University of Minnesota Athletics

Four Golden Gopher Softball Players Named All-Big Ten

5/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

On the heels of their most successful season in four years, four Minnesota Golden Gopher softball players were named to the 2008 All-Big Ten team, the conference announced this afternoon. Pitcher Briana Hassett was named to the second team, while first baseman Malisa Barnes, third baseman Colleen Conway and left fielder Sila Fernandez were all third team honorees.

Minnesota's four selections is the program's most since four Gophers were honored following the 1999 season. It is the first career All-Big Ten award for all four players.

Hassett, a junior out of Eagan, Minn., has put together one of the finest seasons ever for a Golden Gopher hurler. The Eastview High School graduate is third in the Big Ten with 263 strikeouts and is averaging nearly 10 strikeouts per seven innings pitched, the 14th-best rate in the entire nation. Her strikeout total is already the third most ever for a Minnesota pitcher in a single season, and Hassett's 11 shutouts also ranks second the team's all-time single-season leaderboard. Hassett has struck out more than 14 batters in a game six times already this season and posted an impressive 20-7 overall win-loss record (8-4 in the Big Ten).

Hassett is the first Gopher pitcher to warrant all-conference honors since current Minnesota pitching coach Piper Marten made four straight teams from 2001-04.

A freshman out of Phoenix, Ariz., Barnes has emerged as one of the Big Ten's best young hitters this season. The Deer Valley High School product led Minnesota in home runs (four), RBIs (24), extra base hits (13) and slugging percentage (.478) in her first year of collegiate competition. Barnes has been the team's most fearsome slugger all season long, but enters this weekend's conference tournament on a tear she is hitting .550 with eight RBIs during her last six games.

Conway, a junior out of Woodbury, Minn., garners her first all-conference nod after her best overall season at Minnesota. The team's leadoff hitter and offensive catalyst, Conway led Minnesota with a .333 batting average and scored 29 runs, also stealing a team-high 11 bases. Playing her third position in three seasons as a Gopher, Conway turned in an outstanding defensive performance at third base in committing only four errors (good enough for a .966 fielding percentage).

Fernandez, the lone Gopher senior to make the All-Big Ten team, played an enormous role in Minnesota's 2008 success. The left fielder and former junior college transfer held down the No. 2 spot in Minnesota's order all season long and emerged as a consistent run producer. Fernandez hit .308 with 22 RBIs in 41 starts in left field, also hitting six doubles.

Conway Honored With Sportsmanship Award

In addition, the conference office announced honorees from each school for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. The student-athletes also must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Conway was selected as Minnesota's honoree and is now a candidate for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, as the conference office will honor one male and one female student-athlete from each institution at the end of the school year.

Minnesota (28-15, 9-7 Big Ten) will play its first Big Ten Tournament game since 2004 Friday morning as the conference's fourth seed. The Gophers' first round opponent will be fifth-seeded Purdue. The game will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Northwestern's Sharon J. Drysdale Field in Evanston, Ill. and be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

2008 All-Big Ten Teams

FIRST TEAM
*Dorian Shaw, Fr., MICH, 1B
*Samantha Findlay, Sr., MICH, 2B
Shanna Diller, Sr., ILL, 3B
Tammy Williams, Jr., NU, SS
Samantha Marder, So., OSU, C
Nikki Nemitz, So., MICH, UT
*Angela Findlay, So., MICH, OF
Alessandra Giampaolo, Sr., MICH, OF
*Nikki Nicosia, Sr., MSU, OF
Katie Brown, So., IOWA, DP
Jordan Taylor, Fr., MICH, P
Lauren Delaney, So., NU, P

SECOND TEAM
Michelle Batts, Fr., NU, 1B
Nicole Pauly, So., NU, 2B
Robin Thompson, Fr., NU, 3B
Teddi Ewing, Jr., MICH, SS
Erin Dyer, Jr., NU, C
Colleen McGlaughlin, Jr., IOWA, UT
Sarah Bryers, Sr., ILL, OF
Hope Howell, So., ILL, OF
Kelly Quinn, Fr., NU, OF
Emily Haug, So., NU, DP
Brittany Weil, Jr., IOWA, P
Briana Hassett, Jr., MINN, P

THIRD TEAM
Malisa Barnes, Fr., MINN, 1B
Kelly Miller, Jr., PUR, 2B
Colleen Conway, Jr., MINN, 3B
Bianca Mejia, Fr., MSU, SS
Jenna Alexander, So., PUR, C
Ashley Esparza, Sr., PSU, UT
Quinn Morelock, Jr., IOWA, OF
Sila Fernandez, Sr., MINN, OF
Dee Dee Hillman, Fr., OSU, OF
Jessica LeFevre, Sr., MSU, DP
Suzie Rzegocki, Fr., PUR, P

PLAYER OF THE YEAR Tammy Williams, NU
PITCHER OF THE YEAR Lauren Delaney, NU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR Jordan Taylor, MICH
COACH OF THE YEAR Carol Hutchins, MICH

2008 SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD HONOREES
Katie Gaitros, ILL
Jessica Rigas, NU
Anna Olson, IND
Brittany Vanderink, OSU
Summer Downs, IOWA
Rebecca Bautista, PSU
Teddi Ewing, MICH
Tara Palmer, PUR
Nikki Nicosia, MSU
Theresa Boruta, WIS
Colleen Conway, MINN

*- Unanimous selection


Minnesota (4) - Michigan (0) Highlights
Friday, May 02
Sydney Schwartz Throws No-Hitter
Tuesday, April 29
Gophers (8) - North Dakota (0) Highlights
Sunday, April 27
Gophers (5) - North Dakota (3) Highlights
Saturday, April 26