| May 5, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Eleven Roadrunners earn all-conference accolades
Rogers tabbed SLC Player and Hitter of the Year; Torres named Newcomer of the Year Official Southland Conference Release
PLANO, Texas – UTSA junior third baseman Jessica Rogers was named Southland Conference Softball Player and Hitter of the Year and junior Mel Torres was tabbed Newcomer of the Year as 11 Roadrunners were named to the 2005 All-SLC Softball Team released by the league office Thursday.
Rogers became the sixth player in SLC history to sweep both Player and Hitter of the Year honors and earned first team honors at third base for the third consecutive season. The Grand Prairie native paced the SLC in hits (75), home runs (22), runs batted in (61), total bases (152) and slugging percentage (.804), all while committing zero errors in 26 conference games.
Torres, a transfer from Kansas, was named Newcomer of the Year and third team all-SLC at second base. She hit .318 with 44 runs, a team-high 14 doubles, eight home runs and 33 RBI.
Four other Roadrunners joined Rogers on the first team, giving UTSA a league-high five first team selections. The 11 overall picks also was a league high, four more than Sam Houston State.
Sophomore Aimee Murray, the 2004 SLC Freshman of the Year, earned first team honors at shortstop of the second straight season. The Cy-Fair High School product is batting .355 with 12 doubles, 11 home runs and 38 RBI.
Senior outfielder Jennifer Davis made her first appearance on the first squad after two straight years as a second teamer. The South Grand Prairie High alum is having a career season with a team-high .398 batting average, 12 home runs, nine doubles, three triples and 43 RBI.
Junior Stacey Gillespie joined Davis in the first team outfield, her first career all-conference nod. The Round Rock native is hitting .310 overall but ranked third in the SLC with a .439 batting average in league play.
Jessica Els also made the first team at catcher after being named to the third team last season. The junior from Cy-Fair High is hitting .366 with nine home runs, six doubles and 35 RBI.
Senior first baseman Krystal Gibson and sophomore pitcher Ursula Mares were chosen to the second team. For Gibson, a .318 hitter with nine doubles and nine round-trippers, it is the fourth time she has been named first or second team, while Mares moved up one team after posting a 19-7 record, 2.58 ERA and 183 strikeouts.
Junior Amanda Horton was named third team designated player for the second straight season after hitting .442 with seven home runs and 16 RBI in league play. Junior Jenny Garcia received her first all-SLC honor with the third team outfield after hitting .331 with nine home runs and 28 RBI.
Freshman pitcher Amanda Nikolenko garnered honorable mention honors with a successful debut season. The Ashland, Mo., native posted a 17-8 record, 2.75 ERA and 127 strikeouts.
Shalayne Blythe of Sam Houston State was named Pitcher and Freshman of the Year, while Bob Brock was voted Coach of the Year, giving the Bearkats three of the individual accolades. Katie Ann Trahan of Texas State was tabbed Utility Player of the Year for the second time.
The Southland Conference Tournament opens with UTSA facing 6-seed McNeese State on Friday at 11 a.m. at North Oak Park.
ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
1B - Beth Jordan, McNeese State
2B – Lauren Boone, Sam Houston State
3B – Jessica Rogers, Texas-San Antonio
SS – Aimee Murray, Texas-San Antonio
C – Jessica Els, Texas-San Antonio
OF – Nicole Martin, Northwestern State
OF – Jennifer Davis, Texas-San Antonio
OF – Stacey Gillespie, Texas-San Antonio
DP – Katie Ann Trahan, Texas State
P – Shalayne Blythe, Sam Houston State
P – Katie Ann Trahan, Texas State
SECOND TEAM
1B – Krystal Gibson, Texas-San Antonio
2B – Ashley Wilson, Texas State
3B – Tonya Edlund, McNeese State
SS – Shay Hunt, Northwestern State
C – Karin Smith, Southeastern Louisiana
OF – Sarina Noack, Northwestern State
OF – Carrie Woydziak, Stephen F. Austin
OF – Autumn Petrino, Texas-Arlington
DP – Jana Jones, McNeese State
P – Jessica Denham, McNeese State
P – Ursula Mares, Texas-San Antonio
THIRD TEAM
1B – Lindsay Coleman, Nicholls State
2B – Melaney Torres, Texas-San Antonio
3B – Ragen Rutherford, Stephen F. Austin
SS – Tanya Hooser, Sam Houston State
C – Chrissy Dileo, Sam Houston State
OF – Stephanie Mosley, Sam Houston State
OF – Sarah Sweaney, Sam Houston State
OF – Jenny Garcia, Texas-San Antonio
DP – Amanda Horton, Texas-San Antonio
P – Melissa Collins, Sam Houston State
P – Jill Garro, Texas-Arlington
HONORABLE MENTION: 1B - Elizabeth Gibson, SHSU; Tara Hersey, SFA; 2B - Nicole Edlund, McN; Lyndsey Gorski, NWLa.; 3B - Leah Peterson, NICH; Holly Britain, TXST; SS - Lindsey Yelverton, NICH; Nicole Bethurum, ULM; C - Jenny Clay, McN; Rachael Bonetti, TXST; OF - Rachael Phillips, McN; Andrea Ground, NICH; Kathryn Harrell, NICH; Lisa Chapman, SLU; Katie Szmergalski, SLU; Amy Krueger, TXST; Kristen Baker, ULM; Katie Jones, UTA; DP -Amanda Glenn, NWLa.; P – Rachel Ray, SLU; Amanda Nikolenko, UTSA.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jessica Rogers, Jr., 3B, Texas-San Antonio
HITTER OF THE YEAR: Jessica Rogers, Jr., 3B, Texas-San Antonio
PITCHER OF THE YEAR: Shalayne Blythe, Fr., Sam Houston State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Shalayne Blythe, P, Sam Houston State
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR: Melaney Torres, Jr., 2B, Texas-San Antonio
UTILITY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Katie Ann Trahan, Jr., DP, Texas State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bob Brock, Sam Houston State
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