PLAYER OF THE WEEK Fresno States Christina Clark was named the Western Athletic Conference Player . This is Clarks third honor of the season.
Clark, a sophomore from Santa Ana, Calif., (Mater Dei), had a strong weekend as the Bulldogs won four WAC games to improve their record to 6-0 in the league. Against Louisiana Tech, the shortstop posted a pair of multiple-hit games after going 2-for-3 with a run, a walk and a double in game one. In game two, she went 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, two walks and a home run in the nightcap. The home run was a two-run shot that came on two outs with a 3-0 count. The home run was her 13th the season. It also was her 28th career long ball as she still sits at No. 4 all-time in school history and No. 7 in WAC history. In the doubleheader versus the Lady Techsters, she batted .667 with three runs, a double, a home run, two RBI. Against Tulsa, Clark went 1-for-3 with two runs and a walk in game one. She scored two of the teams four runs in the Bulldogs 4-0 win
Other player of the week nominees included: Ashley Ruff, Hawai`i; Bridget Broadnax, Louisiana Tech; Lindsey Hall, Nevada and Megan Delgado, San Jose State.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK Hawai`is Shannon Tabion was named the WAC Pitcher of the Week. Tabion earned her second pitcher of the week honor of the season.
Tabion a junior from Wailuku, Maui, (Baldwin) threw two shutouts, winning 10-0 and 5-0 against the UTEP Miners. She tossed her second no-hitter of the season on the first night in the 10-0 five-inning game shortened because of the eight-run mercy rule. There was only one batter reach base, and it came on a throwing error by Tabion in the fourth inning. Her other no-hitter was a perfect game against Siena earlier in the spring.
Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Jaime Southern, Fresno State, Lindsey Meadows, Louisiana Tech; Candice Rainwater, Nevada and Carol Forbes, San Jose State.
BATTER UP WAC play is in full swing this week with one of the biggest matchups of the season. First place and undefeated Fresno State (6-0) will travel to Honolulu to face Hawaii (4-0) in a critical four-game set. The two teams split last season, and the Rainbow Wahine went on to their first WAC title. The other undefeated WAC team, San Jose State, will host Louisiana Tech and Tulsa this week. The Spartans have won three-straight.
SOUTHERN NEARING 1,000 Jamie Southern is 26 strikeouts shy of being the 20th NCAA Division I player to post 1,000 career strikeouts. With 234 strikeouts to date, she is averaging nearly nine strikeouts per seven innings (8.62) this season. Southern would become the first Bulldog pitcher and WAC hurler to go down in NCAA Division I history as one of the top strikeout leaders of all-time as well as being the first Fresno State and WAC pitcher to amass 1,000 career strikeouts.
BIG BATS, BIG WINS Hawaii has had the big stick this season. The Rainbow Wahine are tied for third in the league with 19 home runs. They have hit 19 in 14 games this season. In those 14 games, UH owns a 12-2 record. The only games in which UH hit a home run and lost were against Notre Dame (Feb. 13) in the Rebel Classic at UNLV and at Loyola Marymount (Feb. 17). Denise Dahlberg leads the club with five round-trippers, which is a season-high for her.
EXTRA FRAMES Hawaii is the only school in the WAC to be undefeated in extra inning games. Hawai'i is a perfect 4-0 in extra frames this season. The Rainbow Wahine defeated Wisconsin 7-5 in nine innings on Feb. 14, then turned around the next day and beat No. 13 DePaul, 8-7, in eight innings. Both of those games were a part of the Rebel Classic at UNLV. The last two extra-inning wins came against the College of Charleston in the Kipa Aloha Malihini Tournament. UH won 5-4 March 4 and 3-2 March 7 as both games went eight innings.
Tulsa is the only school to have not played an extra inning game this season. Nevada is the only other WAC school to have a winning record in extra inning games with a 3-2 record. With a 6-5 win against Saint Marys on April 5, San Jose State won its first extra inning game. The Spartans are 1-3.
LEAGUE LEADERS Fresno State All-Americans Christina Clark and Jamie Southern dominate the WAC leader board. Clark, has showed no sign of the dreaded sophomore slump, as she continues to lead the league in hitting with a .385 batting average. She is also the WAC leader in hits (55), runs scored (36), RBI (35), home runs (13) and total bases (105). Southern is the league leader in wins (22), strikeouts (234) and ERA (0.26). Nevadas Jiliane Hartfiel leads the league in doubles (16) and triples (5[).
AGAINST THE BEST The WAC is 11-30 against ranked teams so far this season. Last week, the WAC lost four games to No. 12 Stanford alone. Hawaii is 2-6 against ranked teams. Hawaii has two wins with wins against Oregon State and DePaul. The Rainbow Wahine also have a losses to Tennessee, No. 4 California and most recently two road games to the Cardinal. Fresno State is 8-7 against ranked teams with its most recent wins coming against No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 13 Pacific. The Bulldogs also have wins against South Carolina, Arizona State and Texas to name a few. Fresno State has losses against No. 2 UCLA, No. 1 Arizona, No. 4 Florida State and No. 12 Stanford. Louisiana Tech is 0-5 with a loss to then-No. 12 Louisiana-Lafayette and another instate rival No. 13 LSU. The Lady Techsters also lost twice to Tennessee. Nevada lost to both No. 3 Arizona and No. 23 Arizona State. The Wolf Pack have also lost a pair of games to Louisiana-Lafayette. San Jose State has played the toughest schedule this season. The Spartans are 0-7 with six losses to teams in the top 10, including Stanford, Alabama and California. Tulsa also has a loss to Alabama. UTEP has lost to UCLA , Georgia Tech and No. 13 Tennessee. The Golden Hurricane earned a home win against No. 13 Oklahoma on April 5.
ON THE BASEPATHS
Fresno State went 4-0 last week on the road after picking up doubleheader sweeps over Louisiana Tech and Tulsa. The Bulldogs improved to 4-2 on the road with the victories. Jamie Southern and Christina Clark each hit a home run. Southern connected for her fourth long ball of the year against Tulsa while Clark belted her 13th against Louisiana Tech. Both Clark and Southern led the team offensively as they both hit .357 (5-for14). Clark led the Bulldogs in runs (5) and walks (4), while Southern led in doubles (2), RBI (4), total bases (10) and slugging percentage (.714) strikeout list with 1,280.
Hawaii meets first place Fresno State this week. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with Hawaii, 44-8. Last year, UH traveled to Fresno where they split the four-game set, sweeping a doubleheader on the first day of the series from the Bulldogs for the first time in UH history. Hawaii posted a 2-3 record against Fresno State in 2003, also losing at the Kia Klassic. The Bulldos own a 17-4 advantage in Honolulu. Hawaii is a perfect 4-0 in extra-inning games this spring. UH defeated Wisconsin 7-5 in nine-innings Feb. 14, then turned around the next day and beat No. 13 DePaul, 8-7, in eight-innings Both of those games were a part of the Rebel Classic at UNLV. The last two extra-inning wins came against the College of Charleston in the Kipa Aloha Malihini Tournament.
Louisiana Tech broke a season-high seven-game losing streak with a 3-0 win against Nevada. The Lady Techsters spilt games with and were swept by Fresno State last week. Louisiana Tech will try to continue its winning ways on the road this week at San Jose State and UTEP.
Nevada went 2-4 last week with splits at Tulsa and Louisiana Tech and two losses to Sacramento State. The Pack has a light week with just a make-up doubleheader at Sacramento State Wednesday. On Wednesday, April 7, the Wolf Pack travel to Sacramento to face Sacramento State, 1:00 p.m. Freshman Tiffany Hoeft has the lowest ERA on the club with a 1.98 listing and the best record with an 8-6 mark, followed closely by Judith van Kampen at 2.27 and an 8-7 slate. Candice Rainwater also has eight wins (8-5) but a 3.00 ERA.
San Jose State had it second best offensive showing of the season with a 7-0 road win against Long Beach State. In the second game of the doubleheader, Elisa Barrios, Lindsey Allen and AJ Hull each had two hits in the shut out victory. The Spartans 12 hits are the second time in five games that SJSU has recorded double-digit hits. On March 23, the Spartans defeated Illinois-Chicago 13-9. In that game, San Jose State scored its 13 runs on 14 hits. The Spartans is now 4-4 in their last eight games and 2-0 in league play. After taking the weekend off, the Spartans now take on Saint Marys on April 6. After the non-conference matchup, San Jose State will face Louisiana Tech and Tulsa at home.
UTEP looks to break a 16-game losing streak and a six-game WAC losing streak this week. The Miners are looking for their first ever WAC win. The Miners will host Tulsa on April 8 and Louisiana Tech on April 10.
Tulsa picked up a much needed confidence booster with a 2-0 victory over No. 13-nationally ranked Oklahoma at the Donna J. Hardesty Sports Complex. Sophomore Katie Torres provided the offensive spark for the Golden Hurricane with a home run and an RBI double. Tulsa returns to WAC play on Thursday with a trip to El Paso, Texas, to play the WAC's newest team in UTEP. Tulsa will conclude the week with another WAC doubleheader, in San Jose, Calif., against the Spartans of San Jose State.
FRESNO STATE PICKED TO WIN TITLE The WAC softball coaches selected Fresno State to win the 2004 WAC regular season crown. Fresno State has been picked to take the preseason crown eight out of the last nine years. In 2002, Hawaii was chosen to win the title. The coaches also voted on 2004 preseason award winners. Fresno State swept both categories when shortstop Christina Clark was voted preseason Player of the Year and Jamie Southern earned preseason Pitcher of the Year honors. Southern is the first WAC player to earn Pitcher of the Year honors three-straight years. Fresno State edged out Hawaii with 34 points to Hawaiis 33. Tulsa finished in third with 26 points. Second-year WAC team Nevada finished fourth with 18 points after a strong freshman campaign. Louisiana Tech and San Jose State tied for fifth with 15 points. UTEP, playing its first season of softball, was picked to finish seventh with six points.
WAC ADDS NEW MEXICO STATE AND UTAH STATE On Oct. 23, 2003, the WAC issued invitations to New Mexico State and Utah State effective July 1, 2005, the same date that Rice, SMU and Tulsa are moving to Conference USA. In softball, Utah State is 7-23 this season. New Mexico State is 9-30. The Aggies have two wins over UTEP and loss to San Jose State.