UTAH STATE’S THOMSEN, SJSU’S PRIDMORE NAMED WAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Utah State’s Christine Thomsen and San Jose State’s Amanda Pridmore have been named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for March 11-17. This is the first-ever honor for Thomsen and the second of the season and third of her career for Pridmore.
Thomsen, a senior infielder from Fresno, Calif., led the Aggies to their first wins of the season, as Utah State went 5-2 last week. She posted a .476 batting average, .619 slugging percentage and .560 on-base percentage over the seven games. Thomsen produced 10 hits in 21 at bats, three of which were doubles, two RBI and also walked four times. Her double in the bottom of the seventh inning against Portland State rallied Utah State past the Vikings after overcoming a five-run deficit in the seventh to send the game into extra-innings. The Aggies eventually won the game 6-5.
Pridmore, a senior from Modesto, Calif., went 4-1 with a save in six appearances last week. In 27.2 innings of work, she posted a 0.51 ERA, 44 strikeouts and held opponents to a .120 batting average. In her two appearances on March 16, she pitched 12 innings of shutout softball, yielded just two singles, struck out 25 of the 42 batters she faced and was the winning pitcher in both games. In a shutout against Marist, she had a San Jose State single-game record 17 strikeouts, the fifth-most in a single game in NCAA Division I history. Pridmore also picked up her program-best 13th career save against Harvard on March 15 and moved into seventh place in San Jose State history for career shutouts (10).
Other Hitter of the Week nominees included: Kelsey Dodd of New Mexico State hit .400 in a pair of games at No. 21 Nebraska ... Jessica Garcia of San Jose State hit .389 with two doubles, a home run and eight RBI ... Seattle U’s Allegra Wilde hit .417 with a double and one RBI last week ... Britnea Barilli of UT Arlington hit .333 with a double and two RBI last week ... UTSA’s Jolene Graham hit .500 with four RBI on the week ... Haley Lemons of Texas State hit .400 with one double, one homer and two RBI.
Other Pitcher of the Week nominees included: Celisha Walker of New Mexico State posted a 1.62 ERA with three strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work ... UT Arlington’s Teri Lyles went 4-2 with 18 strikeouts over 30.1 innings ... Ryan House of Texas State went 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 14 strikeouts last week ... Utah State’s Noelle Johnson went 2-1 with 16 strikeouts on the week.
LOUISIANA TECH LEADS NATION IN STOLEN BASES
With 2.88 stolen bases per game, Louisiana Tech currently leads the nation in that category. The Lady Techsters have 71 stolen bases this season, more than twice the team’s total of 27 last season and 34 shy of the WAC record of 105, set by Colorado State in 1997.
SJSU’S PRIDMORE SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR STRIKEOUTS IN A GAME
San Jose State senior hurler Amanda Pridmore set the school record for strikeouts in a game when she fanned 17 batters against Marist on March 16. Three times during the game she posted three strikeouts in an inning, twice in succession. The 17 strikeouts is tied for the fifth-most in a game in NCAA Division I history.
TWO NO-HITTERS THROWN IN THE WAC THIS SEASON
Louisiana Tech senior Michelle Jones threw her first career no-hitter in a five-inning win over Alcorn State on Feb. 17. UT Arlington senior Teri Lyles pitched her first career no-hitter against Creighton on March 3.
PRIDMORE MOVING UP SAN JOSE STATE CAREER CHARTS
With her shutout of Marist on March 16, San Jose State senior hurler Amanda Pridmore moved into eighth place in the SJSU record books with 10 shutouts on her career. Pridmore is also the all-time saves leader (13), ranks second in strikeouts (598) and appearances (140), tied for second in wins (56) and opponent batting average (.242), third in games started (95), fourth in innings pitched (696.2), and tied for fourth in complete games (64). Pridmore is 46 strikeouts shy of the all-time school record of 644, held by Carol Forbes (2002-05).
UTSA’S STATON THROWS 20 CONSECUTIVE SCORELESS INNINGS
From Feb. 20 against North Texas until Feb. 24 against Purdue, UTSA’s Haylee Staton tossed 20 consecutive scoreless frames before allowing a run. During that time, she threw two complete games and made five appearances.
SEATTLE U CHRISTENS NEW HOME
Seattle U hosted local opponent Northwest University in its first regular-season contests at its newly renovated home, Logan Field at Seattle University Park, on Feb. 23. The Redhawks won both contests in five innings, 9-1 and 15-0. In the second game, SU scored 11 runs in a single inning. Lisa Maulden hit the first regular-season home run on the new field to right field and Bubba Morrow added the second to center field.
UTSA’S LOW HAS THREE GAMES WITH THREE OR MORE RBI
UTSA sophomore catcher Megan Low has recorded three or more RBI in three different games this season. She posted three RBI against Lamar (Feb. 9) and North Texas (Feb. 20). Low had first multi-homer game and had a career-high four RBI against Rutgers on Feb. 16.
RODRIGUEZ HITS GRAND SLAM, HOMER IN CONSECUTIVE AT BATS
New Mexico State outfielder Staci Rodriguez hit her first career grand slam in an 8-1 win over Illinois-Chicago on Feb. 8. The sophomore then came back in her next at bat and hit a solo home run. She had five homers in all of last season.
UTSA’S TIJERINA HITS PAIR OF HOMERS IN LAMAR FINALE
After playing in just seven games last season with 11 at-bats, UTSA sophomore Vivian Tijerina hit a pair of homers against Lamar on Feb. 10 to become the first Roadrunner to have a multi-homer game since Jori Fox on April 22, 2011.
LOUISIANA TECH TO HOST 2013 TOURNAMENT
Louisiana Tech will host the 2013 WAC Softball Tournament. The top six teams will advance to the double-elimination tournament, which will be held at the Lady Techsters Softball Complex from May 7-10. It is the first time the Lady Techsters have hosted the event.
Second-seeded Brigham Young claimed its first-ever WAC Tournament title last season in Las Cruces, N.M., to earn the WAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
TEXAS STATE PICKED TO WIN 2013 WAC TITLE
In a preseason vote of the WAC softball coaches, league newcomer Texas State edged out San Jose State by one point to win the 2013 WAC regular-season crown. The Bobcats took the top spot in the preseason poll with 43 points and five first-place votes, just ahead of San Jose State in second place with 42 points and two first-place votes. New Mexico State was third with 39 points and one first-place vote.