PLAYER OF THE WEEK Fresno States Christina Clark was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week. This is the first career honor for Fresno State's Clark.
Clark, a freshman from Santa Ana, Calif., (Mater Dei), helped the Bulldogs extend their winning streak to a season-high eight games. Fresno State is now above .500 for the first time this season with a 15-14 record.
Clark hit .600, while collecting seven extra bases hits (two doubles, two triples and three home runs). She had four multiple-hit and one multiple-RBI game, while collecting 27 total bases. Clark was the first Bulldog in softball history to hit three home runs in a doubleheader. Clark recorded her fourth three-hit game on the year against San Diego State. In the doubleheader against CS Northridge, Clark batted .429 with a run, two triples, an RBI and seven total bases.
Other player of the week nominees included: Stacey Porter, Hawaii, Tara Hall, San Jose State and Katie Torres, Tulsa.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK Tulsa's Ami Day was named WAC Pitcher of the Week. Day also earned Pitcher of the Week in February, and she now has three career honors.
Day, a sophomore from Catoosa, Calif., (Catoosa), pitched in six games last week on a long east coast trip. The Golden Hurricane moved to 21-12, good for first place in the WAC.
Day was named the Hoo's Who Invitational Most Outstanding Pitcher with her 3-0 record. She ended the week with an 0.84 ERA with 18 strikeouts, allowing only three earned runs. The sophomore has now won five consecutive decisions, improving her record to 8-5.
Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Leslie Poole, Fresno State and Carol Forbes, San Jose State.
BATTER UP In the last week, before WAC play starts, two teams will be playing in tournaments. San Jose State played at the Rebel Games in Florida. Hawaii travels to the mainland for the UNC Tournament in Chapel Hill, N.C. Fresno State spilt with No. 12 Stanford, while Tulsa awaits UMKC at home.
ANOTHER MILESTONE Fresno State head coach Margie Wright is three wins shy of picking up her 900th school victory. Coaching her 1,400th game against CS Northridge, the Bulldogs gave Wright a 3-2 victory in the first game of the non-conference twin bill. The NFCA Hall of Famer and the NCAAs all-time winningest softball coach is 445-83 (.842) at Bulldog Diamond.
NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS WAC schools are 2-8 against teams ranked in the top 25. Fresno State is 2-8, including losses to No. 4 Nebraska, No. 12 Texas, No. 24 Texas A&M and No. 4 Michigan. Fresno State has wins against No. 12 Stanford and No. 3 Nebraska. San Jose State is 0-2 with losses two losses to No. 2 California. Hawaii is 3-5, recently defeating No. 4 Texas No. 23 Oregon State and No. 3 California. (rankings at time of meeting).
QUICK INNING Against Dartmouth on March 22 San Jose achieved a rare softball feat with a triple play. It was the first triple play in San Jose State history. The tough defense led the Spartans to a 2-0 win. The softball triple is not an easy feat, but the Spartans was not the only triple play this season on the WAC. Hawaii turned in a triple play earlier this season. It happened in the very first game of the season against Louisville at the Chevron Paradise Classic.
IN THE POLLS No teams received votes in this weeks poll.
LINEUP CHANGE The WAC will be without affiliate members. Portland State and Loyola Marymount are leaving the league this season, the WAC welcomes Nevada. This is the first season of softball for the Wolf Pack since 1989. LMU and Portland State had both been in the league for three years.
NEW ADDITIONS Nevada and Louisiana Tech both welcome new coaches. Nevadas head coach Michelle Gardner a former Big Ten Player of the Year at Michigan. She comes from Arizona State where she was an assistant for four years. This is her first season as a head coach.
Also making her head coaching debut is Louisiana Techs Sarah Dawson, a former All-American pitcher at Louisiana-Monroe. Dawson replaces Hall of Fame head coach Bill Galloway who retired after the 2002 season. Both Galloway and Fresno State head coach Margie Wright have more than 800 Division I career wins. Wright reached the 1,000 win mark during the 2002 season.
NEWS AND NOTES Fresno State had its season-high nine game winning streak snapped by No. 12 Stanford on March 26 in the backend of a doubleheader. Last week, Fresno State outscored its opponents 28-3, while batting .360. Bulldog pitchers ended the week with an ERA of 0.35. The opposing batters hit .180, striking out 27 times in 40.0 innings. Freshman Christina Clark is hitting a solid .425 (17-for-40) during the winning streak.
Louisiana Tech broke a four-game losing streak on March 26, winning the second game of a twin bill against Northwestern State at home. Down one run in the bottom of the sixth inning the Lady Techsters scored two runs to help propel the squad to a 2-1 victory. Starter Marla Pinkston got some much needed run support in the sixth inning when junior short stop Casey Reiff tripled in Amber Miles to tie the game.
Nevadas Stacy Mueller leads the team in hitting with a .347 batting average. She also leads the Wolf Pack in RBI with 15. Jamie Waldron is right behind Meuller with 14 RBI. Mueller also leads the team in multiple-hit games with nine, including one four-hit game. The Wolf Pack offense has been leading the charge this season with seven players having at least four multiple-hit games.
San Jose State freshman Courtney Lewis broke the Spartan single-season save record last week. She recorded her fourth save of the season against Dartmouth on March 22. Lewis is within in one save of tying the San Jose State career record of five. With four saves, Lewis is now tied for seventh in the WAC in career saves. Fresno States Amanda Scott leads the WAC with 10 career saves.
Tulsa has shown offensive prowess so far this season. In 2003, the Golden Hurricane have posted more hits, double, triples and total bases in their first 33 games than they did last season. Senior Brandi McGuire needs only two doubles to break the Hurricane career record for doubles at Tulsa. She hit her 32nd double against Robert Morris on March 23.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS The following players have been named to all-tournament teams.
Lori Hoffman, FS Campbell/Cartier
Jamie Southern, FS Campbell/Cartier
Bridget Broadnax, LT Panther Classic
April Crowell, UH Chevron Classic
Stacey Porter, UH Chevron Classic
Hawaii Invitational
Tracie Uchima, UH Chevron Classic
Cindy Elkins, UN Troy Cox Invite
Becca Baldridge, SJSU NMSU Tournament
Ami Day, TU Mardi Gras Classsic*
Hoos Who*
Maren Genow, TU Mardi Gras Classic
Compass Bank Invite
Stephanie Sliepen, TU Compass Bank Invite
Brandi McGuire, TU Metrodome Classic
Danielle Olsen, TU Mardi Gras Classic
Crissy Strimple, TU Metrodome Classic
Mardi Gras Classic
Stacey Walkingstick, TU Mardi Gras Classic
*Tournament MVP