May 12, 2004
DALLAS - Nebraska senior Peaches James, Texas A&M senior Jessica Kapchinski and freshman Sharonda McDonald, Oklahoma senior Heather Scaglione, and head coach Jo Evans of Texas A&M highlight the coaches' 2004 All-Big 12 Softball team announced Wednesday, May 12, the first day of the Big 12 Softball Tournament at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
The coaches' All-Big 12 team is set up with two teams which consists of a 19-member first and 19-member second team, regardless of position. Additionally the coaches selected a player-, pitcher-, defensive player-, freshman-, and coach of the year.
Headlining Nebraska's 2004 conference championship, James is the Big 12 Player of the Year according to the league coaches. The pitcher/first base/designated player from Papillion, Neb., leads the conference with a 0.79 earned run average and a 30-7 record. James also leads the league in strikeouts with 302 and complete games with 31. Opponents are batting .146 off the right-hander to lead the Big 12. James hit .220 against conference competition in 2004 and is first team All-Big 12 for the fourth straight season.
Kapchinski is the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year for 2004. The Humble, Texas, right-hander is 16-6 on the season with a 1.05 ERA. In 15 conference appearances, Kapchinski posted a 12-2 record and a 0.38 ERA in 91 innings pitched.
This is the first year for Big 12 Softball Defensive Player of the Year honors, and that goes to Scaglione. The San Diego, Calif., catcher has been a backstop for the nationally-ranked Sooners all season. Scaglione has an impressive .980 fielding percentage and has caught 12 base runners trying to steal in 19 attempts. Offensively Scaglione's stats are even more staggering. She leads the Big 12 in hitting with a .417 average, home runs with 15, and slugging percentage at .769. In Big 12 play she hit .455 with six home runs and a .909 slugging percentage.
Evans is in her eighth season at Texas A&M and is the Big 12 Coach of the Year named by her peers. The Aggies enter the Big 12 Tournament No. 2 seed and ended 1/2 game behind conference champ Nebraska in the standings. The 2004 season is the highest finish for Texas A&M in the nine-year history of the conference surpassing the 2000 season when the Aggies tied for fourth. Last year A&M tied for fifth in the league race. Evans is the Big 12 Coach of the Year for the first time and has a 283-176-2 record at Texas A&M and 596-380-2 overall record in 19 seasons. While at Utah Evans was a two-time Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1994.
Texas A&M centerfielder Sharonda McDonald is the coaches' choice for Big 12 Freshman of the Year. The Houston native is 10th in the Big 12 with a .329 batting average heading into the conference tournament. Nebraska's Jessica Yoachim and McDonald tied for second in league games only with a .356 average, trailing only Scaglione.
Of the 38 student-athletes on the 2004 All-Big 12 team, there are 16 outfielders, 10 infielders, seven pitchers, four catchers, and one utility player. This marked the first year coaches voted regardless of position.
There are 15 student-athletes who have been named to previous All-Big 12 teams. James is a four-time honoree while Scaglione and teammate Kami Keiter are three-time members. Other repeat performers include Baylor's Cristen Vitek; Iowa State's Julia Lindsey; Missouri's Erin Kalka and Morgan LeCluyse; Nebraska's Nicole Trimboli and Anne Steffan; Oklahoma's Christina Enea and Kristin Vesely; Texas' Tamara Poppe, Chez Sievers, and Sarah Wieszczak; and Texas A&M's Jana James.
2004 COACHES ALL-BIG 12 SOFTBALL TEAM
(Listed in school alphabetical order)
First Team
Name, Position, School Class Hometown
Carrie Leerberg, 2B, Baylor Jr. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Harmony Schwethelm, RF, Baylor So. San Antonio, Texas
Cristen Vitek, P, Baylor Jr. Katy, Texas
Julia Lindsey, 3B, Iowa State Sr. Castle Rock, Wash.
Erin Kalka, P, Missouri Jr. Chandler, Okla.
Peaches James, P/1B/DP, Nebraska Sr. Papillion, Neb.
Trisha Tannahill, OF, Nebraska So. Overland Park, Kan.
Nicole Trimboli, OF, Nebraska Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jessica Yoachim, 3B, Nebraska So. Arkansas City, Kan.
Christina Enea, 1B, Oklahoma Jr. Woodland Hills, Calif.
Heather Scaglione, C, Oklahoma Sr. San Diego, Calif.
Kristin Vesely, CF, Oklahoma So. Phoenix, Ariz.
Courtney Totte, C, Oklahoma State Fr. Lawton, Okla.
Tamara Poppe, UT, Texas Sr. Kerrville, Texas
Jessica Kapchinski, P, Texas A&M Sr. Humble, Texas
Adrian Gregory, SS, Texas A&M Jr. Livingston, Texas
Sharonda McDonald, CF, Texas A&M Fr. Houston, Texas
Kelly Rhyne, OF, Texas Tech Jr. Coppell, Texas
Ashley Parker, C/OF, Texas Tech Fr. Lindale, Texas
Second Team
Name, Position, School Class Hometown
Kelly Osburn, LF, Baylor So. Missouri City, Texas
Kara Pierce, P, Kansas Sr. Mesa, Ariz.
Morgan LeCluyse, OF, Missouri Sr. Shawnee, Kan.
Liz Lawhorn, OF, Nebraska Sr. Muscatine, Iowa
Anne Steffan, 2B, Nebraska Jr. Mankato, Minn.
Jamie Waldecker, 1B/C/DP, Nebraska Fr. Garden Grove, Calif.
Kami Keiter, P, Oklahoma Jr. Arvada, Colo.
Mariee Mena, RF, Oklahoma So. Escondido, Calif.
Megan Carey, OF, Oklahoma State Jr. San Diego, Calif.
Jessica Hoppock, P, Oklahoma State Fr. Haysville, Kan.
Crystal Lee, OF, Oklahoma State Sr. Vista, Calif.
Amber Hall, SS, Texas So. Deer Park, Texas
Chez Sievers, 2B, Texas So. Mission Viejo, Calif.
Sarah Wieszczak, OF, Texas Sr. Pinehurst, Texas
Jana James, LF, Texas A&M Jr. Mesquite, Texas
Nicole Robinson, C, Texas A&M Jr. Kingwood, Texas
Rocky Spencer, RF, Texas A&M So. Katy, Texas
Andrea Joachims, 1B, Texas Tech Sr. Vancouver, Wash.
Elyssa Sigala, OF/C/1B, Texas Tech Sr. Salinas, Calif.
Big 12 Player of the Year: Peaches James, P/1B/DP, Sr., Nebraska
Big 12 Pitcher of the Year: Jessica Kapchinski, Sr., Texas A&M
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: Heather Scaglione, C, Sr., Oklahoma
Big 12 Freshman of the Year: Sharonda McDonald, OF, Texas A&M
Big 12 Coach of the Year: Jo Evans, Texas A&M