How’s that for the icing on the cake?
In a season when Jenn Salling of the Oregon softball team broke multiple school records and hauled in numerous awards, the redshirt freshman was one of 18 players, including six from the Pacific-10 Conference, named to the 2007 All-America first team, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced Wednesday.
“It’s a good honor,” said Salling, just one of two freshmen named to the team. “I was excited. As a freshman, just being on the team with such elite softball players is definitely an honor. It’s a good feeling.”
Salling is the first Oregon player since Julie Cavanaugh in 1991 to be named first team All-American and just the third player all-time in Oregon history.
Salling broke five Oregon records this season including batting average (.481), RBIs (73), total bases (138), slugging percentage (.873) and walks (46). She also led the Pac-10 in RBIs and was second in the conference in batting average, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.
In addition to those impressive statistics, she carried a team-high 13-game hitting streak and had 19 multiple-RBI games.
The Port Coquitlam, B.C., native was one of 11 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, was voted Most Outstanding Player and Offensive MVP by her teammates, was named to the Pac-10 conference first team and earned Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year after starting all 63 games at shortstop.
“The coaches told me at the beginning of the year that they are expecting a lot from me, and they see me as becoming an All-American,” Salling said.
But she was quick to deflect credit to her teammates.
“It just goes to show Oregon is starting to build,” said Salling, who may miss next season by taking an Olympic-year redshirt in order to compete with the Canadian National Team. “Yeah, it’s an honor that I’ve received, but it’s an honor that I share with the whole team as well. Without them, I wouldn’t receive the stuff I receive.”
Salling and the Ducks reached the postseason but fell in the championship game of the Columbia, S.C., regional. Oregon finished 44-19, the Ducks’ highest win total in a season since 1989.
[email protected]