| Rudi Cantu | Dany? Holmes |
| Krista Sitka | Leanne Risberg |
FRISCO ? Junior Leanne Risberg, sophomores Rudi Cantu and KristaSitka and freshman Dany? Holmes have been named to the All-SouthlandConference Softball Team, the league office announced Wednesday.
Cantu was named to the first team at second base, while Holmes waschosen second team at pitcher and third team at designated player.Risberg and Sitka were tabbed third team at outfielder and honorablemention at first base, respectively.
Cantu extended UTSA’s streak of first-team selections to six years withher first career first-team nod. The Alvin native, who was a third-teampick in the outfield last season, hit .318 with 34 hits, 27 runs, twodoubles, three triples, four walks and 14 RBIs, stole eight bases andposted a .978 fielding percentage in conference play. She recorded ahit in 22 of the 30 league games and had multiple hits 10 times.Overall, Cantu is batting .320 with a team-best 55 hits, 38 runs, fourdoubles, three triples, six walks and 16 RBIs and is 11-of-15 on stolenbases. She has posted 17 multi-hit games and enjoyed a season-long11-game hitting streak from Feb. 23-March 8 in which she raised herbatting average from .240 to .419. She ranks third in runs, fifth intriples, eighth in hits and at-bats and 11th in stolen bases among SLCplayers. Cantu is the 21st different Roadrunner to make the first teamand her selection gives UTSA 30 total first-team accolades.
Holmes became the first Roadrunner to receive all-conference accoladesat two different positions in the same year, as the dual threat emergedas one of the top freshmen in the league this season. In league play,the left-hander registered an 8-1 record, 1.45 ERA, eight completegames, three shutouts, 58 strikeouts, 22 walks and an opposing .211batting average in 77 innings of work in 14 league appearances. Holmes,who hails from Sugar Land, held opponents scoreless for 28 consecutiveinnings from April 19-May 4, and struck out 13 McNeese State batters onMarch 1, one shy of the school record. Overall, she has posted a 9-6record, 2.23 ERA, nine complete games, three shutouts, 78 strikeoutsand 31 walks in 100.1 innings pitched.
Holmes had an impact at the plate, as well, as she hit .360 with 32hits, 15 runs, four doubles, seven home runs, 21 walks, 27 RBIs, a .640slugging percentage and a .486 on-base percentage in league play.Overall, she is batting .328 with 45 hits, 18 runs, five doubles, eighthome runs, 34 walks, 33 RBIs, a .540 slugging percentage and a .465on-base percentage. Holmes recorded 12 multi-hit and nine multi-RBIgames, including five RBIs against Nicholls State on March 29. Sheranks 26th in the NCAA in walks per game (0.69) and 89th in on-basepercentage (.465).
Risberg garnered her second career all-conference certificate, as theNew Orleans, La., native was named to the third team outfield. Inconference play, she batted .306 with 30 hits, 16 runs, five doubles,three home runs, 16 RBIs and a .449 slugging percentage. She also waserrorless with three assists in 39 total chances from her spot incenter field. Overall, Risberg is hitting .276 with 43 hits, 27 runs,six doubles, six home runs and 22 RBIs and ranks 30th in the country inhit-by-pitch (11 in 49 games/0.22). She posted a season-long 10-gamehitting streak from March 19-30 and has turned in seven multi-hit andfour multi-RBI games.
Sitka was tabbed honorable mention at first base after hitting .297with 27 hits, 13 runs, three doubles, five home runs, 22 RBIs and a.495 slugging percentage in SLC action. Overall, the Houston nativeowns a .277 batting average, 41 hits, 16 runs, six doubles, seven homeruns, 34 RBIs and a .459 slugging percentage. Sitka has tallied sevenmulti-hit and four multi-RBI games this season.
UTSA now has collected 75 All-SLC first-, second- or third-team honors, including 15 under third-year head coach Lori Cook.
2008 All-Southland Conference Softball Teams
First Team
C ? Samantha Chumchal, UT Arlington
1B ? Jessica Tullos, Stephen F. Austin
2B ? Rudi Cantu, UTSA
3B ? Heather Sherrill, Southeastern Louisiana
SS ? Kat Harrell, Nicholls State
OF ? Kim Connelly, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
OF ? Katie Jones, UT Arlington
OF ? Hailey Wiginton, Sam Houston State
DP ? Jenny Clay, McNeese State
P ? Ragan Blake, Texas State
P ? Monika Covington, Stephen F. Austin
Second Team
C ? Ashton Peters, Texas State
1B ? Leah Boatright, Texas State
2B ? Danielle Clayton, Nicholls State
3B ? Ali McCormack, Texas State
SS ? Amanda Swofford, UT Arlington
OF ? Kendal Harper, Stephen F. Austin
OF ? Kristina Tello, Texas State
OF ? Jetta Weinheimer, Texas State
DP ? McKenzie Baack, Texas State
P ? Dany? Holmes, UTSA
P ? Cara Hulme, UT Arlington
Third Team
C ? Kim Daley, Stephen F. Austin
1B ? Amy Thibodaux, Nicholls State
2B ? Arica Rodriguez, Southeastern Louisiana
3B ? Whitney Simpson, UT Arlington
SS ? Alex Newton, Texas State
OF ? Megan Beard, McNeese State
OF ? Cary Bruno, Northwestern State
OF ? Leanne Risberg, UTSA
P ? Dany? Holmes, UTSA
P ? Rachel Ray, Southeastern Louisiana
P ? Morgan Mikulin, Sam Houston State
Honorable Mention: April Clougherty, UT Arlington, Lauren Sanders,A&M-Corpus Christi, Allyson McCubbins, Southeastern Louisiana, RachelKing, McNeese State, Krista Sitka, UTSA, Brittany Stevens, UTArlington, Keatha Tollett, Central Arkansas, Brandi Crnkovic, SamHouston State, Laura Jones, UT Arlington.
Player Of The Year: Ragan Blake, Texas State
Hitter Of The Year: McKenzie Baack, Texas State
Pitcher Of The Year: Ragan Blake, Texas State
Utility Player Of The Year: Jenny Clay, McNeese State
Newcomer Of The Year: Kim Connelly, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Freshman Of The Year: Monika Covington, Stephen F. Austin
Coach Of The Year: Ricci Woodard, Texas State