Softball picked as preseason champs with five 1st place votes

Staff Reports
The Collegian

Fresno State softball coach Margie Wright looks like she’ll have a team at the top of the Western Athletic Conference class as her 2007 Bulldogs squad was once again picked to win the WAC Championship.

A total of seven first-place votes were handed out by WAC coaches, five of which were collected by the Bulldogs. The preseason announcement marks the 11th time in the last 12 years that the Bulldogs have been picked to win the regular season crown.

The All-WAC teams were also selected by the coaches, and once again, the Bulldogs were well represented. Fresno State sophomore ace Robin Mackin was selected as the preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Player of the Year honors went to Hawaii’s Tyleen Tausaga.

Fresno State’s Haley Perkins, Nichole Willis, Jenna Cervantez and Shannon Garvin join Mackin on the All-WAC team.

The race for the WAC title is expected to be tight, with Hawaii predicted to finish second in conference play, followed by Nevada, New Mexico State and San Jose State.

Fresno State is preparing for its regular season opener Feb. 9, when it will travel to Tempe, Ariz. To play in the Kajikawa Classic.

The Bulldogs are the only team in the country to have played in all 25 NCAA Tournaments, including a National Championship in the 1998 season.

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