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NCAA Tournament Notes

FRESNO STATE EARNS NCAA TOURNAMENT BID Fresno State earned a spot in its 24th NCAA Softball Championship as the WAC's regular season champion. The Bulldogs are the only team to have reached all 24 championships. Fresno State will host the four team regional. The Bulldogs will face Long Beach State in their first game. No. 2 California, Long Beach State and BYU will travel to Fresno, May 19-21 looking to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. This is the first year that the softball tournament will mirror the baseball championship.

Hosting Region 2, Fresno State (41-10) is the second seed in its region and will kick the tournament off against No. 3 seed Long Beach State (39-14) at 6:00 p.m. on Thur., May 19. As the No. 2 seed overall in the championship field, California (46-11) comes in as the top seed in Region 2. The Golden Bears will square off against No. 4 seed BYU (44-12) that evening at 8:30 p.m.

Fresno State is serving as host to a NCAA Regional for the 19th time in 24 years. In its last two hosts, the eventual NCAA Champion came out of Fresno in California (2002) and UCLA (2003).

Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during regional competition, when possible.

The Pacific 10 and Big 12 led all conferences with eight teams in the championship, while the Southeastern Conference placed six teams. Fresno State remains the only team to be selected to all 24 championships. Eight teams are making their initial appearances in the tournament: Albany (New York), Central Florida, College of Charleston, Loyola Marymount, Miami (Ohio), Robert Morris, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin-Green Bay.

SUPER FORMAT CHANGE This is the first season that the NCAA Softball Tournament will mirror the NCAA Baseball Tournament. This season, the softball tournament will be extended one week with the addition of a Super Regional. There are 16 four-team regionals. The winners of these regionals will advance to eight Super Regionals. The format of the Super Regional is the best two out of three.

FRESNO STATE IN NCAA REGIONALS Fresno State is 46-24 (.657) in NCAA Regionals. The Bulldogs have a NCAA postseason record of 76-46 (.623). Last season, the Bulldogs went 1-2 at the No. 7 Regional in Stanford, Calif. On May 20, Fresno State lost its first game to Southern Illinois, 2-0. Later that day, the Bulldogs fought back with a 3-1 10 inning win over Auburn. Pacific eliminated Fresno State, 6-1 on May 21. The Bulldogs last hosted in 2003, when Fresno State went 3-2. Fresno State also hosted in 2002 when California swept through regionals en route to a World Series win.

HEAVY HITTERS For the first time since the 2003 season, at least two hitters ended the WAC season hitting at least .400. Hawaiis Tara Harbert led the way hitting .486. Teammate and WAC Freshman of the Year Kaulana Gould hit .426. WAC Player of the Year, Christina Clark of Fresno State, ended the WAC season hitting .404, while Hawaiis Denise Dahlberg hit exactly .400. In 2003, Fresno States Clark (.421) and Jamie Southern (.400) both hit at least .400. In 2002, Hawais Ashley Judd and Loyola Marymounts Megan Julian both reached the .400 mark with Judd hitting .414 and Julian hitting .400.

THE OPPONENTS Fresno State has not played any of the three teams that will travel to Fresno for the No. 2 Regional this season. Overall, Fresno State has a record of 60-38 (.612) against second-seeded California. The Bulldogs are 3-1 (.750) against BYU last facing the Cougars in 2003. Fresno State is 30-12 (.714) all-time against Long Beach State. The Bulldogs defeated the 49ers 4-0 on March 12, 2004.

BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
This is the second time BYU has earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament. BYU played in the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2001 losing to Nebraska and Hofstra. Fresno State and BYU have played several common opponents this season. Fresno State has a 5-3 record against these teams, while BYU is 9-5. The Bulldogs have wins over Hawaii, Utah and UNLV and losses against Oregon State, UNLV and Florida State. The Cougars also defeated the Rainbow Wahine, the Rebels and the Utes. BYU captured a win against Florida State. BYU lost to Oregon State, Florida State and UNLV.

CALIFORNIA
California, the 2005 Pac-10 Conference co-champion, will be making its 11th overall trip to Fresno for regional play. Cal tied for the Pac-10 title with Stanford, Arizona and Oregon State. The last time the Bears opened the NCAA Tournament in Fresno was 2002. That year, Cal swept the regional in four games en route to the NCAA title. The Bulldogs and the Bears both have 14 wins against common opponents. Fresno State is 14-4 against these teams, while Cal is 14-6. Both have wins against WAC teams Hawaii and San Jose State and Pac-10 team Stanford.

LONG BEACH STATE
Long Beach State will make its third consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regionals (16th overall in program history) at Fresno State. The 49ers have won 22 of their last 24 games heading into post-season play. Long Beach State and Fresno State have played several of the same opponents. The Bulldogs are 7-4 against these teams, while the 49ers are 9-4. Both have losses to Pac-10 powers Arizona and Stanford. Both have wins over Saint Marys, Cal State Fullerton, UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Fullerton.

SOUTHERN NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALISTThe Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced today the 10 finalists for the 4th Annual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The initial list of 25 finalists was announced on April 6. This award is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK San Jose States Carlie Hill and Carol Forbes were named the Western Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. The Spartans swept the final Player of the Week of the season.

Hill, a junior from Woodland, Calif., hit .714 (5-for-7) as the Spartans ended the season with a sweep of Louisiana Tech at home. The Spartans tied a school record with 36 wins this season. The shortstop had six RBI in just seven at bats as the Spartans scored 20 runs in three games. Hill drove in three runs in both games of the doubleheader on May 14. In the final game of the season, the junior went 2-for-2 with a two-run triple.

Forbes, a senior from Scottsdale, Ariz., went undefeated in the circle and posted a 0.74 ERA, earning all three wins for the Spartans. Forbes pitched all 19 innings, allowing only two earned runs. Forbes pitched two shut outs against Louisiana Tech. She struck out seven batters on May 13, the 11th time this season and the 25th time in her four-year career what she struck out seven or more batters. Forbes set the San Jose State record for single-season wins (25) and saves (5).

Other player of the week nominees included: Jamie Southern, Fresno State and Julie Shafer, Tulsa.

Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Jamie Southern, Fresno State.

FRESNO STATE CAPTURES WAC TITLE After being picked to capture the WAC title for the ninth time in 10 years in the coaches preseason poll, Fresno State did just that when it won its second-straight and eighth in the last 10 years. The Bulldogs claimed the crown and the leagues NCAA automatic bid last week when they swept Nevada. Fresno State will be making its 24th straight NCAA Softball Championship appearance. The program is the only school in the country to have qualified for all 24 NCAA tournaments.

TULSA TIES WAC RECORD Tulsas 11 runs in the first inning against Louisiana Tech was a school record for runs in an inning, as well as the 12 hits the Hurricane posted. The 11 runs ties a WAC record. Hawaii also scored 11 against UNLV in 1997.

IN THE TOP 10 There are several WAC players who rank in the top 10 in this weeks NCAA statistics. All-America Jamie Southern is second in the nation in ERA (0.41) behind fellow All-America Cat Osterman of Texas (0.36). Tulsas Stacey Walkingstick is fourth in sacrifice hits per game (0.41) Walkingstick has 69 career sacrifice just three behind WAC all-time leader Vanessa Czarnecki of Fresno State. Fresno States Christina Clark is fourth in runs per game (1.04 rpg).

SOUTHERN BECOMES WAC CAREER LEADER IN WINS On April 23, Southern made WAC history. While helping Fresno State to a sweep over WAC opponent Tulsa, she became the leagues and the schools all-time career win leader on the same day. Coming into the week with 106 career victories, Southern opened the three-game series against the Golden Hurricane with a two-hit shutout. While walking one and striking out 13, she posted her 17th win of the year to become the WACs all-time career win leader with 107 wins, surpassing former Bulldog All-American Amanda Scott (1997-2000). In the second game, she made her third relief appearance of the season and picked up her second win in as many games. After becoming the WACs outright win leader, Southern came right back on the same day to become Fresno States all-time career win leader with victory No. 108. Breaking a 13-year old record, she surpassed former Bulldog All-American Terry Carpenter (1989-92).

SAN JOSE STATE HAS WINNING SEASON Winning one of three games last week, the Spartans ended the season 36-25 overall and 10-8 in the WAC. San Jose State had its first winning season since 1992 when that team finished 33-24 and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The 36 wins were the most for a Spartan team since 1994 when that team won 32 games. It was just the sixth time in school history that a Spartan softball team has won 30 or more games in a season.

WAC CAREER LEADERS Fresno State All-American Jamie Southern is the career WAC leader in several categories. Southern is first in career wins with 116. Southern holds the lead in ERA (0.50) and innings pitched (1061.2). She is also the WAC leader in strikeouts (1291) and strikeouts per seven innings (8.50). Teammate Christina Clark is the leader in home runs with 54. Tulsas Stacey Walkingstick is second in sacrifice hits with 69. In saves, Southern is first with 11. Tulsas Maren Genow is third in saves with nine.

IN THE POLLS For the first time since 2003, a team outside of the Pac 10 Conference is No. 1 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll. Michigan, with an incredible 52-4 record, remains on the top of the polls

Fresno State softball has been no stranger to the national polls. Owning the longest streak for consecutive weeks (179) ranked in NCAA Division I softball history, the Bulldogs have been nationally ranked in the Top 25 for 207 of the 218 weeks since the NCAAs first Top 15 poll in 1983. In addition, Fresno State has been in the nations official Top 25 polls for 23-straight years. This week, the Bulldogs are No. 15 in both polls

AGAINST THE BEST WAC schools are 6-36 (.143) against ranked teams this season. Hawaii is one of three teams to defeat a ranked team when it defeated then-No. 9 Washington. Fresno State earned another win over a ranked team with a win over No. 5 Stanford. Fresno State also defeated No. 10 LSU and No. 14 Washington. Tulsa has two wins over No. 10 Oklahoma. It was the highest team a Golden Hurricane squad had ever defeated. No. 2 Arizona is 4-0 against the WAC with wins against Fresno State, Tulsa and UTEP this season.