SIX GOLDEN SUNS NAMED ALL-GSC WEST DIVISION SOFTBALL SELECTIONS; DANA ALDRICH NAMED WEST DIVISION PLAYER AND PITCHER OF THE YEAR, PAMBIANCHI TABBED COACH OF THE YEAR

        BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Two days prior to the 2008 Gulf South Conference Softball Tournament, the Golden Suns had six players honored by the league on its All-GSC West Division Team, along with senior Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.) being named the West Division Player and Pitcher of the Year and Gidget Pambianchi being tabbed as the West Division Coach of the Year.

The All-GSC teams are voted on by the league’s head coaches in their own respective divisions and the coaches weren’t allowed to vote for their own players.

Joining Aldrich, who becomes the first Golden Sun player to ever be named the GSC Player of the Year and also the GSC Pitcher of the Year, on the All-GSC West Division First-Team were sophomore pitcher Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas), sophomore catcher Roxanna Palacios (Crosby, Texas), senior shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.), junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas) and freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas).

“What a tremendous honor for Dana to not only be named the GSC West Division Pitcher of the Year, but also the West Division Player of the Year,” Pambianchi said Wednesday. “I’m so excited for her (Dana) and for our softball program to have so many players honored by the league. These six players have meant a lot to our team this season and are deserving of their accolades.”

Aldrich becomes the first-ever GSC player to earn both Player and Pitcher of the Year honors in the same season. Aldrich, who earned two West Division Pitcher of the Week honors during the regular season, earned her Player and Pitcher of the Year honor after helping Tech to its first-ever GSC West Division title and a school-record 38 wins. On the season, Aldrich won a GSC-best 23 games, posted a 1.89 ERA, had five saves and struck 186 batters in a GSC-best 191.2 innings of work. In addition, Aldrich set new school single-season records for appearances (39), victories (23), strikeouts (186), innings pitched (191.2) and tied for the single-season mark in saves with five and also threw the first two perfect games in school history this season. She will leave Tech as the school’s record holder in nearly every pitching category, including appearances (69), wins (29), strikeouts (235), innings pitched (331.2), complete games (29), shutouts (7) and saves (5).

Pambianchi earns Coach of the Year honors after helping lead Tech to a school-record 38 wins and its first-ever GSC West Division title and its first-ever berth in the GSC Tournament. Tech improved from five conference wins last season to 20 this year and also improved their overall win total by 26 games as Tech went 12-35 last season and is 38-15 entering Friday’s 9:30 a.m. GSC Tournament opener against North Alabama.

In addition to Aldrich and Pambianchi, the West Division coaches also named Ouachita Baptist designated player Kristen Rigsbee as the Freshman of the Year. Meanwhile, in the East Division, Valdosta State shortstop Alex Acosta took home Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, while Alabama-Huntsville freshman pitcher Alex Lewis took home both the East Division Freshman and Pitcher of the Year award and Alabama-Huntsville’s Les Stuedeman earned East Division Coach of the Year accolades.

 “Dana was a dominant force on the mound for us this season,” the third-year Tech coach said.

Hammons earns First-Team honors this season as a pitcher after compiling a 14-7 overall record and a team-best 1.81 ERA. On the season, Hammons, who was named the GSC West Division Pitcher of the Week three times, made 33 appearances, 24 starts, threw 12 complete games, had five shutouts and tied for the team lead in saves with five. In 162 innings of work, the righthander allowed 128 hits and 42 earned runs, while walking 44 and striking out 133 opposing batters.

Palacios earns her first-team honor at catcher after hitting .329 in 52 games. On the season, Palacios, who was the GSC West Division Player of the Week on April 24, started 52 games, collected 47 hits and scored 13 runs in 143 at-bats. In addition, she had three doubles, two triples and was second on the team in RBIs with 25 and walked a single-season school record 22 times.

Schweigert earns her third All-GSC honor at shortstop and her first since earning Second-Team honors at shortstop in both 2005 and 2006. Schweigert earns first-team honors this season after hitting .349 with 51 hits and 24 runs scored in 50 games and 146 at-bats. In addition, Schweigert added six doubles, three triples, 20 RBIs and is 10-for-13 in stolen bases. She will leave Tech holding nearly every single offensive record in the school’s history as she is the all-time leader in at-bats (593), hits (194), runs scored (100), doubles (35), triples (14), games played (188) and total bases (266) and is second in career stolen bases (40), batting average (.327) and RBIs (70).

Pratt, who was a Preseason All-GSC West Division selection, earns first-team honors this season after being a Second-Team selection in the outfield last season. On the season, Pratt leads the Golden Suns with a .368 batting average and also leads in at-bats (185), hits (68), runs scored (39), triples (4) and is tied for the team lead in stolen bases with 16. In addition, Pratt, who was a two-time GSC West Division Player of the Week this season, has had five doubles and has drawn 11 walks and struck out just 18 times. Pratt holds Tech’s single-season records in at-bats (185), hits (68), runs scored (39) and is tied for the mark in games played with 53.

 Moon earns First-Team honors at first base after having an outstanding freshman campaign. On the season, Moon is hitting .313 with 50 hits in 126 at-bats, including collecting a team-best 20 extra base hits. She has hit a single-season school record 14 doubles, has had one triple and has hit five home runs and has a single-season school record 37 RBIs. Moon leads the team in doubles and RBIs and is tied for second on the team in runs scored with 26.

Those six Tech players are joined on the All-GSC West Division First-Team by Henderson State pitcher Lauren Carley, Arkansas-Monticello first baseman Meredith Heckel, Southern Arkansas second baseman Joanna Jones, Henderson State third baseman Haylee Williams and Delta State outfielders, Sam St. Hilaire and Brittany Tillery. Other members of the first team are Rigsbee, Arkansas-Monticello third baseman Gemma Gibson, Delta State second baseman Chasey Niebrugge, Henderson State shortstop Kelcie Glidden, Henderson State catcher Jennifer Lynn and Southern Arkansas utility player Cheyenne Savony.

Acosta and Lewis are joined on the All-GSC East Division First-Team by Alabama-Huntsville pitcher Sage Woodham, West Florida pitcher Taren Walton, Alabama-Huntsville catcher Crystal Johnson, Valdosta State first baseman Robin Williams, VSU second baseman Kristina Ely, UAH third baseman Amy Harris, UAH outfielder Kristina Prater, North Alabama outfielders Lindsey Bates and Lindsey Greene. Other first team members were West Alabama catcher Ashley Edgar, West Alabama utility player Emily White, West Alabama shortstop Courtney Gordon, West Florida third baseman Nicky VanCamp and West Georgia first baseman Kara Pollock.

2008 All-GSC Softball Teams

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