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Pac-10 Softball All-Conference Awards Announced
May 16, 2007
Complete Release in PDF Format
ARIZONA STATE'S COCHRAN NAMED PLAYER OF THE YEAR WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- In a vote of the league's eight head coaches, ARIZONA STATE outfielder Kaitlin Cochran was named the Pacific-10 Conference Softball Player of the Year. Arizona State's Katie Burkhart was named Pitcher of the Year, OREGON freshman Jennifer Salling was named Newcomer of the Year and ARIZONA center fielder Caitlin Lowe received Defensive Player of the Year honors. Coach of the Year was awarded to Arizona's Mike Candrea, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced today. Cochran, a sophomore from Yorba Linda, Calif., led the Sun Devils to their best Conference finish in 16 years. Arizona State was 13-8 in the Pac-10 and finished runner-up for the first time since 1991 and much was due to Cochran's prowess at the plate. The sophomore leads the nation in batting average entering the postseason with a .506 average. Cochran ranks first in the Pac-10 in batting average, slugging percentage (.931), on-base percentage (.621), runs scored (70), hits (88), home runs (18), total bases (162), and walks (47). She is tied for third in RBI with 57. Her slugging percentage is the nation's fourth best and her runs per game average ranks eighth. Cochran's hits and home run totals both set new ASU single-season records. She is just the second Sun Devil to be named Player fo the Year, and first since Jodi Rathbun shared the award with UCLA's Lisa Longaker in 1987. Cochran was the Newcomer of the Year her freshman season in 2006. Burkhart, a junior from San Luis Obispo, Calif., handled the pitching side of things for Arizona State. The Pac-10 leader in both ERA (1.01) and strikeouts (429), Burkhart posted a record of 30-11. Her strikeout total broke her own single-season record at Arizona State, and she passed Kirsten Voak (1999-2002) as the Sun Devils' career strikeout leader. Her 1,069 K's ranks seventh on the Pac-10 career charts, having recently passed Arizona's Jennie Finch (1999-2002). Burkhart went the distance in 34 of her 35 starts, and posted 12 shutouts and two saves. Opponents hit just .133 vs. Burkhart, best in the Pac-10. Her ERA is the nation's seventh lowest, and her 11.1 strikeouts per seven innings ranks sixth. Burkhart has had 25 games of double-digit strikeouts this seaon, and was named Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week on three occasions, as well as a USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week award for the week of Apr. 9-15. She is the first Sun Devil to earn Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year honors. Salling, a redshirt freshman from Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, burst onto the scene this season as one of the major offensive forces in the league and the nation, powering an Oregon offense that led the Pac-10 with a .310 batting average. Salling's .483 batting average trailed only Cochran's in the Conference, and is the third-best mark in the nation. Her Pac-10 leading RBI total of 68 smashedthe old Oregon single-season record of 47. Salling also ranks second in the Pac-10 in on-base percentage (.621), third in slugging percentage (.864), third in runs scored (51), fourth in hits (71), second in triples (5), and seven th in home runs with 12. Her 127 total bases ranks behind only Cochran. Salling announced herself to the league when she earned Player of the Week accolades for the week of Feb. 20-26. Over a six-game stretch, Salling hit .722 (13-for-18) with 11 RBI and eight runs scored. Salling is the only freshman on the All-Pac-10 First Team, and is also the only freshman among the finalists for USA Softball National Player of the Year. She is the first Duck to win Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year. Lowe, a senior center fielder from Tustin, Calif., garners Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors for the first time. A three-time first team All-American and now a four-time first team All-Pac-10 member, Lowe used her speed (evidenced by her NCAA-leading 46 stolen bases without being caught) to patrol the outfield for the Wildcats. Lowe has not made a single error this season, with 48 put outs in 49 chances and one assist. Lowe is a finalist for the USA Softball Player of the Year award for the fourth time in her career. She is the first Wildcat to take Defensive Player of the Year honors. Candrea, in his 21st season at the helm of Arizona, picks up his 10th Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor after leading the Wildcats to their 10th Conference crown and the overall No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Candrea, who holds the highest winning percentage among active coaches, passed the 1,100 wins mark earlier this season, and now owns a record of 1,120-226-1 (.832). He will be trying to guide the Wildcats to their eighth Women's College World Series title starting this weekend at the Tucson Regional. Arizona has reached the WCWS 18 times in the last 19 years with Candrea as head coach. Candrea was co-Coach of the Year back in 1987 when the Pac-10 first gave the award. 2007 All-Pacific-10 Conference Team FIRST TEAM PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE YEAR PAC-10 PITCHER OF THE YEAR PAC-10 NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR PAC-10 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR PAC-10 COACH OF THE YEAR
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