The 11th-seeded Oregon softball team, which hosts its first-ever NCAA Regional Thursday through Sunday at Howe Field, received some more good news from the Pac-12 on Wednesday afternoon. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=205427934@@
The Ducks, who finished in third place in the Pac-12 regular season standings, had 11 players earn all-conference recognition. Junior right-hander Jessica Moore was one of the three first-team all-Pac-12 pitchers chosen, making it the second-straight year Moore was a first-team selection. She was a second-team honoree and all-Pac-10 freshman choice back in 2010, and has been an all-region first-team performer the last two years. @@http://www.pac-12.org/SPORTS/Softball/Standings.aspx@@ @@http://www.pac-12.org/Softball/Tabid/1459/Article/155718/Pac-12-Announces-Softball-All-Conference.aspx@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4375&SPID=245&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204763349&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Junior outfielder Samantha Pappas joined Moore on the first team after leading the Ducks with a .407 batting average in 2012. Pappas was a first-team all-conference performer as a true freshman in 2010, and also was chosen to the all-freshman team. @@http://www.pac-12.org/portals/7/images/softball/stats/2012/HTML/ore.htm@@  @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4375&SPID=245&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204763252&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Senior shortstop Kelsey Chambers and junior second baseman Kaylan Howard were all-Pac-12 second-team recipients. Chambers was an honorable mention all-conference selection as a sophomore in 2010, while Howard was an all-freshman team honorable mention choice that year. @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4375&SPID=245&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=1595154&Q_SEASON=2011@@ @@http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=4375&SPID=245&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=204763249&Q_SEASON=2011@@
Sophomore third baseman Courtney Ceo, who missed the final 18 games of the regular season with a torn ACL, garnered all-conference honorable mention recognition. Sophomore first baseman Kailee Cuico, senior outfielder Christie Nieto and sophomore catcher Alexa Peterson joined Ceo on the honorable mention squad.
Freshman outfielder Janie Takeda represented Oregon on the Pac-12 all-freshman team, while right-hander Karissa Hovinga and outfielder Sara Goodrum were both honorable mention freshman team honorees.
California’s Valerie Arioto became the first Golden Bear to be named the Pac-12 player of the year, while teammate Jolene Henderson earned her second-straight Pac-12 pitcher of the year award. UCLA’s Stephany LaRosa was chosen as the conference’s freshman of the year, and Stanford senior shortstop Ashley Hansen was named Pac-12 defensive player of the year.
Top-ranked California head coach Diane Ninemire was selected as the Pac-12 coach of the year for the second time in her 25-year career with the Golden Bears. She also won the award in 1991.