McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Player of the Week

Sarah Maulorica, So., DP/C, New Mexico
The University of New Mexico¹s Sarah Maulorica is this week¹s McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Softball Player of the Week. She helped New Mexico to a 4-3 mark and the consolation title in the USF/Clearwater Parks & Recreation Tournament in Tampa, Fla., during the week. UNM is now 20-11 overall. This marks the second time this season that the Lobos have swept the softball weekly honors.

Maulorico, from Alto Loma, Calif., earned her first player of the week award and the second for UNM after hitting .579 (11-for-19) with six RBI and scored four runs in the tournament¹s seven games. The sophomore designated player, batted primarily in the No. 6 slot in the lineup and hit safely in six of seven games. She collected multiple hits in four contests and notched her first two home runs as a Lobo. She had a hand in eight of the total 15 runs scored by the team during the week.

McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Softball Players of the Week: Feb. 8 ­ Holly Schmillen (Jr., SS) CSU, Feb. 15 ­ Rachel Goodpaster (Jr., SS) UNLV, Feb. 22 ­ Kellie Nordhagen (So., CF) SDSU, Feb. 29 ­ Christy Sears (Sr., DH) SDSU, Mar. 8 ­ Kathy Moore (Jr., P/1B) UNM, Mar. 14 ­ Lyndsey Trevis (So., 3B) Utah, Mar. 21 ­ Sarah Maulorica (So., DP) UNM.

McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Pitcher of the Week

Danielle Cassara o Sr. o P/1B o New Mexico
The University of New Mexico¹s Danielle Cassara is this week¹s McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Softball Pitcher of the Week. She helped New Mexico to a 4-3 mark and the consolation title in the USF/Clearwater Parks & Recreation Tournament in Tampa, Fla., during the week. UNM is now 20-11 overall. This marks the second time this season that the Lobos have swept the softball weekly honors.

A product of Millikan High School in Long Beach, Calif., Cassara posted a 3-1 record and did not allow an earned run during the tournament. She struck out 27 batters and walked just two in 27.1 innings of work. She pitched four complete games, three of those shutouts. The only run scored against her was on an error in the nine-inning, 1-0, loss to Minnesota on March 17. She struck out 11 Golden Gophers in that game. Cassara allowed no more than five hits in any game and conceded only one extra-base hit all weekend. She opened the tournament with a 6-0 win over Syracuse on March 16, then registered victories over Western Kentucky (2-0) and Tennessee Tech (4-0) on March 19 to help UNM claim the consolation bracket.

This is the third pitcher of the week honor of the season for Cassara and the fifth for New Mexico this season. In addition to her solid pitching performances, Cassara, who plays first base when not in the circle, batted .200 with two doubles among her four hits in 20 at-bats. Defensively, she made 20 putouts and two assists without an error.

McLeodUSA Mountain West Conference Softball Pitchers of the Week: Feb. 8 ­ Danielle Cassara (Sr.) UNM, Feb. 15 ­ Kathy Moore (Jr.) UNM, Feb. 22 ­ Geney Orris (So.) UNLV, Feb. 29 ­ Danielle Cassara (Sr.) UNM, Mar. 8 ­ Kathy Moore (Jr.) UNM, Nicole Truax (So.) UNLV, Mar. 21 ­ Danielle Cassara (Sr.) UNM.

Mtn. West Head Coaches
BYU ­ Mary Kay Amicone
Overall: 7-8 (1st season)
School: 7-8 (1st season)

Colorado State ­ Teri Klement
Overall: 25-38 (2nd season)
School: 25-38 (2nd season)

New Mexico ­ Susan Craig
Overall: 600-526 (24th season)
School: 600-526 (24th season)

San Diego State ­ Kathy Van Wyk
Overall: 91-106 (4th season)
School: 91-106 (4th season)

UNLV ­ Shan McDonald
Overall: 427-339-2 (14th season)
School: 427-339-2 (14th season)

Utah ­ Mona Stevens
Overall: 125-81 (4th season)
School: 125-81 (4th season)

First Conference Action Nears
The first-ever Mountain West Conference intra-league action will take place on Friday, March 31, with four of the conference¹s six teams competing. UNLV will host BYU in a doubleheader at Noon and San Diego State will play host to Utah in a 1 p.m. twinbill. New Mexico will host Colorado State at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 1 in their first conference action.

Utah to Host of 2000 Mtn. West Softball Championship
The inaugural Mountain West Conference Softball Championship will be hosted by the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. All six Mtn. West softball teams will compete in the double-elimination event for the first league title May 11-13. Seedings will be decided by regular-season results in conference games.

All requests for media credentials for the inaugural Mountain West Conference Softball Championship should be submitted in writing to Director of Communications Elaine Adams at the Mtn. West office or Utah Media Relations contact Julie Lapomarda prior to the event.

Team-by-Team Notes
After a week off from competition, BYU returns to action with a Mar. 24 doubleheader at Santa Clara and a Mar. 25 twinbill at Fresno State. Colorado State also comes off a week¹s rest to travel to Nebraska for a three-game series March 28-29.

Claiming the consolation bracket title at the USF/Clearwater Parks & Recreation Tournament in Tampa, Fla., New Mexico went 4-3 for the week and notched career victory No. 600 for head coach Susan Craig. In her 24th season at UNM, Craig stands 21st among active Division I coaches and 24th overall in career victories and finished the week a 600-526 (.533). UNM swept the conference¹s weekly honors with Sarah Maulorica (So., DP) and Danielle Cassara (Sr., P) claiming the awards. The Lobos received 14 votes for No. 31 in last week¹s national poll and lead the league with a team batting average of .282 and a 2.59 ERA on the season. This week UNM plays a light schedule, hosting in-state rival New Mexico State on Thursday in its only action.

San Diego State went 3-2 this past week. The Aztecs notched their second win of the season over a ranked opponent when they defeated No. 14 Iowa, 4-3, on March 14. SDSU then went 2-2 in the Red Raider Invitational Tournament in Lubbock, Texas, March 18-19. The Aztecs split a pair of 6-2 decisions with New Mexico State and went 1-1 with host Texas Tech. (L 6-4, W 2-1 in 10 innings). Three Aztecs were selected to the all-tournament squad. Sarah Durazo (Jr., P) posted a 2-0 record and 0.81 ERA for the week and capped the tournament by driving in the game-winner in the 10-inning win over Texas Tech. Tiffany Goudy (So., OF/DP) hit .462 and notched her first collegiate home run. Kellie Labor (Sr., OF) was named tournament MVP after hitting .438 with five RBI and two home runs. The Aztecs play host to No. 1 Washington Thursday, then host the University of San Diego and Michigan State in the Aztec Invitational, which is the final regular-season tournament.

Competing against an exceptional field in the KIA Klassic in Fullerton, Calif., UNLV suffered five losses, four of those to top-25 ranked teams. The Rebels fell to DePaul, which recently dropped out of the top-25, 2-1, in the opening game on March 16. In the second game of the day, UNLV lost to No. 12 Oregon State, 3-0. The following day, the Rebels scored five runs, but allowed twice as many in a 10-5 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma. In the final day at the tournament, UNLV was shutout by No. 2 Arizona (4-0) and No. 7 Fresno State (3-0). This week, the Rebels play a three-game set at No. 3 Arizona State Friday through Sunday.

Utah went undefeated in pool play and finished 5-1 at the Capital Classic Softball Tournament in Sacramento, Calif., March 16. The Utes¹ started the week with a 5-2 win at No. 5 Cal on March 14, then claimed four tournament victories before falling to Cal, 2-1, in the championship game. Nicole Wilkinson (Sr., 1B) was named to the all-tournament team. The Utes¹ will take the week off and prepare for the start of conference play with their first home action, a doubleheader against Utah State on Wednesday, Mar. 29.