DENVER ? The Western Athletic Conference softball coaches have selected Fresno State to win the 2009 WAC regular-season crown. This is the 12th time in the last 14 years that the Bulldogs have been the preseason favorite to take the crown.
The coaches also voted on 2009 preseason award winners. Fresno State sophomore hurler Morgan Melloh earned preseason Pitcher of the Year honors, while Hawai?i senior third baseman Clare Warwick earned preseason Player of the Year honors.
Fresno State took the top spot in the preseason poll with 48 points. Nevada edged the Rainbow Wahine for second place with 40 points to Hawai?i’s 39.
Last year’s WAC Tournament champion Louisiana Tech tied with New Mexico State for fourth place with 28 points. San Jose State was picked to finish sixth with 21 points, while Utah State was picked to finish seventh with 12 points. League newcomer Boise State rounded out the poll in eighth place with eight points.
Hawai?i and Nevada placed the most players on the preseason all-WAC team with three each, while Fresno State, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State had two apiece. Joining Melloh and Warwick on the preseason first team are Nevada’s Noelle Micka, Kym Silagyi and Brittany Puzey, Hawai?i’s Audrey Andrade and Tanisha Milca, Amberly Waits and Krissi Oliver of Louisiana Tech, New Mexico State’s Kristi Randall and Stacey Lien, Haley Perkins of Fresno State and Brittany McConnell of San Jose State.
Three members of the 2008 all-WAC first team made an appearance on the preseason all-WAC team (Melloh, Micka, Puzey), while seven 2008 second-team honorees are on the team (Andrade, Silagyi, Warwick, Waits, Milca, Oliver, Lien).
2009 Preseason All-WAC Team
| Pos. |
Player, Year, School |
| C |
Noelle Micka, So., Nevada |
| 1B |
Audrey Andrade, Sr., Hawai?i |
| 2B |
Kym Silagyi, Sr., Nevada |
| 3B |
Clare Warwick, Sr., Hawai?i |
| SS |
Amberly Waits, Sr., Louisiana Tech |
| OF |
Tanisha Milca, Sr., Hawai?i |
| OF |
Brittany Puzey, Sr., Nevada |
| OF |
Kristi Randall, Sr., New Mexico State |
| P |
Morgan Melloh, So., Fresno State |
| UT |
Krissi Oliver, Sr., Louisiana Tech |
| DP |
Stacey Lien, Sr., New Mexico State |
| At-Large |
Brittany McConnell, C, Sr., San Jose State |
| At-Large |
Haley Perkins, 3B, Sr., Fresno State |
Player of the YearClare Warwick, Sr., Hawai?i
Pitcher of the YearMorgan Melloh, So., Fresno State
2009 WAC Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team (1st-Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Fresno State (6) |
48 |
| 2 |
Nevada (1) |
40 |
| 3 |
Hawai?i (1) |
39 |
| T-4. |
Louisiana Tech |
28 |
|
New Mexico State |
28 |
| 6 |
San Jose State |
21 |
| 7 |
Utah State |
12 |
| 8 |
Boise State |
8 |