University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass Lands Seven On A-10 All-Conference Softball Team
May 09, 2001 | Softball
May 9, 2001
AMHERST, Mass. -- After dominating the Atlantic 10 during the regular season, the UMass women's softball team placed seven players on the all-conference team and claimed league honors for player, pitcher and coach of the year. The Minutewomen won the A-10 with a 21-0 record, and take a 40-11 overall mark and a No. 23 national ranking into Thursday's game against Rhode Island in the Verizon Atlantic 10 Tournament at Dayton, Ohio.
Three infielders, junior third baseman Cherra Wheeler (Kingsburg, Calif.), junior second baseman Ashley Bakken (Phoenix, Ariz.) and sophomore shortstop Emily Robustelli (Stamford, Conn.) grabbed three of the four positions on the all-conference team. Wheeler, who leads UMass in batting with a .331 average, leads the A-10 in RBI (39) and on base percentage (.441), while ranking second in home runs (six) and slugging percentage (.547). Bakken owns a .318 average and has stolen a team-high 16 bases in 22 attempts, while Robustelli, who picked up her second-straight all-conference award, is hitting .325 and leads the A-10 in runs scored (36), hits (54) and doubles (14).
A pair of outfielders also made the team in junior Teri Rooney (Visalia, Calif.) and sophomore Anna Perey (Chino Valley, Calif.). Rooney ranks third on the UMass team in batting average (.320), while Perey owns a .313 average.
Massachusetts also had two pitchers honored by the A-10 coaches in junior Jennifer Hadley (Bristol, Conn.) and senior Carrie Jeffries (Placentia, Calif.). Hadley has won 15 of her last 16 starts after beginning the season 1-5. She owns a 16-6 record overall, but was 11-0 in the A-10 with a 0.65 ERA. Jeffries, meanwhile, leads the A-10 with a 1.24 ERA and owns a 12-4 record this season.
Wheeler earned A-10 player of the year honors, while Hadley collected the league's pitcher of the year award. UMass skipper Elaine Sortino, who picked up her 700th career victory earlier this year, was the A-10 coach of the year after leading her team to the 14th conference regular-season title in school history. It marks sixth time she has earned the conference's coach of the year award.
In other softball news, WHMP-AM 1400 in Northampton will broadcast all UMass games in the A-10 Tournament, starting with Thursday's Noon game against Rhode Island. The double-elimination tournament continues through Saturday in Dayton, Ohio. Temple and St. Joseph's complete the tournament field.
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