May 11, 2005
SAN DIEGO - As the wins go, so do the awards. With a 41-16 regular season record and a 17-3 mark in the Mountain West Conference, that was worthy of a second-place finish, UNLV was honored for its accomplishments by the conference Wednesday. UNLV took three of the four major awards as Jacque Kerrigan was tabbed the Pitcher of the Year, while Marissa Nichols was chosen as the Freshman of the Year. The third award the Rebels received went to second-year head coach Lonni Alameda. Alameda was selected as the Coach of the Year for taking a team that was chosen to finish in last-place, by her peers, to a second-place finish. This is the first time that UNLV has won these three distinctive honors from the conference.
Currently, UNLV's 41 wins are third-most in school history, while the 17 conference wins overshadow the previous high of eight that were won in the 2002 MWC season. Alameda has returned the softball program to the level that the Rebels were accustomed to during a seven-year run from 1990-96. Alameda made a four-win improvement in the 2004 season, but finished 10-games under .500 (25-35). In year two with the youngest team in the conference, which included nine freshmen, she has the Rebels 16-games over last season's win total and 25-games over the .500 mark (41-16).
Kerrigan and Nichols were not the only player names associated with the UNLV softball program to be called. Kerrigan and Nichols were joined by Brittany Meade, Caitlyn Paus and Maggie Livreri on the MWC's All-Conference Team. The team was chosen by the league's coaches and is made up of a roster of 20 players.
Kerrigan was selected once before to the all-conference team during her sophomore campaign, but this one is more special as the Pitcher of the Year award and the team's overall record are factored in. Kerrigan closed out the regular season with a 26-13 mark and 10-1 in the conference. She was named the Pitcher of the Week five times during the `05 campaign and has nine total weekly awards in her career. She leads the conference in innings pitched (232.2), wins (26), games started (37), and appearances (46). She also ranks in the top-five in four other pitching categories, including ERA (1.62, second), strikeouts (second), saves (five, second) and opposing batting average (.228, fourth). She ranks first or second in nearly nine all-time career pitching categories.
Nichols was selected six times as the conference's player of the week in 2005. The freshman led the Rebels' assault on opposing pitchers this season as she is hitting a team-best .440 and is tops in nearly every offensive category. She led the Mountain West in batting average (.440), slugging percentage (.843), on-base percentage (.498), runs scored (62), hits (84), triples (eight), stolen bases (33 in 33 attempts) and total bases (161). She also finished second in doubles (16) and home runs (15), and fifth in RBI (43). She broke MWC single-season records in hits and total bases, and the league freshman single-season marks in doubles, triples and stolen bases. In MWC play, she led the conference with a .776 slugging percentage, 22 runs scored, six home runs, 11 stolen bases and 52 total bases. When it comes to the record books, she is already making a name for herself. She lists in nine single-season categories and is already tops in runs and steals, while sitting in second-place in seven other rankings. Her offensive numbers are so good that she already ranks in career stolen bases and home runs.
2005 Mountain West Conference AwardsPlayer of the Year: Lauren Watson-Perry, BYUPitcher of the Year: Jacque Kerrigan, UNLVFreshman of the Year: Marissa Nichols, UNLVCoach of the Year: Lonni Alameda, UNLVSportsmanship Award: Bryanne Durrence, Utah
2005 MWC All-Conference TeamPlayer Pos. SchoolDebbie Dodds 2B BYUIaneta Le'i 1B BYUAshlyn Russell 3B BYUSummer Tobias P BYUDaniella Urincho P BYULauren Watson-Perry C BYULauren Cusick 3B Colorado St.Brittany Huerta OF Colorado St.Julia Kloppe 1B Colorado St.Stephanie Roberts 2B Colorado St.Jessica Strickland P/DP Colorado St.Kristina Schmallen OF New MexicoCelena Velasquez P San Diego St.Jacque Kerrigan P UNLVMaggie Livreri C UNLVBrittany Meade 3B UNLVMarissa Nichols OF UNLVCaitlyn Paus 2B UNLVIvette Hernandez 1B UtahDiana Phillips OF Utah
