May 8, 2001
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The UNLV softball team begins its quest for a MWC Tournament Championship on Thursday against San Diego State. First-pitch is set for 9:00 a.m. MT at the University of New Mexico. The Rebels and the Aztecs split all four games this season.
The Rebels wrapped up the regular season on Sunday in a doubleheader against Colorado State. UNLV won game one in dramatic fashion as senior Racheal Goodpaster hit a two-out, game-winning double to end the Rebels' six-game losing streak. The Rams jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Goodpaster hit her team-leading ninth home run of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-2. However, the Rebels didn't have enough to overcome the deficit and lost game two 4-3. The Rebels finished the regular season with a 26-28 record overall and 7-13 in conference play.
Goodpaster has been the spark plug for the Rebels this season, posting all-conference numbers throughout the year. She leads the team in home runs (9), batting average (.351) and doubles (13). With the addition of seven new players this season, the Rebels have had instant success from each new player. Freshman Kacey Ellis leads the team in wins with a 12-11 record and ranks tied for second in the conference with six conference wins. Junior Geney Orris leads the team with a 2.24 ERA and leads the conference in games finished with seven. Senior Melissa Inouye is second in the conference chances (165) and putouts (152). Junior catcher Samantha Kimura leads the conference in runners thrown-out with seven.
Rebel head coach Shan McDonald is in her 15th season at the helm of the Rebel program. She has led the Rebels to their best season in four years, (26-28). McDonald has guided the Rebels to the College World Series three times, finishing fifth, seventh and third. She made seven consecutive post-season appearances from 1990-1996. Her best finish was third at the 1995 College World Series.
San Diego State enters the tournament as the three-seed, while the Rebels are the sixth seed. The Aztecs split their final doubleheader with New Mexico on Sunday, giving them a 35-22 record overall and 10-8 in conference play. Pitcher Sandra Durazo, who owns a league-best 1.25 ERA in conference play and a 10-5 record, leads San Diego State. Overall, Durazo is 24-12 and a 1.36 ERA. Kellie Nordhagen leads the team in batting with a .340 average and has a team-leading eight doubles.
Depending on how the Rebels do against the Aztecs, UNLV will either face Utah (winners bracket) on Thursday at 2:00 MT or Colorado State/New Mexico (losers bracket) on Friday at 9:00 a.m. MT in double elimination play.
This is the second year of the Mountain West Conference Tournament, last season the Rebels defeated San Diego State in the first-round of the tournament. UNLV dropped a 7-0 decision to eventual champion New Mexico then defeated BYU before bowing out of the tournament to NCAA qualifier Utah.
