Fresh off their first week of play, Hawai'i embarks on their first road trip this week. The team travels to Las Vegas, Nev. first to play a double header against Southern Utah on Thursday. They then start play on February 10 in the UNLV Desert Classic where they will take on Utah, New Mexico, No.22 Oregon, Central Michigan, and No.3 Tennessee. After their first week of play, it is junior all-WAC first baseman Tyleen Tausaga who leads the Rainbow Wahine with a .421 batting average, going 8-19 at the plate, with one double, two home runs, five RBI, and scoring three runs. On the mound, freshman pitcher Justine Smethurst is 2-0 on the young season. She picked up her first collegiate victory over Texas-Arlington 10-6. And against Texas State, she held off the Bobcats in a complete game victory, 2-1 getting her second notch in the win column. She?™s thrown 11.0 innings, giving up five runs on five hits with six walks and nine strike outs.
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ?“ New Mexico State?™s Stephanie Herrera and San Jose State?™s Kelly Harrison have been named the Western Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. These are the first player of the week honors of the 2006 season.
Herrera, a sophomore from Pecos, Texas, was named to the 2006 Hilton Las Cruces Invitational all-Tournament team for leading the Aggies to a 3-3 record this week (2-3 at the tournament). Herrera hit her first career home run in the season-opening win over Colorado State on February 9 and drove in a career-high three runs. Three days later, she had another big game against the Rams, going 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI. Herrera has hit safely in five-straight games to begin the 2006 season.
Harrison, a sophomore from San Jose, Calif., went 1-1 with a 1.24 ERA as the Spartans started the 2006 season with a 2-2 record. In her first game in a Spartan uniform, Harrison pitched a complete-game shutout, facing one over the minimum. She walked one and struck out five as the Spartans defeated Harrison?™s former team Saint Mary?™s. She also added her first save, pitchings 2.1 innings against San Diego. Batters hit only .135 against her.
Other player of the week nominees included: Robin Mackin of Fresno State hit .333 with six RBI in her first 15 at bats … Tyleen Tausaga of Hawai'i hit .421 as the Rainbow Wahine went 3-2 at their own tournament … Courtney Lewis of San Jose State hit .438 seven hits and one RBI ... Whitnie Ray of Utah State hit .286 with one home run.
Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Robin Mackin of Fresno State went 2-1 with 30 strikeouts in her first collegiate appearances ... Justine Smethhurst of Hawai'i was 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA … Sarah Seagraves of New Mexico State went 3-1 with a 1.86 ERA … Heather Straight of Utah State went 1-1 as the Aggies started the season 1-5.
NEW MEXICO STATE TO HOST SECOND-STRAIGHT TOURNAMENT?“ This weekend marks the 29th edition of the Troy Cox Classic and the Aggie softball team is primed to host their second softball tournament in as many weeks. NMSU will play host to Morehead State, Utah Valley State, Miami (Ohio), George Mason and Texas State. The Aggies have won the Troy Cox Classic twice before in 1983 and 1998.
Originally the Troy Cox Classic was named the Roadrunner Invitational (NMSU?™s women?™s sports teams used to be referred to as the Roadrunners). In the fall of 1989, the name was changed to honor the memory of former NMSU assistant softball coach Troy Cox, who was killed in an automobile accident the previous summer. Cox was 24 years old when he passed away. He served as an assistant under then-NMSU head coach Greg Berry for four years while working toward his undergraduate degree at NMSU. Cox?™s ambition after graduating was to become a collegiate softball coach, preferably for NMSU. He was a native of Las Cruces and a graduate of Mayfield High School.
FRESNO STATE TO HOST 2006 TOURNAMENT ?“ For the first time since the 1999 season, the WAC will sponsor a softball tournament. The top-six teams will advance to the double-elimination tournament. The tournament will be held at Bulldog Diamond from May 11-13. Fresno State won the last WAC Tournament in 1999 which was held in Salt Lake City. The is the first tournament held in Fresno. The first softball championship was held in 1991 in Omaha, Neb. with Utah taking the title. Salt Lake City first hosted the WAC Tournament in 1992 with Utah capturing its second title.
RETURNING ALL-WAC PLAYERS ?“ The WAC will feature five players who were 2005 first team all-WAC performers. Fresno State returns two-time WAC Player of the Year, senior shortstop Christina Clark. Hawai'i returns first baseman Tyleen Tausaga and WAC Freshman of the Year, outfielder Kaulana Gould. Nevada utilty player Candice Rainwater will also return along with Louisiana Tech second baseman Rochelle Sandberg. Second team returnees include: C Nichole Willis, Fresno State; 2B Kristin Stith, Nevada; UT Kristin Sylvester, Fresno State.
FRESNO STATE PICKED TO WIN 2006 WAC TITLE ?“ The Western Athletic Conference softball coaches selected Fresno State to win the 2006 WAC regular season crown. Fresno State has been picked to take the preseason crown 10 out of the last 11 years. In 2002, Hawai'i was chosen to win the title. The coaches also voted on 2006 preseason award winners. Fresno State swept both categories when shortstop Christina Clark was voted preseason Player of the Year and Robin Mackin earned preseason Pitcher of the Year honors. This is Clark?™s third-straight Preseason Player of the Year honor. This is the first Preseason Pitcher of the Year honor for Mackin.