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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STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the third time in four weeks, the Washington Huskies received all 30 first-place votes in the latest USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll . The Huskies have now held the No. 1 spot for four consecutive editions of the poll.

Arizona, Florida and UCLA held on to their spots from last week in second, third and fifth, respectively. Missouri joined the Top 5 at fourth this week, bumping previous No. 4 Michigan down three spots to seventh.

Illinois and Oklahoma State both make their 2010 Top 25 debuts in this week’s poll at No. 21 and No. 25, forcing last week’s No. 23 Northwestern and No. 25 North Carolina out of the poll.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference.

The next USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll will be released Tuesday, March 9.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Senior catcher Katie Bartlett of Missouri-St. Louis and senior pitcher Katie Petersen of Midwestern St., have been named as the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively, for games played Feb. 15-21.

Bartlett went 8-for-14 over four games and helped guide her team to a 3-1 record on the week. She finished the week with a .571 batting average, four runs, six RBIs, a double and a home run.

The Des Moines, Iowa, native gave the Tritons a fighting chance in their lone loss of the week against Union (Tenn.) by tying the game in the top of the seventh with a solo home run. UMSL won its final three games at the Union (Tenn.) Three Team Weekend to start the season at 3-1.

In the circle, Petersen led Midwestern to a perfect 5-0 record on the week by not allowing her opponents to score a single run during each of her two appearances, which included a seven-inning perfect game against Western New Mexico.

The senior from Plano allowed just three hits, no runs and four walks while striking out 21 over 14.0 innings of work.

Petersen now has 26 career shutouts and with the victory over West Texas A&M, she became the Mustangs’ all-time leader in wins with 69.

After going 5-for-5 at last week’s Holiday Inn at the Falls MSU Invitational, Midwestern is now 8-2 on the year.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Despite suffering their first loss of the season last week, the Washington Huskies held on to the top spot in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll for the third consecutive poll. Arizona, Florida and Michigan maintained their respective positions at two, three and four, while UCLA moved into the top five for the first time this season.

Baylor, who came in at No. 25 last week, was the only team to drop from the poll and was replaced by the lone newcomer, Texas A&M, at No. 24.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. 2010 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.

The next USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll will be released Tuesday, March 2.

Click To Watch Washingtons Head coach Heather Tarr Interviewed on The Fastpitch TV Show
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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Freshman pitcher/first baseman Melissa Martinez of New Mexico Highlands has been named the first Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II National Player of the Week of the 2010 season.

In the first two weeks of the season, Martinez excelled both at the plate and in the circle. Through the first nine games of the season, Martinez posted a .372 batting average with 11 runs, 16 RBIs, one double and seven home runs.

The Albuquerque, N.M., native jumpstarted her collegiate career by completing two amazing feats in back-to-back games.

In her first-ever collegiate at bat, Martinez went yard against Eastern New Mexico. Since then, Martinez has added six more homers to her tally, including a three home-run performance against Grand Canyon. For the season, Martinez has a slugging percentage of 1.269.

In the second game of the season-opening doubleheader against Eastern New Mexico, Martinez took to the circle and threw a no-hitter in the first start of her collegiate career. Martinez retired 21 of 23 batters faced, while striking out 10.

After the no-hitter, Martinez continued to excel as a pitcher by recording 27 strikeouts through 20.2 innings of work.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – Senior Danielle Lawrie of Washington has been named as the NCAA Division I Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week for games played during the week of Feb. 11-14.

Lawrie, who split time between pitcher and designated player, was 6-for-15 at the plate on the week with five runs, nine RBIs and four home runs, including a grand slam against Cal State Northridge.

The Langley, B.C. native was equally effective from the circle, as she threw 21 shutout innings over three complete games. Lawrie also recorded the first Division I perfect game of the 2010 season in the Huskies’ season-opener against Auburn. Lawrie allowed just four hits and one walk on the week, while recording 45 strikeouts.

Lawrie helped guide No. 1 Washington to a 5-0 record at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., allowing the Huskies to hold on to the top spot in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll for the second consecutive poll.

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STARKVILLE, Miss. – On the strength of a 5-0 opening weekend record, Washington received all 30 first place votes for the second-consecutive week to lead the first USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll of the 2010 regular season. Fellow unbeaten Arizona jumped four spots to claim the No. 2 position in the poll, while Florida, Michigan and Arizona St. rounded out the top five, respectively.

DePaul was the only team to fall out of the poll this week dropping from No. 21, while Texas was the only addition and joined the fray at No. 20.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll is voted on by NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. 2010 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.

The next USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll will be released on Tuesday, Feb. 23.

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A 4-0 start to the season was enough to move previous No. 4, Siskiyous, past Sierra and into the No. 1 spot in the latest California Community College Athletic Association Softball Top 20 Coaches’ Poll.

Former No. 1, Sierra, dropped just one spot to No. 2, while East Los Angeles made the week’s biggest jump soaring 15 spots from No. 18 to No. 3.

COACHES’ POLL – TOP 20 (STATE-WIDE RANKINGS)
FOR WEEK BEGINNING FEBRUARY 7 IN SEASON 2010

Rank Team (Record) Points
1 Siskiyous (4-0) 44 (1)
2 Sierra (0-0) 43 (1)
3 East Los Angeles (7-0) 40 (1)
4 Cypress (0-0) 38
T5 Cerritos (6-1) 34 (1)
T5 Sacramento City (0-0) 34
T7 Ohlone (1-1) 33
T7 Saddleback (3-0) 33
T7 Mt. San Antonio (1-0) 33
10 Feather River (0-0) 30
11 Palomar (0-0) 29
12 Fullerton (5-2) 27
13 Santa Ana (3-1) 26
14 San Mateo (3-2) 25
T15 Long Beach City (5-3) 23
T15 Ventura (6-2) 23
T17 Fresno (2-1) 22
T17 Shasta (0-1) 22
T17 Santa Rosa (2-1) 22
20 San Joaquin Delta (1-0) 20

All records shown are from the 2010 season. First-place votes are in parentheses.

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Defending national champion California Baptist has been tabbed as the No. 1 team in the NAIA Softball Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll, the NAIA announced Tuesday. The Lancers were the unanimous pick, earning all 23 first-place votes and tallying 653 points. Dickinson State (N.D.) is listed second with 629 points. Oklahoma City and Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) are tied for third with 594 points and Lubbock Christian rounds out the top-five teams with 549 points.

No. 1 California Baptist returns 12 starters from its 2009 national championship team, including 2009 NAIA Pitcher of the Year, Tory Ferreira. Ferreira became the first pitcher in NAIA history to go undefeated and have at least 20 wins, as a freshman. The 2009 NAIA National Championship MVP Ashley Boyd returns for her senior season. The senior shortstop set school single-season records for home runs (16), hits (100), runs scored (82) and total bases (178). The Lancers finished last season with a school record 61 wins, on their way to winning the school’s first softball championship.

No. 22 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.), No. 23 Savannah College of Art and Design (Ga.) and No. 25 McKendree (Ill.) all make an appearance in the poll after finishing the 2009 season unranked.

Four conferences, Golden State Athletic Conference, Sooner Athletic Conference, Southern States Athletic Conference and Association of Independent Institutions, each have three teams listed in the initial poll for the 2010 season.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences. The first regular-season poll will be announced on March 23.

To view the entire NAIA Preseason Top 25 poll, click here.

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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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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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Kathryn Gleason, who will take over as NFCA first vice president at the end of the 2009 NFCA National Convention, is entering her seventh year on the Michigan State softball staff. This is her fifth season as the associate head coach after being promoted to the position in the summer of 2005. Previously, she was an assistant coach at Purdue for three years and an assistant at Massachusetts, also for three years.

Gleason just completed a two-year term as NFCA second vice president after serving two terms as the assistant coach representative for the Association. A native of Country Club Hills, Ill., she was inducted into the Marian Catholic High School Hall of Fame as “Athlete of the Year” in the 2002 induction class. Gleason was also inducted into the East Suburban Catholic Conference High School Hall of Fame in March 2008.

Karen Weekly joins the NFCA board as the Division I representative. She is entering her eighth season as Tennessee co-head coach with her husband Ralph. The Weeklys have guided the Lady Vols to a Southeastern Conference best 376 victories since arriving in Knoxville in 2002.

Weekly has served as the SEC’s representative on the NFCA’s Head Coaches Committee for the last three years. She also is an attorney and can practice law in the states of Tennessee and Washington. She is a member of the Academy of Legal Studies in Business and the American Bar Association.

Having traveled all over the nation to spread her knowledge about the sport, Weekly has been co-owner and director of National Hitting Camps since 1988. She also has been a lead instructor at ASA Elite Hitting Camps in Midland, Texas, and in Oklahoma City, Okla., and has been a featured speaker at several coaching clinics around the country.

Kevin Blaskowski joins the NFCA board as the Division II representative. He is entering his fourth season as head coach of the Lady Buff softball program at West Texas A&M. Blaskowski was hired in December of 2004 to bring back the softball program to WTAMU’s campus after a 24-year absence.

Blaskowski also serves as the NCAA South Region chair and is a member of the NCAA Division II Softball Committee, in addition to also serving as the chair of the Lone Star Conference Softball Coaches Committee.

Besides his coaching duties, Blaskowski is as an instructor in the Sports and Exercise Science Department at West Texas A&M. During his career, Blaskowski has been an instructor at Eastern New Mexico, Southern Arkansas and Kansas Wesleyan. He was the sports information director at Phillips and Kansas Wesleyan, and also served as head coach of women’s basketball at Kansas Wesleyan and assistant sports information director at Washburn.

Central College’s George Wares joins the NFCA board as the Division III representative. He is the one of the winningest softball coaches at any level with a 840-280-3 career record in 25 years of coaching.

Wares was inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in 2007, and he and his staff were named the NFCA Division III national coaching staff of the year in 2003, after taking regional honors in 2001. Wares enters his second two-year term on the NFCA Division III All-American and Coaching Staff of the Year Committee, serving two years as chair.

A highly regarded motivational speaker, Wares received a master’s degree in counseling from Iowa State University. He worked as a at-risk counselor at Pella High School and as an academic counselor at Central.

The Play it Forward campaign is a collaboration of Up2Us and YouthNoise that seeks to promote the importance of youth sports and to recognize the role of coaches in shaping young people’s futures.

Play it Forward centers around the Coach Appreciation Week Resolution, which was introduced with the help of Rep. McIntyre, N.C. and will go to a House of Representatives vote on September 14. Coach Appreciation Week is intended to spark a national dialogue about the importance of sports as a vehicle for youth development and to inspire volunteerism around youth sports. The Play it Forward campaign will highlight the stories of coaches from around the country who have made a difference in the lives of their players, both on and off the field. Three winning coaches will win a trip to Washington, D.C. and be honored with the National Coach Appreciation Week “Coach of the Year Award at the Up2Us National Conference.

HOW THE CONTEST WORKS:
To enter the Play it Forward contest, participants will go to the YouthNoise Web site and submit a story about the coaches who have had a positive influence in their lives. YouthNoise members will then vote for the most powerful entries to select the top 10 finalists, and a panel of judges will select the winning three entries. Winning coaches will travel to Washington, D.C. in October to receive their awards, and winning nominators will win $250 Eurosport gift certificates. Behind every great athlete is a great coach. Participate in Play it Forward and say “thank you!”

ABOUT Up2Us & YouthNoise Play City:
Up2Us is a national coalition of over 250 organizations dedicated to increasing the impact of youth sports as a tool for positive youth development and to increasing access to quality sports-based youth development programs, especially for disadvantaged youth.

YouthNoise and Nike have come together to create Play City, the ultimate realization of the power of sports to create social change. Here in Play City, “be a good sport” takes on a whole new meaning. Sports have the potential to energize individuals, revitalize communities and catalyze change. Play City is not about securing titles, cementing legacies or entertaining a prime-time audience. It’s about changing lives, creating opportunities and inspiring others to take action.

CONTACT:
Cal Zarin for Up2Us (212-359-9510 x305; czarin@americascores.org)
Angela Bush for YouthNoise ‘Play City’ (415-728-6321, angie@youthnoise.org)

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association has begun registration for their national convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The convention dates are December the ninth, through the twelfth. This year former UCLA Coach, Sue Enquist is the keynote speaker. Convention packets and registration forms have been mailed to members, or you can view the convention brochure now at http://ftp.nfca.org/forms/2009conventionbrochure.pdf

08/05/09 – NFCA Release
The NFCA and Diamond Sports, the NFCA’s “Official Protective Equipment,” have released the 10 catchers who have been named the winners of the 2009 Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award.

Diamond Sports and the NFCA present the award annually to the top catcher from NFCA member schools in each of the following divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC, Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) and high school.

Divisional committees consisting of NFCA member coaches determined the 2009 Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award winners. The recipients of this year’s awards, by division, are as follows:

NCAA Division I
Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State
Bramlett earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I first-team All-America honors for a third straight year and was named the catcher on the first team for a second consecutive season. A member of the USA Women’s National Team for 2009, Bramlett led the SEC in batting average and stolen bases, ranked third nationally in batting average and topped the national statistics in stolen bases per game. She started every game behind the plate for the Bulldogs, throwing out 14 would-be base stealers.

NCAA Division II
Christine Roser, Rollins College
Sophomore catcher Christine Roser of Rollins College earns first-team honors after leading the Tars in batting average (.407), runs (54), hits (70), home runs (16) and RBI (63) for the 2009 season. Roser earned a second consecutive All-Sunshine State conference first-team honor this season. She threw out four baserunners on the season and had a .996 fielding percentage on 553 chances

NCAA Division III
Jamie Smrdel, John Carroll University
The first player in John Carroll history to earn first-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division III All-America honors, Smrdel was also selected as a first-team All-Ohio Athletic Conference honoree. Smrdel led her conference with a .516 batting average, collecting 47 hits with 14 doubles and 33 RBI. She concludes her JCU career as the school’s all-time leader with 197 hits, 49 doubles, 27 home runs and 150 RBI.

NAIA
Erin Slettvet, Oklahoma City
Slettvet hit .389 this season with 50 runs scored, 13 doubles, 17 home runs and a team-leading 61 RBI. She was named a first-team Louisville Slugger/NAIA All-American.

NJCAA Division I
Brittany Tucker, Yavapai College
Tucker led the 2009 NJCAA Division I Champions behind the plate as one of four first-team All-Americans on the squad. Tucker hit .401 on the season with 51 runs scored and 77 RBI. She had 12 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs on the year.

NJCAA Division II
Lacy Goodman, Phoenix College
Goodman hit .519 for the 2009 season, a stat line that included 85 runs scored with 109 RBI, 30 home runs, 23 doubles and 29 stolen bases for the NJCAA Division II runner-up Phoenix College. She was named a Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division II first-team All-American at catcher. This is the second consecutive season she has been honored as the Diamond Catcher of the Year.

NJCAA Division III
Danielle Davenport, Brookdale
Davenport, the Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division III first-team All-American at catcher, hit .453 for the season with 70 runs scored, 59 RBI, three triples, 21 doubles and and 72 hits for the season.

Cal JC
Samantha Vaaulu, Cerritos College
The Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year award winner, Samantha Vaaulu of Cerritos College, was named a first-team All-American at catcher for the South Region last week. Vaaulu holds a .448 batting average with 52 runs scored, 13 doubles, two triples, 17 home runs and 63 RBI. She leads her team in doubles, homers and RBI along with 65 hits this season. Cerritos College also continues to advance in the Cal JC playoffs.

NWAACC
Emily Matekel, Southwest Oregon
The Diamond Catcher of the Year recipient is Emily Matekel of Southwest Oregon. Matekel was named a first-team All-American last week. She hit .432 this season with 21 runs, 13 doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI.

High School
Brittany Marcet, Pearland (Texas)High School
Junior catcher Brittany Marcet of Pearland High School in Pearland, Texas is the 2009 Diamond Catcher of the Year. In 43 games this season, Marcet paced the Texas Class 5A state runners-up with a .407 average, 46 hits, 12 doubles and 52 RBIs. Defensively, she had 260 attempts without an error this season.

The NFCA and adidas have released the 10 student-athletes who have been named the winners of the 2009 adidas Golden Shoe award.

NFCA and adidas present the award annually to the top base stealer from NFCA member schools in each of the following divisions: NCAA (Divisions I, II and III), NAIA, NJCAA (Divisions I, II and III), Cal JC, Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) and high school.

Divisional committees consisting of NFCA member coaches determined the 2009 adidas Golden Shoe award winners. The recipients of this year’s awards, by division, are as follows:

NCAA Division I
Chelsea Bramlett, Mississippi State
Bramlett earned Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I first-team All-America honors for a third straight year and was named the catcher on the first team for a second consecutive season. A member of the USA Women’s National Team for 2009, Bramlett led the SEC in batting average and stolen bases, ranked third nationally in batting average and topped the national statistics in stolen bases per game.

NCAA Division II
Teresa Erskine of Miles College
Erskine led all of NCAA Division II with 56 steals in 61 attempts for an eye-popping 1.30 steals per-game average. Erskine’s 56 steals is 16 more than her next closest competitors, while her per-game average of 1.30 steals easily eclipsed the 1.09 per-game average turned in by Michelle Thompson of Livingstone. The junior outfielder hit .378 on the season with 53 runs scored, six doubles, four triples and a home run with 34 RBI. This is the second consecutive season that a Golden Bear has won the NCAA Division II adidas Golden Shoe as Kenyona Johnson from Miles was honored in 2008.

NCAA Division III
Jenna Patnode, Keene State
Senior Jenna Patnode earned first-team All-ECAC honors during the 2009 season as the Owls top offensive performer in batting average (.423), runs (47), hits (63) and a school-record 47 stolen bases. She finished her career with 99 steals during her Owls career. Patnode’s 47 steals in 44 games was a 1.07 per-game average, ranking second in the NCAA standings. Her 47 steals was the top total number of steals in NCAA Division III play during 2009. She was the only player in the country with 40 or more swipes last season.

NAIA
Brittany Webb, Bellhaven
An infielder/outfielder from Mobile, Ala., Webb hit .403 on the season with 40 RBI. She stole 55 bases in 59 attempts, more than any other player in the country at the NAIA level. She scored 73 runs which put her among the NAIA leaders in that category as well. Bellhaven finished the year with an overall record of 36-19 which establishes a new Bellhaven record for the most wins in a season. Webb was also named a Louisville Slugger/NFCA NAIA All-American for 2009.

NJCAA Division I
Jessica Whitley, Navarro
Whitley hit .468 during the 2009 season, recording 63 runs, 45 RBI and 24 doubles on the year. Wihitley stole 80 bases in 84 chances to lead the way for NJCAA Division I.

NJCAA Division II
Ashley Willard, Iowa Central
Ashley Willard led Iowa Central with 72 stolen bases on 78 attempts during the season. She also hit .371 with 54 runs scored and three triples to go along with nine RIB and 23 walks.

NJCAA Division III
Gina Brenzo, Corning
Corning stole 31 bases on 33 attempts during the season to lead the way for the Red Barons in that category. She hit .445 with 55 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples, a home run and 26 RBI.

Cal JC
Jamie Miller, Ohlone
Miller stole 34 bases for the Renegades as they advanced to the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) State Softball Championship. Miller has gone 47-for-139 for a .338 batting average with seven doubles, two triples and 21 RBI on the season. The 34 stolen bases for this year’s adidas Golden Shoe Award winner led Cal JC.

NWAACC
Kendall Grant, Lower Columbia
The adidas Golden Shoe award winner, presented to the top base-stealer in the NWAACC, goes to Kendall Grant of Lower Columbia College. The freshman outfielder stole 48 bases during the 2009 season. Grant turned in a .503 batting average with 52 runs scored, nine doubles, a triple and 16 RBI on the year.

High School
Emily Albus, Brenham (Texas) High School
Junior shortstop Emily Albus of Brenham High School in Brenham, Texas
A three-time NFCA All-American Brenham’s Emily Albus has been named the adidas Golden Shoe winner for high school softball for 2009. In 36 games this season, Albus stole an amazing 70 bases in 73 attempts. Offensively, Albus hit .664 with 57 runs scored and 77 base hits. Albus had 14 extra-base hits, including three home runs.

NDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 7, 2009/courtesy NFHS) — Effective with the 2010-11 school year, the pitching distance for high school varsity softball pitchers will increase from 40 feet to 43 feet.

The new pitching distance was one of four rules revisions made by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Softball Rules Committee at its annual meeting June 8-10 in Indianapolis. The rules changes subsequently were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

Although the new pitching distance is mandatory beginning with the 2010-11 school year, NFHS-member state high school associations may adopt the 43-feet distance in 2009-10, if desired.

After at least 10 years of debate by committee members, the NFHS has extended the fast-pitch pitching distance to 43 feet. The change to Rule 1-1-2b was made after two member state associations experimented with 43 feet – Florida for four years and Oregon for one year. Coaches surveyed within these states were overwhelmingly supportive of the change.

Creating a better balance between the offense and the defense was the major rationale for the rule change. Experimentation results from both states indicated more batted balls were hit into play.

“Our main thrust is getting the defense more involved,” said Mary Struckhoff, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee. “When more balls are hit into play, the defense is more involved in the game, thus enhancing skill development.”

The second revision (Rule 1-5) concerned bat specifications. The majority of the text is simply reorganized from the current rules book.

“This is primarily an editorial change,“ Struckhoff said. “We just want to be more detailed in our specifications in order to give manufacturers, coaches, players and umpires guidance on what is and is not permissible.”

Another rule revision for next season affects hair devices. An exception was added to Rule 3-2-12, permitting “hard, unadorned devices, such as bobby pins, barrettes and hair clips, no longer than 2 inches, to be worn to control a player’s hair.” The rule was changed to allow players more options.

“The exception allows players a practical way of dealing with their hair,” Struckhoff said. “The committee didn’t see that hair devices would be a nuisance or would pose undue risk to players.” The change also maintains consistency with NFHS volleyball rules regarding the same issue.

The final rules change concerns how a winning pitcher is determined. The committee altered Rule 9-6-6, changing the required number of innings pitched for a starting pitcher to be credited with a win to “half of the total number of innings played in the game.” The new language gives the starting pitcher the ability to earn a win even if she leaves the pitching position for another defensive position and returns as pitcher later in the game. It also allows greater clarity in determining the winning pitcher when a game is terminated due to the run-rule.

“Softball and baseball are different games and the requirements for a pitcher to be credited with a win should reflect those differences,” Struckhoff said. “In softball, it’s possible for the pitcher to pitch an inning, leave the position and then come back to pitch later in the same game. The change was made to reflect the culture of the sport.”

Softball is the fourth-most popular sport among girls at the high school level with 371,293 participants during the 2007-08 season, according to the High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS. It also ranks fourth in school sponsorship for girls across the nation with 14,846 participatin

The Diamond Catcher of the Year and adidas Golden Shoe award winners for all three NJCAA divisions were announced today by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. The Diamond Catcher of the Year award honors the division’s top catcher while the adidas Golden Shoe award honors the division’s top base stealer.

NJCAA Division I

Diamond Catcher of the Year: Brittany Tucker, Yavapai College

Tucker led the 2009 NJCAA Division I Champions behind the plate as one of four first-team All-Americans on the squad. Tucker hit .401 on the season with 51 runs scored and 77 RBI. She had 12 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs on the year.

adidas GoldenShoe: Jessica Whitley, Navarro
Whitley hit .468 during the 2009 season, recording 63 runs, 45 RBI and 24 doubles on the year. Wihitley stole 80 bases in 84 chances to lead the way for NJCAA Division I.

NJCAA Division II

Diamond Catcher of the Year: Lacy Goodman, Phoenix College

Goodman hit .519 for the 2009 season, a stat line that included 85 runs scored with 109 RBI, 30 home runs, 23 doubles and 29 stolen bases for the NJCAA Division II runner-up Phoenix College. She was named a Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division II first-team All-American at catcher.

adidas Golden Shoe: Ashley Willard, Iowa Central

Ashley Willard led Iowa Central with 72 stolen bases on 78 attempts during the season. She also hit .371 with 54 runs scored and three triples to go along with nine RIB and 23 walks.

NJCAA Division III
Diamond Catcher of the Year: Danielle Davenport, Brookdale

Davenport, the Louisville Slugger/NFCA NJCAA Division III first-team All-American at catcher, hit .453 for the season with 70 runs scored, 59 RBI, three triples, 21 doubles and and 72 hits for the season.

adidas Golden Shoe: Gina Brenzo, Corning, 31/33

Corning stole 31 bases during the season to lead the way for the Red Barons in that category. She hit .445 with 55 runs scored, nine doubles, three triples, a home run and 26 RBI.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Washington Huskies fought for a 3-2 victory over top-ranked and top-seeded Florida on Tuesday night at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, capturing the program’s first NCAA softball championship. The third-seeded Huskies finish with a 51-12 record while Florida ends its season with a 63-5 record.

The Gators wasted no time getting on the board, plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Aja Paculba led off the game with a triple and came home on passed ball before Kristina Hilberth reached on a fielding error, went to second on a Francesca Enea single, stole third base and scored on a sacrifice fly from Megan Bush to make the score 2-0.

Washington answered in the bottom half of the inning. Ashley Charters and Kimi Pohlman led off with consecutive singles before a one-out single from Danielle Lawrie scored Charters from second and advanced Pohlman to third base. A wild pitch from Florida starter Stacey Nelson plated Pohlman to tie the game at 2-2.

Florida threatened in the top of the second inning as Kim Waleszonia reached on a two-base error and was wild pitched to third base, but did not advance any farther.

The Huskies loaded the bases in the bottom of the third inning on a fielding error off the bat of Pohlman, followed by singles from Jennifer Salling and Lawrie. Morgan Stuart then slapped a ball into the Gator infield where it was not fielded cleanly, scoring a run on the bases-loaded error to make the score 3-2 in Washington’s favor.

Florida left a pair of runners in scoring position in the fourth inning. Ali Gardiner led off with a single and pinch runner Danyell Hines was sacrificed to second by Corrie Brooks. A Michelle Moultrie single gave the Gators runners at the corners, and a stolen base from Moultrie put both runners in scoring position, but they could not advance.

In the top of the fifth, the Gators threatened again. Hilberth led off with a single and pinch runner Lauren Heil was sacrificed to second by Enea. An infield error allowed Kelsey Bruder to reach and a two-out walk to Gardiner loaded the bases for Brooks, who was unable to connect, leaving Washington’s 3-2 lead intact.

After going down in order in the top of the sixth, Florida’s Francesca Enea ripped a double down the left field line with one out in the seventh, but the runner did not advance any farther as Lawrie recorded her seventh and eighth K’s of the game to shut the door on Florida and close out Washington’s first NCAA softball championship.

Washington’s Danielle Lawrie became the first recipient of the USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year award to win that year’s NCAA Championship.

Lawrie struck out eight, allowing two runs on seven hits while walking three to finish the season at 42-8. Florida ace Stacey Nelson pitched six innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking one with five strikeouts. Her final season record is 41-5.

Five Huskies earned All-Tournament honors, led by Most Outstanding Player Danielle Lawrie. Ashley Charters, Kimi Pohlman, Morgan Stewart and Niki Williams rounded out the list of UW players on the All-Tournament Team. They were joined by Alabama’s Kelley Montalvo, Charlotte Morgan and Brittany Rogers; Georgia’s Alisa Goler and Taylor Schlopy; and Florida’s Megan Bush and Stacey Nelson.

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Washington exploded for eight runs on seven hits in Monday’s first game of the NCAA Championship Series, recording an 8-0 seven-inning win over Florida. Washington (50-12) leads Florida (63-4) in the best-of-three series with game two scheduled for 7 pm CDT on Tuesday evening.

Washington’s win snaps Florida’s 29-game winning streak, handing the Gators first loss since March 29, when UF lost to Alabama.

Washington opened the scoring in the top of the third inning. Niki Williams led off the inning with a walk and stole second, going to third on an Ashley Charters single. Kimi Pohlman followed by reaching base on a fielders choice with no out recorded on the play to load the bases.

Jennifer Salling then stepped in, knocking a two-RBI single up the middle with Charters evading a tag at the plate. Gator catcher Kristina Hilberth then saw she could catch Pohlman in a rundown between second and third base, but her throw to the bag at second was too high, going into centerfield and allowing both Pohlman and Salling to score on the play, giving the Huskies a 4-0 lead.

Another deuce was added in the fifth inning. Charters walked to lead off the inning, but after a pair of fielders choices, Salling was the runner on first base who went to third on a Danielle Lawrie single. Both runners scored on a double by Morgan Stuart, making the score 6-0. Stuart’s double was her fourth this week, setting a new WCWS record.

The Husky offense kept churning in the sixth inning. A one-out walk to Lauren Greer was followed by a two-out home run from Charters to give Washington its seventh and eighth runs of the game.

Because the eight-run mercy rule is not in effect for the championship series, the game went a full seven innings.

Florida ace Stacey Nelson took the loss for the Gators, falling to 41-4 on the season. She tossed five innings, striking out five, but allowing six runs on five hits. Stephanie Brombacher tossed the final two innings, allowing two runs on as many hits.

Danielle Lawrie earned the win for Washington, improving to 41-8 this year. She struck out 12 and walked three while twirling a two-hit shutout over her seven innings in the circle.