DENVER ?“ The Western Athletic Conference released its 2006 all-WAC softball team and individual awards as selected by the league?™s head coaches. Senior All-American Christina Clark earned her third-straight WAC Player of the Year honor. She is the first WAC player to achieve this feat. Fresno State freshman Robin Mackin captured both the WAC Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors. San Jose State head coach Dee Dee Enabenter-Omidiji earned her first WAC Coach of the Year honor after leading the Spartans to their best WAC finish ever (11-6).
Click Here For a PDF of the 2006 all-WAC Softball Team
Clark, a senior from Santa Ana, Calif., was first in hitting in WAC games with a .500 average. She is one of only five players to hit at least .500 in conference games. She was also first in runs scored (17), total bases (40) and tied for first in home runs (4). The WAC?™s Preseason Player of the Year was one of three players to repeat on the all-WAC first team along with Louisiana Tech?™s Rochelle Sandberg and Hawai'i Tyleen Tausaga.
Mackin, a freshman from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, is the first pitcher since Fresno State?™s Jamie Southern to win the Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the same season. She is the third Fresno State pitcher to earn WAC Pitcher of the Year honors following in the footsteps of Amanda Scott and Jamie Southern. Scott earned the honor three times, while Southern was named Pitcher of the Year a WAC-record four times. The freshman from Newmarket, Ontario, Canada led the WAC with an 8-3 record in league games. Her 117 strikeouts is the fourth-most in a single-season in WAC history.
Enabenter-Omidiji earned her first WAC Coach of the Year honor after leading San Jose State to an 11-6 WAC record. The second place finish was the best ever for the Spartans and earned them the second seed in the first WAC Tournament since 1999.
Fresno State, Hawai'i, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State all had three players on the first team. The Rainbow Wahine and the Bulldogs both placed a WAC-high five total players on the all-WAC team. There were three players on the first team that were either first or second team honorees in 2005.
Nevada had three players on the second team. Fresno State, San Jose State, Hawai'i, and Utah State had two players on the second team, while New Mexico State and Louisiana Tech both placed one on the second team. All seven teams had at least two players on the all-WAC team. The first WAC Tournament since 1999 begins on May 11 in Fresno, Calif.
2006 ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM
First Team
Regan Clark, Louisiana Tech, C
Tyleen Tausaga%&, Hawai'i, 1B
Rochelle Sandberg&, Louisiana Tech, 2B
Haley Perkins, Fresno State, 3B
Christina Clark^$&, Fresno State, SS
Kaulana Gould&, Hawai'i, OF
Kristi Randall, New Mexico State, OF
Emma Barnes, Louisiana Tech, OF
Courtney Lewis, San Jose State, UT
Stacey Lien, New Mexico State, DP
Robin Mackin, Fresno State, P
At-Large
Justine Smethurst, Hawai'i, P
Rochelle Gastelum, New Mexico State, OF
Second Team
Sara Fleming, Utah State, C
Mailei Hilva , New Mexico State, 1B
Jenna Cervantez, Fresno State, 2B
Jessica Elson, Louisiana Tech, 3B
Quela Leonhardt, Utah State, SS
Shannon Garvin, Fresno State, OF
Tanisha Milca, Hawai'i, OF
Mandy Winkley, San Jose State, OF
Candice Rainwater$&, Nevada, UT
Audrey Andrade, Hawai'i, DP
Jordan McPherson, Nevada, P
At-Large
Carlie Hill, San Jose State, 1B
Sarah Hunt, Nevada, 3B
2006 WAC Player of the Year: Christina Clark, Fresno State
2006 WAC Pitcher of the Year: Robin Mackin, Fresno State
2006 WAC Freshman of the Year: Robin Mackin, Fresno State
2006 WAC Coach of the Year: Dee-Dee Enabenter-Omidiji, San Jose State
&2005 First Team all-WAC
$2004 First Team all-WAC
%2004 Second Team all-WAC
^2003 First Team all-WAC
~2003 Second Team all-WAC