RUSTON - Louisiana Tech freshman Rochelle Sandberg was named first team All-Western Athletic Conference by the league's coaches on the 2005 All-WAC Softball Team announced by the conference office Monday.

Sandberg was Tech's lone representative on the 12-member first team while Lady Techster senior outfielders Amber Miles and Brittany Stanley were both selected to the All-WAC second team.

Fresno State shortstop Christina Clark was named the WAC Player of the Year while teammate Jamie Southern was the Pitcher of the Year. Hawaii outfielder Kaulana Gould earned Freshman of the Year accolades while Fresno State coach Margie Wright was the Coach of the Year.

Sandberg and Tulsa's Angela Osbon tied for first team honors at second base.

For the year, Sandberg batted .265 with three home runs and 23 runs batted in while also registering eight doubles and three stolen bases. However, during Tech's 18-game WAC schedule, the Santee, Calif., native led the Lady Techsters with an impressive .364 with 16 hits in 44 at bats, including a team-high six doubles.

Sandberg's .500 slugging percentage and .420 on-base percentage were also team highs during WAC play.

"She was one of our leaders all season," said Tech head coach Sarah Dawson. "She was very impressive especially for a freshman. I think she surprised a lot of teams in our league with her power and that's probably what separated her from most of the other second basemen in our league.

"I think we saw her potential during the fall. However, anytime you're dealing with freshmen, you are always concerned with their consistency; would she be able to be productive when the actual season started. She was. Rochelle worked extra hard during the fall and all season long and this is a very deserving honor for her."

Miles and Stanley ended their Louisiana Tech careers as two of the most productive offensive players in the program's history.

During this season, Stanley led Tech with a .307 batting average, registering 47 hits in 153 at bats, while also registering 20 steals in 23 attempts, scoring 23 runs and driving home 12 runs. In WAC play, Stanley batted .342 with 13 hits in 38 at bats, while also stealing five bases

For her career, the Sulphur, La., native ranks No. 7 in batting average (.302), No. 3 in hits (.205), No. 3 in at bats (678), No. 7 in triples (7), No. 8 in total bases (226), No. 6 in runs scored (94), No. 4 in stolen bases (85) and No. 3 in stolen base attempts (103).

Miles was equally as impressive as her counterpart. This season, the Dallas, Texas, native batted .281 registering 55 hits in 196 at bats while also scoring a team-high 26 runs and stealing a WAC best 25 bases. During WAC action, Miles batted .327 with 18 hits in 55 at bats while scoring 11 runs and stealing eight bases.

For her career, Miles ranks No. 2 in hits (208), No. 1 in at bats (742), No. 9 in triples (6), No. 7 in total bases (229), No 4 in hit by pitches (11), No. 8 in runs scored (92), No. 3 in stolen bases (89) and No. 2 in stolen base attempts (103).

"I'm glad that both Amber and Brittany received these honors," Dawson said. "They were not only great players for us over the past four years but they were great leaders and great individuals. They are two young ladies who we will miss next year."


2005 ALL-WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SOFTBALL TEAM

First Team
Name Team Ht. Yr. Pos. Hometown (Last School)
Denise Dahlberg!~% Hawai'i 5-7 Sr. C Chandler, Ariz. (Desert Vista)
Tyleen Tausaga% Hawai'i 5-5 So. 1B Honolulu, Hawaii (McKinley)
Angela Osbon Tulsa 5-7 So. 2B Glendale, Ariz. (Deer Valley)
Rochelle Sandberg Louisiana Tech 5-5 Fr. 2B Santee, Calif. (Santana)
Leticia Pacheco Fresno State 5-3 Sr. 3B Bloomington, Calif. (Bloomington)
Christina Clark^$ Fresno State 5-9 Jr. SS Santa Ana, Calif. (Mater Dei)
Kaulana Gould Hawai'i 5-6 Fr. OF Ewa Beach, Oahu (Kamehameha Schools)
Tara Harbert Hawai'i 5-4 Jr. OF Longmont, Colo (Niwot)
Lindsey Tower Tulsa 5-2 Fr. OF Edmond, Okla. (Edmond-Memorial)
Candice Rainwater$ Nevada 5-7 Jr. UT Dana Point, Calif. (Dana Hills)
Sara Dyer Tulsa 5-10 Fr. DP Sand Springs, Okla, (Charles Page)
Jamie Southern!^$ Fresno State 5-10 Sr. P Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)

Second Team
Name Team Ht. Yr. Pos. Hometown (Last School)
Nichole Willis$ Fresno State 5-7 So. C Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)
Katie Torres~$ Tulsa 5-11 Jr. 1B Oklahoma City, Okla. (Del City)
Kristin Stith Nevada 5-7 So. 2B Chino Hills, Calif. (Ayala)
Ashley Bennett UTEP 5-7 So. 3B Ontario, Calif. (Gulf Coast CC)
Ashley Ruff Hawai'i 5-7 Jr. SS Honolulu, Oahu (Kamehameha Schools)
Amber Miles$ Louisiana Tech 5-4 Sr. OF DeSoto, Texas (Bishop Dunne)
Julie Shafer% Tulsa 5-7 Jr. OF Broken Arrow, Calif. (Broken Arrow)
Brittany Stanley^% Louisiana Tech 5-4 Sr. OF Sulphur, La. (Sulphur)
Kristin Sylvester Fresno State 5-6 Fr. UT Big Bear, Calif. (Lumen Christi Academy)
Jamie Southern!^$ Fresno State 5-10 Sr. DP Clovis, Calif. (Clovis)
Carol Forbes San Jose State 5-8 Sr. P Scottsdale, Ariz. (Horizon)

At-Large
Elisa Barrios San Jose State 5-4 Sr. OF Mountain View, Calif. (Mountain View)
Melissa Coogan~^ Hawai'i 5-9 Sr. P West Hills, Calif. (El Camino Real)

2005 WAC Player of the Year: Christina Clark, Fresno State
2005 WAC Pitcher of the Year: Jamie Southern, Fresno State
2005 WAC Freshman of the Year: Kaulana Gould, Hawai'i
2005 WAC Coach of the Year: Margie Wright, Fresno State

$2005 First Team all-WAC
%2005 Second Team all-WAC
^2003 First Team all-WAC
~2003 Second Team all-WAC
!2002 First Team all-WAC