June 1, 2008
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech landed three players on the 2008 All-Louisiana Softball first team which was released Sunday by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Sophomore first baseman Kylie Bassett, sophomore shortstop Amberly Waits and junior utility player Krissi Oliver were all voted to the first team while freshman pitcher Meghan Krieg and junior outfielder Emma Barnes received honorable mention honors.
Tech's three first team honorees were the second most in the state, trailing only UL-Lafayette's five. The College World Series bound Ragin Cajuns took home four of the top five individual honors as well.
The five Lady Techsters earned the honors after leading Tech to a 37-29 mark, the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Tournament title, the NCAA Tournament and the championship game of the College Station Regional.
Bassett earned first team honors at first base after a sophomore campaign that saw her register a .324 batting average with 58 hits in 179 at bats. She started 65 games while totaling eight doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI. She had 15 multi-hit games during the season while scoring 25 runs.
The Vista, Calif. native will add this honor to her collection from the season including being named to the Western Athletic Conference all-tournament team and the Mississippi State Lady Bulldog Classic all-tournament team.
Waits edged out Nicholls State shortstop Kat Harrell who had earned first team honors the past two years at shortstop and she did it in impressive fashion. The second team all-WAC selection started 65 games at shortstop for the Lady Techsters while registering a .377 batting average with a school record 75 hits in 199 at bats.
The Cleburne, Texas native also set Tech single season records with 10 triples and 126 total bases. She added 10 doubles and seven home runs while scoring 40 runs and driving home a team-high 41. Waits also added 19 stolen bases to her resume.
Oliver earned her spot on the first team after a stellar junior season that saw her lead Tech in the circle and at the plate. The second team all-WAC honoree and MVP during Tech's WAC Tournament title run registered an 18-15 mark with a 2.36 earned run average. She logged 211.0 innings while allowing 224 hits, 36 walks and only 71 earned runs.
She posted wins over No. 10 Fresno State, No. 17 Nevada, No. 22 Hawaii, and Ole Miss during the season. Offensively, she batted .257 with 46 hits in 179 at bats. Oliver registered eight doubles, seven home runs and 29 RBI while scoring 20 runs. She was also successful on 9-of-10 stolen base attempts.
Krieg earned honorable mention all-state honors after an impressive rookie campaign in the circle for the Lady Techsters. She made 27 appearances for Tech while recording a 7-3 mark with a 1.66 earned run average and a program single season record four saves.
The Sonora, Texas native worked 80.0 innings and allowed only 51 hits while holding opponents to a .181 batting average. She led Tech with 99 strikeouts while allowing only nine extra base hits all season.
Barnes' honorable mention accolades marks the third straight year that she has been named to the team (she was named first team as a freshman and sophomore). She started all 66 games in centerfield for Tech and recorded a .296 average with 67 hits in 226 at bats.
The Sacramento, Calif. native totaled seven doubles and three triples while scoring 40 runs and driving home 11. Her biggest hit of the season came in a 1-0 12-inning win over Auburn in the NCAA Tournament as she drove home the winning run in the top of the 12th with a two-out single. Barnes also tied for the team lead with 19 stolen bases.
Tech head coach Sarah Dawson was one of only three coaches in the state who received votes for the Coach of the Year Award although she was edged out by UL-Lafayette's Stefni Lotief.
2008 All-Louisiana Collegiate Softball Team
First Team
Position Name School
Pitcher Ashley Brignac Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher Dani Hofer LSU
Catcher Jenny Clay McNeese State
First Base Kylie Bassett Louisiana Tech
Second Base Vanessa Soto Louisiana-Lafayette
Third Base Heather Sherrill Southeastern Louisiana
Shortstop Amberly Waits Louisiana Tech
Outfield Karli Hubbard Louisiana-Lafayette
Outfield Rachel Mitchell LSU
Outfield Holly Tankersley Louisiana-Lafayette
Designated Player Vallie Gaspard Louisiana-Lafayette
Utility Krissi Oliver Louisiana Tech
Hitter of the Year: Holly Tankersley, Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher of the Year: Ashley Brignac, Louisiana-Lafayette
Newcomer of the Year: Lacey Gros, Pitcher, Nicholls State
Freshman of the Year: Donna Bourgeois, Louisiana-Lafayette
Coach of the Year: Stefni Lotief, Louisiana-Lafayette
Second Team
Position Name School
Pitcher Donna Bourgeois Louisiana-Lafayette
Pitcher McCaslin Carson Louisiana College
Catcher Erica Harwell Louisiana College
First Base (tie) Amy Thibodeaux Nicholls State
First Base (tie) Jasmone Williams Southern
Second Base Shannon Stein LSU
Third Base Allison Shepperd Centenary
Shortstop Kat Harrell Nicholls State
Outfield Quinlan Duhon LSU
Outfield Katie Smith Louisiana-Lafayette
Outfield Victoria Stewart Southern
Designated Player Dee Dee Henderson LSU
Utility Audrey Wood Nicholls State
Honorable Mention
Pitcher: Meghan Krieg, Louisiana Tech; René Schwartzenburg, Louisiana College; Cody Trahan, LSU.
Catcher: Lana Bowers, Louisiana-Lafayette; Killian Roessner, LSU.
Third Base: Melissa Verde, Louisiana-Lafayette.
Shortstop: Katie Duhe, Southeastern Louisiana.
Utility: Holly McNeill, Louisiana-Monroe.
Designated Player: Rachel King, McNeese State.
Outfield: Emma Barnes, Louisiana Tech; Cary Bruno, Northwestern State; Jazz Jackson, LSU; Brooke Lockhart, Southeastern Louisiana; Brianna Love, Louisiana-Monroe; Jessica Thompson, Louisiana College.
