PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ? New Mexico State’s Ashley Maroda and Fresno State’s Morgan Melloh have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. This is the first career honor for Maroda, and the fourth honor for Melloh.
Maroda, a freshman third baseman from San Bernadino, Calif., (Cajon), led the Aggies to a 3-1 record over the week while smashing three home runs, including her first grand slam as an Aggie. Maroda has totaled 10 home runs this season and is now tied for fourth on New Mexico State’s all-time single season record list. She was a solid 8-for-15 in the box with a batting average of .533 and had an impressive nine RBI. In the final game of the Utah State series, Maroda recorded seven RBI which ties NMSU’s single- game record list. She also hit a double and a triple throughout the four-game series, while maintaining a slugging percentage of 1.33.
Melloh, a freshman from Fishers, Ind., (Hamilton Southeastern) pitched in and completed all five games this week for Fresno State, including two seven-inning doubleheaders. She started the week with a doubleheader at UCSB as she won game one 5-2 in seven innings and struck out seven. She finished the day with a 9-5 win, striking out 12 and allowing a total of four runs on the day. Melloh then struck out 10 in the 5-3 loss at La. Tech in game one of the series, before winning the second game of the doubleheader, a 9-0 shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out 10 with no walks. Melloh finished the week and the series with La. Tech on Saturday with a complete-game 1-0 shutout where she struck out nine and allowed just two hits. She allowed only nine runs all weekend. Melloh now has 301 strikeouts in her career and on the season which makes her just the sixth Bulldog in school history to have 300 strikeouts on the year. She improved her record to 28-5 and has 28 complete games and 14 shutouts in 225.1 innings pitched.
Other hitter of the week nominees included: Jenna Cervantez of Fresno State hit .500 with 10 hits and nine RBI ... Clare Warwick of Hawai?i hit .444 as the Rainbow Wahine swept San Jose State at home ... Amberly Waits of Louisiana Tech hit .500 with seven hits, including two triples and a home run ... Aubrie Stroman of Utah State hit .500 with six hits and one home run as the Aggies went 1-3 last week.
Other pitcher of the week nominees included: Courtney Baughman of Hawai?i went 1-0 last week with a 1.00 ERA and a complete-game shutout ... Krissi Oliver of Louisiana Tech went 2-1 with a 0.79 ERA, including a win over No. 12 Fresno State ... Kim Watson went 2-1 with 11 strikeouts as the Aggies went 3-1, including a sweep of Utah State.
WAITING TO EXHALE ? Louisiana Tech’s Amberly Waits continues her assault on the Lady Techster record books. The sophomore shortstop has already broken the Tech single-season total base record with 103 (old mark was 98 set by Ashley Cameron in 2005) and has a shot at numerous other single season records. Waits leads the WAC in hitting with a .428 batting average. In conference games, she is second hitting a stunning .455. In WAC games only she is first in hits (15) and tied for first in triples (2). Overall, Waits in first in the WAC in total bases with 103.
IN THE POLLS ? After winning two of three from Louisiana Tech last week, Fresno State is ranked No. 12 this week in both USA Today/NFCA top 25 poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The Bulldogs are an impressive 39-8 overall and 5-3 in conference action. This week, Fresno State will take on instate rival San Jose State.
The Rainbow Wahine are ranked No. 18 in the NFCA poll and No. 15 in the USA Softball poll this week. Hawai?i is 33-11 this overall this season and 7-1 in conference action. The Rainbow Wahine are in first place in the WAC, while the Wolf Pack are second and the Bulldogs are third. Nevada is receiving votes in both polls this week.
ON DECK ? No. 18/15 Hawai?i travels to No. 26/30 Nevada in a crucial three-game series. The Rainbow Wahine and the Wolf Pack are separated by only half a game with Hawai?i sporting a 7-1 conference record, and Nevada is 7-2 in WAC action. After stepping out for non-conference games, San Jose State and Louisiana Tech return to WAC play. San Jose State will host instate rival No. 12/12 Fresno State. Louisiana Tech will host Utah State. New Mexico State will take a break from conference play to take on Cal State Bakersfield on April 19-20.
GALINDO NAMED TO U.S. OLYMPIC SOFTBALL TEAM ? San Jose State assistant coach Vicky Galindo, a members of the U.S. National Softball Team, was named to the squad that will travel to Beijing, China this summer. The United States softball team has won the past three gold medals.
WAC LEADERS ? Louisiana Tech’s Amberly Waits leads the conference in batting average (.428). She is one of two players hitting over .400. Fresno State’s Haley Gilleland and Waits are tops in the WAC in hits (59). Fresno State’s Haley Perkins is first in runs scored (39), while Gilleland is second (35). Once again, Hawai?i’s Kate Robinson leads the league in home runs with 14. She is over half way to the WAC record of 23 by Christina Clark in 2004. Robinson is also hitting .385. In the circle, yet another Fresno State pitcher is dominating. Freshman Morgan Melloh is first in wins (28), and strikeouts (301). Melloh is the sixth Bulldog pitcher and the first since Robin Mackin last season to surpass the 300-strikeout mark.
DOING IT ALL ? Rainbow Wahine senior All-American Kate Robinson is leading Hawai?i in the circle and at the plate. Robinson has overall team-highs in average (.388), runs scored (33), hits (50), home runs (14), runs batted in (38), walks (15) and slugging percentage (.752). Robinson has also fared well in the pitcher’s circle as well. She carries a 13-3 record into this weekend with a 1.73 ERA. She leads the pitching staff with seven shutouts in 109.1 innings pitched and has walked 22 to 93 strike outs. In WAC play, she is 4-0 with a 1.62 ERA.
SIMPLY THE BEST ? In the fourth set of NCAA statistics, several WAC teams and players stand out. Freshman sensation Morgan Melloh of Fresno State is second in the nation in wins (28) only behind Florida’s Stacey Nelson (30). Following in the footsteps of outstanding Bulldog pitchers like Jamie Southern and Amanda Scott, Melloh is also among the nation’s best in ERA. Melloh is 22nd in ERA (1.09). Fresno State’s Haley Perkins is fifth in triples per game (0.17), while Louisiana Tech’s Amberly Waits is seventh (0.41). Nevada’s Katie Holverson is sixth in the nation with five saves.
As a team, Fresno State is 10th in fielding percentage (.976) and 21st in batting average (.308). With 39 wins, Fresno State is 10th in the nation in win/loss percentage (.830). New Mexico State is 10th in double plays per game (0.45).
ROBINSON FINALIST FOR AWARD ? The Amateur Softball Association, the National Governing Body of Softball in the United States, announced today the 25 finalists for the 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Senior All-American Kate Robinson became the first Rainbow Wahine to ever be named a finalist for the national honor.
This award, which is considered one of the most prestigious honors in women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
Earlier this year, Robinson was selected to the 2008 Pre-Season Division I Watch List. From that list the ASA evaluates players on the watch list, as well as other nominees during a mid-season review to determine the 25 finalists.
The Top 25 is comprised of players representing 18 colleges and ten different NCAA Division I Conferences. Among the list are eleven seniors, six juniors, five sophomores and three freshmen.
HAWAI?I TO HOST 2008 TOURNAMENT ? For the first time ever the WAC Softball Tournament will be held in Honolulu, Hawai?i. This will be only the third tournament since 1999. All seven teams will advance to the double-elimination tournament. The tournament will be held at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium from May 7-10. Second-seeded Fresno State captured its second WAC Tournament last season at home in Fresno. The Bulldogs were outstanding in the tournament not dropping a single game.
Fresno State Bulldogs (39-8, 5-3 WAC)
Last week, Morgan Melloh struck out 10 in the 5-3 loss at La. Tech in game one of the series, before winning the second game of the doubleheader, a 9-0 shutout, allowing just three hits and striking out 10 with no walks ... she finished the week with a complete-game 1-0 shutout where she struck out nine ... Melloh has 301 strikeouts this season and is just the sixth Bulldog in school history to have 300 strikeouts in a single season ... she improved her record to 28-5 and has 28 complete games and 14 shutouts in 225.1 innings pitched.
Hawai?i Rainbow Wahine (31-11, 7-1 WAC)
With a sweep of San Jose State at home the Rainbow Wahine moved into first place in the WAC with a 7-1 conference record ... this week Hawai?i will battle second-place Nevada in Reno in a crucial three-game series ... Hawai?i and Nevada have faced each other 24 times with the ?Bows winning 14 of the contests ... last season, UH defeated the Wolf Pack twice in the Bank of Hawaii Invitational and then swept UN in the conference series ... however, Nevada and their ace pitcher Jordan McPherson knocked UH out of the WAC tournament for the second-straight season with a 3-1 win in eight innings.
Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters (24-23, 4-7 WAC)
With six WAC regular season games remaining, including three at home this weekend against Utah State and three on the road against Top 25 Nevada the following weekend, Tech knows every one of these games is important ... the Lady Techsters are coming off a three-game series against Top 25 Fresno State this past week in which Tech upset the 12th ranked Bulldogs 5-3 in game one and put a scare into them falling 1-0 in game three ... Krissi Oliver (11-11) had a solid week in the circle for Tech, going 2-1 with a 0.79 earned run average.
Nevada Wolf Pack (29-14, 7-2 WAC)
Last week, for the first time in school history, Nevada softball team is nationally ranked ... this week, in the USA Today/NFCA poll, Nevada is No. 26 and No. 30 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 ... the Wolf Pack has beaten five other ranked opponents this season, including a series win (two-of-three) at Fresno State over the weekend ... the Wolf Pack return to action on April 19 when nationally ranked WAC foe Hawai?i comes to Christina M. Hixson Softball Park for a three-game series.
New Mexico State Aggies (22-27, 6-6 WAC)
The New Mexico State softball team won three of it’s four games throughout the week. Over the weekend the Aggies recorded their first conference sweep of the season with a 5-3, 5-4 and 14-1 win over Utah State. Throughout the series, NMSU had 20 more at bats (86-66), 13 more hits (30-17), 16 more runs (24-8), had five doubles (6-1), three triples (3-0) and also stole two more bases on three more attempts (4-5 and 2-2). NMSU did fall to the University of New Mexico, 7-6, however was ahead until the sixth inning.
San Jose State Spartans (21-22, 3-3 WAC)
San Jose State spent last weekend in Honolulu but didn’t find the islands very hospitable ... the Rainbow Wahine, the top squad in the WAC, defeated the Spartans,
1-0, in the opener of the three-game series ... Hawai’i took both havles of the Saturday doubleheader, 3-1 and 9-6 ... the losses left the Spartans record at 21-25, 3-6 in WAC play ... things don’t get any easier for the Spartans this week ... after facing a tough UC Davis squad on Wednesday, San Jose State welcomes the No. 12 Fresno State Bulldogs.
Utah State Aggies (11-24, 2-9 WAC)
Utah State travels to just its second WAC opponent this season, playing at Louisiana Tech, Friday and Saturday, April 18-19 ... the Aggies recorded its first shutout this season at Idaho State, winning, 7-0, on April 9 ... Utah State is led by freshman shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro’s .386 average which is fifth in the conference, while junior designated player Kayla Dunn ranks eighth in the league with a .370 average ... junior pitcher Lindsey Benson leads the team with a 4.77 ERA and has recorded 105 strikeouts in 148.1 innings of work.