Softball News

(PRINCETON, W.VA.)-In-state natives claim each of the 2005 West Virginia Conference's top softball player awards as determined by a vote of league coaches. Fairmont State's Jessica Greathouse (Parkersburg) is the Player of the Year. Alderson-Broaddus ace Casie Waskey (Ripley) is the Pitcher of the Year, and West Virginia Wesleyan fireballer Brittany Sphar (Fairmont) claims Freshman of the Year accolades. Bluefield State's Todd Buckingham was recognized as the Coach of the Year for his work in building the Lady Blue program.

Greathouse was a double threat as Fairmont State finished second in the league race and was ranked in the Great Lakes Region for much of the season. As a first baseman, the senior batted .369 to rank seventh in the WVIAC batting race. She tied for the league lead with seven home runs and topped the WVIAC with a .667 slugging percentage. A .465 on-base percentage was good for third among all conference hitters.

The Parkersburg native also served as the ace of the Falcon pitching staff with a 9-5 record and 1.36 earned run average. Greathouse, who fanned 122 hitters in 92.1 innings pitched, led all conference pitchers with an average of 9.3 strikeouts per seven innings.

Waskey, the 2004 WVIAC Tournament MVP, continued where she left off in last year's post-season. The junior pitcher was dominant all season as evidenced by her league-best 0.55 earned run average. The former Ripley HS standout accounted for 11 shutouts and held opponents to a .175 batting average.

The three-time WVIAC Pitcher of the Week struck out 162 hitters and walked only 27 hitters in 154 innings pitched.

Sphar displayed few problems in making the transition from East Fairmont HS to the collegiate level, compiling a 14-3 record with a 1.13 earned run average. Opposing hitters only managed a paltry .153 batting average versus the Marion County native.

She tossed five shutouts and fanned 99 hitters in 105 innings pitched. The star Bobcat rookie also managed three WVIAC weekly pitching awards.

Buckingham led Bluefield State to a record breaking season. The Lady Blues smashed the previous school record for wins (11) with their 25-25 regular season mark in 2005. A 13-5 conference mark that produced a sixth place finish in the WVIAC standings also established BSC records in the 13-year old program.

The Lady Blues produced their initial first-team All-WVIAC pick this spring in outfielder Nikke Resta. They also set new program standards for runs scored, batting average, and earned run average under the guidance of Buckingham, a graduate of Olivet Nazarene.

The fifteen player All-WVIAC first team is led by Sphar, Waskey, and Greathouse. Sphar is joined by four of her teammates from regular season champion West Virginia Wesleyan as Lacy Stallings, Ashley Blandford, Alyssa Miller, and Heather Hall each were named to the first team.

Alderson-Broaddus and Fairmont State were represented by two players each. Mary Ann Thompson joined Waskey as Battlers on the first team, while Erika Glance was the other Falcon selection.

The remainder of the All-WVIAC first team includes: Resta, Salem International's Kasey Sharp, Shepherd's Mia Zappacosta, West Liberty State's Tiffany Martin, West Virginia State's Kim Darby, and Wheeling Jesuit's Lakisha Jones.

Jones, Martin, Miller, Stallings, Waskey, and Zappacosta are repeat picks from the 2004 All-WVIAC first team. Greathouse, Hall, Resta, and Thompson were second team honorees last season.

The complete All-WVIAC softball team follows:

First Team:

Ashley Blandford (West Virginia Wesleyan, 2B, Jr., Waldorf, MD, .338 BA, 3 HR, 28 RBI)
Kim Darby (West Virginia State, SS, Jr., Logan, WV, .393 BA, 2 HR, 26 RBI)
Erika Glance (Fairmont State, SS, Jr., Fairmont, WV, .269 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBI)
Jessica Greathouse (Fairmont State, 1B/P, Sr., Parkersburg, WV, .369 BA, 7 HR, 9-5 W-L, 1.36 ERA)
Heather Hall (West Virginia Wesleyan, SS, Jr., Sunderland, MD, .354 BA, 14 2B, 5 HR, 40 RBI)
Lakisha Jones (Wheeling Jesuit, 3B, Sr., Circleville, OH, .375 BA, .450 OBP, 7 2B)
Tiffany Martin (West Liberty State, OF, Jr., Winfield, WV, .366 BA, 3 HR, 16 RBI, .454 OBP, 12 SB)
Alyssa Miller (West Virginia Wesleyan, OF, Sr., Meadowlands, PA, .320 BA, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 13 2B)
Nikke Resta (Bluefield State, OF, Soph., Sunbury, OH, .362 BA, 42 R, 29 SB)
Kasey Sharp (Salem International, P/INF, Jr., Elizabethtown, PA, 11-12 W-L, 2.09 ERA, .280 BA, 2 HR)
Lacy Stallings (West Virginia Wesleyan, C, Sr., Owens, MD, .325 BA, 10 2B, 5 HR, 28 RBI)
Brittany Sphar (West Virginia Wesleyan, P, Fr., Fairmont, WV, 14-3, 1.13 ERA, 99K, .153 BAA)
Mary Ann Thompson (Alderson-Broaddus, SS, Soph., Charleston, WV, .375 BA, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 13 2B)
Casie Waskey (Alderson-Broaddus, P, Jr., Ripley, WV, 18-8, 0.55 ERA, 162 K, .175 BAA)
Mia Zappacosta (Shepherd, 3B/P, Soph., Owings Mill, MD, .345 BA, 13 2B, 22 RBI, 4-5 W-L, 2.80 ERA)

Second Team:

Kareen Bilotta (West Virginia Wesleyan, 3B, Soph., Fairmont, WV, .368 BA, 15 2B, 2 HR, 28 RBI)
Tara Black (Fairmont State, C, Jr., Vienna, WV, .311 BA, 2 HR, 13 RBI)
Julie Bolyard (Fairmont State, 2B, Soph., Grafton, WV, .314 BA, 4 HR, 16 RBI)
Jennifer Canby (Shepherd, OF, Jr., Martinsburg, WV, .350 BA, 1 HR, 13 RBI)
Carrie Egress (Davis & Elkins, P, Jr., Buckhannon, WV, 6-15, 3.99 ERA, 144 IP, 92 K)
Ashley Jackson (Concord, P/INF, Jr., Beckley, WV, .280, 4 HR, 5-10 W-L, 2.53 ERA, 77 K)
Casey Kuhn (Alderson-Broaddus, 3B, Jr., Pennsboro, WV, .293 BA, 2 HR, 23 RBI)
Tabi Merceruio (West Liberty State, P, Jr., Martinsburg, WV, 6-5, 2.21 ERA, 67 K, 88 IP)
Stefani Nester (West Liberty State, 3B, Jr., Ravenswood, WV, .359 BA, 9 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI)
Kara Newton (Alderson-Broaddus, 1B, Soph., Irvine, KY, .363 BA, 3 HR, 29 RBI)
Lauren Newton (Charleston, SS, Sr., Ripley, WV, .286 BA, 18 RBI, 17 R)
Stevie Pauley (Wheeling Jesuit, 2B, Jr., Madison, WV, .280 BA, 12 RBI)
Kim Potts (Bluefield State, P, Soph., Pulaski, WI, 11-10 W-L, 1.97 ERA, 102 K, 146 IP)
Krystal Robertson (Charleston, 2B, Jr., Elkview, WV, .374 BA, 35 R, 20 SB)
Michelle Sabelhaus (Charleston, 1B, Fr., Pickerington, OH, .449 BA, 21 RBI)
Jenna Sims (West Liberty State, OF, Jr., Zanesville, OH, .365 BA, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 7 2B)
Samantha Stewart (Glenville State, P, Fr., Hollywood Hills, FL, 3.45 ERA, 78 K, 136 IP)

Honorable Mention By School:

Alderson-Broaddus: Kes Lowe, Danielle Ziegler
Bluefield State: Jessica Driver, Liz Ruberg
Charleston: Krystal Brown
Davis & Elkins: Michelle Brose
Fairmont State: Kari Childers
Glenville State: Brandi Richards, Meagan James
Ohio Valley: Shannon Kave
Salem International: Lacey Groshek
Shepherd: Brooke Small, Julie Scherpf, Megan Zahnow
West Liberty State: Dani Mohney
West Virginia State: Jessica Godby, Samantha Kinder, Staci Kinder
Wheeling Jesuit: Danita Mullins, Julie Sobutka