DENVER The Western Athletic Conference today released its 2004 all-WAC softball team and individual awards as selected by the leagues head coaches. Fresno State completed a sweep of the player awards. Junior All-American Jamie Southern earned her third-straight WAC Pitcher of the Year honor. Last seasons Freshman of the Year, Christina Clark, captured the WAC Player of the Year honor, while Freshman of the Year honors went to catcher Nichole Willis. Tulsa head coach Jamie Pinkerton earned his second WAC Coach of the Year honor in three seasons after leading the Golden Hurricane to a 45-18 record this season.
Clark, a sophomore from Santa Ana, Calif., leads the WAC in hitting with a .398 average. In WAC games, she was also first in runs scored (31), RBI (20) and total bases (70). Clarks 10 home runs in league play broke the WAC single-season record. The WACs Preseason Player of the Year was one of four players to repeat on the all-WAC first team along with teammate Jamie Southern, Louisiana Techs Mary Cohn and Hawaiis Tracie Uchima.
Southern is the second pitcher in WAC history to win the Pitcher of the Year honor three times. The first was Fresno State All-American Amanda Scott (1998-2000). The junior right-hander from Clovis, Calif., led the WAC with a 0.75 ERA in league games. She is first in the nation in overall ERA (0.41). In WAC games, Southern led the league in strikeouts (80). She ended WAC play with a perfect 11-0 record, winning over half of Fresno States WAC victories. She enters postseason play with 284 strikeouts this season and is the WACs career leader in strikeouts.
Pinkerton, in his fourth-year as head coach at Tulsa, earned his second WAC Coach of the Year honor after leading Tulsa to a 16-5 WAC record and a second place finish. In overall games, Tulsa led the league in batting average (.281) and ERA (1.35). Pinkerton also earned the honor in 2002.
Fresno State, Louisiana Tech and Tulsa led the conference with three players on the all-WAC first team. Hawaii and Nevada both placed one player on the first team. There were six players on the first team that were either first or second team honorees in 2003. There was a tie for first team at catcher and a tie on the second team for outfield.
Hawaii had four more athletes on the second team to lead the way. Tulsa added three players, while Fresno State placed two players on the second team. Louisiana Tech and San Jose State each had one.
2004 ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM
First Team
Name Team Pos.
Kelly Miller Tulsa C
Nichole Willis Fresno State C
Katie Torres~ Tulsa 1B
Mary Cohn^ Louisiana Tech 2B
Bridget Broadnax Louisiana Tech 3B
Christina Clark^ Fresno State SS
Heather Hiar~ Tulsa OF
Amber Miles Louisiana Tech OF
Tracie Uchima^ Hawaii OF
Candice Rainwater Nevada UT
Jamie Southern!^ Fresno State P
Second Team
Name Team Pos.
Denise Dahlberg!~ Hawaii C
Tyleen Tausaga Hawaii 1B
Noelle Izumi Hawaii 2B
April Crowell~ Hawaii 3B
Carlie Hill San Jose State SS
Rachel Donaldson Fresno State OF
Mitzi Ing Fresno State OF
Julie Shafer Tulsa OF
Brittany Stanley^ Louisiana Tech OF
Stephanie Sliepen Tulsa UT
Maren Genow~ Tulsa P
2004 WAC Player of the Year: Christina Clark, Fresno State
2004 WAC Pitcher of the Year: Jamie Southern, Fresno State
2004 WAC Freshman of the Year: Nichole Willis, Fresno State
2004 WAC Coach of the Year: Jamie Pinkerton, Tulsa
^2003 First Team all-WAC
~2003 Second Team all-WAC
!2002 First Team all-WAC
+2002 Second Team all-WAC