DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference softball coaches have selected Fresno State to win the 2010 WAC regular-season crown. This is the 13th time in the last 15 years that the Bulldogs have been the preseason favorite to take the crown.
The coaches also voted on 2010 preseason award winners. Fresno State junior hurler Morgan Melloh earned preseason Pitcher of the Year honors, while Louisiana Tech senior shortstop Amberly Waits earned preseason Player of the Year honors.
Fresno State took the top spot in the preseason poll with 48 points and six first-place votes. Nevada came in second, picking up one first-place vote and 41 points, followed by Hawai’i in third place with 34 points. New Mexico State edged Louisiana Tech for fourth place with 29 points and the remaining first-place vote. San Jose State was picked to finish sixth with 19 points, followed by Boise State in seventh with 18 points. Utah rounded out the poll in eighth place with seven points.
Nevada and New Mexico State placed the most players on the preseason all-WAC team with three each, while Fresno State, Hawai’i and Louisiana Tech had two apiece. Joining Melloh and Waits on the preseason team are Nevada’s Sam Bias, Katie Holverson and Noelle Micka, New Mexico State’s Tiare Jennings, Hoku Nohara and Angie Ortega, Hawai‘i’s Stephanie Ricketts and Amanda Tauali’i, Haley Gilleland of Fresno State, Louisiana Tech’s Kylie Bassett and Kathy Cox of Boise State.
All but one member of the preseason all-WAC team was named to the 2009 all-WAC team. Nine members were first team all-WAC honorees a year ago (Bassett, Bias, Holverson, Melloh, Micka, Nohara, Ortega, Tauali’i and Waits), while three 2009 second-team honorees are on the team (Gilleland, Jennings and Ricketts).
2010 WAC Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Fresno State (6) |
48 |
| 2 |
Nevada (1) |
41 |
| 3 |
Hawai‘i |
34 |
| 4 |
New Mexico State (1) |
29 |
| 5 |
Louisiana Tech |
28 |
| 6 |
San Jose State |
19 |
| 7 |
Boise State |
18 |
| 8 |
Utah State |
7 |
2010 Preseason All-WAC Team
| Player |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
| Kylie Bassett |
Louisiana Tech |
1B |
Sr. |
| Sam Bias |
Nevada |
3B |
Sr. |
| Kathy Cox |
Boise State |
3B |
Sr. |
| Haley Gilleland |
Fresno State |
SS |
Jr. |
| Katie Holverson |
Nevada |
P |
Sr. |
| Tiare Jennings |
New Mexico State |
OF |
So. |
| Morgan Melloh |
Fresno State |
P |
Jr. |
| Noelle Micka |
Nevada |
C |
Jr. |
| Hoku Nohara |
New Mexico State |
1B |
Jr. |
| Angie Ortega |
New Mexico State |
OF |
Sr. |
| Stephanie Ricketts |
Hawai’i |
P |
So. |
| Amanda Tauali’i |
Hawai’i |
1B |
Sr. |
| Amberly Waits |
Louisiana Tech |
SS |
Sr. |
Player of the Year
Amberly Waits, Sr., Louisiana Tech
Pitcher of the Year
Morgan Melloh, Jr., Fresno State