May 12, 2012

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Pacific Coast Softball Conference handed out its annual postseason awards Saturday and Utah Valley University was well represented as two Wolverines made the first team, two more made the second and four more were honorable mention selections.

Landing on the All-PCSC Mountain Division First Team from UVU were junior pitcher Tiffany Mills and freshman catcher/designated player Jamie North. Freshman pitcher Cassie Herrera and junior outfielder Marie Williams were also named to the second team. The conference honor for all four is their first as all our newcomers in Orem this season.

Honorable mention selections for the Wolverines also included junior shortstop Krystin Jachim, senior first baseman Amanda Perez, senior catcher Deianna Russell and freshman second baseman Jessica Uresti.

The All-Mountain Division team and individual award winners were voted on by the six head coaches in the PCSC Mountain Division and were selected solely on their play in PCSC games only. The PCSC began divisional play in 2010 and names an all-division team for both the Coastal and Mountain Divisions.

Mills (Riverside, Calif.) has had a tremendous season in Orem as the pitcher has set numerous school records in her first year as a Wolverine. She broke the single-season mark for wins in a season as she currently has 16 (16-16), earned run average (2.57), shutouts (4), complete games (23) and saves (8). Mills also has pitched over 200 innings this year (209.2), struck out 140 batters, started 33 games, and opponents are hitting just .240 off of her.

North (Placentia, Calif.) has had an outstanding freshman season for UVU as she earned first team accolades after leading the Wolverines in hitting in PCSC-only play with a .356 average. For the entire season she is batting a team-high .313 with three homers, nine doubles, a triple and 16 RBIs.

Herrera (Santa Clarita, Calif.) earned second team honors after she has been solid in the circle for the Wolverines during her freshman campaign. For the season Herrera is 8-6 with a 3.86 ERA. The right-hander has started 19 games, pitched four complete contests and two shutouts. In conference-only play she was even better as she was 3-2 with a 2.62 ERA in eight starts.

Williams (Delta, British Columbia) was second on the team in hitting in conference-only play in 2012 with a .346 batting average. The slap-hitter also scored nine runs and drove home three more. Overall the centerfielder is hitting .268 with 25 runs scored, 10 RBIs, seven stolen bases and four assists.

Portland State junior right-hander Anna Bertrand was a unanimous choice for the Mountain Division Pitcher of the Year, while Idaho State junior pitcher/infielder Amanda Fitzsimmons and Weber State senior third baseman Lyndsey Minnich were named Mountain Division co-Players of the Year.

Portland State freshman shortstop Alicia Fine was named Freshman of the Year and Viking head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk garnered her third straight Mountain Division Coach of the Year Award after she led PSU to the division title. It was also Echo-Hawk's fourth consecutive Coach of the Year award as she was named the PCSC Coach of the Year in 2009 before divisional play began in 2010.

UVU, who failed to qualify for the PCSC championship series that will take place in Moraga, Calif. this weekend, will instead play at the Great West Conference Championships in Farmers Branch, Texas beginning Sunday. The top-seeded Wolverines will begin the tournament by taking on fourth-seeded North Dakota Sunday at 9 a.m. MT.

 

2012 PCSC ALL-MOUNTAIN DIVISION TEAM
First Team

Pos.	Player	Yr.	School
C	Bubba Morrow	FR	Seattle
1B	Karmen Holladay**	SR	Portland State
2B	Melissa Marcovecchio	FR	Northern Colorado
3B	Lyndsey Minnich -!	SR	Weber State
SS	Alicia Fine	FR	Portland State
OF	Lindsey Smith	JR	Northern Colorado
OF	Sarah Petosa	SO	Seattle
OF	Jenna Krogh**	SR	Portland State
UTL	Jamie North	FR	Utah Valley
P-UTL	Amanda Fitzsimmons	JR	Idaho State
P	Anna Bertrand*** -!	JR	Portland State
P	Tiffany Mills	JR	Utah Valley

Second Team
 

Pos.	Player	Yr.	School
C	Vicky Galasso	FR	Idaho State
1B	Lisa Maulden	FR	Seattle
2B	Becky Simonsen	JR	Idaho State
3B	Brianna Guerrero	SO	Seattle
SS	Brooke Silva	SO	Weber State
OF	Erika James-Dixon	SR	Weber State
OF	Marie Williams	JR	Utah Valley
OF	Erin Geddis	SR	Northern Colorado
UTL	Cydnee Clark	FR	Weber State
P-UTL	Sarah Clark	SR	Weber State
P	Mandie Sugita	SO	Seattle
P	Cassie Herrera	FR	Utah Valley

Honorable Mention: Crysta Conn (SO, 3B), Portland State; Janel Cunningham (FR, C), Weber State; Mikayla Duffy (FR, P/UTL), Northern Colorado; Ashley Huddleston (SO, 1B), Weber State; Krystin Jachim (JR, SS), Utah Valley; Gabby Lopez (FR, UTL), Idaho State; Carly McEachran (JR, 2B), Portland State; Symbree Minniear (SR, 2B), Weber State; Alex Neely (SR, UTL), Northern Colorado; Amanda Perez (SR, 1B), Utah Valley; Deianna Russell (SR, C), Utah Valley; Jessica Uresti (FR, 2B), Utah Valley

CO-PLAYERS OF THE YEAR: Amanda Fitzsimmons (JR, P/UTL), Idaho State; Lyndsey Minnich (SR, 3B), Weber State
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Anna Bertrand -! (JR), Portland State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Alicia Fine (SS), Portland State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Tobin Echo-Hawk, Portland State

* - Number of first-team selections
! – Unanimous selection.
# - Tie
 

 

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