Seven Huskers Earn All-Big 12 Honors

Oklahoma City, Okla. ? Nebraska senior right-handed pitcher Peaches James was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year, and a league-high seven Huskers were named to the All-Big 12 first or second teams released Wednesday at the annual conference tournament banquet.

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Four Huskers were named to the first team, including senior right-handed pitcher Peaches James, senior center fielder Nicole Trimboli, sophomore left fielder Trisha Tannahill and sophomore third baseman Jessica Yoachim. NU also placed three players on the second team, including senior right fielder Liz Lawhorn, junior second baseman <?xml:namespace prefix="st1" ns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"?>Anne Steffan and freshman catcher/first baseman Jamie Waldecker.

 

"It's a real honor and is well-deserved," NU Head Coach Rhonda Revelle said. "It's a testament to what they've done. They did a great job and led us to a Big 12 championship."

 

James has enjoyed the best season of her career, winning Big 12 Pitcher of the Week honors a league-high four times while leading the Big 12 in wins (30), ERA (0.79), shutouts (15), opponent batting average (.146), complete games (31) and strikeouts (303). James, a four-time first-team All-Big 12 pick, is the first pitcher and only the fourth player overall in Big 12 history to earn four first-team All-Big 12 honors. James joins Jennifer Lizama, who played for Nebraska from 1997-2000, as the only Huskers to earn four consecutive first-team All-Big 12 honors.

 

Named the USA Softball and NFCA National Player of the Week on April 6, James broke two single-season school records in 2004, including single-season shutouts (15) and single-season strikeouts (303). James also set an NU career record with the 40th shutout of her career against Texas on April 9. She is also just six strikeouts shy of breaking the NU career strikeout record of 858.

 

Like James, Trimboli has left her mark on the NU record books. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native ranks among the top 10 at Nebraska in 10 career offensive categories. Trimboli leads the team with 40 RBIs and is tied for the team lead with nine doubles. She is hitting .306 for the season with a team-high seven home runs. Trimboli ranks in the top eight in the Big 12 in seven categories, including second in RBIs and third in total bases.

 

Trimboli has been named to the All-Big 12 team three times at three different positions. She earned first-team honors in 2001 as NU’s left fielder before taking second-team honors in 2002 while playing first base.

 

Tannahill is making her first appearance on the All-Big 12 team in just her second season at NU. She ranks second on the team with 31 RBIs, and third in the Big 12 (league games only) with 12 RBIs. Tannahill is hitting .321 for the season and has been perfect in left field in 42 chances. The Overland Park, Kan., native has also been one of the Huskers’ top base runners, swiping 13 bases in 14 tries to rank second on the team.

 

Yoachim, who is also making her first appearance on the team, ranks second in the conference with a .356 average in Big 12 games. She leads the team with a .396 on-base percentage in Big 12 play and has a team-high five sacrifice hits. For the season, the Arkansas City, Kan., native is hitting .306 with 29 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.

 

Steffan is a two-time All-Big 12 selection, as she made the first-team in 2003. The Huskers’ leading hitter with a .352 average, she also ranks first on the team in at bats, runs, hits and stolen bases. Steffan is the top run scorer in the Big 12, scoring 45 runs in 53 games. The Mankato, Minn., native also ranks third in the league in hits, sixth in average and second in stolen bases. With 27 steals on the season, Steffan has tied the third-best single-season mark in school history and is only five stolen bases away from breaking the school record.

 

Lawhorn, a co-captain, is hitting .271 in league games after hitting only .181 in Nebraska’s non-conference schedule. She is reaching base at a .340 clip in Big 12 play and has hit three doubles in the Huskers’ 17 conference games. Lawhorn has drawn 21 walks this season to rank second on the team. The Muscatine, Iowa, product has been stellar defensively, recording a perfect fielding percentage in 45 chances in right field.

 

Waldecker becomes the first Husker freshman to earn All-Big 12 honors since Trimboli and James made the first team in 2001. A second-team selection, Waldecker has drawn a team-high seven walks in conference play and boasts an on-base percentage of .386 in Big 12 play. Recruited as a catcher, the Garden Grove, Calif., native has been instrumental in helping Nebraska replace injured first baseman Sheena Lawrick. Waldecker has started 10 league games at first and is hitting .278 in those starts. She has proven to be a clutch hitter, driving in the game-winning run against Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Her RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning against the Aggies on May 2 clinched the Big 12 regular-season championship for Nebraska.

 

The Huskers return to action this evening in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament. NU will face the winner of eighth-seeded Texas and ninth-seeded IowaState at approximately 7:30 p.m. at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla. The game can be heard live in Lincoln on KLIN 1400 AM and can also be heard on the internet at Huskers.com.

 

First Team
Name, Position, School Class Hometown
Harmony Schwethelm, RF, Baylor So. San Antonio, Texas
Cristen Vitek, P, Baylor Jr. Katy, Texas
Julia Lindsey, 3B, Iowa State Sr. Castle Rock, Wash.
Erin Kalka, P, Missouri Jr. Chandler, Okla.
Peaches James, P/1B/DP, Nebraska Sr. Papillion, Neb.
Trisha Tannahill, OF, Nebraska So. Overland Park, Kan.
Nicole Trimboli, OF, Nebraska Sr. Colorado Springs, Colo.
Jessica Yoachim, 3B, Nebraska So. Arkansas City, Kan.
Christina Enea, 1B, Oklahoma Jr. Woodland Hills, Calif.
Heather Scaglione, C, Oklahoma Sr. San Diego, Calif.
Kristin Vesely, CF, Oklahoma So. Phoenix, Ariz.
Courtney Totte, C, Oklahoma State Fr. Lawton, Okla.
Tamara Poppe, UT, Texas Sr. Kerrville, Texas
Jessica Kapchinski, P, Texas A&M Sr. Humble, Texas
Adrian Gregory, SS, Texas A&M Jr. Livingston, Texas
Sharonda McDonald, CF, Texas A&M Fr. Houston, Texas
Kelly Rhyne, OF, Texas Tech Jr. Coppell, Texas
Ashley Parker, C/OF, Texas Tech Fr. Lindale, Texas

Second Team
Name, Position, School Class Hometown
Kelly Osburn, LF, Baylor So. Missouri City, Texas
Kara Pierce, P, Kansas Sr. Mesa, Ariz.
Morgan LeCluyse, OF, Missouri Sr. Shawnee, Kan.
Liz Lawhorn, OF, Nebraska Sr. Muscatine, Iowa
Anne Steffan, 2B, Nebraska Jr. Mankato, Minn.
Jamie Waldecker, 1B/C/DP, Nebraska Fr. Garden Grove, Calif.
Kami Keiter, P, Oklahoma Jr. Arvada, Colo.
Mariee Mena, RF, Oklahoma So. Escondido, Calif.
Megan Carey, OF, Oklahoma State Jr. San Diego, Calif.
Jessica Hoppock, P, Oklahoma State Fr. Haysville, Kan.
Crystal Lee, OF, Oklahoma State Sr. Vista, Calif.
Amber Hall, SS, Texas So. Deer Park, Texas
Chez Sievers, 2B, Texas So. Mission Viejo, Calif.
Sarah Wieszczak, OF, Texas Sr. Pinehurst, Texas
Jana James, LF, Texas A&M Jr. Mesquite, Texas
Nicole Robinson, C, Texas A&M Jr. Kingwood, Texas
Rocky Spencer, RF, Texas A&M So. Katy, Texas
Andrea Joachims, 1B, Texas Tech Sr. Vancouver, Wash.
Elyssa Sigala, OF/C/1B, Texas Tech Sr. Salinas, Calif.

Big 12 Player of the Year: Peaches James, P/1B/DP, Sr., Nebraska
Big 12 Pitcher of the Year: Jessica Kapchinski, Sr., Texas A&M
Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year: Heather Scaglione, C, Sr., Oklahoma
Big 12 Freshman of the Year: Sharonda McDonald, OF, Texas A&M
Big 12 Coach of the Year: Jo Evans, Texas A&M