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PLAYER OF THE WEEK Tulsa's Danielle Olsen was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week.

Olsen, a junior second baseman from Boulder, Colo., (Niwot HS) led the Hurricane to a split with Hawaii on the road. In four games, Olsen hit .357 with one home run. Five was a lucky number for the junior. She ended the week with five hits and five runs scored and five RBI.

This is Olsen's second player of the week honor of the season. The third baseman earned the award the week of March 18. She is one four Hurricane players to earn either pitcher or player of the week honors this season. She earned the award along with Crissy Strimple and Jessie Smith. Freshman Ami Day earned pitcher of the week honors once this season.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK San Jose States Brianne Ferguson was named WAC Pitcher of the Week. Ferguson, a freshman from Ceres, Calif., (Ceres HS) defeated two nationally ranked teams to lead the Spartans. Ferguson shut out eighth-ranked Stanford, 1-0 and defeated WAC foe and 14th ranked Fresno State, 3-2, in 10 innings. She ended the week with a 0.82 ERA, allowing only two runs in 17.0 innings. The freshman pitched two complete games, including one shutout. She struck out seven, while walking four.

She is the second Spartan pitcher to earn pitcher of the week honors. Fellow freshman Carol Forbes earned the honor on March 11.

WAC HEADLINERS Other player of the week nominees included: Sami Strinz, Loyola Marymount.

Strinz provided some timely offense for the Lions at the WISL Tournament. She finished the week with a .333 batting average, going 6-for-18 at the plate. She had a home run, a double and finished with a .556 slugging percentage. She also had three RBI and a run scored.

Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Sheri Oronoz, Hawai`i and Jennifer Heliotes, Loyola Marymount.

Oronoz faced the minimum batters in a 3-0 complete game shutout win over Tulsa. She allowed only one hit that was erased on a double play. The sophomore ended the week with 0.64 ERA, allowing only one earned run in 11.0 innings.

Heliotes made four starts and was dominate in helping the Lions post a 5-1 record on the week at the WISL Tournament. She finished the week with a 3-1 record and posted a one-hit complete game shutout against Saint Mary's and a two-hit complete game shutout against San Diego.

REGION NO. 4 Fresno State will represent the Western Athletic Conference in the 2002 NCAA Softball Tournament. The Bulldogs (49-18) will host five other schools May 16-19. The top seed in Region four is Cal State Fullerton (50-11). Stanford is the second seed followed by California. Fresno State is the fourth seed followed by Pacific and Evansville. The Bulldogs will face California in their first game. The winner will face the winner of the Stanford/Pacific matchup.

Seed No. 4 - May 16-19 at Fresno, California
No. 1 seed Cal St. Fullerton (50-11)
No. 2 seed Stanford (43-18)
No. 3 seed California (48-19)
No. 4 seed *Fresno St. (49-18)
No. 5 seed Pacific (Cal.) (42-15)
No. 6 seed Evansville (34-25)

THE OPPONENTS The Golden State is a common theme between five of the six participating teams. The lone non-California school is Evansville. The Purple Aces will make the long treck from Indiana. The top seed in the region is Cal State Fullerton (50-11), followed by second-seeded Stanford (43-18). The Golden Bears of California (48-19) take the third seed, followed by fourth- seeded Fresno State (49-18). Pacific (42-15) is the fifth seed with Evansville (34-25) taking the sixth seed.

The Bulldogs are 3-5 against teams in this regional this season. Fresno State led off the season with a 1-0 win against California and a loss to Cal State Fullerton at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament. The Bulldogs fell again to the Titans on the road. Fresno State swept Pacific at home in February. The only team to beat the Bulldogs three times this season is No. 2 Stanford. The Cardinal defeated the Bulldogs, 1-0, at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., and swept the Bulldogs at Stanford.

CS Fullerton is making its 19th NCAA Tournament appearance and, along with Fresno State (1998), has been one of six schools to claim a NCAA title (1986). In the postseason, Fullerton is 1-1 against Fresno State, defeating the Bulldogs, 2-1, in 1987 at the College World Series. The Titans lost to the Bulldogs, 4-3, at the 2000 regionals in Fresno.

Stanford has faced five of the six teams in its regional. The only squad that the Cardinal has not faced is Evansville. The Cardinal defeated both Cal State Fullerton and Fresno State three times this season. Stanford swept a doubleheader against Pacific and won one of three against Pac-10 foe California.

California is making its fifth showing in seven years and 10th time overall since 1987. California is making its 18th NCAA Regional appearance. Cal is 38-38 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including 31-26 in regional competition. Cal has advanced to the World Series six times in 1986, '92, '96, '99, '00 and 2001. The Bears finished fourth in the always tough Pac-10.

Pacific is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in five years. The Tigers are 42-15 this season playing in the Big West. Pacific fell to the Bulldogs, 2-1, in a 15-inning battle during the regular season. The Tigers lost the second game of the doubleheader, 6-1.

Evansville is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance after defeating top-seed Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship. The Purple Aces are the only non-California school in this region. Evansville is also the only team that is not ranked.

CAREER RECORDS Several WAC players etched their names into the WAC career recordbook.

Fresno States Lindsay Fossatti moved into first in WAC career walks, passing teammate Angela Cervantez who had 97 walks. Currently, Fossatti has 111 walks. Bulldog freshman pitcher Jamie Southern moved into ninth on the all-time strikeout list. She has 395 career strikeouts. Southern is 21 strikeouts from Lindsay Parker (Fresno State, 1996-99) and her eighth place spot. With a career-high 26 sacrifices on the season after notching two this past weekend, senior first baseman/second baseman Vanessa Czarnecki became the WACs career record holder in sacrifices with 71. The previous record was 65 by Tyree Woodruff, Hawaii (1997-01).

Portland State junior Morgan Seibert moved into fifth in career strikeouts with 585. She passed Colorado States Nikki Johnson (1995-97). She is also fifth in strikeouts per seven innings with 6.45 strikeouts per game. Southern is second in that category with 8.14 strikeouts per seven innings.

CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES Fresno State is making its 21st-straight appearance and will be hosting its 17th NCAA Regional out of 21 postseason tournaments. The Bulldogs are the only program in the nation to have qualified for each of the 21 NCAA Division I womens softball championships. The Bulldogs are the lone WAC school advancing to post season play.

FOUR EARN ACADEMIC HONORS Four WAC softball players earned 2002 Verizon Academic District honors. Fresno State's Lindsay Fossatti and Tiffany Whipple were named to the 2002 Verizon Academic All-America District VIII Softball team. Hawaii's Kate Judd and Stacie Hirano were also named to the District VIII first team.

Fossatti and Whipple were both selected to the 10-member first team. This is the second consecutive honor for Fossatti, who was a Third Team Verizon Academic All-American last year, and a first for Whipple.

Hirano, a senior, carries a cumulative 3.65 grade point average while majoring in business. The native of Hilo has started every game for UH in 2002 in left field. Judd, a junior, has a 3.22 cumulative grade point average majoring in Health Education.

The 2002 Verizon Academic All-District VIII softball team was selected by CoSIDA (College of Sports Information Directors of America). Ten student-athletes representing seven different NCAA Division I schools were honored. Each member of the team will now represent the district, which is comprised of schools in Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington and British Columbia, on the national ballot. The 10 first-team student-athletes will now be placed on the national ballot where a first, second and third team Verizon Academic All-America selections will be announced on June 6.

FRESNO STATE WINS WAC TITLE For the fifth-straight season and the sixth time in the past seven years, Fresno State clinched the WAC regular-season title with its win over San Jose State on May 11. With the victory, the Bulldogs received the WACs automatic bid. It marks the 17th title in school history. Since joining the WAC in 1993, Fresno State has compiled a record of 199-47 (.808).

AROUND THE HORN (NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE) FRESNO STATE will be making its 21st consecutive appearance in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship Tournament. The Bulldog softball program is the only program in the country to have appeared in each of the NCAA Tournaments sponsored since 1982 ... HAWAII ended the season leading the WAC in hitting with a batting average of .271. Junior Kate Judd led the league with a .354 average with teammate Denise Dahlberg ending her first season with a .324 average, good for fifth in the league ... LOUISIANA TECH closed out its first season in the WAC, losing its last six games. The Lady Techsters closed out the season with a 21-27 record, 3-21 in WAC. Louisiana Tech earned its WAC wins against Hawaii (4-1), San Jose State (4-1) and Portland State (2-1) ... LOYOLA MARYMOUNT finished strong at the WISL Tournament. Senior Jennifer Heliotes made four starts and was dominate in helping the Lions post a 5-1 record on the week. She finished the week with a 3-1 record and posted a one-hit complete game shutout against Saint Mary's and a two-hit complete game shutout against San Diego to advance to the championship game of the WISL ... portland state finished the 2002 season with a conference record of 11-13, good for fifth place in the seven-team league. The Vikings ended the season with an upset win over Fresno State before being swept by fellow affiliate LMU ... SAN JOSE STATE ended the season on a high note, earning splits against No. 17 Pacific, No. 8 Stanford and No. 14 Fresno State. The Spartans finished the season with a 25-44 record, one win shy of their 2001 finish of 26-41. With eight WAC wins, San Jose State did top 2001s five league wins ... TULSA finished its turnaround season with a 48-16. The Hurricanes 90 stolen bases this season are a school record, by 47 steals. Tulsa had 67 steals in the first four years of the program combined.

HURRICANE ROUND OUT STRONG SEASON Tulsas 48 wins eclipses the number of wins the Hurricane had for the previous two seasons combined. Tulsa highlighted the season with a 19-game win streak that was the sixth best in the country this season.

The teams 1.42 ERA is the lowest in the programs history. No Tulsa pitching staff has ever had an ERA under 2.00. The pitching staff was strong with 24 of the Hurricanes 48 wins being shutouts.

Offensively, the teams 30 home runs are a school record for most in a single season. The 1996 squad previously held the record for the most with 21 homers.

Tulsa was also regionally ranked for the first time and defeated perennial power Fresno State for the first time in the programs history.

SOUTHERN NAMED FINALIST Fresno State freshman Jamie Southern is a Top 10 Finalist for Player of the Year. In April, Southern was selected as one of 25 collegiate softball players for the inaugural USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. She was one of three freshmen to be singled out by The Amateur Softball Association. On May 3, the freshman became one of 10 finalists for the national honor.

With the recent announcement of an invitation extended to Southern to attend the USA World Championship Team camp this summer, the list will be narrowed a third time as three finalists will be selected by May 31. The winner of the 2002 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award will be announced June 7.

COACHING RECORDS Portland State head coach Teri Mariani reached yet another milestone in her 26-year career as the Vikings' head coach, earned her 600th career win in game one of her team's doubleheader sweep of Louisiana Tech on April 18.

She now joins Fresno State head coach Margie Wright and Louisiana Tech head coach Bill Galloway as WAC coaches with at least 600 career wins. Both Wright and Galloway have over 800 Division I career wins. Wright reached the 1,000 win mark earlier this season. Galloway is nearing the 900 plateau in Division I wins.

Hawaii head coach Bob Coolen also reached a milestone this season. He passed the 400 win mark during a WAC doubleheader sweep of Loyola Marymount March 12.

NON-CONFERENCE MARK WAC teams are 155-115 (.585) in non-conference games. The WAC is 18-59 against teams that have been ranked in the NFCA poll. San Jose State is 4-13 with losses to No. 2 UCLA, No. 9 Washington, No. 23 San Diego State and No. 3 Arizona. The Spartans have upset No. 7 Arizona State, but fell to Oregon State on March 25. In the final two weeks, San Jose split doubleheaders No. 17 Pacific, No. 8 Stanford and No. 14 Fresno State.

Fresno State is 8-10 with wins over No. 5 California and No. 23 San Diego State and losses to No. 1 UCLA, No. 8 Arizona State and No. 10 Cal State Fullerton. At the NFCA Classic, the Bulldogs went 2-2 against ranked teams with wins over No. 24 Mississippi State and No. 6 Washington. Fresno State fell to No. 2 Stanford and No. 5 LSU. Fresno State also added wins over No. 10 Pacific and No. 18 Louisiana Lafayette. The Bulldogs captured a 4-0 win against No. 11 Oklahoma in Oklahoma City on April 16.

Hawaii is 4-8 with two wins over No. 23 San Diego State and a win over No. 14 Oregon State. Last week, the Wahine went 1-3 against Fresno State. Portland State is 1-12 against ranked teams. The Vikings got their first win over a Fresno State. Loyola Marymount is 2-8, capturing two wins over No. 13 Fresno State. Tulsa is 1-5 against ranked teams. The Hurricane played their first ranked team with a 14-6 loss to No. 9 Oklahoma. TU gathered its first win against a ranked team with a 4-1 win over No. 13 Fresno State. The Lady Techsters are also 0-4 with four losses to Fresno State. (Ranking on date played).