Turner Selected Big West Pitcher of the Year
Goad, Wedell Nab Honorable Mentions
May 16, 2006 PDF Version of Big West All-Conference Teams IRVINE, CA – Junior Michelle Turner, of the Long Beach State softball team, was selected as the 2006 Big West Conference Pitcher of the Year, as announced by the league office on Tuesday. Turner was also a first-team selection as well.
This marks the fourth straight season (and five out of the last seven years) that a Pitcher of the Year has come from Long Beach State. Meredith Cervenka won the award three straight seasons (2002-05) and Marcel Torres was a two-time winner (2004-05). Other past LBSU recipients include Kristi Fox (2000) and Amy Miner in 1996.
Teammates Breezy Goad and Tiffanie Wedell were both Honorable Mention selections as well.
Turner (Buena Park) compiled a 25-9 record with a 1.56 ERA, 180 strikeouts, seven shutouts, while issuing just 19 walks in 215.2 innings pitched this season. Opposing batters hit just .206 against her. The 5-9 right-hander posted a 12-1 record in Big West play.
The seven-time Big West Pitcher of the Week (a school and conference record) tied two single-season school records with her 25th win in the circle and her 29th complete game, after Long Beach State defeated UC Santa Barbara on May 13. Turner tied Annette Gonzales who had 25 wins in the circle during the 1988 season, and also tied Fox who had 29 complete games in 2000.
Turner ranked No. 1 in the league in wins and ERA, and No. 3 in strikeouts.
Earlier this season, Turner pitched the seventh perfect game in school history (was the sixth player to throw a perfect game) while adding a career-high 11 strikeouts in Long Beach State's 8-0 win over Mercer on Mar. 10.
Turner, who needs just 11 more strikeouts to tie Cervenka's single-season strikeout record (191), leads the 49ers with four home runs, 24 RBI, and 13 doubles this season, and has compiled a .242 batting average at the plate.
Goad (Norco) has posted a .252 batting average with a team-high 27 runs, to go along with 10 stolen bases this season. The freshman outfielder had the game-winning RBI with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning in game three vs. UC Riverside on Apr. 23. She scored the game-winning run in game three vs. Cal Poly, and went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the first inning vs. No. 13-ranked Northwestern on Mar. 25.
Wedell (Hacienda Heights) has posted a .260 average with 23 runs scored and 17 RBI. The senior second baseman had two five-game hitting streaks (Feb. 10-12, Feb. 23-Mar. 3) and is 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts. Wedell posted a .500 batting average in the UC Davis series (May 6-7) with four runs, two RBI, and a triple. She hit .500 (4-for-8) with three runs and two RBI on the Pacific series (May 6-7), and had the key hit in G3 of the series when her two RBI single gave LBSU a 7-2 lead.
Long Beach State will make its fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Regionals (17th overall in program history) on the campus of UCLA, May 19-21 in Los Angeles, CA.
The 49ers (30-20) will open post-season play vs. San Diego State (32-13) on Friday at 2:30 pm, while No. 1 National Seed, UCLA (43-7) will face Missouri State (40-15) in the nightcap.
Long Beach State will be the No. 3-seed (SDSU is the No. 2-seed). It has also been determined that ESPNU will cover the entire UCLA Regional live from Easton Stadium. ESPNU can be found on DirecTV on channel 609.
2006 will mark the fifth time that Long Beach State has played an NCAA Regional at UCLA (2004, 2000, 1989, 1987). LBSU has posted a 3-8 record in NCAA Regional play at UCLA. Long Beach State is 20-26 overall in post-season play. The 49ers have made five College World Series appearances (1986, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993). Long Beach State has won 16 of its last 22 games heading into post-season play.
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