DENVER Six Western Athletic Conference softball players were named to the Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association's (NFCA) Division I Region Team. In the West Region Hawaiis Stacey Porter, Melissa Coogan and April Crowell were honored along with Fresno State Christina Clark and Jamie Southern. Tulsas Katie Torres earned Central Region second team honors.
Fresno State utility player Southern and shortstop Clark were both named to the West Region First Team. A first team selection at utility player, Southern picks up her second consecutive first team all-West region accolade, while Clark is honored for the first time.
Southern is 23-10 on the year with 15 shutouts, 291 strikeouts and a 0.62 ERA in 224.0 innings. At the plate, she is batting .339 (56-165) with 20 runs, seven doubles, seven home runs and 30 RBI. Clark, who has been an offensive powehouse at the plate, is the WACs Freshman of the Year.
Hawaiis Porter earned first team honors, while teammates April Crowell and Melissa Coogan were second team honorees. Porter was the WAC Player of the Year, leading the WAC in hitting in league games with a .458 batting average. Coogan split WAC Pitcher of the Year honors with Fresno States Southern. Coogan won a league-leading 14 WAC wins, while designated player Crowell was third in the league in home runs with 11.
Torres, the first ever Tulsa freshman to earn a spot on the all-region team, makes 2003 the second consecutive season for the Hurricane to have a player make the squad. Torres played in 56 of Tulsa's 63 games. The first baseman led the team in batting average (.314), slugging percentage (.503) and on-base percentage (.381).
Since Clark, Southern and Porter were named to the 12-member first team, they will go on for All-America consideration, which will be announced Thurs., May 22, in Oklahoma City
Midwest Region Team
First Team
P Cat Osterman Texas
P Lauren Bay Oklahoma St.
C Selena Collins Texas A&M
1B Jody Lupo Wichita St.
2B Anne Steffan Nebraska
3B Leah Gulla Oklahoma
SS Amanda Buchholz Nebraska
OF Lisa Wangler Nebraska
OF Erin Evans Oklahoma
OF Christy Serwein SW Missouri St.
DP Katie Shimon Drake
UT Peaches James Nebraska
Second Team
P Kami Keiter Oklahoma
P Tammy Nielsen Creighton
C Ryan Realmuto Oklahoma St.
1B Katie Torres Tulsa
2B Adriane Gregory Texas A&M
3B Rachael McGinnis Missouri
SS Tina Lewis Wichita St.
OF Kim Ogee Nebraska
OF Tina Boutelle Texas
OF Stacy Rybar Creighton
DP Tamara Poppe Texas
UT Lindsay Wilhelmson Texas A&M
West Region
First Team
P Jodie Cox CS Fullerton
P Bre DeSanta San Diego St.
C Jamie Trinidad UCSB
1B Stacey Porter Hawai`i
2B Steph Roberts Colorado St.
3B Anna Leeman Southern Utah
SS Christina Clark Fresno St.
OF Janalisi Keohohou BYU
OF Christen Bedwell CS Northridge
OF Barbara Moody Pacific
DP Lai-Kia Fennell CS Northridge
UT Jamie Southern Fresno St.
Second Team
P Meredith Cervenka Long Beach St.
P Melissa Coogan Hawai`i
P Celena Velasquez San Diego St.
C Lauren Watson BYU
1B Jenny Topping CS Fullerton
2B Joann Figueroa San Diego St.
3B Chantal Pershing UCSB
SS Ashley VanBoxmeer New Mexico
OF Ianeta Lei BYU
OF Lindy Winkler CS Sacramento
OF Estee Okumura Pacific
DP April Crowell Hawai`i
UT Gina Oaks CS Fullerton