The NCAA announced the 2010 WCWS All Tournament team and it is as follows.

Brittany Schutte – Florida
Traci Yoshikawa – Hawaii
Rhea Taylor – Missouri
Ivy Renfroe – Tennessee
Erinn Webb – Tennessee
K’Lee Arredondo – Arizona
Karissa Buchanan – Arizona
Kenzie Fowler – Arizona
Brittany Lastrapes – Arizona
Samantha Camuso – UCLA
Andrea Harrison – UCLa

Most Outstanding Player: Megan Langenfeld, UCLA

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UCLA 15, ARIZONA 9

UCLA HEAD COACH KELLY INOUYE-PEREZ

Opening comment:

“Every team, every program in the country sets out with a vision to be able to get to this point. Ultimately, it’s a dream come true to have your players be able to play their best softball at the biggest of moments and I am so proud of each and every one of the members of this team. They were committed to being able to bring back the history and tradition of where we believe we belong, right here in the thick of it, winning a national championship. They’ve believed since day one. They were committed, they were together, they accomplished what they wanted to as individuals, but more important they brought home the trophy as a team. Number 106 is big, because they will forever be in UCLA athletics history. I am very happy for them for that.”

On all three UCLA softball coaches in history now owning national titles:

“It’s indescribable. Being a part of this is bigger than any one person. It’s not about the coaching staff, and (former coaches) Sharron Backus and Sue Enquist would say the same. It’s about bringing together student-athletes and making sure that they have a wonderful experience; knowing that family comes first, then school and then softball. When you commit to being a Bruin, you commit to being a Bruin for life. I have taken on this responsibility knowing that there are going to be a lot of expectations, and I shared with the players that the only expectations are the expectations we have of ourselves and I expect to get this team back here. I am very proud that they were able to step up and represent UCLA softball. More importantly, they were very connected and they will be Bruins for life. I can’t wait and I hope that they will come back and help carry on this wonderful tradition that has been created by Sharron and Sue, and I am so fortunate to be able to carry it on.”

UCLA SENIOR PITCHER/INFIELDER MEGAN LANGENFELD

On if she was surprised to see a good pitch in her first-inning at-bat that resulted in a home run:

“I was a little surprised, but it was right there. I just had to take advantage of it. It just happened. It just went over the fence and it put us up two to nothing. I think that really sent the message that we were here to play. It wasn’t going to be handed to us and that we had to earn it. We were ready to go from the first inning on.”
On overcoming multiple injuries throughout the season:

“This year has been, I think, my hardest year, as far as injuries go. I was hit in an at-bat against UCR early in the season. It hit my right elbow and it sent tingling and numbness all the way from the middle of my bicep all the way down to my fingers. For the first full week I had to do everything left-handed. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t comb my hair. I couldn’t brush my teeth. There were a lot of things I couldn’t do. Luckily my team had my back through the whole time I was gone. I was able to get back in it and then had this little hamstring (injury) happen the day before regionals. Perfect timing, right? Again my team had my back all the way through regionals, supers and now. It was definitely a challenging year but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

UCLA SOPHOMORE OUTFIELDER ANDREA HARRISON

On her second-inning grand slam and winning the national championship:

“It’s the best feeling in the world. This is what I signed up for. This is the reason why I committed to UCLA. It’s the reason why I put a lot of things off and sacrificed a lot of things. You can’t change the feeling that this team has right now.”

ARIZONA HEAD COACH MIKE CANDREA

Opening comment:

“First off, I want to congratulate UCLA and the Pac-10 for a job well done. I think we expelled a lot of energy to get here. I’m very proud of this team for the fight that they put up throughout this week and I really have no regrets. For our seniors, it’s always tough to end the season on a losing note. But like I told them, as many kids that dream of getting into the College World Series and getting into the championship series, unfortunately at Arizona it’s kind of a standard and you have to learn how to deal with it. I think it’s going to make our young kids stronger. You have to learn from these experiences and this is something that you can’t teach in practice. But I’ve been through a lot in my life and let’s keep this in perspective that there’s a lot to be thankful for and I’m very happy for the performance that these kids gave us. They gave us a hell of a ride as a coaching staff and as fans. And no regrets.”

On the effect last night’s game had on his team tonight:

“I don’t think any. Last night was last night. I felt like we came to the ballpark ready to play and we just didn’t have all of the things that we needed to together to make this game close. UCLA is a good hitting team and we tried to do what we could to make it a football game. It was a pretty close football game, but we missed a few extra points and a couple field goals.”

On freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler:

“She has thrown a bunch. I mean my God, she has really done a miraculous job to get us here and I told you I was going to ride her as much as I can. But when she can’t feel the ball it’s time. I’m going to always put her health in front of the competition.”

On the decision to pitch to UCLA’s Megan Langenfeld:

“Well, we tried not to. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite execute the plan.”

On all the home runs this week and what it means for the game:

“It just depends on what the game wants. I think the right people are on it right now and are trying to get a grip on the game. I love the home run, I just don’t think that the home run should be hit by everyone in the lineup. And there are a lot of home runs being hit. It’s not my job. My job is to play with what they approve and I have some thoughts about it that I think could help the game.”

ARIZONA SENIOR SHORTSTOP K’LEE ARREDONDO

On reflecting on her overall career at Arizona:

“Well, it’s been a long journey. Sarah (Akamine) and I came here as freshmen and we were fortunate to go all the way that year. The past two years were definitely a grind. But the way this team works, this year it all came together. I think Sarah and I did a great job as seniors to lead this team get to this point and really bring everyone together and show everyone what it feels like to be in the championship game. I know this team is just going to be stronger next year, and I expect them to be at this point next year, but on the other side.”

ARIZONA SENIOR PITCHER SARAH AKAMINE

On reflecting on her overall career at Arizona:

“I wouldn’t change anybody on this team for anyone. It was the greatest experience I’ve ever had, especially (my) senior year. It’s just great to see Kenzie as a freshman step up, and she’s my hero. Lauren (Schutzler) is going to be a great senior next year and I wouldn’t change this experience for anything.”

POSTGAME NOTES

Championship Finals Game 2: UCLA 15, Arizona 9

UCLA (50-11) won its 11th NCAA softball title and first since 2004. The 11 titles are the most by any team in NCAA history.

Kelly Inouye-Perez won her first national championship as UCLA’s skipper. She won three titles as a player (1989, ’90, ’92). All three head coaches in UCLA history have won national titles (Sharron Backus and Sue Enquist were the others).

The Pac-10 owns 22 NCAA national titles in softball, the most of any conference.

The Bruins collected 19 hits in tonight’s game, the most ever by a team in a WCWS championship game/finals contest.

UCLA scored 15 runs in tonight’s contest, a WCWS championship game/finals record. The previous mark was set in 2008 when Arizona State defeated Texas A&M 11-0 for the crown.

Tonight’s 24 combined runs were the most in a WCWS championship game/finals contest. The previous record of 12 runs was set in 1997 when Arizona defeated UCLA 10-2 in five innings for the crown.

The Wildcats set the WCWS record for most runs scored by a losing team (nine). The previous mark was set last year by Georgia when Washington defeated the Bulldogs 9-8 in nine innings.

Arizona and UCLA combined to hit seven home runs tonight (four by UCLA, three by Arizona), the most ever in a WCWS game.

The Bruins registered 14 long balls in this year’s WCWS, doubling the previous record of seven hit by Georgia last year.

UCLA hit two or more home runs in every game of the NCCA tournament (10 games). The Bruins set a school record with 108 homers on the year.

UCLA’s Megan Langenfeld hit her fourth home run of the WCWS in her first at-bat tonight after hitting two last night. She finished the season with a team-high 20 round trippers.

UCLA’s Andrea Harrison hit the first grand slam in a WCWS championship game/finals contest. It was the first grand slam of her career and just the seventh in WCWS history.

Harrison finished with a WCWS-record 11 RBI, the most by any player in WCWS history.

Bruins pitcher Aleah Macon made her fourth start of the NCAA tournament and first of the WCWS in tonight’s contest. The sophomore improved to 13-1 on the year after allowing six runs (all earned) on six hits in 4.1 innings of work. She struck out seven and walked three.

UCLA junior pitcher Donna Kerr pitched 2.2 innings in relief, surrendering three hits and three runs (two earned) while throwing four strikeouts. It was her first appearance of the WCWS and only her third appearance of the NCAA tournament.

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Arizona’s Stacie Chambers hit two home runs in the contest, becoming only the ninth player in WCWS history to hit two homers in a game. She hit four home runs in this year’s WCWS (three in the championship finals) and 21 on the year.

Chambers and UCLA’s Andrea Harrison and Langenfeld all finished the WCWS with four home runs. The most home runs hit by a player prior to this year was three.

Langenfeld was named the WCWS most outstanding player after going 12-for-17 at the plate with four homers, eight runs and nine RBI. She finished with a .706 batting average, the second-highest mark in WCWS history. Arizona’s Leah O’Brien holds the record with a .750 batting average in 1994.

Langenfeld’s eight runs set also set a WCWS record. The previous record of seven runs was set by Arizona’s Alison Johnson in 1997.

Arizona outfielder Brittany Lastrapes finished the WCWS with a record 13 hits while adding five runs and two RBI.

Lastrapes and UCLA catcher Kaila Shull both hit four doubles in the event, the most in WCWS history. The previous mark of three doubles was set by Michigan’s Samantha Findlay in 2005.

Arizona freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler fell to 38-9 on the year after giving up three runs (all earned) on two hits and three walks in 1.0 inning of work. She finished with a WCWS-high 49 strikeouts in her seven appearances.

Wildcats senior Sarah Akamine pitched 4.0 innings in relief, surrendering 15 hits and 11 runs (five earned). She tied the WCWS record for most runs allowed by a pitcher.

Ashley Ralston-Alvarez pitched the final 2.0 innings of the game for the Wildcats, surrendering two hits and one run. The appearance was only her second of the NCAA tournament and sixth of the season.

Wildcats freshman Matte Haack made her first start (designated player) of the NCAA tournament in tonight’s contest.

Arizona sophomore Lini Koria started at first base for the first time in her career.

Arizona’s Victoria Kemp made her first plate appearance since May 2nd in the fifth inning of tonight’s contest.

This year’s field combined to bat .285, breaking the previous mark of .281 set during the 1996 WCWS.

A record 141 runs were scored during this year’s WCWS. The previous mark of 120 was set last year.

A total of 226 hits were recorded during this year’s WCWS, breaking the previous mark of 199 in 1996.

Thirty-five home runs were hit during the WCWS, shattering the previous record of 24 last year.

Tonight’s attendance of 6,092 increased this year’s WCWS total to 62,562 (nine sessions), an event record. The previous record was 62,463, set in 2007 (10 sessions). This year’s 6,951-per-session average also eclipsed the record of 6,724 that was set last year.

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Senior Megan Langenfeld hit a walk-off solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UCLA the 6-5 win in game one of the 2010 Women’s College World Series Championship Series on Monday night at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

Arizona (52-13) got the scoring going in the top of the first when freshman Brigette Del Ponte hit a single to left field that allowed senior K’Lee Arredondo to cross the plate, giving the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead.
In the bottom of the inning, Langenfeld started the scoring for UCLA by hitting her first of two home runs on the evening, a solo shot to right field that tied the game at one.

In the third, UCLA (49-11) took the lead on a single from Langenfeld to right field that scored juinor GiOnna DiSalvatore.

Arizona returned the favor in the fifth on a single to right from junior Stacie Chambers that allowed junior Lauren Schutzler to score and tie the game for a second time.

UCLA broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run double down the left field line from junior Monica Harrison to make the score 4-2, heading into the seventh.

After a lead-off walk from Schutzler, Arredondo tied the game for Arizona in the seventh with her second home run of the tournament.

In the next at bat, Chambers scored the go-ahead run for the Wildcats with a long ball of her own that was rocketed into center field, making the score 5-4.

With two outs and no one aboard, sophomore Dani Yudin came up with a clutch double to right field for the Bruins, keeping their chances of a series opening win alive.

After an intentional walk from Arizona, UCLA sent the game into extra innings on a double from senior Kaila Shull that allowed Yudin to score and tie the game at five.

The Wildcats had their chances in the eighth, but were unable to capitalize on a bases loaded opportunity with two outs.

In the bottom of the inning, Arizona pitcher Kenzie Fowler quickly retired DiSalvatore and Harrison, giving UCLA one last chance to win the game and prevent a ninth inning.

Langenfeld answered the call for the Bruins and sent the ball over the center field fence on the second pitch to give UCLA a 6-5 win and more importantly a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three championship series.

Langenfeld, who pitched six innings for the Bruins, went 4-for-5 in the contest with two runs and three RBIs, while striking out five in the circle. Langenfeld now has a tournament-high .714 batting average through four games at the WCWS

Sophomore Aleah Macon (12-1) picked up the win for UCLA by allowing no runs on just two hits with three strikeouts and a walk in two innings of work

Arizona’s Fowler fell to 39-7 on the year by giving up six runs off of 12 hits, while striking out 12.

The win gives the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the championship series heading into game two on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. CDT. A UCLA win in the contest would give the Bruins their 11th National Championship, but should Arizona win it would force a decisive, winner-takes-all game three on Wednesday night, also at 7 p.m. CDT.

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INDIANAPOLIS – For the second consecutive year, the NCAA is teaming with the American Cancer Society and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) to support the “StrikeOut Cancer” initiative. The StrikeOut Cancer Night presented by AT&T will take place on Tuesday, June 8, during Game 2 of the finals of the 2010 NCAA Women’s College World Series at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

As part of the initiative, the NCAA will donate one dollar for every ticket sold that evening, with the proceeds directed to the Oklahoma Region of the American Cancer Society. The ceremonial first pitch will also be thrown by Megan Melott, a rowing student-athlete from the University of Tulsa and a cancer survivor. In addition, spectators attending the game will be asked to wear pink in support of “StrikeOut Cancer.” The game will be televised live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

“The NCAA Women’s College World Series is proud to support the Oklahoma Region of the American Cancer Society and its dedication to combating this devastating disease,” said Sharon Cessna, NCAA director of championships. “Supporting the American Cancer Society reflects the NCAA’s commitment to helping the Oklahoma City community that hosts our championship every year.”

“We are happy to partner with the NCAA, the NFCA and AT&T to promote the ‘StrikeOut Cancer’ initiative,” said Sara Smith, American Cancer Society of Oklahoma regional communications director. “This relationship will increase awareness about the early detection and prevention of cancer and allow us to celebrate the lives of those who have survived.”

The 2009 initiative recognized 25 cancer survivors in attendance at the opening game and the ceremonial first pitch was thrown out by a local Oklahoma City cancer survivor.

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2010 NCAA WOMEN’S COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Session 1 Pre-Tournament Press Conference Quotes
Wednesday, June 2
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Oklahoma City, Okla.

ARIZONA HEAD COACH MIKE CANDREA
Opening comment:
“First of all I would like to congratulate the other teams, players and coaches. This is the place you want to be at this time of the year. Most of the time, it confirms that you have had a pretty good year to this point. I’m very impressed with the parity around the country and there are some very tough challenges here. We’re looking forward to, hopefully, a great week of competition instead of a couple of days.”

On playing Tennessee again in the WCWS:
“They’re probably a little better-tested than they were back then. I think, obviously, Monica (Abbott) was a tremendous pitcher and I think a lot of the eggs were put in the basket that she was going to carry the team. What I see right now is a very good team that is very well-balanced and has some good ingredients. It’s going to be a very competitive game.”

On the shift of power hitting in collegiate softball:
“The game has progressed so much over the years. I remember 25 years ago when the composite bat wasn’t around and I really believe that the composite bat has changed our game. You don’t have to look any further than baseball and what they’ve decided to do. What I see down the road is maybe a shift from the composite bat back to the aluminum bat. I think the power numbers would go down quite readily.”

ARIZONA SENIOR INFIELDER K’LEE ARREDONDO
On being an underdog at the WCWS:
“The sophomores and the juniors don’t know what it’s like to win a game at the World Series. They haven’t won one yet. Sarah (Akamine) and I know what it’s like to win, we want to win. The sophomores and juniors want to win, the freshmen want to win. Everyone wants to come here and do our best to win every game we play. I know everyone has a different mindset because everyone is sick of losing. We want to come out here and show everyone that even though no one believes we can do it, we can do it as a team. We just want to prove everyone wrong.”

GEORGIA HEAD COACH LU HARRIS-CHAMPER
Opening comment:
“We’ve had great competition through the year to get here and we are very proud to be here with the other teams that are here. Also, we are very thankful for the hospitality that we have been shown here, from our host, bat girls and everybody involved with the tournament.”

On the parity between the SEC and the Pac-10:
“I agree with (Tennessee co-head coach) Ralph (Weekly). We have to get a national championship and bring it to the SEC and then we will see if we can say that. I do know that our conference is working really hard and putting strong teams on the field, and we are having grinding conference matches.”

On the pressure of the World Series:
“I think pressure is what you make it. It’s self-inflicted. They need to enjoy the game and have fun. This is a game they have been playing since they were 7 years old so they might as well just live the dream today.”

GEORGIA JUNIOR OUTFIELDER TAYLOR SCHLOPY
On her team’s experience at last year’s WCWS:
“It definitely just gave us more of a fight and a want for us this year because we knew we could do it. This year, our goal has been to win a national championship. Last year, of course we wanted to win, but the main goal was just to get to the World Series. Now, it’s just much more beyond that. The fight and the grit has just multiplied.

TENNESSEE CO-HEAD COACH RALPH WEEKLY
Opening comment:
“I’d also like to congratulate everybody who got here. I echo what the other coaches said about how hard it is to get here. I can tell you after being here in 2005, 2006 and 2007 and not getting back the last couple of years, it’s the greatest place in the world to be this time of year, it’s the greatest event I’ve seen and we’re just happy to be here. Our kids ready to compete.”

On the SEC catching up to the Pac-10:
“As long as the Pac-10 has all the national championships there still isn’t parity. We are working really hard in the SEC. We still have to hoist the national championship (trophy) before we can talk about parity.”

WASHINGTON HEAD COACH HEATHER TARR
Opening comment:
“It’s been an awesome year for us so far. Just being able to watch the amazing games Saturday and Sunday after our (super regional) games got done, it just lets you sit back and see how amazing this game is and how tough it really is. Everyone that’s been here has had a similar great season. I think that people have picked us now, because Michigan and Alabama are gone, to be the one. And it really doesn’t mean anything to us. I’m pretty sure that everyone here doesn’t think that they can’t beat us and I think it’s going to be an exciting time. We’re going take it for what it is and play hard and have fun.”

On if winning a second straight national title would feel different:
“Each year is different. I think it would be just as special. We didn’t know what it was like before. Hopefully every coach that gets to the finals gets to experience that because it’s amazing. But every year is a new year and it’d be awesome.”

WASHINGTON SENIOR PITCHER DANIELLE LAWRIE
On going from the hunters to the hunted:
“I think that this being my fifth year — I’m kind of old — allows me to really look at the game and just kind of analyze it and see what I see for our team. I think that if anything this year, I just cherish every single pitch and opportunity that I’ve had to go out and play because I know that it can be taken away from you so shortly. Thursday, we lost (to Oklahoma in the super regional first game) and it could have been the end of our season. It’s just finding a way to grit your teeth and just grind it out. This whole year the biggest thing that I’ve said to myself is that I just have to compete. And whether we’re the hunted or we’re hunting, bottom line is that if you just go out and play your game you’re going to be just fine. I’m not stressed about people trying to take us down.”

On whether the heat is going to play a factor:
“It’s mind over matter, at this point. I mean, yeah it’s obviously hot, but when you’re out there you’re not going ‘Oh my God, it’s hot.” It’s in your head. You have to push past that. It’s just a game, you just have to go play. Who cares if it’s hot or if there’s thunderstorms.”

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Session 2 Pre-Tournament Press Conference Quotes
Wednesday, June 2
ASA Hall of Fame Stadium
Oklahoma City, Okla.

FLORIDA HEAD COACH TIM WALTON
Opening comment:
“First of all, just want to say thanks to the NCAA, the Amateur Softball Association and the Oklahoma City All Sports Association. It’s great to be back. It’s a great venue, it’s just a really good overall experience for all of our student-athletes to be here. They’ve worked so hard to get here their whole lives and have seen this on television. To actually have this come true for not only our seniors, juniors and sophomores, but also our seven freshmen. Thanks to everybody and we look forward to some great competition.”

On returning to the College World Series, which is just 25 minutes from the University of Oklahoma, where he played baseball and was an assistant softball coach:
“It’s a great feeling. I was thinking that in the 29 years of the Women’s College World Series, I’ve been able to experience six of them now. It’s really good. Our first year here was very different. The first game it was difficult to adjust to everything that was going on. You live and learn. Sometimes you just come in and you just do it and you adjust as you go. It’s been fun. Obviously, Oklahoma has been home away from home for me for a long time. Being able to win a couple national championships here in the state has been very rewarding. I’m optimistic. Just coming back here and looking at what we get to do and seeing UCLA and the number of times they have been here and Arizona and the number of times they have been here. Now new faces like Hawai’i and what they’ve been able to bring to the sport and the notoriety and the fun, excitement and passion they play with — it’s neat. The game has grown so much. Obviously a lot of it is because of television, but I think it’s a lot because people love what they see on the field. They see these young kids go out there and fight really hard and play really well. It’s very meaningful for me on a very personal level. It’s a lot of fun.”

On the advantages of playing in three straight World Series:
“I look at it from a different perspective. I thought long and hard about changing the hotel and finding a new place to go play. I look at it from a different angle, that the last time we played on this field we lost. It’s exciting but in the same sense you have to have that short-term memory. You have to be able to put things away and let those memories get out of your sights. I think one of the advantages is that you know how the field plays. I know it played very hard last year, I know the sun in right field is brutal. We’ve been practicing, turning the outfielders around and throwing balls up in the sun and we just tell them ‘you have to find a way to find the ball because, to be honest with you, at the College World Series, this is how it is.’ As soon as you say ‘College World Series’ it seems like the players buy into that a little bit differently.”

FLORIDA SENIOR OUTFIELDER FRANCESCA ENEA
On playing in her third World Series:
“It’s very special. I remember watching my older sister (Christina) play (for Oklahoma) and going to the World Series. Watching her on TV, I thought it was so cool that she can go and play there and I hoped that one day I would have the opportunity to be there. The first time was just unreal and being able to come back is just so surreal. It’s really an amazing feeling to know that I get to come here.”

HAWAI’I HEAD COACH BOB COOLEN
Opening comment:
“Aloha, everyone. This is our first time here and we are really excited. We want to thank everyone for the process along the way. We’ve been on the road for 23 days — this is our 23rd day right now — and we are loving every moment of it. Once we got done with finals, the young ladies pretty much settled down and have been professional softball players ever since. We’re excited and looking forward to our first competition here at the Women’s College World Series.”

On the team’s focus at the College World Series:
“We experienced a little bit of a bigger crowd than we are used to at Alabama, a very fanatical crowd at Alabama. We went from a very small amount of people at the WAC tournament, to a bigger group at Stanford to a very fan-oriented place at Alabama. Here, it was the dream of a lot of these young ladies to walk out on that field and play. They’ve practiced now and I don’t think we’re going to have any problem focusing. We’ve been on the road, we’ve been in the same routine that we have been for the last three-and-a-half weeks. We haven’t broken routine in regards to our lift days and our practice days. Everyone has been very cordial in letting us practice at facilities that we never dreamed that we would practice at. It’s been very eye-opening for the players to see the different stadiums and different locker rooms. They’re getting a lot of information as to what they would like to see done at our place and back home. Right now, I think they’re just taking in the moment.”

On if the weather will have an effect on the team:
“In Hawai’i, we have the humidity. That’s something we play in all the time. We have about 80 percent to 95 percent humidity all the time so we’re used to playing in this type of weather. The high heat is not something we experience because of the trade winds. The weather stays constant between 80, 85, and 88 degrees year round. It might get down to a wind-chill factor of the high 60′s at night. But we’re used to this weather. The humidity is something that we’ve played in since we’ve been on the road.”

HAWAI’I FRESHMAN OUTFIELDER KELLY MAJAM
On fighting distraction during their first trip to the College World Series:
“We definitely need to stay focused. A lot of our team has been star-struck, just walking into the stadium and thinking about how many people are going to fill up the stands. Getting this much media attention is definitely really awesome and really cool but we need to stay focused. We do have softball games that we are going to have to play and hopefully get to win. We just need to stay within ourselves, not try to do too much, not try to show too much and just stay within Hawai’i ball and play our game.”

On if upsetting Alabama gave them confidence heading into the World Series:
“We got a lot of experience playing in front of a humongous crowd. They were all against us. It definitely shows that we do have heart and we can pull together as a team. We are playing a lot of good teams while we are here and we just need to stay focused and play the way that we have. This year we have tried to focus on what jersey we are putting on and not what team is in the other dugout. That’s been our mentality the whole season, so we are going to stay that way while we are here.”

MISSOURI HEAD COACH EHREN EARLEYWINE
Opening comment:
“About two months ago, most people counted all my girls out, didn’t think we had much of a chance. And they hung in there. They just continually quietly kept winning games. I’m very proud of them for their resolve and not giving up this year. I’m looking forward to a great week here and have a lot of respect for all the teams in the tournament, and looking forward to competing.”

On the difference coming in this year versus last year:
“Last year we never had our feet under us. After coming back from California and heading straight out here, it was too much of a whirlwind for us. All the ESPN attention and all the bells and whistles that go along with the College World Series were so distracting that we forgot we had to play a softball game. So this year it’s been a process of trying to slow everything down and to continue to remember that no matter what we go through on a day-by-day basis here that we have a softball game on Thursday at 12 o’clock against a very good Hawai’i team. And that’s the focus for us right now in front of everything else that goes on.”

On playing a home-run-hitting Hawai’i team:
“Well you are certainly trying to shut down their strength, which is their home-run power and there’s not a blanket statement that you can put on your entire lineup that says this is how we’re going to shut it down. It’s a player-by-player thing that we’re going to need to find a way to try to get each hitter out. Every one of their hitters has different strengths and different weaknesses. Preparation for us hasn’t changed. It’s the same way it would be if we played anybody in the Big 12 during our regular season. Again, it’s just an
individual thing about how we get each hitter out. But yeah, they’re a home-run-hitting team. Kind of like in baseball, if you keep the Phillies or the Yankees in the park, you’ve got a chance to beat them. I think that it’s a slight advantage in the fact that the fences have been moved back and raised. And hopefully the wind will be blowing in.”

MISSOURI SENIOR PITCHER JANA HAINEY
On the difference coming in this year versus last year:
“We’re honored to be here, but right now it’s not about taking all this in front of media and all the stuff that comes with the College World Series. It’s about winning games and taking it one at a time.”

UCLA HEAD COACH KELLY INOUYE-PEREZ
Opening comment:
“I’d just like to congratulate all these teams, as well. You know, we’ve been part of this for awhile. The road to get here — much respect, a lot hard work, a lot of teamwork, a lot of experience to be able to get to the point where you can be at your best when you need to be at your best. This week will be a great week of softball, I look forward to it. For us, we’re just playing our game and loving that we’re here being able to represent the school and doing everything we can to play our game. So thank you for having us back.”

On how the game has changed since she played:
“This sport has grown, the facilities have improved. The coaching has definitely improved across the board. I think the student-athletes’ commitment to excellence across the board is outstanding. There’s so much that has grown in the sport and I credit a lot of people who have walked before us — people like Dot Richardson and Sharron Backus and Sue Enquist. And not just Bruins. There are so many pioneers in our sport that have been able to develop this game. So I’m very proud of where we’ve come from.

“When you get to this point, you’ve just got to fight. As (Florida coach) Tim (Walton) was saying, there’s an excitement out there, to be able to see this sport played. It’s a different sport than I played back in the day with a white ball. The ball can leave the park at any time. The pitchers have to be mentally tough. It comes down to defense still. Can you play catch? But ultimately, the commitment level across the board — there are some great things that are happening to the sport. I think it’s going to be a great week of softball.”

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OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced today the Top 3 Finalists for the 9th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered the most prestigious honors in Division I women’s collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country. Past winners of this award include UCLA’s Stacey Nuveman, Florida State’s Jessica Van der Linden, three-time winner Texas pitcher Cat Osterman, Tennessee’s Monica Abbott, Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher and 2009 winner Washington pitcher/hitter Danielle Lawrie.
The three finalists are UCLA’s Megan Langenfeld, Washington’s Danielle Lawrie and Georgia Tech’s Jen Yee. The winner of the 2010 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year will be named on Tue., June 1 at the Opening Ceremonies of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Langenfeld (Bakersfield, Calif.) was named Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year, First-Team NFCA All-West Region and First-Team All-Pac-10. She enters Super Regional play leading the Bruins with a .500 batting average, 49 runs batted in, a 1.037 slugging percentage, 38 walks and a .650 on base percentage. She is also tied for first with 16 home runs and second with 40 runs scored. In the circle, Langenfeld is 10-1 with three saves, a 1.29 earned run average and 56 strikeouts in 87 innings. The senior was named Pac-10 and USA Softball National Player of the Week on April 27 after recording four homers and eight RBI in a three-game sweep at Stanford. Langenfeld has 18 multiple-hit games and 14 multiple-RBI contests on the season. The senior came into the postseason ranked in the Top 20 nationally in six offensive categories. In the circle, Langenfeld was a perfect 6-0 in Pac-10 play with two saves, posting a 1.43 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 44 innings. Among her victories were a pair of wins in the last weekend of the regular season at Arizona.

The 2009 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Lawrie looks to repeat as Player of the Year, only the second student-athlete in the history of the award to do so. The senior from Langley, British Colombia is a First Team All-Pacific Region, First Team All-Pac-10 and Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year. She was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week a record eight times this season and also earned USA Softball Player of the Week three times (a single-season record) and the NFCA National Player of the Week twice. Lawrie is 38-1 on the season with a 0.94 ERA, 446 strikeouts and just 34 walks in 269.1 innings. She also leads the Huskies in home runs (15), RBI (57) and slugging percentage (.627), all of which are career highs. Holds a nation-best 22 shutouts to break her own single-season school record. Lawrie is 19-2 against ranked teams this year with 234 Ks in 143.1 innings. She has thrown three perfect games on the season.

Jen Yee (North Delta, British Colombia) makes her first appearance in the Top 3 after being named the 2010 ACC Player of the Year. The senior from Georgia Tech was a First-Team NFCA All-Southeast Region and First-Team All-ACC. She reached base safely at least once in all 62 games this season and leads the nation in batting average (.568), slugging percentage (1.270), on-base percentage (.732), runs scored (93) and walks (88). She is also tied for the lead nationally with 29 home runs. Yee struck out just six times all season and was 21-for-22 in stolen base attempts, good for fourth in the ACC. Her 84 hits and 63 RBI led the league while her 15 doubles ranked third. She was a two-time Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week and five-time ACC Player of the Week. Yee was intentionally walked 31 times this year which is an NCAA single-season record.

SEC Champion Alabama was named the No. 1 overall seed for the 2010 NCAA Division I Softball Championship on Sunday night by the NCAA selection committee. To view the NCAA selection release, click here. To view a printable bracket, click here.

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Oklahoma City — Despite losing first place votes to both Alabama and Michigan, Washington is the No. 1 team in the nation, according to the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll released today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. The 16th consecutive No. 1 ranking for the Huskies (45-6) also marks the first time in the history of the poll that a team has been the top ranked team for an entire regular season.

Click here to view the complete poll.

Washington, the 2009 NCAA National Champions, finished the regular season by topping No. 11 Arizona State (41-15) 5-4 and 9-0 in five innings after losing 6-5 to the Sun Devils on Thursday. Other losses this season for the Huskies: 7-4 to Utah State on Feb. 19; 5-3 to DePaul on March 19; 1-0 to UCLA on April 1; 4-0 to Oregon on April 17; and 9-1 in five innings to California. UCLA (40-11) is currently ranked No. 4, California (41-17) is No. 13 and Oregon (33-19) is No. 22.

The voting panel, which currently includes 17 coaches on the Division I level and three people from softball organizations and publications, has put Washington on top in every balloting since the final poll of the 2009 season. The team was ranked No. 1 in the pre-season poll released in January as well as all 14 regular season polls this year. The final poll of the 2010 season will be released following the conclusion of the Women’s College World Series, June 3-9, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.

Michigan (46-6) earned a No. 1 vote but remained No. 2 in the poll for the sixth-consecutive week, dating back to April 13 (Week 9). The Wolverines have threatened the Huskies before, claiming six No. 1 votes in Week 10 and eight in Week 11, but could not close in on the Dawgs despite an undefeated weekend against Northwestern.

With an impressive performance at the SEC Tournament in Fayetteville, Ark., Alabama (48-9) snagged two No. 1 votes in the poll, but finished third. The Crimson Tide shut out Arkansas, which has received votes in previous polls, then topped No. 15 Tennessee (42-13) and No. 10 LSU (44-14) to take the SEC Championship.

After a sixth-place ranking last week, UCLA improved two spots after taking two-of-three on the road at now No. 6 Arizona (43-11). Other movement in the poll included LSU jumping one spot to No. 10 and ASU dropping one to No. 11. No. 16 Stanford (36-17), No. 17 Illinois (43-6), No. 18 Texas A&M (42-14) and No. 21 Ohio State (37-12) all moved up one spot from last week. Oklahoma State (43-14) dropped four spots to No. 20 and No. 22 Oregon dropped two.

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INDIANAPOLIS-The University of Alabama was named the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship today when the NCAA Division I Softball Committee announced the 64-team field. The Crimson Tide, champions of the Southeastern Conference, are 48-9 and will play Alcorn State University, an automatic qualifier from the Southwestern Athletic Conference, May 21, in front of a home crowd in Tuscaloosa.

Thirty conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 34 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket. The top 16 teams were seeded nationally and will play at campus sites this weekend.

Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during regional competition, when possible.

The Big 12 Conference, the Pacific-10 Conference and the SEC led all conferences with seven teams in the championship. The Atlantic Coast Conference placed five in the championship. California State University, Fresno, remains the only team to be selected to all 29 championships. Nine teams are making their initial appearances in the tournament: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Alcorn State University, Bucknell University, Elon University, Fordham University, Iona College, Lipscomb University, McNeese State University, St. Mary’s College of California and University of Virginia.

Only 10 schools have been crowned the NCAA Division I softball champion since the tournament started in 1982, and nine are in this year’s bracket.

DATES/SITES/PAIRINGS:
* Indicates host institution

Tuscaloosa Regional – May 21-23 at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
No. 1 seed Alabama* (48-9) vs. Alcorn St. (24-24)
Lipscomb (48-11) vs. UAB (36-20)

Stanford Regional – May 21-23 at Stanford, California
Stanford* (36-17) vs. Texas Tech (36-16)
UC Davis (26-27) vs. No. 16 seed Hawaii (44-13)

Columbia Regional – May 21-23 at Columbia, Missouri
No. 9 seed Missouri* (46-11) vs. Creighton (37-21)
DePaul (38-16) vs. Illinois (43-6)

Atlanta Regional – May 21-23 at Atlanta, Georgia
Oregon (33-19) vs. Auburn (30-24)
Jacksonville St. (30-17) vs. No. 8 seed Georgia Tech* (49-9)

Los Angeles Regional – May 21-23 at Los Angeles, California
No. 5 seed UCLA* (40-11) vs. St. Mary’s (CA) (30-21)
Fresno St. (39-19) vs. San Diego St. (33-14)

Baton Rouge Regional – May 21-23 at Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Texas A&M (42-14) vs. La.-Lafayette (42-16)
McNeese St. (38-25) vs. No. 12 seed LSU* (44-14)

Amherst Regional – May 21-23 at Amherst, Massachusetts
No. 13 seed Arizona St. (41-15) vs. Boston U. (34-20)
Long Island (37-16) vs. Massachusetts* (42-8-1)

Gainesville Regional – May 21-23 at Gainesville, Florida
UCF (35-21) vs. FIU (36-19)
Bethune-Cookman (32-22) vs. No. 4 seed Florida* (43-8)

Seattle Regional – May 21-23 at Seattle, Washington
No. 3 seed Washington* (45-6) vs. North Dakota St. (33-23)
Nebraska (29-27) vs. North Carolina (40-18)

College Park Regional – May 21-23 at College Park, Maryland
Fordham (47-10) vs. Maryland* (33-22)
Syracuse (32-24) vs. No. 14 seed Oklahoma (43-10)

Columbus Regional – May 21-23 at Columbus, Ohio
No. 11 seed California (41-17) vs. Bucknell (28-18-1)
Kentucky (31-25) vs. Ohio St.* (37-12)

Athens Regional – May 21-23 at Athens, Georgia
Florida St. (43-16) vs. Radford (36-15)
Elon (38-19) vs. No. 6 Georgia* (43-11)

Austin Regional – May 20-22 at Austin, Texas
No. 7 seed Texas* (42-13) vs. Iona (28-24)
East Carolina (42-16) vs. BYU (43-11)

Tucson Regional – May 21-23 at Tucson, Arizona
Oklahoma St. (43-14) vs. Hofstra (43-10)
Cornell (37-13) vs. No. 10 seed Arizona* (43-11)

Knoxville Regional – May 21-23 at Knoxville, Tennessee
No. 15 seed Tennessee* (42-13) vs. Ball St. (43-14)
Virginia (33-21) vs. Louisville (39-17)

Ann Arbor Regional – May 21-23 at Ann Arbor, Michigan
Notre Dame (45-10) vs. Illinois State (32-18)
Wright St. (30-28-1) vs. No. 2 seed Michigan* (46-6)

CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE:

The Division I championship provides for a field of 64 teams. The championship will be three weekends of competition. Four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in a double-elimination tournament. Sixteen teams were seeded and placed at one of the regional sites.

The regional winners will advance to super regional competition for a best-of-three series May 28-29 at eight campus sites.

The remaining eight teams will advance to the WCWS, an eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The championship final will be a best-of-three-series. The WCWS will be conducted June 3-9 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

SELECTION PROCESS:

The NCAA Division I Softball Committee selected teams from the following eight regions to participate in the championship: Central, East, Northeast, South, Mideast, Midwest, West and Pacific. Thirty conferences have been granted automatic qualification for the 2010 championship.

SEEDING, SITES:

Teams were selected to the field of 64 teams. The top 16 teams were seeded in order, and the remaining teams were placed in regional brackets to create balanced competition and avoid conference match-ups, when possible.

CONFERENCES RECEIVING AUTOMATIC QUALIFICATION:
America East – Boston U.
Atlantic Coast – Georgia Tech
Atlantic 10 – Massachusetts
Atlantic Sun – Lipscomb
Big East – Syracuse
Big South – Radford
Big Ten – Michigan
Big 12 – Oklahoma
Big West – UC Davis
Colonial Athletic – Hofstra
Conference USA – East Carolina
Horizon League – Wright St.
Ivy Group – Cornell
Metro Atlantic – Iona
Mid-American – Ball State
Mid-Eastern – Bethune-Cookman
Missouri Valley – Creighton
Mountain West – BYU
Northeast – Long Island
Ohio Valley – Jacksonville St.
Pacific-10 – Washington
Pacific Coast – St. Mary’s (CA)
Patriot League – Bucknell
Southeastern – Alabama
Southern – Elon
Southland – McNeese St.
Summit – North Dakota St.
Sun Belt – La.-Lafayette
Southwestern – Alcorn St.
Western Athletic – Hawaii

WCWS TV COVERAGE:

Day Date Game Time (CST)* Network*
Thursday 6/3 1 Noon ESPN
Thursday 6/3 2 2:30 p.m. ESPN
Thursday 6/3 3 6 p.m. ESPN2
Thursday 6/3 4 8:30 p.m. ESPN2
Friday 6/4 5 6 p.m. ESPN
Friday 6/4 6 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Saturday 6/5 7 11 a.m. ESPN2
Saturday 6/5 8 1:30 p.m. ESPN2
Saturday 6/5 9 6 p.m. ESPN
Saturday 6/5 10 8:30 p.m. ESPN
Sunday 6/6 11 Noon ESPN
Sunday 6/6 12 2:30 p.m.

ESPN
Sunday 6/6 13 (if needed)

6 p.m. ESPN2
Sunday 6/6 14 (if needed)

8:30 p.m. ESPN2
Monday 6/7 Championship Final Game 1

7 p.m. ESPN2
Tuesday 6/8 Championship Final Game 2

7 p.m. ESPN2
Wednesday 6/9 Championship Final Game 3 (if necessary)

7 p.m. ESPN2

*Please go to www.ncaa.com/broadcast/tv/june for updates. Game times and networks are subject to change.

CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES: 2009 Highlights: The University of Washington captured its first National Championship title the University of Florida 8-0 and 3-2 in championships series games one and two, respectively. Washington won the national title behind the pitching of Most Outstanding Player Danielle Lawrie and all-tournament team honorees Kimi Pohlman, Morgan Stuart and Niki Williams. Washington completed the series with a record of 5-1.

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INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The NCAA Division II Softball Committee has selected the 64 teams that will participate in the 2010 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. Four teams will participate at each of 16 regional sites in double-elimination tournaments. Regional competition will be held May 14-16. Winners will advance to the super regionals May 21-22. The finals will be held May 27-31 at Heritage Park Softball Complex in St. Joseph, Missouri and will be hosted by Missouri Western State University.

In the 2009 championship, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania captured its second national championship title with an 8-0 victory over the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

To view the entire release, with sites and pairings, click here.

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OKLAHOMA CITY — For the 11th consecutive time, Washington (33-3, 5-1 Pac-10) claimed the No. 1 spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 poll announced today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America. The Huskies have held the top spot since June 9, 2009, just days after winning the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City.

Click here for the complete poll.

After playing then No. 5 UCLA in the opening weekend of Pac-10 play, and taking two of three games, the Huskies (33-3, 5-1 Pac-10) were supposed to face their toughest test of the season last week against then No. 2 Arizona (32-7, 2-4 Pac-10). But the Dawgs made easy work of the Wildcats, dropping them to No. 3 in the poll with a three-game sweep, 2-1, 7-0 and 9-3, in Seattle.

The Huskies will now travel down to Eugene to face No. 17 Oregon (28-6, 5-1 Pac-10) in a three-game series starting April 16. The Ducks and Huskies are tied for first place with 5-1 records after Oregon earned a three-game sweep over then No. 15 Cal, now ranked No. 19.

Michigan (30-5, 7-0 Big Ten) improved to No. 2 with two-wins over Indiana, 8-2 and 14-1, and another two over Minnesota, 9-0 and 10-5. Florida (30-4, 12-2 SEC) pulled up No. 4 by sweeping Arkansas while Alabama (31-9, 12-4 SEC) took the No. 5 ranking. The Tide swept home stands with then No. 14 LSU (32-9, 11-5), a team that still moved up to No. 13, and Northwestern.

Arizona State (25-6, 4-2 Pac-10) crept from No. 10 to No. 6 by sweeping then No. 4 UCLA (27-9, 1-5 Pac-10), now the eighth ranked team. Rounding out the Top 10 are No. 7 Georgia Tech (35-6, 11-1 ACC), No. 9 Oklahoma State (36-7, 7-0 Big 12), in the Top 10 for the first time in the history of the poll, and No. 10 Stanford (30-6, 4-2 Pac-10).

Missouri (27-8, 3-5 Big 12) dropped from No. 8 to No. 14 after two losses to now No. 15 Texas (34-9, 7-1 Big 12). Dropping out of the Top 25 completely was Baylor (22-14, 3-4 Big 12), following a loss to Texas Tech, two to North Texas and another to Kansas.

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This honor is great for our program. I wouldn’t have won this award without the help of my teammates and coaches,” said Shortridge. “Our lineup, defense and pitching are strong. It was important for us to start the SEC season strong, but we still have work to do to reach our goals for the season.”

Shortridge was 8-for-11 at the plate fueled by a trio of multi-hit performances to raise her season average by 43 points to a scorching .420 mark. She also scored seven runs, stole a base in each game and picked up three RBI from the leadoff spot to spark the Tigers to a weekend sweep at South Carolina.

“Kirsten had a fabulous opening SEC weekend and is very deserving of USA Softball’s prestigious award. In my 34 years of coaching, she is one of the most special athletes I’ve been blessed to coach,” said LSU Head Coach Yvette Girouard. “There are times when Kirsten looks like a woman amongst girls with the skills God has given her. This is a great honor for a senior who is very, very important to LSU softball reaching their team goals.”

The Preseason All-SEC Team selection saved a memorable 4-for-4 effort with four runs scored for the series finale over South Carolina. The four hits matched a career-high, while the four runs scored equaled a program single-game record as LSU pushed its league-best winning streak to 16 games

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Senior second baseman Jen Yee has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I National Player of the Week for games played between February 22-28.

Yee powered her way to a .545 batting average last week by going 12-for-22 with six home runs, eight runs and 14 RBIs. She also walked twice and had one stolen base.

The North Delta, B.C.’ native came up with clutch hits for the Yellow Jackets on three separate occasions on the week. Against Arkansas, the senior had her first multi-home run game in a Georgia Tech uniform and had the game-winning home run against Central Florida. Yee also hit a two-run homer in the seventh inning versus Iowa to give her team the lead for the first time since trailing 5-0.
Yee had a 1.333 slugging percentage and a .550 on-base percentage at the 2010 NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic, where she took home tournament most valuable player honors.

No. 12 Georgia Tech finished the week at 5-1 behind Yee’s performance and is currently 13-2 on the season.

OTHER TOP PERFORMANCES
Ball State’s Elizabeth Millian went 3-0 with a save, a no-hitter and did not allow any runs over a 4-1 week for the Cardinals… Washington’s Nikki Williams hit .588 with four home runs and 11 RBIs, pacing her team to a 5-0 record… Nadia Taylor of Texas hit .583 with three multi-hit, multi RBI games as the Longhorns went 3-2… East Carolina’s Toni Paisley had a 0.00 ERA over four games as her team went 4-0… Kenzie Fowler led Arizona to a perfect 5-0 week with 36 strikeouts and five wins.

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Defending national champion Messiah received all eight first-place votes, taking the No. 1 spot in the preseason NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll, the association announced Wednesday.

Messiah will again be led by sophomore Jessica Rhoads, who dominated the national championship tournament both from the rubber and at the plate, culminating in the school’s first national championship and a 43-4 overall record. East Texas Baptist and Ohio Northern begin 2010 sharing the No. 2 spot. ETBU went 39-9 a year ago, while Ohio Northern returns all but one starter to a team that made its first appearance at the national championship. Fellow championship participant Cortland State starts at No. 4, and national championship runner-up Coe, which finished 41-13 a season ago, rounds out the top five.

With a 2009 third place finish nationally, Gustavus Adolphus starts at No. 6, while No. 7 Washington-St. Louis returns all but two starters to a squad that finished 27-13. National championship participant Salisbury begins at No. 8, while 2008 championship runner-up Wisconsin-Whitewater takes the nine spot. Another national championship rookie a year ago, Texas-Tyler rounds out the top 10.

Nos. 11, 12, and 13, respectively, Coast Guard Academy, Illinois Wesleyan and Bridgewater were all a step away from making a trip to the national tournament last season, while No. 14 DePauw returns both pitchers to a team that finished 32-9 a year ago. Another regional finalist, William Paterson starts at No. 15.

No. 16 Luther finished 35-10 a year ago, while recent West power Linfield is No. 17. No. 18 Rhode Island College returns its entire pitching staff to a squad that finished 42-7 a year ago, while 33-11 Emerson starts at No. 19. Tufts rounds out the top 20 after going 44-3 and finishing fourth at the national championship.

Wisconsin-Eau Claire begins at No. 21, while Rowan and Hardin Simmons take the Nos. 22 and 23 spots, respectively. Central and Christopher Newport round out the preseason top 25.

The first regular season NFCA Division III Top 25 Poll will be released March 3.

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LUBBOCK — Texas Tech filed a report with the NCAA over the summer admitting violations of a ban on text-messaging recruits in three sports — football, men’s golf and softball.

The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reports that Tech athletic director Gerald Myers referred most questions to Brian Shannon, Tech’s faculty representative who has communicated with NCAA and Big 12 Conference officials on the case.

Shannon told the newspaper that violations were uncovered last February by Tech’s athletic compliance staff in a routine review of phone records. He said that after an internal investigation, Tech sent a report to the NCAA and the Big 12 in July that included self-imposed penalties.

He said he hasn’t been given a time frame for the resolution. “We reported it. We imposed some self-imposed penalties. Most of those have already been served,” Shannon said.
Tech imposed its own penalties in football that included giving up one scholarship for 2010 and reducing the number of campus visits to four fewer recruits than the program’s average over the last four years.

He said “comparable” sanctions had also been imposed on men’s golf and softball. He said each team would give up a fraction of one scholarship and “some limitation or reduction in official paid visits in both.”

The NCAA could accept Tech’s self-imposed punishment or add sanctions.
Shannon said the violations involved two coaches in men’s golf, three former coaches in softball and “quite a few” football coaches, which he estimated to be about 10.
“I don’t know what the NCAA is ultimately going to conclude on this,” said Shannon, a Tech law professor.

Text-messaging recruits was banned in August 2007 after high-school students complained that text messages from college coaches cost them personal time and money because of increased cell-phone charges.

Shannon said nearly all the football coaches involved no longer work for Tech. From former Tech coach Mike Leach’s staff, offensive line coach Matt Moore was the only on-field assistant new Tech coach Tommy Tuberville retained. Shannon said he believed Moore had sent “about four” text messages after the ban. Tuberville was hired Jan. 9. “I told him that this was ongoing,” Myers said. “I don’t know exactly when I told him. I told him early, though. He didn’t seem to be bothered by it.”

The NCAA limits campus visits to 56 recruits per year. Tech had been averaging 44 visitors a year the last four years, Shannon said, and volunteered to cap visits at 40 for the recruiting year that just ended this week. “I think the intent was to show that this was a reduction,” Shannon said.

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The NFCA Division II Top 25 is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Final 2009 records are shown. First-place votes are in parentheses.

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SoftballMedia.com One site for all our softball media.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each of the 30 conferences. Records shown are the teams final 2009 records. Last ranking reflects the final 2009 poll. First-place votes are in parentheses.

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SoftballMedia.com One site for all our softball media.

Norcross, GA (November 10, 2009) – Mizuno USA, Inc., announced today that the company has reached a multi-year equipment contract extension with the University of Washington Huskies to remain an “Official Corporate Sponsor of the Women’s Softball Program.” Washington’s softball team will continue to be equipped in Mizuno, utilizing the company’s bats, ball gloves, bat bags, accessories, and protective gear.

Washington won the 2009 NCAA Softball National Championship, the program’s first national title, with a 51-12 overall record and a 14-7 record in the Pacific-10 Conference. The Huskies went to their ninth Women’s College World Series in school history, where they had previously finished as the National Runner Up in 1996 and in 1999. Head Coach Heather Tarr enters her sixth season as the Head Coach of the Huskies.

“Mizuno is very excited to extend our partnership with a premier academic and athletic softball program in the University of Washington Huskies,” said Larry Brushett, Softball Promotions Manager, Mizuno USA. “We were so very proud of Washington’s accomplishments last season, both on and off the softball field. We look forward to helping the Huskies maintain their role as the best team in NCAA softball.”

“Mizuno has some of the finest softball products in the world,” said Heather Tarr, Head Coach of the University of Washington. “We have enjoyed the success we’ve had with Mizuno, and we look forward to working together for many more years.”

Texas Tech Athletic Director Gerald Myers announced Shanon Hays, who has guided the program at Lubbock Christian for the past three years, as new head coach for the Red Raider softball program. Hays will become the seventh head softball coach in the history of the program, and the fifth since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.

“We have studied the pool of applicants, sought out expert advice and conducted a thorough investigation of where the collegiate softball game is headed and all roads led us back to Coach Hays being the best fit for Texas Tech,” said Gerald Myers.

Hays led the Lady Chaps to a national championship during his inaugeral season in 2008, and posted a 114-16 record in the two years at LCU. He was appointed in 2006 and worked for a full academic year in preparation for that first season in 2008. Known as a top-flight recruiter and motivator, he brings with him honors such as 2008 NAIA National Coach of the Year, is the two-time Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (2008 and 2009) and has produced five National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and NAIA first team All Americans in those two years.

“Words can’t express just how thrilled I am to be here at Texas Tech. After meeting with the administration, I am totally convinced that Tech is committed to having a first-class program that the Red Raider and Lubbock community can be proud of. It is a great opportunity for me to be a part of that. It is also exciting having the opportunity and challenge to coach in a great conference like the Big 12. With the new facilities that are being built here, I think Texas Tech Softball has a very bright future,” he said.

Hays began playing fastpitch softball as a youth, along with baseball and basketball, because his father, the legendary Texas Tech and LCU baseball coach Larry Hays, also played fastpitch softball. Larry Hays retired as Tech’s all-time winningest coach prior to the 2009 season with 1,509 victories.

Shanon Hays, who will become the first person at Texas Tech to coach for two completely different sports–one men’s and now one women’s -also served as an assistant basketball coach for the Red Raiders for two seasons and headed the men’s basketball program at Abilene Christian University for three years prior to that, amassing a 58-26 record there. Head basketball coaching stops also included a year at Frank Phillips College and two years at Midland College before returning to ACU as its athletic director for a year before switching his focus to coaching softball with his appointment at LCU.

“The time I spent in administration and in coaching basketball was really great for me,” Hays said, “but having played fastpitch for a number of years I was intrigued about coaching it. I love the game and I have found coaching women to be a much more satisfying experience than working with the guys, no offense to them,” he joked.

“For me, I enjoy the competition and enthusiasm and the ability these players have to embrace new challenges and to get better. And, frankly, I just love the sport itself. I wish I had made the switch to softball many years ago,” he added.

Hays played both basketball and baseball for LCU in 1987 before transferring to Texas Tech to compete for three years as a member of the Red Raider baseball team. He graduated with a degree in history from LCU in 1991, and began his career in coaching and administration.

“Coaches Wilson and Suiter, did an exceptional job moving the program forward over the past five years. There are solid players on the squad and the infrastructure improvements that have been made under Coach Wilson’s watch were ideal and are progressing very well. I’m very excited about our possibilities here at Tech and in the Lubbock community. There isn’t a better place for me to consider making this move and not another job in the country I would have considered leaving my team at LCU for. I am just extremely thankful to Mr. Myers for giving me this opportunity.”

I was just sent a copy of a memorandum that was sent out to all the major bat manufacturers. This particular memorandum is about composite baseball bats, but it opens the question What about softball bats. Instead of describing the memorandum I am just going to post it, and you an read it for yourself.

MEMORANDUM

July 17, 2009

TO: Athletics Directors, Conference Commissioners, and Head Baseball Coaches.

FROM: xxxxx, xxxxxxx

NCAA Baseball Rules Committee.

SUBJECT: Composite Bat Moratorium.

This correspondence is being sent on behalf of the Baseball Rules Committee, alerting the college baseball and bat manufacturing community to an important action being taken in regard to certain bats that have been used in NCAA competition. After significant dialog and review of research collected during the Division I Baseball Championship, the committee is proposing an immediate and indefinite moratorium on the use of composite barreled bats. The committee believes this action is needed in order to protect the integrity of the game and to enhance the safety of the student-athletes.

Before the committee’s recent meeting, numerous concerns were voiced by the membership with a request for action. After a thorough review of compliance testing and a review of the improved performance of composite bats, often exceeding NCAA acceptable limits, these concerns have proven to be valid. Therefore, the committee has decided to put an immediate and indefinite moratorium on the use of composite bats in NCAA competition.

The research reviewed included compliance testing during the Division I Baseball Championship. During this testing, 80 percent of the composite bats tested failed the current NCAA performance level. Because all bat designs must pass this test before mass production, this research indicates that the performance of such bats changed thereafter, mostly likely due to repeated, normal use and/or intentional alteration. Offensive statistics at the Division I level also indicate a significant increase in batting averages and home runs the past two seasons.

While the committee is mindful of the possibility that its proposed moratorium may have an economic impact on some NCAA member institutions, the committee believes that the testing data and other evidence on this matter, as well as its responsibility to protect the integrity of the game and the welfare of student-athletes, clearly outweigh any such impact.

The committee requests your feedback regarding this action, which will be considered by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel at an upcoming meeting. Please send any feedback to xxxx. xxxxxx at the NCAA by Monday, August 3 and it will be shared with the Panel.

Thank you for your attention to this memorandum.

xxxxxx, xxxxxxx