UH softball gets top three WAC awards
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
University of Hawai'i softball pulled off a triple play of Western Athletic Conference individual awards and placed five players on the All-WAC first team yesterday.
Sophomore shortstop Kate Judd was named Player of the Year, while senior Desiree Duran was Pitcher of the Year and third baseman Stacey Porter Freshman of the Year, in voting by coaches.
The only major award to elude the Wahine was Coach of the Year, which went to Fresno State's Margie Wright for the fourth time.
Joining Judd, Duran and Porter on the first team for UH were catcher Michelle Mumaw and second baseman Natalie Gonzales. Outfielders Stacie Hirano and Tyree Woodruff were second team.
Hawai'i has never had more players honored, coming closest in 1998 when it had five first-team selections and one second-team. Fresno State, ranked 17th, has two first-team selections and two second-team on this year's squads.
Judd, from Australia, hit .362 in WAC games and led the conference in RBIs (16), doubles (7), home runs (6) and total bases (46). She was also second in runs scored (13). Judd is only the second Wahine to win Player of the Year honors, after Dana Degen (2000).
Duran, a senior right-hander from San Bernardino, Calif., led the WAC with a 7-0 record. In 68 innings, she allowed 45 hits and six earned runs for an 0.62 earned run average, second in the WAC. She was a second-team selection last year.
Duran, who has not lost since March, is the Wahine's first WAC Pitcher of the Year; Australian Olympian Brooke Wilkins was Big West Pitcher of the Year in 1994 and '95.
Porter, also from Australia, led all freshmen and ranked fourth in batting (.371). She was first in runs (14) and second in RBIs (12), homers (4) and doubles (5).
The Wahine (46-16) open the NCAA regionals tomorrow against 19th-ranked Southwest Texas State (52-10) in Tucson, Ariz. Game time is 11:30 a.m. HST. KCCN (1420) radio plans to broadcast all the Wahine games live from Tucson.
Fresno State received the WAC's automatic NCAA bid and plays Wisconsin at UCLA. UH officials said yesterday that WAC commissioner Karl Benson is reconsidering Saturday's decision to make Fresno State the outright conference champion, and could declare the Wahine co-champions.
The Bulldogs' four-game series at Tulsa was washed out last weekend. Benson declared them champions and gave them the NCAA berth based on their .813 winning percentage — 13 points better than Hawai'i. The Wahine (16-4) finished a game ahead of the Bulldogs in the standings (13-3).
Benson's decision has repercussions beyond pride and the title, including coaching bonuses and rewards — usually jewelry — for players.
"I thought it was a horrible decision," UH senior Kristin Anderson said. "I couldn't believe it. They should have given us at least a tie. It would have brought some spark to the WAC."
