona
At-Large/1B Jamie Lettire Princeton University
At-Large/C Samantha Marder Ohio State University
At-Large/OF Kim Waleszonia University of Florida

NFCA Names Adidas Golden Shoe Winners

Nine student-athletes have been named winners of the 2008 adidas Golden Shoe Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top baserunners.

Presented annually by adidas, the NFCA’s “Official Footwear,” the Golden Shoe Award recognizes student-athletes from NFCA member schools in each of the following nine divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC and NWAACC.

Division I NCAA
Rhea Taylor, Missouri
A second-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American as a freshman, Taylor also garnered Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2008. She finished her freshman season with a team-leading .402 batting average and as the national leader in stolen bases with 57. She also set school records in at-bats (219), runs scored (64) and hits (88) as the Tigers won their first-ever NCAA Regional and advanced to Super Regionals where they fell to eventual NCAA semifinalist Alabama.

NCAA Division II
Kenyona Johnson, Miles
Johnson was a critical part of the Miles College team this season, hitting .448 (62-127) with an NCAA Division II-high total of 63 stolen bases on 66 attempts. She also contributed 72 runs scored, nine doubles, eight triples, three home runs, 36 RBI, 32 walks and a .756 slugging percentage for the Golden Bears during her senior season.

NCAA Division III
Lindsay Shepherd, Capital University
Shepherd led the Crusaders during the 2008 season, hitting a team-best .447 on the year. She went 59-for-132 at the p late with 32 runs scored, two triples and 42 stolen bases on 46 attempts, all of which are team-high totals. Shepherd also contributed five doubles, 13 RBI and a .515 slugging percentage with six sacrifice hits on the season.

NJCAA Division I
Whitney Little, Indian River Community College
Whitney Little hit a team-high .445 for Indian River during the 2008 season, turning in 77 hits with 14 RBI, 13 walks and an eye-popping 75 stolen bases on 77 attempts. She was perfect defensively on 24 chances. Indian River won the NFCA/Junior College Leadoff Classic, where Little was named to the All-Tournament Team.

NJCAA Division II
Samantha Waters, Iowa Central Community College
Waters led the Tritons with 206 at-bats, 75 runs scored, 97 hits, nine triples and 52 stolen bases on 55 attempts. She was one point shy of the team lead in batting average, checking in with a .471 clip for the season, along with 13 doubles, 14 walks and 44 RBI. Iowa Central Community College won a school record-tying 52 games and finished fourth in the Ringor/NJCAA Division Ii National Softball Poll. Waters earned NFCA All-Midwest

NJCAA Division III
Danielle DePasquale, Gloucester Community College
A first-team All-American representing Glouchester Community College, DePasquale hit .488 during the 2008 season, recording 45 runs scored, 61 hits, six doubles, 13 walks and 36 stolen bases without being caught stealing during the season. The Roadrunners reached the semifinal round of the Region XIX tournament.

Cal JC
Capree Williams, Cerritos College
Williams caught the final out of the State Championship game as the Falcons took home the Cal JC Championship for 2008. Williams led the team with a .469 batting average, scoring 70 runs with eight doubles, 23 RBI, 14 walks and 48 stolen bases on 51 attempts. She earned South Team All-America honors in 2008.

NWAACC
Kelly Smith, Pierce College
Smith won a second consecutive Western Division Title as the Raiders were led by Kelly Smith. Smith hit .405 on the season, going 32-for-79 with 29 runs, 16 RBI and seven stolen bases.

NAIA
Amanda Addie, Point Loma Nazarene
An NFCA first-team All-American, Amanda Addie turned in a .455 batting average on the season, going 90-for-198 with six doubles, three triples, two home runs, 21 RBI, 11 walks and 51 stolen bases on 53 attempts. The Sea Lions finished third at the NAIA Softball National Championship, where Addie was named to the All-Tournament Team.

Easton Victory Club Application is Now Open!

Coaches who reached victory plateaus of 100-win increments (e.g., 100 wins, 200 wins, 300 wins, etc.) during the 2007-08 school year are eligible for recognition in the Easton Victory Club.

Any coach who reached such a plateau since the 2007 NFCA Convention should visit

http://nfca.org/easton/

And fill out the form in order to receive recognition at the 2008 NFCA Convention. The Easton Victory Club honorees will be recognized at a luncheon at the 2008 NFCA National Convention on Thursday, December, 11, in Marco Island, Fla.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 3, 2008.

Arizona State Named NFCA Division I Coaching Staff of the Year

The Arizona State University coaching staff has been named the NFCA’s NCAA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year, it was announced today.

Head Coach Clint Myers along with assistant coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner piloted the Sun Devils to a 66-5 record, the Pac-10 title and the school’s first NCAA Championship, sweeping Texas A&M in the Championship Series after posting two wins over Alabama and one over UCLA to advance to the series. The Sun Devils did not lose a game in postseason play.

Arizona State’s 66 victories is a new school record and included a 12-game winning streak to conclude the season. ASU had six players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Pacific Region team with five advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

The Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors were distributed as follows:

Great Lakes Region
University of Michigan (52-8) Head Coach Carol Hutchins, Associate Head Coach Bonnie Tholl, Assistant Coach Jennifer Brundage, Volunteer Assistant Coach Becky Marx • The Wolverines shared the Big Ten regular season wtitle and won their 11th NCAA Regional championship, falling in Super Regional play. Coach Hutchins had six players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Great Lakes Region team with four advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

Mid-Atlantic Region
Hofstra University (45-13 Head Coach Bill Edwards, Associate Head Coach Larissa Anderson, Assistant Coach Ryan Realmuto • The Pride won a school-record 45 games this season and captured a seventh straight Colonial Athletic Association championship, winning both the regular season and tournament titles. Hofstra also advanced to the NCAA Regional championship game for the third time in the last five years. The Pride had five players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region team.

Mideast Region
Purdue University (35-23) Head Coach Kim Maher, Assistant Coaches Linda Garza and Boo Gillette • Maher and her staff guided the Boilermakers to a 35-23 record and advanced to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Purdue had four players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Mideast Region team.

Midwest Region
Texas A&M University (57-10) Head Coach Jo Evans, Associate Head Coaches Joy Jackson and Mary Joe Firnbach • Evans and her staff guided the Aggies to their second consecutive Women’s College World Series, where Texas A&M advanced to the NCAA Championship Series. The Aggies won their third Big 12 Conference title in four years as well as the program’s first Big 12 Tournament title. Texas A&M had two players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Midwest Region team with both advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

Northeast Region
Virginia Tech University (49-19) Head Coach Scot Thomas, Assistant Coaches Al Brauns and Tiffany McVay • Virginia Tech advanced to the Women’s College World Series for the first time in the program’s 13-year history. The Hokies captured a second-straight ACC Tournament title before winning the Knoxville Regional and Ann Arbor Super Regional to earn their trip to Oklahoma City. Tech had three players named All-Region and one named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America team.

Pacific Region
Arizona State (66-5) Head Coach Clint Myers, Assistant Coaches Kirsten Voak and Robert Wagner. • In just his third year at ASU, Myers and his staff led the Sun Devils to the program’s first-ever NCAA Softball championship.

South Region
University of Alabama (55-8) Head Coach Patrick Murphy, Assistant Coaches Alyson Habetz and Vann Studeman. • The Crimson Tide posted a 58-8 overall record and reached the semifinal round of the Women’s College World Series. That third-place national finish is the best in school history. Alabama had five players chosen for the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-South Region team with four advancing to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America recognition.

Southeast Region
University of Florida (70-5) Head Coach Tim Walton, Assistant Coaches Jennifer Rocha and Jenny Gladding. • Florida finished the season with an NCAA-record 70 victories and advanced to the program’s first Women’s College World Series after capturing the first Southeastern Conference Tournament title. The Gators had five players named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Southeast Region team with all five moving on to earn Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

West Region
University of Nevada (44-18) Head Coach Michelle Gardner, Assistant Coaches Melanie Meuchel, Annie Stevens and Andy Dominique. • Nevada captured the Western Athletic Conference regular season championship and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, where they advanced to the championship game of the Los Angeles Regional against host school UCLA. Nevada had three player selected to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-West Region team with one earning Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors.

Wallace-Hanceville Earns National Coaching Staff of the Year Honors

Wallace State-Hanceville has been named the NJCAA Division I National Coaching Staff of the Year, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced today.

Head coach Jayne Clem and assistant coach Tracy Grindrod led the Lady Lions to the NJCAA Division I Championship, becoming the first Alabama school to win that title. Clem was also recognized as the Karen L. Sykes Outstanding Coach of the Tournament for the NJCAA Division I Championship Tournament.

The Lady Lions advanced to the Championship tournament by winning the Region 22 Championship. Wallace-Hanceville also participated in the NFCA’s Junior College Leadoff Classic over the first weekend in March, finishing second at the tournament to Indian River CC.

Wallace-Hanceville finished the season with a 41-game winning streak over two months, including wins in all five games at the national tournament. Their last defeat was on March 16 and their final record for the 2008 season was 68-8. The Lady Lions also had a nation-leading five Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division I All-America selections.

The team’s 2008 success follows a successful 2007 campaign when Wallace-Hanceville became the first Alabama team to advance to the national tournament, finishing seventh.

Arizona State Tops Final USA Today/NFCA Division I Poll

he 2008 NCAA Champion Arizona State Sun Devils are the unanimous top choice for the final USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll. National runner-up Texas A&M, which was swept in the best-of-three Championship Series by ASU, is ranked second. The remainder of the WCWS field rounds out the top-eight with No. 3 Florida, No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 UCLA, No. 6 Louisiana-Lafayette, No. 7 Arizona and No. 8 Virginia Tech holding the remainder of the eight top spots.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches representing each of the 30 Division I conferences. Records shown are the teams final records for the 2008 season. First-place votes are in parentheses.

Rank Team Record Pts Pvs
1 Arizona State (30) 66-5 750 2
2 Texas A&M 57-10 716 4
3 Florida 70-5 691 1
4 Alabama 58-8 655 3
5 UCLA 51-9 620 5
6 Louisiana-Lafayette 52-15 587 16
7 Arizona 41-19 570 9
8 Virginia Tech 49-19 560 17
9 Michigan 52-8 444 6
10 Oklahoma 47-14 441 7
11 Stanford 49-15 430 8
12 Northwestern 40-16 425 11
13 Houston 54-11 415 10
14 Tennessee 50-16 270 14
15 Fresno State 54-13 262 12
16 California 43-27 254 24
17 Georgia 46-24 247 23
18 LSU 44-18 220 15
19 Missouri 47-17 188 NR
20 North Carolina 50-12-1 174 13
21 Nevada 44-18 172 20
22 DePaul 51-18 157 19
23 Long Beach State 40-17 140 18
24 San Diego State 44-17 93 21
25 UMass 42-12 87 22
Others receiving votes:
Washington 39, Mississippi State 35, Hawai’i 28, Central Florida 26, Iowa 23, BYU 11, Kent State 8, South Florida 3, Louisiana Tech 3, Oregon 2, Auburn 1, Winthrop 1, Hofstra 1, Jacksonville State 1
Dropped out:
No. 25 Mississippi State

WCWS: Miscue Costs Hokies as Texas A&M Wins 1-0

OKLAHOMA CITY – A pitchers duel between two National Player of the Year finalists was decided by a defensive miscue as Texas A&M (55-7) defeated Virginia Tech (49-18) by a 1-0 score on Thursday at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.

Texas A&M, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, advances to face Louisiana-Lafayette at 6 pm CDT on Friday in a winners bracket game. Virginia Tech will face top seeded Florida in an elimination game at 11 am CDT on Saturday.

The Hokies out-hit A&M by a 5-2 margin, but the Aggies were the first team to put a runner in scoring position. Second baseman Natalie Villarreal singled to lead off the fourth inning, was sacrificed to second by Megan Gibson and went to third on a passed ball before two of Angela Tincher’s nine strikeouts closed out the inning with the game remaining scoreless.

In the fifth, Jessica Everhart led off the inning for Virginia Tech and want to second on a two-out single by Caroline Stolle. The pattern repeated itself in the sixth as Chrisse Mariconda singled with one out in the inning and advanced to second on a Kelsey Hoffman single, but Jessica Everhart popped out to end the inning and the threat.

Unfortunately, it was a miscue by Mariconda with two outs in the top of the seventh inning that made the difference in the game. Rhiannon Kliesing opened the rally with a one-out single and pinch runner Andrea Tovar was sacrificed to second by Villareal. Gibson then grounded to third base and was safe on a Mariconda error, allowing Tovar to score from second base, accounting for the final score of 1-0.

Megan Gibson got the win in the circle for Texas A&M, improving to 39-1 on the season. Gibson struck out nine and did not allow a walk while scattering five hits and pitching around two defensive errors.

Tincher took the loss for Virginia Tech, falling to 38-9 on the season. Tincher also struck out nine and did not allow an earned run allowing two hits.

The victory was Texas A&M’s first at the Women’s College World Series in 20 years, since an elimination bracket victory over Northern Illinois in 1988.

NJCAA Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans Named

he NJCAA Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans were named today by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Phoenix College catcher Lacy Goodman was named the Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year while Samantha Waters of Iowa Central Community College was selected as the Golden Shoe award winner for leading the country in stolen bases with 52.

National Champions Phoenix College led the way with four first-team All-Americans and one second-team selection.

Pitcher Vanessa Walle went 22-3 this season, striking out 167 batters over 155.1 innings pitched with a 1.17 ERA.

Catcher Lacy Goodman hit .550 on the year with 105 hits, 92 RBI, 23 home runs, 19 doubles and 31 stolen bases. She was also named the Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year.

Outfielders Teddy Barry and Jamie Hennis also earned first-team All-America honors. Barry hit .535 with 24 doubles, six triples, 22 home runs, 17 strikeouts, 96 runs scored and 104 RBI. Hennis checks in with a .479 batting average, 18doubles, two triples, 10 home runs, 101 hits, 46 RBI and 87 runs scored.

Second-team All-America pitcher Patricia Moreno pitched 115.2 innings, striking out 142 batters with a 21-1 record and 1.57 ERA on the year.

Lansing Community College also had five All-America selections with three first-teamers and a pair of second-team selections.

Pitcher Brianna Carpenter, infielder Heather Brusokas and outfielder Cirina Jones were named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first team while catcher Tiffany Cupp and outfielder Suzie Hull earned second-team honors.

Three additional schools, Cowley County, Iowa Lakes and Muscatine each had two first-team All-Americans.

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division II All-Americans
First Team
Pos. Name School
P Katie Watinson Muscatine Community College
P Vanessa Walle Phoenix College
P Brianna Carpenter Lansing CC
C Lacy Goodman Phoenix College
C Kashila Young Cowley County CC
IF Stephanie Ochoa Iowa Lakes CC
IF Sarah Saladino Muscatine CC
IF Krista Cummings Johnson County CC
IF Sammie Jo Garofalo Burlington County College
IF Breayle Tackett Cowley County CC
IF Heather Brusokas Lansing CC
OF Kimmie White Iowa LakesCC
OF Teddy Barry Phoenix College
OF Jamie Hennis Phoenix College
OF Cirina Jones Lansing CC
DP Ashley Podschun Dodge City CC
Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Aly Bowers Iowa Lakes CC
P Ashley Havertine Kankakee CC
P Patricia Moreno Phoenix College
C Megan Flatt Kankakee CC
C Tiffany Cupp Lansing CC
IF Kitty Daugherty Iowa Central CC
IF Camiel Salcedo Iowa Lakes CC
IF Brittany Morgan Kankakee CC
IF Callie Weaver Northeast Mississippi CC
IF Alyssa Scudieri County College of Morris
IF Jenn Tano Hutchinson CC
OF Brittany Brohmer Iowa Lakes CC
OF Mallory Manning Muscatine CC
OF Jessica Glenn Hutchinson CC
OF Suzie Hull Lansing CC
DP Desirae Sullivan CCBC-Catonsville

Aledo Remains atop the Latest USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll

Aledo High School (Texas) is the No. 1 team in the country for the second straight week in the latest USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll. This past week the Ladycats defeated Joshua High School in the Region 1 4A Championship to advance to the school’s first Texas State Tournament where they will square off against Nederland.

Broad Run (Va.) remains as the No. 2 team in the country, followed by Sheldon (Calif.), who moves up one spot after winning the D-1 Section Championship by defeating Elk Grove twice. This is the second straight section championship for the Huskies who finish the season at 32-2.

In at No. 4 is Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.), followed by, Butler (N.C.), Canyon del Oro (Ariz.), Central Davidson (N.C.), Kennedy (Calif.), and Shadle Park (Wash.). Both Kennedy and Shadle Park both saw their seasons come to an end this week with losses in their respective playoffs. Butler and Central Davidson, on the other hand, continue their undefeated seasons with perfect weeks.

Cibola (N.M.) and Hueytown (Ala.) move up this week to Nos. 11 and 12 thanks to losses by Santiago (Calif.), Smithson Valley (Texas), and Escondido (Calif.), who fall to 13, 14, and 15, respectively.

In the No. 16 spot is Ooltewah (Tenn.), who won the Tennessee 3A State Championship with a win over Beech High School. Following the Owls are Coronado (Texas), Eau Gallie (Fla.), Byrd (La.) and Mandarin (Fla.).

Hickory (Va.) saw their perfect season come to an end with a loss this past week and drop to No. 21. Plano (Texas) is at No. 22, followed by Naples (Fla.), Ryle (Ky.), and newcomer to the poll, Burlington (Ill.).

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

NFCA Names Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America Teams

Arizona State and Florida led all teams with five players earning 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America selections as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced the three All-America squads on Wednesday afternoon.

Alabama, the only school in the country with three players selected for first-team All-America honors, earned four total All-America nods. Michigan and UCLA also picked up four total All-Americans in 2008. Houston and Oklahoma had three selections apiece while five other schools – Arizona, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Stanford and Texas A&M – each had a pair of All-Americans in 2008.

All eight teams competing at the NCAA Division I Women’s College World Series, which starts on Thursday in Oklahoma City, earned at least one All-American nod this season. The 2008 WCWS will feature 24 players who earned a spot on one of this year’s three Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America teams. Here’s a look at the 2008 All-Americans in action at this year’s WCWS:

For Florida, the top seed in the 2008 Women’s College World Series, their five All-America selections are headlined by SEC Pitcher of the Year Stacey Nelson and first baseman Alexandra Gardiner, both of whom are first-team All-Americans. Nelson struck out 288 batters during the regular season and went 38-2 with a 0.81 ERA over 260.0 innings pitched. Gardiner hit .415 for the gators with seven home runs, 17 doubles and 53 RBI during the regular season.

The pair of Gators first-team selections were joined by second-team selections Aja Paculba and Francesca Enea as well as third-team selection Kim Waleszonia. Paculba, a second baseman, hit .337 for the Gators, turning in 11 doubles, two home runs and 3 RBI with 13 stolen bases and a .968 fielding percentage during the regular season. In the outfield, Enea hit .322 with 33 runs scored, 13 home runs and 49 RBI while Waleszonia, another Gator outfielder, hit .364 with 52 runs scored, eight doubles, 20 RBI and 18 steals.

Arizona State, the No. 6 seed in the WCWS, also has five All-Americans, including outfielder Kaitlin Cochran, who earlier this month was named the Pac-10 Player of the Year. Cochran hit .443 on the season with 41 RBI, 18 doubles and 11 home runs while leading the Sun Devils offense. Her teammate, Katie Burkhart, was the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year. Burkhart had a 30-4 record during the regular season and finished with 394 strikeouts and a 0.87 ERA over 232.1 innings pitched. Both Burkhart and Cochran earned first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America honors this season for the Sun Devils.

Arizona State also placed Mindy Cowles on the second team and two players, Jackie Vasquez and Krista Donnenwirth, appeared on the third team. Cowles, a second baseman, was an at-large selection to the second team as she hit .348 this season, recording 49 RBI, 13 home runs and 10 doubles during the regular season. Vasquez, a second-team All-American outfielder, hit .418 during the regular season with three home runs, seven doubles and 21 RBI. Donnenwirth, a third baseman, was an at-large selection to the third team. She hit .369 with 14 home runs, 13 doubles and 64 RBI on the season.

UCLA, the No. 2 seed in the WCWS, had four All-America selections, led by first-team selections Anjelica Selden and GiOnna DiSalvatore. Selden, a pitcher, turned in a record of 22-3 in the circle during the regular season, striking out 249 batters with a 0.78 ERA over 170.2 innings in the circle. DiSalvatore hit .373 for the Bruins with 13 doubles, two triples, three home runs and 39 RBI on the season and was named to the All-America first team as an at-large selection at first base.

The Bruins added a pair of third-team All-America selections in second baseman Amanda Kamekona and utility-pitcher Megan Langenfeld. Kamekona led the Bruins with 11 home runs during the regular season, hitting .327 with 14 doubles and eight stolen bases. Langenfeld hit .339 on the season with five home runs, six doubles and 33 RBI while pitching 53.2 innings to earn a 7-1 record with five saves and 57 strikeouts.

Alabama, the No. 3 seed at the WCWS, earned four total All-America nods and placed a trio of student-athletes on the All-America first team. Outfielder Brittany Rogers was joined by at-large selections Kelley Montalvo (3B) and Charlotte Morgan (Util-P).

Rogers hit .443 during the regular season with 67 runs scored, 18 RBI and a whopping 53 stolen bases on the season. Montalvo hit .416 for the Crimson Tide, scoring 41 runs with 14 soubles, two triples, eight home runs and 49 RBI to go with 17 stolen bases. Morgan hit .435 for the regular season with 41 runs scored, 18 doubles, 15 home runs with 66 RBI. In the circle, Morgan pitched 82.1 innings for coach Patrick Murphy, striking out 52 for a 14-2 record and 1.28 ERA.

The trio of Tide first-team selections was joined by third-team All-America pitcher Kelsi Dunne. The SEC Freshman of the Year, Dunne tossed 161.0 innings during the regular season, finishing with a 21-3 record with three saves, a 1.30 ERA and 214 strikeouts.

The No. 5 seed at the WCWS, Texas A&M features a pair of All-America selections in first-team All-America utility-pitcher Megan Gibson and third-team at-large third baseman Jamie Hinshaw.

Gibson, the first player in history to earn both Big 12 Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year honors, led the Aggies to both the regular season and tournament Big 12 titles in 2008. She hit .358 with 40 runs scored, 13 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBI while also leading Texas A&M in the circle. Gibson pitched 208.0 innings, finishing with a 30-1 record, 1.08 ERA and 241 strikeouts. Hinshaw hit .374 during the regular season with 42 runs scored, 12 doubles, 29 RBI and 14 stolen bases. She fielded at a .969 clip at the hot corner for the Aggies.

Virginia Tech, the first-round WCWS opponent for the Aggies, is led by first-team All-America pitcher Angela Tincher. Tincher led the Hokies with 262.2 innings in the circle, striking out an eye-popping 532 batters during the regular season and finishing with a 30-6 record, two saves and 0.56 ERA.

Seventh-seeded Arizona opens WCWS play on Thursday night against UCLA. The Wildcats placed two players on the All-America team, both as third-team selections. First baseman Laine Roth hit .358 with five doubles, 13 home runs and 39 RBI during the regular season for Arizona. Roth is joined by teammate Brittany Lastrapes, an at-large selection in the outfield. Lastrapes hit .364, accumulating 10 doubles, five home runs and 33 RBI during the regular season.

Louisiana-Lafayette, which opens against top-seeded Florida in the first game of the WCWS at 1 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, also had an All-America selection in first-team outfielder Holly Tankersley. The Sun Belt Player of the Year, Tankersley accumulated a .461 batting average during the regular season, scoring 71 runs with 10 doubles, 18 home runs and 66 RBI.

Of the schools with at least four selections on the 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America list, only Michigan, which was eliminated in Super Regionals by Virginia Tech, did not advance to the WCWS.

The Wolverines were led by second baseman Samantha Findlay on the first team with Big Ten Freshman of the Year pitcher Jordan Taylor and outfielder Alessandra Giampaolo on the second team and pitcher Nikki Nemitz earning third-team honors.

Findlay hit .400 during the regular season with 51 runs scored, seven doubles and 21 home runs. Taylor, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, pitched 190.0 innings for the Wolverines, striking out 245 batters en route to a 27-2 record with three saves and a 0.70 ERA. Joining Taylor on the second team, outfielder Alessandra Giampaolo hit .373 during the regular season with 11 doubles and 22 RBI with 39 runs scored. Michigan’s final All-America selection, third-team pitcher Nikki Nemitz, tossed 170.0 innings for the Wolverines, turning in a 21-3 record with two saves, 201 strikeouts and a 0.86 ERA.

NFCA Announces NJCAA Division II All-Region Teams

The 2008 NJCAA Division II Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Region teams were announced today by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Sixteen players from each of the three NJCAA Division II regions were selected to All-Region squads.

In the Midwest region, Iowa Lakes Community College led the way with five All-Region selections. That group included pitcher Aly Bowers, first baseman Stephanie Ochoa, third baseman Camiel Salcedo and outfielders Brittany Brohmer and Kimmie White.

Two other schools, Kankakee Community College and Muscatine Community College, also provided three players on the All-Region list.

In the South region, NJCAA Division II Champion Phoenix College led the way with five All-Region selections. That group included pitchers Vanessa Walle and Patricia Moreno, catcher Lacy Goodman and outfielders Teddy Barry and Jamie Hennis.

Both Cowley County Community College and Johnson County Community College also provided three players for the South’s All-Region team.

The East region was dominated by three schools, Lansing Community College, Burlington County College and CCBC-Catonsville.

Lansing had five selections for the team including pitcher Brianna Carpenter, catcher Tiffany Cupp, shortstop Heather Brusokas and outfielders Cirina Jones and Suzie Hull.

Burlington had four first-team selections in pitcher Cassidy Stefanski, second baseman Sammie Jo Garofalo, shortstop Selina Santillo and outfielder Jessie Quattrone.

CCBC-Catonsville also had a quad of players on the team indlucing pitcher Amy Guyton, shortstop Loane Van Meter, outfielder Saige Steinmetz and designated player Desirae Sullivan.

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division II All-Region Teams
East Region
Pos. Name School
P Brianna Carpenter Lansing Community College
P Amy Guyton CCBC – Cantonsville
P Cassidy Stefanski Burlington County College
C Tiffany Cupp Lansing Community College
C Haley Stehouwer Grand Rapids Community College
2B Sammie Jo Garofalo Burlington County College
2B Nikki Woodard Mercyhurst North East
SS Heather Brusokas Lansing Community College
SS Selina Santillo Burlington County College
SS Sloane Van Meter CCBC – Cantonsville
SS Alyssa Scudieri County College of Morris
OF Cirini Jones Lansing Community College
OF Suzie Hull Lansing Community College
OF Saige Steinmetz CCBC – Cantonsville
OF Jessie Quattrone Burlington County College
DP Desirae Sullivan CCBC – Cantonsville

Midwest Region
Pos. Name School
P Katie Watkinson Muscatine Community College
P Aly Bowers Iowa Lakes Community College
P Ashley Havertine Kankakee Community College
C Megan Flatt Kankakee Community College
C Shelby Parker Parkland College
1B Stephanie Ochoa Iowa Lakes Community College
1B Sarah Saladino Muscatine Community College
3B Kitty Daugherty Iowa Central Community College
3B Camiel Salcedo Iowa Lakes Community College
3B Brittany Morgan Kankakee Community College
SS Taylor Sloat Parkland College
OF Brittany Brohmer Iowa Lakes Community College
OF Kimmie White Iowa Lakes Community College
OF Mallory Manning Muscatine Community College
OF Samantha Waters Iowa Central Community College
DP Lauren Liles Lake County, College of

South Region
Pos. Name School
P Vanessa Walle Phoenix College
P Patricia Moreno Phoenix College
P Katie Ford Johnson County Community College
C Lacy Goodman Phoenix College
C Kashilla Young Cowley County Community College
2B Jenn Tanno Hutchinson Community College
2B Krista Cummings Johnson County Community College
2B Sarah Smith Cowley County Community College
3B Breayle Tackett Cowley County Community College
3B Debbie Schlagel Johnson County Community College
SS Callie Weaver Northeast Mississippi Community College
OF Teddy Barry Phoenix College
OF Jamie Hennis Phoenix College
OF Jessica Glenn Hutchinson Community College
OF Michelle Pulsipher Chandler-Gilbert Community College
DP Ashley Podschun Dodge City Community College

NJCAA Division I All-Region Teams Announced

NJCAA Division I All-Region Teams for the Midwest, South and West regions were announced today by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

In the Midwest region, San Jacinto College-South led the way with five All-Region selections including two players, pitcher Kelsey McClain and outfielder Cheyenne Parent, appearing on the All-Region first team. Two schools, Blinn College and Iowa Western Community College, each had four All-Region selections.

In the South region, the NJCAA Division I Champions Wallace State-Hanceville, led the way with five All-Region selections, all on the first team. That group included pitcher Jennifer Sexton, pitcher Holli Hill, catcher Dandi Ammons, third baseman Rachel Baucom and shortstop Hannah Strength.

Two schools in the West region, Eastern Arizona College and Yavapai College, each had five All-Region selections.

For Eastern Arizona, four players earned first-team honors. That group included pitcher Noe Esperas, shortstop Jackie Tema, first baseman Sara Hopwood and outfielder Marina Gusman-Brown. Outfieler Chachera Brantley was selected to the All-Region second team.

Yavapai’s five All-Region players were all selected to the first team. Yavapai’s group includes catcher Brittany Tucker, pitcher Jenna Rodriguez, third baseman Kacie Smith, shortstop Shaunte Duarte and outfielder Caitlin Stangl.

Midwest Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Lindsey Olson Galveston College
P Elena Crabtree Blinn College
P Kelsey McClain San Jacinto College – South
P Samantha Tiefenthaler Iowa Western Community College
C Kelsey Meyers Iowa Western Community College
1B Brooke Walters Seminole State College
1B Haley Nix Texarkana College
3B Jenna Dell Iowa Western Community College
SS Desiree Mujica Southeastern Community College
SS Christina Jaques Lamar State College
SS Caley Jeter Blinn College
OF Toni Dance Iowa Western Community College
OF Kristi Kelley Alvin Community College
OF Whitney Fox Navarro College
OF Cheyenne Parent San Jacinto College – South
DP Misti Cosby Texarkana College

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Lacey Lang Texarkana College
P Sunny Wells Alvin Community College
C Caysea Ryan Blinn College
C Keanah Prestridge Seminole State College
C Krystal Plummer San Jacinto College – South
1B Chelsea Hall Navarro College
1B Shay Ristau Paris Junior College
2B Janet Rendon San Jacinto College – South
2B Lauren Buch John A. Logan College
SS Mollye Micak Galveston College
SS Courtney Walters Paris Junior College
OF Nicole Ostertag Jefferson College
OF Kristi Keller Alvin Community College
OF Tiffany Galletti Blinn College
OF Jeana Keyes Paris Junior College

DP
Tasha Rotramel San Jacinto College – South

South Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Katelyn Murphree Santa Fe Community College
P Jennifer Sexton Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
P Kristina DeMello Miami Dade College
P Holli Hill Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
C Dandi Ammons Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
2B Mallory Borden Santa Fe Community College
2B Casey Saunders Chattanooga State Technical Community College
3B Rachel Baucom Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
3B Grealdine Puertas Pensacola Junior College
SS Lauren Lopez Miami Dade College
SS Hannah Strength Wallace State Community College – Hanceville
OF Brittany Cannon Santa Fe Community College
OF Kate Vanderham Florida Community College at Jacksonville
OF Karina De Los Santos Miami Dade College
OF Meagan Masingale Chattanooga State Technical Community College
DP Chambree Pugh Aiken Technical College

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Brittany Fox Chattanooga State Technical Community College
P Lauren Varsalona Indian River Community College
P Courtney Alvarez Chattanooga State Technical Community College
P Alanna Hadley Gulf Coast Community College
C Rebecca Smith Tallahassee Community College
1B Ginny Walsh Gulf Coast Community College
2B Chasity Covington Chipola College
3B Kelley Smiley Indian River Community College
SS Meike Witteveen Florida Community College at Jacksonville
SS Cindy Cuare Indian River Community College
SS Carolyn Moore Chipola College
OF Destiny Covington Chipola College
OF Whitney Little Indian River Community College
OF Mary Helen Tyler Tallahassee Community College
OF Kalah Mathis Columbia State Community College

OF

Jessica Bohn
Santa Fe Community College

West Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Noe Esperas Eastern Arizona College
P Lindsey Palmer Salt Lake Community College
P Jenna Rodriguez Yavapai College
P Kelsey Garner Western Nebraska Community College
C Brittany Tucker Yavapai College
1B Sara Hopwood Eastern Arizona College
1B Jennifer Reifschneider Pratt Community College
2B Kara Ryman Western Nebraska Community College
3B Kacie Smith Yavapai College
SS Jackie Tema Eastern Arizona College
SS Shaunte Duarte Yavapai College
OF Caitlin Stangl Yavapai College
OF Marina Gusman-Brown Eastern Arizona College
OF Rebecca Diehl Garden City Community College
OF Gabrielle Hart Butler Community College
DP Ninostka Amaro Colby Community College

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Maritza Rocha Odessa College
P Courtney Auger Seward County Community College
P Lauren Supak Butler Community College
C Brooke Olson Salt Lake Community College
C Anna Sorrell College of Southern Idaho
1B Jennifer Collins Seward County Community College
2B Jasey Jensen Salt Lake Community College
3B Louisa Stover Odessa College
3B Nina Cabrales Midland College
SS Megan Hamilton Garden City Community College
SS Marissa Araujo Odessa College
OF Chachera Brantley Eastern Arizona College
OF Megan Zimmerman College of Southern Idaho
OF Amber Kamaka Midland College
OF Bendt Tara Salt Lake Community College
DP Stephanie Holmes College of Southern Idaho

Humboldt State Tops Final NFCA Division II Poll

The 2008 NCAA Division II Champion, Humboldt State, is a unanimous choice atop the final NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll of the season. NCAA runner-up Emporia State is ranked second while No. 3 Lock Haven and No. 4. St. Edward’s tied for third at the national championship tournament. Francis Marion and Ferris State, two schools that tied for fifth at the NCAA Tournament, are also tied for fifth in this final poll.

The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by NCAA Division II head coaches representing each of the eight regions. Records shown are through May 17, 2008. First-place votes are in parentheses.

Rank Team Record Pts Pvs
1 Humboldt State (8) 57-18 200 8
2 Emporia State 48-17 192 6
3 Lock Haven 49-8 181 1
4 St. Edward’s 53-17 179 22
5 Ferris State 35-18 164 NR
5 Francis Marion 39-16 164 NR
7 Barry 44-8 149 3
8 C.W. Post 48-16 143 9
9 Bloomsburg 51-11 125 10
9 Southeastern Oklahoma 53-12 125 14
11 SIU-Edwardsville 49-11 121 7
12 North Georgia 38-15 103 NR
12 Tampa 35-13 103 24
14 Western Oregon 33-18 100 NR
15 Winona State 38-15 88 NR
16 Caldwell College 35-22 73 23
17 Angelo State 48-12 71 5
18 Kutztown 48-13 66 16
19 St. Leo 37-15 48 19
20 Wayne State (Mich.) 35-18 45 21
21 Minnesota State Mankato 42-16 38 NR
22 Cal State Dominguez Hills 33-25 32 NR
23 Armstrong Atlantic 30-23 27 NR
24 Alabama-Huntsville 52-9 25 2
25 Georgian Court 39-16 24 17
Others receiving votes:
Nebraska-Omaha 5, LeMoyne 3, UNC-Pembroke 2, Abilene Christian 1, Cal State Stanislaus 1, Lewis 1, Rollins 1
Dropped out:
No. 4 Carson Newman, No. 11 St. Mary’s (Texas), No. 12 Southwest Minnesota State, No. 13 UNC-Pembroke, No. 15 Saginaw Valley, No. 18. Cal State Stanislaus, No. 20 Lenoir Rhyne, No. T-24 Central Missouri

NFCA Announces 2008 Louisville Slugger/NWAACC All-Americans

Thirteen players have been named to the 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) All-America team, the NFCA announced today.

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA NWAACC All-America Team

Ashley Farger of Spokane Falls was selected as the Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year. Fargher hit .425 on the season going 57-for-134 with 39 runs scored, 13 doubles, a triple and six home runs for 42 RBI. Defensively, she threw out 11 of a possible 19 base stealers while leading her team in every offensive category.

Kelly Smith of Pierce College was named the adidas/Golden Shoe award winner for the most stolen bases in NWAACC play this season.

From the East region, three additional players earned All-America honors, including BreAnn Jones and Caitlyn Bersing of Walla Walla Community College, Miranda Rosebrook and Ranzy York from Wenatchee Valley College and Fargher from Spokane Falls.

BreAnn Jones, a pitcher from Walla Walla Community College, went 20-7 this season with a 1.42 ERA. In 168.0 innings in the circle, Jones struck out 152 batters. Offensively, she hit .331 going 53-for-160 with 26 runs scored, four doubles, a triple, four home runs and 32 RBI.

Caitlyn Bersing, an outfielder from Walla Walla Community College, hit .433 on the sesason going 77-for-178 with 61 runs scored, 21 doubles, two triples, 15 home runs and 59 RBI.

Miranda Rosebrook, a designated player from Wenatchee Valley, hit .471 going 80-for-170 with 66 runs scored, 17 doubles, one triple, one home run and 40 RBI on the season. She led the team in hits, runs scored, doubles and stolen bases (21) this season.

Ranzy York, a utility player from Wenatchee Valley, hit .431 going 66-for-153 with 46 runs scored, 12 doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 64 RBI with 15 stolen bases. In the circle, she went 23-5 witih a 1.37 ERA with 169.0 innings pitched and 144 strikeouts on the season. In addition to pitching, she also plays right field.

Five players represent the South region, including Carrie O’Neil, Jessi Hanna and Samantha Petrich of Lower Columbia College and Lauren Hadenfield and Cathryn Cox of Mt. Hood Community.

Carrie O’Neil, a pitcher from Lower Columbia, went 18-5 on the season with a 1.51 ERA. With 137.2 innings in the circle, O’Neil struck out 141 batters on the season. She also hit .391 going 41-for-118 with 20 runs scored, 12 doubles, seven home runs and 35 RBI. She will attend Portland State next fall.

Lauren Hadenfield, a pitcher from Mt. Hood Community College went 20-2 this season with a 1.43 ERA. She pitched 146.2 innings, striking out 133 batters. Offesnively, she hit .304 with a double, a home run and three RBI on the year.

Cathryn Cox, an infielder from Mount Hood, hit .516 going 79-for-153 with 72 runs scored, 20 doubles and 23 home runs for 68 RBI. She struck out just four times on the season and posted a .955 fielding percentage in the infield.

Jessi Hanna, an infielder from Lower Columbia, hit .417 on the season going 53-for-127 with 52 runs scored, 13 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 39 RBI. The 2007 NWAACC MVP, Hanna will attend Boise State next season.

Samantha Petrich, an infielder from Lower Columbia College, hit .572 on the season, going 78-148 with 61 runs scored, 17 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs and 50 RBI to go along with 22 stolen bases.

The North region had three selections to fill out the 2008 NWAACC All-America team including Erica Addisson, Dawn Norcross and Korri Heideman, all of Bellevue Community College.

Erica Addison, an infielder from Bellevue Community College, hit .467 on the year, going 43-for-145 with 61 runs scored, 13 doubles and 12 home runs for 61 RBI. She was named first-team All-League as a freshman and led the team in batting average, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage and runs scored in 2008.

Dawn Norcross, an outfielder, hit .417 going 53-for-127 with 12 doubles and 12 home runs for 52 RBI. She also earned All-League honors as a freshman.

Korri Heideman, an outfielder from Bellevue Community College, hit .460 this season, going 63-for-137 with 17 doubles and seven home runs with 51 RBI.

New Number One Team in the Nation in Latest USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll

After five weeks as the No. 1 team in the nation, Pembroke Pines Charter’s reign at the top of the USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll, has come to an end. The Jaguars lost in Florida’s 4A State Championship against Naples to end their season with a 29-1 record, and fall to No. 4 in this week’s poll.

Taking the No. 1 spot this week is Sheldon (Calif.), who improved to 25-1 on the season. This isn’t the first time the Huskies have been No. 1, as Coach Mary Jo Truesdale’s squad held the ranking in the year’s first poll on April 3.

With the loss to Pembroke Pines, Aledo (Texas) and Broad Run (Va.) slide up a spot each to Nos. 2 and 3 respectively. Canyon del Oro (Ariz.) ranks at No. 5 again this week, after winning the 4A-I Arizona State Championship. Following Head Coach Amy Swiderski’s crew is: Butler (N.C.), Kennedy (Calif.), Shadle Park (Wash.), Simi Valley (Calif.), and Central Davidson (N.C.).

In the No. 11 slot sits Santiago (Calif.), who fell from last week’s rank of No. 7, after a loss to Corona (Calif.). Smithson Valley (Texas) jumps four spots this week to 12 after improving their record to 31-2, and continues to march through the 5A Texas State Playoffs. At No. 13 sits undefeated Escondido (Calif.), followed by Coronado (Texas), who saw their season come to an end at 37-4, after be eliminated in the 5A Texas Regional Quarterfinals by Weatherford. Rounding out the top 15 is Cibola (N.M.), who drops four spots after losing their first game of the season to Rio Rancho (N.M.).

Hueytown (Ala.) is this week’s No. 16 team, after defeating Austin (Ala.) in the 6A Alabama Sub-State Playoffs. Hueytown is followed by Eau Gallie (Fla.), Plano (Texas), Byrd (La.), and Carl Sandburg (Ill.).

Rankings 21-23 features Ooltewah (Tenn.), Hickory (Va.), and Mandarin (Fla.). Elyria (Ohio) and Naples (Fla.) are Nos. 24 and 25, and are new to the week’s poll. Elyria is currently undefeated at 19-0 and Naples enters the poll after defeating the previous No. 1 team in the nation, Pembroke Pines Charter, in the 4A Florida State Championship Game.

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region Teams Announced

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has announced the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-Region teams, honoring student-athletes from nine NFCA regions. A total of 232 players from 107 different teams comprise the first and second regional teams.

Chosen by NFCA member coaches from each region, the honorees will now be eligible for selection to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America first, second or third teams.

Top-ranked Florida, which enters this week’s regional tournament as the nation’s No. 1 overall seed, placed four players on the Southeast Region first team and one on the second team. The Gators were led by pitcher Stacey Nelson, first baseman Alexandra Gardiner, second baseman Aja Paculba and outfielder Francesca Enea. Florida outfielder Kim Waleszonia made the second team.

The NFCA Division I All-American teams will be announced late on Wednesday afternoon, May 28.

Great Lakes Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Jordan Taylor University of Michigan
P Nikki Nemitz University of Michigan
C Samantha Marder Ohio State University
1B Lauren Haas Southern Illinois University
2B Samanth Findlay University of Michigan
3B Kara Nelson Illinois State University
SS Teddi Ewing University of Michigan
OF Jherica Williams Wright State University
OF Alessandra Giampaolo University of Michigan
OF Nikki Nicosia Michigan State University
UT/P Amber Smith Illinois State University
UT/Non-P Brittany Vanderink Ohio State University

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Jackie Hill Pennsylvania State University
P Amanda Macenko Cleveland State University
C Lana Armstrong University of Illinois
1B Ashley Strauss Eastern Michigan University
2B Gina Monda Michigan State University
3B Amy Hudson Central Michigan University
SS Bianca Mejia Michigan State University
OF Danielle Kinley Pennsylvania State University
OF Courtney Waters Ohio University
OF Angela Findlay University of Michigan
UT/P Hayley Wiemer Bowling Green State University
UT/Non-P Jessica LeFevere Michigan State University

Mid-Atlantic Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Kayleigh Lotti Hofstra University
P Blaire Porter Long Island University
C Brooke Darreff St. Joseph’s University
1B Sarde Stewart University of Maryland
2B Casey Fee Hofstra University
2B Katie Miranto Canisius College
3B Elise Menaker Cornell University
SS Pam Dreslinski Hofstra University
OF Jenny Belak University of Maryland
OF Jenna Campagnolo Cornell University
OF Jenny Maheu Canisius College
UT/P Lisa Sweeney Lehigh University
UT/Non-P Ashli Breau George Mason University

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Juliette Bowers Canisius College
P Meredith Felts James Madison University
C Samantha Card University of Pittsburgh
1B Michele DePasquale Hofstra University
2B Annie Kinsey University of Pennsylvania
2B Andrea Lazzari Wagner College
3B Amber Kirk James Madison University
SS Celina Castillo Long Island University
SS Christina Khosravi University of Pennsylvania
OF Erika Bernstein Hofstra University
OF Kate Marvel Lehigh University
OF Brooke Panepinto Robert Morris University
UT/P Allison Twarowski Fordham University
UT/Non-P Jocelyn Dearborn Fordham University

Mideast Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Lauren Delaney Northwestern University
P Brittany Weil University of Iowa
C Rachel Folden Marshall University
1B Brittany Herald University of Evansville
2B Nicole Pauly Northwestern University
3B Amber Patton DePaul University
SS Tammy Williams Northwestern University
OF Sarah Smith University of Notre Dame
OF Breanna Robinson Miami University of Ohio
OF Ellen Kresl Loyola University
UT/P Becca Heteniak DePaul University
UT/Non-P Colleen McGlaughlin University of Iowa
UT/Non-P Sandy Vojik DePaul University

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Kylie Reynolds Kent State University
P Brittney Bargar University of Notre Dame
C Erin Dyer Northwestern University
1B Kelsey Haupert Purdue University
2B Kelly Miller Purdue University
3B Ashley Hall Purdue University
SS Candace Curtis Purdue University
SS Jessica Toocheck Kent State University
OF Alicia Hogl Miami University of Ohio
OF Mary Ellen Russell University at Buffalo
OF Rachael Sofie Marshall University
UT/P Caitlyn Jackson Marshall University
UT/Non-P Michelle Batts Northwestern University

Midwest Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P D.J. Mathis University of Oklahoma
P Tara Oltman Creighton University
C Lindsey Vandever University of Oklahoma
1B Amanda Renth University of Missouri
2B Andee Allen University of Missouri
3B Brette Reagan Baylor University
SS Savannah Long University of Oklahoma
OF Rhea Taylor University of Missouri
OF Amber Flores University of Oklahoma
OF Nicole Wesley Baylor University
UT/P Megan Gibson Texas A&M University
UT/Non-P Tallie Thrasher University of Texas

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Stacey Delaney University of Missouri
P Meagan Denny University of Texas
P Allison Bakke North Dakota State University
C T.J. Eadus Creighton University
1B Samantha Ricketts University of Oklahoma
2B Alysia Hamilton Oklahoma State University
3B Jamie Hinshaw Texas A&M University
SS Loryn Johnson University of Texas
OF Kirsten Shortridge Baylor University
OF Dougie McCaulley University of Kansas
OF Lauren Lindsay University of Tulsa
UT/P Jen Bruck University of Missouri
UT/Non-P Melissa Chmielewski North Dakota State University

Northeast Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Angela Tincher Virginia Tech
P Brandice Balschmiter University of Massachusetts
C Amy Kelley Syracuse University
1B Jamie Lettire Princeton University
2B Renee Ramos Boston College
3B Charisse Mariconda Virginia Tech
SS Kathryn Welch Princeton University
OF Nichole Alvarez Monmouth University
OF Carly Normandin University of Massachusetts
OF Kelsey Quist Princeton University
UT/P No Nominations
UT/Non-P Lindsay Maroney University of Massachusetts

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Alyssa Struzenberg Stony Brook University
P Leah McIntosh University at Albany
P Kristin Schaus Princeton University
C Meghan Morese Villanova University
1B Marissa Fleury Stony Brook University
2B Ashley Waters University of Maine
3B Whitney Mollica University of Massachusetts
SS Melissa Dubay Boston University
OF April Setterlund Boston University
OF Amber Maisonet University at Albany
OF Micah Traux University of Connecticut
UT/P No Nominations
UT/Non-P Jenna Rhodes Virginia Tech

Pacific Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Katie Burkhart Arizona State University
P Anjelica Selden University of California, Los Angeles
C Rosey Neill Stanford University
1B GiOnna DiSalvatore University of California, Los Angeles
2B Mindy Cowles Arizona State University
3B Krista Donnenwirth Arizona State University
SS Maddy Coon Stanford University
OF Kaitlin Cochran Arizona State University
OF Jackie Vasquez Arizona State University
OF Alissa Haber Stanford University
UT/P Megan Langenfeld University of California, Los Angeles
UT/Non-P Bernice Masaniai University of California, Berkeley

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Missy Penna Stanford University
P Marissa Drewrey University of California, Berkeley
P Tiffany Pagano Loyola Marymount University
C Kristen Miller Arizona State University
1B Laine Roth University of Arizona
2B Amanda Kamekona University of California, Los Angeles
3B Jenae Leles University of Arizona
SS Paige Lowe Oregon State University
OF Samantha Carnuso University of California, Los Angeles
OF Krista Colburn University of California, Los Angeles
OF Brittany Lastrapes University of Arizona
UT/P Valerie Arioto University of California, Berkeley
UT/Non-P Chelsie Tysdal Loyola Marymount University

South Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Angel Shamblin University of Houston
P Kelsi Dunne University of Alabama
C Chelsea Bramlett Mississippi State University
1B Stephanie Fischer Tennessee Tech University
2B Vanessa Soto University of Louisiana at Lafayette
3B Tonya Callahan University of Tennessee
SS Courtney Bures Mississippi State University
OF Holly Tankersley University of Louisiana at Lafayette
OF Brittany Rogers University of Alabama
OF Laurie Wagner University of Houston
UT/P Charlotte Morgan University of Alabama
UT/Non-P Lauren Grill University of Mississippi

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Ashley Brignac University of Louisiana at Lafayette
P Ashton Ward University of Tennessee
P Brooke Loudermilk University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
P Ragan Blake Texas State University
P Alex Gjevre Morehead State University
C Ashley Holcombe University of Alabama
1B Jennifer Klinkert University of Houston
2B Shannon Stein Louisiana State University
3B Kelley Montalvo University of Alabama
SS Jessica Valis University of Houston
OF Rachel Mitchell Louisiana State University
OF Evelyne Pare University of South Alabama
OF Lillian Hammond University of Tennessee
UT/P Miranda Dixon University of Arkansas
UT/Non-P Tiffany Huff University of Tennessee

Southeast Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Stacey Nelson University of Florida
P Lisa Norris University of North Carolina
P Allison Klime University of Central Florida
C Catherine Lee Georgia State University
1B Alexandra Gardiner University of Florida
2B Aja Paculba University of Florida
3B Cheyenne Jenks Florida Gulf Coast University
SS Shanna Smith North Carolina State University
OF Carmen Paez Florida Gulf Coast University
OF Francesca Enea University of Florida
OF Lisa Kingsmore Winthrop University
UT/P Danielle Spaulding University of North Carolina
UT/Non-P Jennifer Jacobs University of North Carolina

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Cari Wooldridge Winthrop University
P Morgan Childers University of South Carolina Upstate
P Amanda Lindsay Stetson University
P Ashley Taylor Radford University
P Amanda Black Hampton University
C Allyssa Allbritten North Carolina State University
1B Andrea Migliori Stetson University
2B Cassandra Palmer University of North Carolina
3B Alisa Goler University of Georgia
3B Robyne Siliga Georgia Southern University
SS Aileen Morales Georgia Tech University
OF Breanna Brown University of North Carolina
OF Kim Waleszonia University of Florida
OF Courtney Quinn Campbell University
OF Courtney Young Howard University
UT/P Jessica Cross Kennessaw State University
UT/Non-P Ashton Payne University of South Carolina

West Region First Team
Pos. Name School
P Morgan Melloh Fresno State University
P Brooke Turner Long Beach State University
C Noelle Micka University of Nevada, Reno
1B Daniela Snow Brigham Young University
2B Jenna Cervantez Fresno State University
3B Angeline Quiocho Brigham Young University
SS Haley Gilleland Fresno State University
OF Diana Phillips University of Utah
OF Izmena Cabrera California State University, Sacramento
OF Kaulana Gould University of Hawaii
UT/P Kate Robinson University of Hawaii
UT/Non-P Kiki Munoz California State University, Fullerton

Second Team
Pos. Name School
P Christina Ross San Diego State University
P Katie Holverson University of Nevada, Reno
C Jamie Schloredt California State University, Sacramento
1B Lindsey Elcess University of New Mexico
2B Kristin Delahoussaye Brigham Young University
3B Lauren Cusick Colorado State University
SS Melissa Pura California Polytechnic State Univ., SLO
OF Allison Majam Colorado State University
OF Brandi Peiler University of Hawaii
OF Bethany Snow California State University, Bakersfield
OF Vanessa Briones University of Nevada, Reno
UT/P Marissa Alvidrez University of California, Riverside
UT/Non-P Aja Scheuber Fresno State University

St. Edward’s Wins Opening Game of Division II Softball Championship

South Central Regional champion St. Edward’s fought off a late comeback by Barry to win the first game of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship by a score of 5-4.

St. Edward’s improves to 52-15 and advances in the winners bracket to face the winner of Game 2 between Francis Marion and Ferris State. That game will take place on Thursday at 3 pm Central Time. Barry is now 44-7 on the season and will face the loser of that same game on Thursday morning at 10 am.

St. Edward’s got on the board first, plating a run in the bottom of the third inning. Designated player Jamie Zilverberg led off the inning with a double down the left field line. She was sacrificed to third base by first baseman Stacy Giles and scored when third baseman Melissa McSheffery grounded to the shortstop, whose off-line fielders choice throw to the plate allowed Zilverberg to score and McSheffery to reach safely at first base.

The Hilltoppers added to their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. McSheffery opened the inning with a one-out single, followed by a single from left fielder Lexi Stephens to give the Hilltoppers two on with one out. After shortstop Mandy Phillips grounded into a fielders choice for the second out of the inning before right fielder Lisa Paul snuck ground-ball single through the left side, plating McSheffery. An errant throw in from the outfield advanced both runners an additional base, leaving runners on second and third with two outs. Centerfielder Kristen Lozano then connected on a two-RBI sinlge, bringing the St. Edward’s lead to 4-0 after five innings of play.

Barry rallied in the top half of the sixth inning third baseman Holli Davis opened with a one-out single, followed by a single from shortstop Al Peratoni and an RBI single from catcher Brittany Anderson with both Peratoni and Anderson taking an additional base on the play.

With two runners in scoring position and one out on the board, left fielder Shyla Rider drew a walk to load the bases, bringing up right fielder Christina DeTagle. DeTagle connected on a two-RBI single through the left side, plating two more runs to bring the Buccaneers within one run at 4-3.

A two-out single down the left field line by Megan Young created a fourth run in the inning, tying the game after six and a half innings of play.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Hilltoppers first two batters, Lexi Stephens and Mandy Phillips, walked, bringing right fielder Lisa Paul to the plate. Paul connected for her second hit and RBI of the game for a walk-off single and 5-4 victory for St. Edward’s

Robin Becker was the winning pitcher for St. Edwards, improving to 28-7 on the season. Amber Jack took the loss for Barry, falling to 10-5 on the year.

Northwestern’s Lauren Delaney Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week

Northwestern sophomore pitcher Lauren Delaney has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for the week ending May 11, it was announced on Tuesday.

Delaney was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP after pitching three consecutive shutouts to lead the Wildcats to the 2008 Big Ten Tournament Championship, allowing just five hits and no runs with 24 strikeouts in 17 innings of work.

After limiting Ohio State to one hit and Minnesota to two hits in the quarterfinal and semifinal games, respectively, Delaney threw a two-hit shutout in the championship game against an Iowa team that had run-ruled both of its previous Tournament opponents.

Delaney also hit a few milestones on the weekend, breaking the Northwestern single-season wins record with her 34th win to surpass Wildcat All-Americans Lisa Ishikawa (1984) and Eileen Canney (2007) while also becoming the second pitcher in NU history to record 400 strikeouts in a single season.

Northwestern is the 11th seed in the NCAA Tournament and is ranked No. 11 in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top-25 poll. The Wildcats are hosting an NCAA regional and open against Western Illinois on Friday afternoon.

NFCA Announces 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Cal JC All-America Teams

Sacramento City College, Mt. San Antonio College and Cypress College lead the way as the 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Cal JC All-America Teams Teams were announced today.

Two individual award winners were also announced as Capree Williams from Cerritos College was selected as the adidas Golden Shoe Award winner and Ohlone College’s Kathryn Summer was named the Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year.

In the North division, Sacramento City College led the way with three first-team All-America selections including pitcher Amanda Monday, infielder Lindsey Bruno and outfielder Laeha Hill.

Monday had a 30-3 record thisx season to go with a 0.51 ERA over 202.1 innings in the circle, 17 shutouts and 197 strikeouts as opposed to just 31 walks. Bruno hit .392 as an infielder, going 56-for-143 with 32 runs scored, eight doubles, a triple, five home runs and 41 RBI on the year. Hill turned in a .431 batting average as an outfielder for Sacramento City College. She went 62-for-144 this season with 52 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples and 28 RBI.

College of the Siskiyous and Sierra College each had two selections on the North Division First Team.

For College of the Siskiyous, Crystin Chewning was named a first-team outfielder while infielder Ali Paz hit .497 on the seson going 82-for-165 with 61 runs scored, 12 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 49 RBI.

Sierra College outfielder Karra Leota hit .489 this year, going 65-for-133 with 28 runs scored, 12 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 25 RBI. Fellow outfielder and teammate Jessica Pwoell also earned first-team All-America honors, hitting .406 going 54-for-133 with 33 runs scored, nine doubles, four triples, five home runs and 32 RBI.

Filling out the North Division Louisville Slugger All-America First Team are the following three players:

Amanda Schuler, an infielder from Shasta College, who hit .452 on the year going 70-for-155 with 32 runs scored, 18 doubles, eight home runs and 38 RBI.

Kathryn Summer a catcher for Ohlone College, hit .406 going 56-for-138 with 46 runs scored, eight doubles, six triples a home run and 31 RBI.

A utility player from Merced College, Megan McCullough hit .331 going 45-for-136 with 40 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple and 21 RBI.

In the South, Mt. San Antonio College and Cypress College each had three first-team All-Americans, followed by Cerritos College with two selections.

Mt. SAC’s group of All-Americans include an infielder, an outfielder and a utility player. Infielder Francesca Gonzales hit .433 going 55-for-127 this season with 29 runs scored, 11 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 41 RBI. Outfielder Kadie Baldwin went 66-for-150 for a .440 average with 39 runs scored, 13 doubles, five triples, five home runs and 38 RBI, Mt. SAC’s final selection, utility player Mandy Pongs, went 56-for-136 for a .412 average with 32 runs scored, 56 hits, 16 doubles, three triples and three home runs with 31 RBI.

From Cypress College, the group was led by freshman pitcher Alyssa Freight who went 28-2 this year with a 0.80 ERA over 182.2 innings pitched with six shutouts, 138 K’s and 31 walks over 33 games played. Infielder Ashley Boyd hit .393, going 66-for-168 with 52 runs scored, 15 doubles, a triple and 29 RBI to go along with 29 stolen bases in 35 attempts. Outfielder Caitlin McGrath was also selected as a first-team All-American with a .560 batting average, going 75-for-134 with 43 runs scored, two doubles, one triple, one home run and 16 RBI while stealing 36 bases without getting caught.

Two Cerritos College players were named First-Team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Americans. Infielder Jessica Navarro hit .427 this season, going 53-for-124 with 35 runs scored, 11 doubles, one triple, 11 home runs and 65 RBI. Her teammate, outfielder Capree Williams hit .476 going 68-143 with 61 runs scored, seven doubles and 22 runs scored while stealing 42 bases on 45 attempts.

Rounding out the South All-America Team are Palomar’s Andi Anti and Antelope Valley College infielder Candice Miller.

Anti hit .471 going 57-for-121 with 33 runs scored, 15 doubles, five troples and three home runs for 26 RBI, while Miller hit .477, going 71-for-149 with 36 runs scored, 16 doubles, two triples and seven home runs while recording 53 RBI.

Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-Region Teams Announced

First team honors were widely distributed among teams in all eight regions as the NFCA announced its 2008 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-Region teams Tuesday.

Montclair State led all teams with five individuals on the East Region first team, led by three-time all-region honorees Jackie Ferranti and Jennifer Jimenez at third base and shortstop, respectively. Two-time first team all region pitcher Carolyn McCrea, along with second baseman Megan Durkin, round out Montclair State’s infield first team nods. Outfielder Maureen Shockley was the Red Hawks’ final first team honoree. The rest of the East region first team was evenly distributed, with Ramapo, Moravian and Rowan each placing two players on the first team.

In the West region, defending national champion Linfield led all teams with four first teamers. Four time all-region first baseman Amanda Attleberger received an at-large nod, while pitcher Brittany Miller and outfielder Stephanie Rice both received their third all-region honors. Second baseman Jenny Marshall was a second-time honoree. University of Redlands and Mary Hardin-Baylor both placed two individuals on the West first team.

In all six other regions, no team placed more than three on the first team squad. Ohio Northern led the Central region with three first team honorees, including shortstop Liz Decima and outfielders Mandi Fought and Tina Mangola.

Wisconsin-Eau Claire was another team with multiple first team nods, placing four athletes on the Great Lakes region first team squad. Second baseman Casey Leisgang received her fourth all-region honor, and designated player Kristi Doucette and pitcher Jenny Ross were the other Blugolds with first team nods.

Cortland State and Ithaca shared top honors in the Northeast, with both receiving three first team honors. Cortland was led by pitcher Katie Finch, outfielder Annemarie Nelson and designated player Emily Ringen, while the Bombers placed shortstop Erica Cutspec, outfielder Chelsey Feldman and pitcher Carly Myers (at-large) on the first team.

In the Midwest, Saint Thomas and Wartburg also had three first team honorees. Maria Bye received her fourth all-region nod for the Tommies at utility, while second baseman Kaity Wightman and outfielder Alison Wright were second-time honorees. Wartburg was led by pitcher Angela Hartwig, first baseman Ashley Rogers and third baseman Ashley Steines, another four-time all-region honoree.

The Atlantic region was even more widely distributed, with four teams receiving two first team nods, including Louisiana College, Salisbury, Shenandoah and Bridgewater. In the New England region, Wellesley and Eastern Connecticut also had two first team honorees, with the remainder spread among 11 different teams.

UCLA’s Amanda Kamekona Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I Player of the Week

UCLA junior 2B Amanda Kamekona has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for the week ending May 4, 2008, it was announced on Tuesday.

Kamekona went 6-for-10 (.600) with three home runs and five RBI last week with a 1.500 slugging percentage as then-No. 4 UCLA picked up victories over Pac-10 rivals then-No. 12 Arizona and No. 2 Arizona State.

In Friday’s 2-1 victory over Arizona, Kamekona went 1-for-3 off of Arizona All-American Taryne Mowatt as the Bruins won the season series from the Wildcats.

On Saturday against Arizona State, Kamekona went 2-for-3 with four RBI and tow home runs against the No. 2 Sun Devils. With the Bruins up 1-0, the junior hit a one-out home run in the third to give UCLA a two-run advantage. She added another home run in the fifth, this time a three-run shot to make it a 5-0 game. Both home runs came off of ASU star pitcher Katie Burkhart as the Bruins won 5-0.

Kamekona continued her home run binge on Sunday with a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the fifth. It was one of three hits for Kamekona, who had singles in the first and seventh for her fourth three-hit game of the season.

The Bruins are tied for third in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll.

Wisconsin-Whitewater's Amy Gahl Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater junior Amy Gahl has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III Player of the Week for the week ending April 28, the association has announced.

The centerfielder led the Warhawks to their first ranking of the season in the NFCA Division III Top 25 poll after clinching their first regular season WIAC title since 1999. Wisconsin-Whitewater is ranked 17th at 28-6.

Gahl helped the Warhawks to an 8-0 week, collecting at least one hit in each of the eight wins. She had five multiple-hit games, including a 6-for-7 performance and a grand slam versus then-No. 11 ranked Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Beloit, Wis., native batted .515 on the week, scoring 16 runs on 17 hits with 12 RBIs, including three home runs.

Pembroke Pines Leads USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll for Fourth Straight Week

As the high school softball season begins to wind down, Pembroke Pines Charter’s (Fla.) grip on the title as No. 1 team in the nation gets tighter, according to the latest USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll. The Jaguars continues to march through Florida’s 4A Tournament, having allowed a run in three games. On Friday, May 9th, Pembroke Pines Charter will play Baker County (Fla.) for the chance to play for Florida’s 4A State Championship.

There top 10 saw a small shakeup after No. 2 Sheldon (Calif.), and the nation’s No. 3 team, Aledo (Texas). Santiago (Calif.) falls to the No. 7 spot after a 1-0 loss to Centennial (Calif.). With the loss, Broad Run (Va.) moves up to No. 4 followed by Canyon del Oro (Ariz.). Butler (N.C.) moves to No. 6 after Eau Gallie (Fla.), was eliminated by West Orange (Fla.) in the 6A Florida Regional Finals. Kennedy (Calif.) moves up to No. 8 followed by Shadle Park (Wash.), and Coronado (Texas).

Plano (Texas) moves up two spots this week up to No. 11. The aforementioned Eau Gallie (Fla.) is at No. 12 with Cibola (N.M.), Simi Valley (Calif.), and Central Davidson (N.C.) all moving up a spot from last week.

At No. 16 is Carl Sandburg (Ill.), who bounces back from their first loss of the year with a perfect 4-0 week. Rankings 17-25 saw a drastic change from last week with six of the nine teams that occupied the spots losing. Smithson Valley (Texas) and Escondido (Calif.) both made big jumps as they move to Nos. 17 and 18 respectively. Byrd (La.) falls to No. 19 after the Yellow Jackets lost in Louisiana’s 5A State Semifinals, and Sparkman (Ala.) drops two spots down to No. 20.

Rankings 21-25 feature four new teams to this week’s poll. Hueytown (Ala.) is No. 21 with a 42-2 record, followed by Mandarin (Fla.), who will play Miami Palmetto (Fla.) in the state’s 6A State Semifinal. Ooltewah (Tenn.) is at No. 23 followed by newcomers Poteet (Texas), and Hickory (Va.)

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

Dominican College’s Cara Piasecki Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II Player of the Week

Dominican College sophomore shortstop Cara Piasecki has been selected as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week for the week ending April 27, it was announced on Wednesday.

Piasecki hit .559 for the week, going 9-for-34 in the Chargers 10 games played last week. She had at least one hit in each of the 10 games and finished with seven runs, 14 RBI, four doubles and two home runs on the week.

A sophomore from Port Monmouth, N.J., Piasecki went 3-for-4 with six RBI in the first game of a doubleheader against Wilmington University on Sunday. She also had a 3-for-4 day against the University of the Sciences on Saturday and posted a 4-for-4 effort against Post last Monday.

She set a school record on April 26 with her 10th home run of the season. The Chargers have set a school record for conference victories in a season with 18, surpassing the previous school record of 15.

For her efforts, Piasecki also earned Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Player of the Week honors.

Alabama-Huntsville Returns to top of NFCA Division II Poll

Alabama-Huntsville re-claims the top spot in this week’s NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll. UAH holds four of a possible eight first-place votes and is followed by No. 2 Lock Haven with three first-place nods, and last week’s top team, Barry, tied for third in this week’s poll with Southeastern Oklahoma.

The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by NCAA Division II head coaches representing each of the eight regions. Records shown are through April 27, 2008. First-place votes are in parentheses.

Rank Team Record Pts Pvs
1 Alabama-Huntsville (4) 45-7 193 2
2 Lock Haven (3) 38-6 188 3
3 Barry 40-6 177 1
3 Southeastern Oklahoma 48-8 177 14
5 Humboldt State 47-15 163 6
6 Carson-Newman (1) 46-6 149 NR
7 Lewis 37-13 137 7
8 Bloomsburg 44-4 133 10
8 Southwest Minnesota State 31-8 133 13
10 LIU-C.W. Post 41-14 123 11
11 Angelo State 42-10 122 4
12 Emporia State 36-15 108 21
13 SIU-Edwardsville 41-9 99 22
14 UNC-Pembroke 44-12 98 NR
15 St. Mary’s (Texas) 40-10 93 9
16 Kutztown 44-10 81 17
17 Tampa 31-11 80 NR
18 Georgian Court 36-12 66 20
19 Cal State Stanislaus 27-21 56 23
20 Lenoir Rhyne 39-12 43 NR
21 Minnesota State Mankato 34-12 29 NR
22 Wayne State (Mich.) 29-14 26 19
22 LeMoyne 38-8 26 NR
24 St. Leo 33-12 25 NR
25 Georgia College & State 39-12 14 8
25 Rollins 36-14 14 15
Others receiving votes:
Central Oklahoma 9, Cal State San Bernardino 8, Central Misouri 7, Ferris State 6, Adelphi 5, Francis Marion 4, Caldwell College 3, California (Pa.) 2, Western Oregon 2, West Virginia Wesleyan 1
Dropped out:
No. 5 Nebraska-Omaha, No. 12 North Georgia, No. 16 UC San Diego, No. 18 Francis Marion, No. 24 Central Oklahoma, No. 25 West Florida

DePaul’s Becca Heteniak Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week

DePaul sophomore pitcher Becca Heteniak has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for the week ending April 27, it was announced on Tuesday.

Heteniak saw action in each of DePaul’s eight wins last week, going 7-0 in the circle and adding a save against Connecticut. The All-American tossed 43.1 innings, allowing just 17 hits and two earned runs for a 0.32 ERA. She held opposing batters to a stingy .114 batting average.

On Thursday against Illinois-Chicago, Heteniak tossed her third career no-hitter as DePaul defeated the Flames 5-0. She then threw an eight-inning shutout aginst Loyola-Chicago on Wednesday and combined for a shutout against Big East foes Connecticut (game two) and Providence (game one) on the weekend.

Heteniak helped her own cause at the plate as she led DePaul with 10 RBI, three home runs and a pair of doubles. The sophomore finished the week with a .364 average and eight hits. Against Illinois, Heteniak smashed a pair of home runs, marking the first time in her collegiate career that she has had two home runs in a single game.

DePaul is ranked at No. 20 in this week’s USA Today/NFCA Division I Top-25 Poll. The Blue Demons host a three-game mini-tournament today featuring No. 1 Alabama, No. 11 Northwestern and DePaul.

Crimson Tide Remains Atop Division I Poll

Alabama continues atop the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll, holding half of the available 30 first-place votes. Second-ranked Arizona State holds six first-place votes while No. 3 Florida holds nine. The top five is rounded out by No. 4 UCLA and No. 5 Texas A&M. There are no changes from last week in the top six spots in the poll.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches representing each of the 30 Division I conferences. Records shown are through April 27, 2008. First-place votes are in parentheses.
Rank Team Record Pts Pvs
1 Alabama (15) 46-3 731 1
2 Arizona State (6) 52-3 713 2
3 Florida (9) 56-2 710 3
4 UCLA 41-5 660 4
5 Texas A&M 45-7 628 5
6 Michigan 44-5 594 6
7 Oklahoma 41-11 561 8
8 Stanford 42-10 516 7
9 Houston 44-7 504 9
10 Fresno State 45-8 475 10
11 Northwestern 32-11 443 12
12 Arizona 31-15 425 11
13 Tennessee 46-10 387 13
14 North Carolina 49-9-1 381 14
15 LSU 38-14 324 15
16 Louisiana-Lafayette 39-10 287 16
17 Long Beach State 36-12 227 17
18 Virginia Tech 40-14 233 18
19 Nevada 35-14 188 20
20 DePaul 40-14 130 23
21 San Diego State 37-15 120 19
22 California 37-20 109 21
23 Washington 26-18-1 94 22
24 Mississippi State 39-17 75 NR
25 UMass 33-11 46 NR
Others receiving votes:
Georgia 42, Missouri 31, Hawai’i 27, Creighton 16, BYU 9, Auburn 7, Central Florida 5, Hofstra 2
Dropped out:
No. 24 Hawai’i, No. 25 Iowa

Pembroke Pines Charter Still Tops in the Nation in USA Today/NFCA High School Top 25 Poll

For the third straight week, Pembroke Pines Charter (Fla.) is the No. 1 team in the nation. The Jaguars remained in the top spot after improving to a perfect 26-0 for the season after winning the District 16 4A Tournament with wins over Fort Lauderdale and Archbishop McCarthy.

The top half of the poll remains very similar to last week’s with Nos. 2 through 8 being the same. Sheldon (Calif.) holds on the No. 2 followed by Aledo (Texas), Santiago (Calif.), Broad Run (Va.), Eau Gallie (Fla.), Canyon del Oro (Ariz.), and Butler (N.C.).

Kennedy (Calif.) bumps up one spot to No. 9 after Lubbock, Texas’s Coronado High School suffered its second loss of the season. Shadle Park (Wash.) also moves up one spot and completes the top 10 after improving to 11-0 on the season.

Byrd (La.) climbs up to No. 11 after the Yellow Jackets qualified for its state tournament with a win over Captain Shreve in regional play. Coronado (Texas) finds itself at No. 12 and at No. 13 is Plano (Texas), who moves up from No. 14. Cibola (N.M.) and Simi Valley (Calif.) round out the top 15 after both schools remained undefeated on the season.

At No. 16 sits Central Davidson (N.C.), who is a perfect 18-0 on the year. Carl Sandburg (Ill.) is No. 17 after losing its first game of the season. They are followed by Sparkman (Ala.), who also dropped after going 3-1 over the past week. Ooltewah (Tenn.) and Chamberlain (Fla.) both move up one spot to Nos. 19 and 20 after a perfect week.

St. Amant (La.) moves up one spot this week to No. 21, followed by Smithson Valley (Texas), Escondido (Calif.), Lincoln (Fla.), and Ryle (Ky.), who falls from No. 16 after losing two games during the past week.

The rankings were compiled by representatives and committees from each state across the nation.

Philadelphia University’s Jacque Curtis Named Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week

Philadelphia University senior catcher Jacque Curtis has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week for the week ending April 20, it was announced on Wednesday.

Curtis, a senior from Punxsutawnee, Pa., hit .692 for the Lady Rams last week, going 18-for-26 on over Philadelphia’s eight games last week, including a 1.192 slugging percentage and a .714 on-base percentage. She drove in 16 runs, scored 12 times and smacked three home runs, two doubles and one triple. For the week, she recorded one four-hit game and three three-hit games.

Curtis broke the school’s all-time home run record with 14 and also tied the school’s all-time record for RBI with 77. She had at least one hit in seven of the eight games last week.

Amy Sullivan of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Named NFCA Division III Player of the Week

Wisconsin-Oshkosh pitcher Amy Sullivan has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III Player of the Week for the week ending April 20, the association has announced.

Sullivan led the No. 23-ranked Titans to a 9-1 week, going 3-0 in the circle, including two victories over teams ranked in the Top 15. Sullivan allowed just one earned run and seven hits in 22 innings of work, including a one-hit win over then-No. 14 Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a two-hit performance over then-No. 10 Wisconsin-River Falls.

In a 6-1 victory over Wisconsin-Whitewater, Sullivan threw all 10 innings and gave up just four hits while striking out 13.

The senior from Oshkosh allowed just two extra-base hits while striking out 33 batters and walking just three. Opponents batted .096 against her for the week.

On the season, Sullivan is now 7-4 with a 1.59 ERA. In 61.2 innings of work, she has 97 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .156 off of her.