March 1 2012 Update
Two volumes of photos take at Cathedral City for Spy by Dennis Andersen, ActionSportsPhotos, are now on Spy’s Picasa web site. (The site can be reached using Spy or Rayburn Hesse)
COLLEGE SCORES
Top 25 (ESPN/USA Softball poll 2/27
Florida 2, Eastern Michigan 1
Gators score winning run bottom 8th; Rogers 11K
Arizona State vs Wichita State (no score at 10pm ET)
Other College
Stetson swept Mount St Mary’s 7-1, 8-0
UC Riverside 5, Portland State 0
Bellhaven 10, Alcorn State 2
Pitcher Wanted
Saint Leo is looking for a juco or transfer pitcher for 2012
John Conway
Head Coach Softball
Saint Leo University
O# 352-588-8451
C# 314-435-8747
F# 352-588-8290
Alabama-Huntsville Maintains Hold On Top Spot NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll
February 29, 2012
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the second consecutive week, Alabama-Huntsville has topped the NFCA Division II Top 25 poll, the Association announced on Wednesday.
The Chargers (11-0) were the unanimous top choice this week, receiving all 16 first-place votes. Following Alabama-Huntsville in second was West Texas A&M (11-3), which used a split with former No. 2 North Georgia to move up one spot from third.
Cal State Chico (12-3) also moved up one spot this week from fourth to third, while North Georgia (14-3) dropped two spots from second to fourth. Rounding out the top five was Valdosta State (9-2), which held on to fifth for the second straight week.
This week’s biggest gain in the poll came from Armstrong Atlantic. The Pirates are off to a 17-2 start to the season and rocketed from 12th to sixth in this week’s poll.
Only one team, Hawai‘i Pacific (8-4), dropped out of the rankings this week, allowing Abilene Christian (12-2) to make its 2012 debut in the poll at 25th.
The NFCA Division II Top 25 Poll is voted on by 16 NCAA Division II head coaches, two representing each of the eight NCAA regions. Current 2012 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.
|
Rank |
Team |
2012 Record |
Totals |
Previous Ranking |
|
1 |
Ala.-Huntsville (16) |
11-0 |
400 |
1 |
|
2 |
West Texas A&M |
11-3 |
373 |
3 |
|
3 |
Cal State Chico |
12-3 |
353 |
4 |
|
4 |
North Georgia |
14-3 |
323 |
2 |
|
5 |
Valdosta St. |
9-2 |
316 |
5 |
|
6 |
Armstrong Atlantic |
17-2 |
310 |
12 |
|
7 |
Augustana (SD) |
8-1 |
301 |
7 |
|
8 |
Angelo St. |
12-3 |
283 |
8 |
|
9 |
Indiana (PA) |
0-0 |
259 |
6 |
|
10 |
Cal St. Mont. Bay |
15-3 |
236 |
13 |
|
11 |
Indianapolis |
6-1 |
233 |
14 |
|
12 |
C.W. Post |
0-0 |
211 |
9 |
|
13 |
Barry |
12-3 |
187 |
15 |
|
14 |
Saginaw Valley |
0-0 |
180 |
11 |
|
15 |
Mo. Western St. |
14-3 |
150 |
19 |
|
16 |
Cal St. Dom. Hills |
18-3 |
134 |
20 |
|
17 |
Winona St. |
8-1 |
122 |
23 |
|
18 |
Bloomsburg |
0-0 |
118 |
17 |
|
19 |
Rollins |
12-3 |
114 |
16 |
|
20 |
UC San Diego |
12-6 |
92 |
10 |
|
21 |
Tampa |
12-3 |
82 |
24 |
|
22 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
16-2 |
80 |
18 |
|
23 |
Flagler |
15-4 |
76 |
25 |
|
24 |
Grand Valley St. |
0-0 |
61 |
21 |
|
25 |
Abilene Christian |
12-2 |
46 |
RV |
Dropped Out: No. 22 Hawai‘i Pacific
Others Receiving Votes: Sonoma St. 41, Kutztown 26, West Virginia Wesleyan 33, Hawai‘i Pacific 21, Merrimack 13, Colorado Mesa 9, Incarnate Word 5, Tiffin 5, Dowling 2, Minnesota St. Mankato 1, Texas Woman’s 1
AKRON RACERS SIGN BRIANNA HESSON IN FREE AGENCY
AKRON, Ohio – Feb. 29, 2012 – Akron Racers’ General Manager Joey Arrietta added more depth and defensive talent to the Racers roster today by announcing the signing of University of Georgia standout Brianna Hesson today. Hesson comes to the Racers as a free agent after spending one season with the NPF Diamonds. “There is no question, defensively that Hesson has been one of the best in the SEC,” said Arrietta. “If you look at the body of work while she was at Georgia, you cannot ignore that she was a difference maker for the Bulldogs in games. She rose to the occasion when Georgia needed a hit. Bringing her here and putting her in our environment, I know she’s going to thrive here.” As an infielder for the University of Georgia, Hesson finished with a career .315 batting average, 127 runs scored, 181 RBIs and 38 home runs. For the NPF Diamonds last season, she batted .181 with 10 runs, two doubles, two home runs and six RBIs in 105 at-bats.
COMMITMENTS
Jersey Inferno Gold – Meister
Christina Gonzalez – 2012 – OF/IF – committed to St. Joseph’s
Cyndi Wilson – 2012 – 1B/SS – committed to St. Joseph’s
Leah Allen – 2013 – OF/SS – verbal to Kent State
Anna Marie Gatti – 2014 – P – verbal to Syracuse
Jordy Augustus – 2014 – C/UT – verbal to University of South Carolina
Leah O’Brien-Amico Named USSSA Pride Assistant Coach
Kissimmee, FL- USSSA Florida Pride of the National Pro FastPitch (NPF) League announced today the addition of former Olympian, Leah O’Brien-Amico to the Pride coaching staff. Amico, a three time gold medalist (’96, ’00, and ’04) will be an Assistant Coach for the Pride for the 2012 season.
“I am grateful to Don DeDonatis for giving me this opportunity to contribute to this team as a coach. I appreciate all he has done for the sport of fastpitch softball.” Amico said of the Pride’s president and general manager. “Many young players have dreams of becoming the next Jessica Mendoza or Natasha Watley and thanks to Don and the other owners in the NPF, as well as the commitment of the Commissioner, Cheri Kempf, they can live out those dreams.”
The Pride is filling a vacancy on the staff left by former Head Coach (and University of Florida Head Coach), Tim Walton. Former Pride Assistant Coach (current LSU Head Coach) Beth Torina has been assigned the duties of Head Coach of the 2012 Pride team.
“USSSA’s goal for the Pride in the NPF is, and always has been, to contribute to the highest level of competition this sport has to offer,” stated USSSA Chairman and Pride General Manager, Don DeDonatis. “Leah O’Brien-Amico is obviously an accomplished athlete, but more importantly to us, she is a class act and a quality person who we believe will help lead our talented crew of players to more NPF Championships. We are in this to provide role models to young athletes throughout the USSSA amateur ranks and softball players everywhere, and we believe we hit a homerun with this addition.”
Since joining the NPF in 2009, the USSSA Florida Pride has experienced much success. In their inaugural year, the Pride finished the season in the Championship Series Final Series. Eventually falling to the Rockford Thunder in a best of three match-up, the Pride took home the Championship Series runner-up. In 2010, second place would not be theirs however, as the Pride marched all the way to the Championship Series Finals again, this time to capture the crown in the best of three over the Chicago Bandits. 2011 saw another remarkable season for the Pride as they ran away with the regular season title (30-9 record), earning them the Ringor Cup. Playing for the Series title for the third consecutive year in the Finals of the Championship Series, the Pride yielded the crown in 2011 to the Chicago Bandits.
Amico is in familiar territory with the roster of the Pride team, having competed with many of the current Pride players either through the many years as a Team USA player herself, or as a college player at the University of Arizona. As a current analyst for college and professional softball for ESPN, Amico is also familiar with the rest of the squad.
“The past couple of years I have watched this team compete and I know that working with each of these athletes will help me to understand this sport at a higher level,” commented Amico. “Softball has always been a huge part of my life and there is always room to get better, no matter if you are a coach or a player.”
MSU Softball’s McMichael Honored As SEC Great
STARKVILLE, Miss. – Arguably one of the most-heralded players in
Mississippi State softball history, Iyhia McMichael has been selected as
part of the 2012 class of Southeastern Conference Greats. McMichael will
be honored Thursday at 2:30 p.m., at the SEC Women’s Basketball
Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The ceremony will
take place during halftime of Mississippi State’s first-round game
against Vanderbilt.
“Iyhia was a force to be reckoned with because she was a five-tool
player in every sense of the phrase,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said.
“She was one of the greatest softball players to ever don a Maroon and
White jersey and will always be remembered for her exceptional talent
and pure athleticism.”
McMichael earned a pair of First-Team All-America accolades while
helping the Bulldogs to three-straight NCAA Regionals from 2002-04 and
was the first player to earn consecutive SEC Player of the Year
accolades. The Nacogdoches, Texas, native was named one of three
finalists for USA Softball Player of the Year in 2004, a year after
making the Top 10. To this day, McMichael holds single-season school
records for runs scored (83 in 2004), home runs (18 in 2004), slugging
percentage (.836 in 2004), stolen-base percentage (.97 in 2003) and
walks (51 in 2004). On the career list, she ranks second in RBI, home
runs and walks.
“The SEC Greats program showcases the extraordinary talent these women
have brought to athletics in the Southeastern Conference,” SEC
Commissioner Mike Slive said. “These women set the precedent for the
athletes you see today. It is an honor for us to acknowledge their
contributions both on and off the athletic field.”
The 2012 class includes: McMichael, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tennessee
(Basketball); Kelly Kretschman, Alabama (Softball); Sytia Messer,
Arkansas (Basketball); Laticia Morris, Auburn (Basketball); Cassie
Macia, Florida (Basketball); Camille Lowe, Georgia (Basketball); Valerie
McGovern Young, Kentucky (Track); Yvette Girouard, LSU (Softball);
Yolanda Moore, Ole Miss (Basketball); Jocelyn Penn, South Carolina
(Basketball) and Carolyn Peck, Vanderbilt (Basketball).
Each honoree will be honored during halftime of her team’s first game
of the tournament and all 12 individuals will be honored as a group
between games of the second session on Friday, March 2. The Greats will
then participate in an autograph session on the concourse before game
eight. Complimentary posters of the Greats will be available at the
session.
