May 13, 2014
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - One day removed from being named the Mountain West's Player of the Week, UNLV softball's Garie Blando was voted as the Conference's Player of the Year, the league announced today. Besides earning the MW's top honor reserved for an offensive performer, Blando as well as Samantha Juarez and Stefany Valentino were tabbed to the first team, while Emily Haslinger and Pauline Monreal were selected to the second team.
Dating back to 1991, Blando is the sixth Rebel to earn conference player of the year recognition. Christine Parris (1991), Cyndi Parus (1994) and Kim Rondina (1995 and '96) were chosen the Big West's best, while Geney Orris (2002) and Ashli Holland (2011) were MW honorees.
UNLV's five selections tied for the most in the league with San Diego State and Fresno State. The awards and all-conference teams were voted on by the league's nine head coaches and based solely off of league stats. This is the first year that the MW introduced a second team to the mix after only naming a first team in the previous 14 years of its existence.
Blando, a sophomore from Chino Hills, Calif., led the conference in on-base percentage (.561) and runs scored (27). She was 38-for-81 at the plate for a .469 batting average, which was second-best in league play. Her 38 hits also ranked second with eight of them going for extra bases (six doubles, one home run and one triple). Overall, she led the team in average, runs, walks (11) and on-base percentage. She had 11 multiple-hit games - tied for the team high, which included a 5-for-5 outing vs. San Diego State on April 22 that tied a UNLV single-game record. She had a hit in the first 17 conference games of the year. She also contributed three multiple-RBI games with 11 runs knocked in. On the base paths, she was a perfect 11-for-11 in stolen base attempts. In the field, she only committed six errors in 107 chances (39 putouts and 62 assists), while helping turn four double plays.
Juarez, a junior from Las Vegas, tied for third in the conference in total bases (55), which was second best for the Rebels. She led the team in at-bats (83), hit-by-pitch (six) and sacrifice bunts (five). She was second in runs (21) and stolen bases (seven). She was third in average (.398), hits (33), home runs (five), slugging percentage (.663) and on-base percentage (.457). She also had 15 RBI. She amassed nine multiple-hit games and five multiple-RBI games.
Valentino, a senior from Agoura Hills, Calif., finished fourth in the MW in hits (35). She led the team in triples (two) and was second on the team in average (.427), at-bats (82), runs (21) and on-base percentage (.478). She was third in walks (11). She chipped in eight extra-base hits (six doubles and two triples) and 10 RBI. She tied Blando for the team lead in multiple-hit games (11) and had two multiple-RBI affairs. She also had a hit in the first 22 conference games of the season.
Haslinger, a sophomore from Lake Forest, Calif., led the Rebels in home runs (10), RBI (29), total bases (61) and slugging percentage (.772) in the 24-game league slate. She was second on the team in multiple-RBI games (seven ) and sixth in multiple-hit games (eight). Against New Mexico on April 18, she smashed three home runs and plated seven RBI to tie two of the program's single-game records.
Monreal, a senior from La Mirada, Calif., led the team with nine multiple-RBI games, while adding seven multi-hit outings. She was second in home runs (seven), RBI (27), slugging percentage (.675), walks (11) and hit-by-pitch (three). She was third in total bases (52).
