Fresno State All-American Jamie Southern may have graduated, but the Bulldogs still have an ace in the circle. Freshman Robin Mackin has continued the Fresno State tradition of solid pitching. While she needs 22 more strikeouts to become just the third Bulldog to tally 300 or more strikeouts in a season at Fresno State, Mackin already has set the sixth-best single season strikeout mark (278) while recording a pair of no-hitters and setting a new single-game strikeout mark (17) this season. Averaging 10.93 strikeouts per 7 innings pitched, Mackin is on pace to set a new strikeout standard at Fresno State and in WAC history as the single-season mark is 9.72 by Jamie Southern in 2005. On the year, Mackin is 19-8 overall with 13 10-strikeout games and 278 strikeouts (10.93 strikeouts per 7/IP) in 178.0 innings and owns a 1.46 ERA
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ?“Hawai'i?™s Brandi Peiler and Fresno State?™s Robin Mackin have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. This is the first honor this season for Peiler, while Mackin has been honored three other times this season.
Peilier, a sophomore from Miliani, Oahu, was 7-for-8 last week for a .875 batting average. She currently has a six-game hitting streak (the longest of her career). Peiler also had what proved to be the game-winning hit in the first game against San Jose State in Hawai'i?™s WAC home opener. She got a two-out, two-run single to score the game?™s only runs. On Monday, in the first game against Grambling State, Peiler went 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI. In the second game against the Tigers, she was 2-for-3 with a walk and scored two runs with one RBI. She ended the productive week with seven hits and six RBI and the Rainbow Wahine raced to a 5-0 start in conference play.
Mackin, a freshman from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, went undefeated in the circle after allowing just three hits or less in all three games pitched. She picked up her 10th shutout, 13th 10-strikeout game and 19th win of the season. Mackin went 3-0 after recording a 4-0 win over Santa Clara and a pair of WAC road wins over Utah State (3-2, 10-2 in 5 innings). Holding opponents to a .109 batting average last week, she had 30 strikeouts in 19 innings. Mackin needs 22 more strikeouts to become just the third Bulldog tally 300 or more strikeouts in a season at Fresno State.
Other hitter of the week nominees included: Christina Clark of Fresno State hit a team-high .778 and scored a team-high five runs, while recording three doubles, two RBI … Candice Rainwater of Nevada batted .500 starting in all five games, as she led the Wolf Pack to the championship game of their own tournament ... Ashley Roszkos of New Mexico State had four hits in seven at-bats and hit three three-run home runs in a 10-1, 15-7 sweep of visiting Louisiana Tech.
Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Justine Smethhurst of Hawai'i threw a complete-game shut-out against San Jose State and threw part of a perfect game against Grambling … Kim Watson of New Mexico State went 1-0 with five strikeouts against Louisiana Tech.
ON DECK ?“ Week three of the WAC season, will see WAC Champion, Fresno State, taking a week away from league play. First-place Hawai'i will travel host New Mexico State in a three-game set Aptil 7-8. After a second place finish in its own tournament, Nevada will host Utah State. The Aggies look for their first league win. In the final matchup of the week, Louisiana Tech will travel to San Jose State.
LET THE SUNSHINE ?“ Mother nature continues to cause troubles for schedules across the WAC. Fresno State, Utah State, San Jose State and Hawai'i have all lost one WAC game so far this season. The Spartans, Bulldogs and Lady Techsters have all lost games this week do to the weather in Hawai'i. This season, games have been lost in all seven WAC cities with California and Hawai'i taking most of the punishment.
LEADERS OF THE WAC ?“ In WAC games, Hawai'i?™s Justine Smethurst is first in the league in ERA with a mark of 0.33. She is also the conference leader in wins with three. Smethurst is second in strikeouts (24) behind fellow freshman Robin Mackin of Fresno State (47). In WAC games, Hawai'i?™s Kaulana Gould is leading the WAC in hitting (.529) and is second in hits with nine.
In overall games, Mackin leads the league in strikeouts with 278 compared to New Mexico State?™s Sarah Seagraves who has 128. Mackin is one win away from being the first 20 game winner in the league. The freshman is 19-8 with a 1.46 ERA. At the plate, reigning WAC Player of the Year, Christina Clark, leads the league in hitting .442. Clark is also first in hits (46) and runs scored (36).
CLARK CONTINUES TO DAZZLE ?“ Fresno State?™s Christina Clark continues to climb up the school?™s, the WAC?™s and the NCAA?™s career charts. In NCAA Division I history, she currently ranks ninth in career total bases (517) and slugging percentage (.756), 11th in intentional walks (14), 14th in home runs (57) and 18th in runs (208). In school history, Clark is ranked in 12 categories while in WAC history she is ranked in ten. While becoming the school?™s and the WAC?™s career leader in total bases last month, she is one of three Bulldogs to boast 50 or more career doubles and one of two Bulldogs to have been walked at least 100 times. In the WAC?™s annals, Clark is one of four players to tally 50 or more career doubles and one of two with 100 or more walks.
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.
FRESHMAN MAKES NATIONAL SENSATION ?“ After helping the Canada Elite Team to a third place finish at the 2005 Canada Cup and Team Canada qualify for the 2006 World Championship as well as the 2007 Pan American Games, freshman pitcher Robin Mackin was selected to the Canada National Team. She was selected to the national team in January.
VOTE NOW ?“ The 25th Anniversary of NCAA Women?™s Championships will be celebrated throughout the 2005-06 championship season. Division I Women?™s Softball began in 1981 and will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary at the 2006 championship. To commemorate this milestone a 25th Anniversary Team consisting of 10 student athletes and 1 coach (coaches are denoted by an asterisk "*") will be named with your help. Please use the arrow buttons below to vote for 10 student athletes and 1 coach. The team will be announced in May. Several Fresno State players are on the ballot, including Nina Lindenberg, Amanda Scott, Julie Smith and head coach Margie Wright. Go to http://www.ncaasports.com/softball/womens/fanpolls to vote.
Fresno State Bulldogs (20-13, 2-1 WAC)
Fresno State is 20-13 on the season and has won 10 of its last 14 … with a 6-1 victory over Nevada to start league play, the Bulldogs improved to 24-5 in conference openers, 27-2 in league openers at home, 18-3 in conference openers under head coach Margie Wright, 20-1 in league openers at home, 13-1 in WAC openers overall and under Wright and 11-1 in WAC home openers overall and under Wright … With the 2-1 loss to Nevada in the series finale, the Bulldogs had their 15-game WAC win streak halted ... they also suffered their first loss on the season at home.
Hawai'i Rainbow Wahine (21-13, 5-0 WAC)
Sophomore Brandi Peiler leads Hawai'i into their third WAC series this season ... last week, she hit .875 (7-for-8) in four games against Grambling State and San Jose State ... against the Spartans, Peiler had the game-winning hit that drove in two runs with two-out in the bottom of the fifth ... she?™s currently on a six game hitting streak ... Kaulana Gould leads Hawai'i with a .529 average in conference play ... in the WAC, she?™s 9-for-17 with four runs scored, two doubles, a home run, and five RBI ... Right behind her is first baseman Tyleen Tausaga who?™s hitting an even .500 in the WAC and a team-high .374 overall.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (8-21, 0-6 WAC)
The Lady Techsters split games with UT-Arlington last week before being swept by New Mexico State ... the Aggies outscored the Lady Techsters 35-10 ... Louisiana Tech had its game with San Diego rained out on Wednesday ... the Lady Techsters remain on the road to take on WAC foe San Jose State April 7-8 ... Emma Barnes has been on an offensive tear lately ... Barnes is tied for second in the WAC in runs scored with 26 ... Barnes is first in triples with five.
Nevada Wolf Pack (16-23, 1-2 WAC)
Nevada finished second in its own tournament, falling to former WAC school Portland State in the championship game ... the Wolf Pack return to WAC action this week at home against Utah State ... both the Pack and the Aggies are looking for their first league wins ... Jordan McPherson is one of three pitchers with over 100 strikeouts ... McPherson is third with 125 ... Cindy Elkins is tied for fourth in the WAC in runs scored with 25.
New Mexico State (21-13, 4-2 WAC)
The Aggies are coming off a tremendous offensive performance in a three-game sweep of Louisiana Tech last week ... the Aggies set a school record for runs in a conference series (35) and achieved three run-rule victories (10-2, 10-1, 15-7) in a league series for the first time in program history ... freshman Stacey Lien had seven RBI in the final game of the series to tie the school single-game record set in 1998 by All-American Stephanie Bonillas ... this week, the Aggies travel to Honolulu and look to avoid much of the bad weather that the Rainbow Wahine have experienced much of this season.
San Jose State Spartans (13-19, 2-3 WAC)
San Jose State dropped two of three in a rain-shortened series with first-place Hawai'i ... this week, the Spartans will take on Louisiana Tech at home in a three-game set also trying to avoid bad weather ... San Jose State had its doubleheader at UC Davis cancelled on April 5 ... San Jose State has not played an extra-inning game in 32 games this season ... Courtney Lewis leads the Spartans in muliple-hit games this season with nine, including two with four hits.
Utah State Aggies (5-22, 0-2 WAC)
Amy Schaible currently ranks fourth in the WAC in triples with three, and averages 0.13 triples per game which is second in the conference ... Sara Fleming has been hit by a pitch six times this season which is second most in the conference, and she also averages 0.20 doubles per game which is ninth best in the WAC ... Heather Straight?™s 39 strike outs put her ninth in the conference, and her four wins tie her for seventh most in the WAC ... the Aggies will travel to Reno to take on Nevada this week ... Utah State currently holds an 11-8 lead in the all-time series against the Wolfpack, but Nevada defeated the Aggies 8-2 the last time the teams met in the San Diego Invitational earlier this season