FRESNO STATE TRAVELS AZTEC CLASSIC ?“ Fresno State, which is ranked 23rd in the latest ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, is on the road again this week. The Bulldogs travel to San Diego for San Diego State?™s Aztec Classic. The three-day, five-team tournament field features CS Northridge, Loyola Marymount, Oregon, San Diego State and Fresno State. The 'Dogs will open tournament action on Fri., March 3, against Loyola Marymount (11:30 a.m.) and CS Northridge (4:30 p.m.). The following day, Fresno State will meet San Diego State (4:30 p.m.) and Oregon (7:00 p.m.). The Bulldogs wrap up the tourney with LMU at 9:00 a.m. on Sun., March 5.
Click Here for a PDF of the Week Four Softball Notes
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ?“ Nevada?™s Brittany Puzey and Fresno State?™s Robin Mackin have been named the Western Athletic Conference Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. Puzey is the first Wolf Pack to be honored, while Mackin is earning her second-straight honor.
Puzey, a freshman from Carson City, Nev., helped Nevada win the University of San Diego Tournament going 3-1 over the weekend. During the tournament and in doubleheaders against Sacramento State and Cal State Northridge, Puzey hit .414, scoring five runs with 12 hits and 14 RBI. In the tournament alone, she had 10 RBI in 14 at-bats. The freshman led the Wolf Pack in its second win of the tournament over UC Riverside in a 10-0 rout of the Highlanders with six RBI, including a grand-slam home run in a five-run fourth inning to put Nevada up 7-0. She is currently third on the team in batting percentage with a .340 with 16 hits and 17 RBI on the year.
Mackin, a freshman from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, averaged an impressive 12.1 strikeouts per 7/IP, while going 4-1. Throwing three shutout victories, she set a new Fresno State single-game strikeout record for a 7-inning game when she fanned 17 versus Kansas in the Bulldogs?™ 6-0 victory in the opening game of the Palm Springs Classic. While the NCAA does not list strikeouts for a seven inning game, her strikeout total was four less than the No. 25 single-game performance, which showcases 21 K?™s in several different innings. With three 10-strikeout games in five starts, she made two relief appearances. In the win over No. 10 Oklahoma, Mackin scattered five hits, walked four and struck out 11 as she pitched Fresno State to a 4-2 victory. In the 3-0 win over Texas Tech, she pitched her second two-hitter of the season as she walked four and struck out 13. Against UC Davis, she threw a two-hitter, walked three and struck out nine in the Bulldogs?™ 8-0, five-inning win.
Other player of the week nominees included: Kristin Sylvester of Fresno State hit .500 with 12 hits and four RBI in seven games … Brittany McConnell of San Jose State hit .333 with seven RBI ... Amy Schaible of Utah State hit .562 with nine hits, including one triple.
Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Kim Watson of New Mexico State went 2-0 with a 1.34 ERA in four appearances … Nicole Luna-Pickens of San Jose State went 2-0 with a 1.66 ERA … Heather Straight of Utah State struck out eight batters in two appearances.
RAINBOW WAHINE RETURN TO ACTION ?“ Hawai'i returns home this week to host the Pepsi Malihini Kipa Aloha Tournament. The Rainbow Wahine are 7-6 heading into this week. They will battle No.8 California, Florida International, Mercer, UC Riverside, and Mississippi Valley State, March 2-5. Two-time all-WAC first baseman Tyleen Tausaga is hitting a healthy .349 while leading the team in hits (15), home runs (3), doubles (tied with three others-2), and RBI (10). On defense she?™s also getting the job with a 1.000 fielding percentage. Following Tausaga is a plethora of UH newcomers who have already made an impact early in the season. Sophomore outfielder Brandi Peiler is currently 13-37 for a .351 average with a double, two home runs, six RBI, and three runs scored through 13 games. Freshman outfielder/designated player Malamaisaua Manuma is hitting .353 after getting a lot of playing time in the UNLV Desert Classic. She is 6-17 with seven runs scored, a double, two home runs, and four RBI. Freshman outfielder Tanisha Milca has gone 7-22 for a .318 average so far this year. She?™s scored five runs, has two doubles, a home run and six RBI, while also leading the team with six walks and is 2-3 in stolen bases.
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 Fresno, Calif.. This is the second 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.
AGGIES TO FACE TOUGH COMPETITION ?“ The New Mexico State softball team (12-7) travels to the University of Central Florida (UCF) Invitational this weekend at Merrill Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla. The Aggies will take on Villanova and the host Golden Knights, a 2005 NCAA Tournament participant, on Friday to start the tournament. On Saturday, NMSU goes up against 2005 NCAA Regional champions Bethune-Cookman and another NCAA Tournament team from a year ago, Creighton. The tournament concludes with bracket play on Sunday to determine a champion.
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.