DENVER – The Western Athletic Conference softball coaches have selected Hawai’i to win the 2011 WAC regular-season crown. This is the third time the Rainbow Wahine have been the favorite to take the crown (2002, 2008).
The coaches also voted on 2011 preseason award winners. Hawai’i junior hurler Stephanie Ricketts earned preseason Pitcher of the Year honors, while teammate sophomore outfielder Kelly Majam earned preseason Player of the Year honors.
Reigning WAC champion Hawai’i took the top spot in the preseason poll with 48 points and six first-place votes. Fresno State came in second, picking up two first-place vote and 43 points, followed by Boise State in third place. New Mexico State edged Louisiana Tech for fourth place. Nevada was picked to finish sixth (24), followed by San Jose State in seventh with 13 points. Utah State rounded out the poll in eighth place with eight points.
Hawai’i placed the most players on the preseason all-WAC team with five, while Fresno State had three and New Mexico State had two. Joining Ricketts and Majam on the preseason team are Hawai’i’s Melissa Gonzalez, Jessica Iwata and Jenna Rodriguez, Fresno State’s Haley Gilleland, Michelle Moses and Caitlin Stiglich, New Mexico State’s Tiare Jennings and Hoku Nohara, Meghan Krieg of Louisiana Tech, Allie Crump of Boise State and Amanda Pridmore of San Jose State.
All but one member of the preseason all-WAC team was named to the 2011 all-WAC team. Ten members were first team all-WAC honorees a year ago (Gilleland, Gonzalez, Iwata, Jennings, Krieg, Majam, Moses, Ricketts, Rodriguez and Stiglich), while two 2010 second-team honorees are on the team (Crump and Nohara).
2011 WAC Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team (first-place votes) |
Points |
| 1 |
Hawai‘i (6) |
48 |
| 2 |
Fresno State (2) |
43 |
| 3 |
Boise State |
33 |
| 4 |
New Mexico State |
28 |
| 5 |
Louisiana Tech |
27 |
| 6 |
Nevada |
24 |
| 7 |
San Jose State |
13 |
| 8 |
Utah State |
8 |
2011 Preseason All-WAC Team
| Player |
School |
Pos. |
Yr. |
| Allie Crump |
Boise State |
P |
Jr. |
| Haley Gilleland |
Fresno State |
SS |
Sr. |
| Melissa Gonzalez |
Hawai’i |
3B |
Sr. |
| Jessica Iwata |
Hawai’i |
SS |
So. |
| Tiare Jennings |
New Mexico State |
OF |
Jr. |
| Meghan Krieg |
Louisiana Tech |
P |
Sr. |
| Kelly Majam |
Hawai’i |
OF |
So. |
| Michelle Moses |
Fresno State |
P |
Jr. |
| Hoku Nohara |
New Mexico State |
1B |
Sr. |
| Amanda Pridmore |
San Jose State |
P |
Jr. |
| Stephanie Ricketts |
Hawai’i |
P |
Jr. |
| Jenna Rodriguez |
Hawai’i |
OF |
Sr. |
| Caitlin Stiglich |
Fresno State |
C |
Sr. |
Player of the YearKelly Majam, So., Hawai’i
Pitcher of the YearStephanie Ricketts, Jr., Hawai’i