Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Five Owls Named to All-Conference Teams
5/8/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2006
BOCA RATON, FL - Led by freshman Kala Guy (Hollywood, Fla.), the Florida Atlantic University softball team placed five players on the all-conference teams, as announced by the Atlantic Sun Conference on Monday.
Guy was one of just two rookies named to the First Team, joined by Stetson's Erica Demers, the A-Sun Freshman of the Year. Florida Atlantic dominated the Second Team, where four Owls were honored - seniors Jessica Sachs (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.) and Danielle Arriaga (Miami, Fla.) and juniors Shauna Corso (Seal Beach, Calif.) and Jenna Lopez (Orangeburg, N.Y.).
Guy was also one of 11 players named to the All-Freshmen Team. She hit .256 overall and was one of two Owls with both 20 or more runs and 20 or more RBIs.
Guy shared team-high honors with 24 RBIs on the season while scoring 20 runs. Her case for the First Team was strongest in conference play, where she hit .333 with a conference-high 18 RBIs and 12 runs.
Guy's .588 slugging percentage in A-Sun play was second on the team and seventh in the conference, while her eight extra-base hits in conference action was tops on the team.
"Kala really came into her own in A-Sun play," stated head coach Joan Joyce. "She was far and away the best designated player statistically in the league. She came out of high school as one of the most decorated players in the South Florida area and clearly made her mark at the collegiate level in her freshman season."
Sachs leads the Owls with 48 starts this season and is batting .296 overall. Her 27 runs are the best on the team, as are her 12 stolen bases and 47 hits.
In A-Sun games, Sachs has a team-best .392 average, good for third in the league. She will close her softball career this season with the school record for at-bats and ranks in the top 10 in 12 career marks for the Owls.
Arriaga - a two-year starter at shortstop who has partnered with Sachs on the left side on the infield this season - is batting .315 and shares the team lead with 24 RBIs. She has a team-best 81 assists on the season.
Arriaga's eight two-baggers are the best on the team. In conference games she ranks second on the team in batting average (.381), hits (24) and RBIs (17).
"Danielle and Jessica deserved greater recognition by the conference for all that they have done this season," noted Joyce. "They have led us through some very trying moments, especially in dealing with injuries to every pitcher on our staff this season, and have helped us to become the most potent offense in the league."
Thanks in part to Arriaga and Sachs, FAU leads the A-Sun in team batting average (.311), runs scored (105), doubles (32), on-base percentage (.359) and slugging percentage (.439) in conference games. No other team has surpassed either the .300 hitting plateau or the 100-run mark during the A-Sun season.
Corso was also a major contributor to that offensive machine, hitting a team-best .339 overall while scoring 26 runs and topping the team in slugging percentage (.496) and on-base percentage (.449). In her first season since transferring from Palm Beach Community College, Corso is the only Owl in the A-Sun top 10 for overall batting average.
Lopez also came on during conference play, hitting .339 in A-Sun games. Her 22 runs and 23 RBIs made her just the second Owl to record a 20-20 season in 2006.
"Shauna and Jessica's contributions were everything that we expected and more," Joyce interjected. "Both put up numbers that were worthy of the First Team as well. All five of these players will be vital to our success in the A-Sun tournament."
Florida Atlantic (29-22, 15-5 A-Sun) tied for second place in the Atlantic Sun Conference this season. The Owls are the no. 2 seed for the A-Sun Championship, which starts Thursday at 9:00 a.m. at FAU Softball Stadium.
A-Sun Player of the Year: Melissa Wiggins, Stetson
A-Sun Pitcher of the Year: Katie Rosentreter, Mercer
A-Sun Freshman of the Year: Erica Demers, Stetson
A-Sun Coach of the Year: Drew Peterson, Campbell Scott Whitlock, Kennesaw State
First Team All-Conference
(P) Katie Rosentreter - Mercer/Sr./Winnipeg, Manitoba
(P) Erica Demers - Stetson/Fr./Miami, Fla. (C) Cambria McKay - Kennesaw St./Sr./Brampton, Ontario
(IF) Melissa Wiggins - Stetson/Sr./Temple Terrace, Fla.
(IF) Keri McKee - Kennesaw St./Jr./Buford, Ga.
(IF) Jamie Madruga - Mercer/So./Warner Robins, Ga.
(IF) Jennifer Nolan - Kennesaw St./Jr./Woodstock, Ga.
(OF) Jessica Huffman - Campbell/Jr./Cornelius, N.C.
(OF) Shawna Wiggs - Stetson/Sr./Lakeland, Fla. (OF) Kelley Cowart - Kennesaw St./So./Snellville, Ga.
(DP/Utility) Kala Guy - Florida Atlantic/Fr./Hollywood, Fla.
Second Team All-Conference
(P) Brittany Matthews - Kennesaw St./So./Brooks, Ga.
(P) Lisa Lamb - Kennesaw St./Sr./Marietta, Ga.
(C) Janine Palumbo - Jacksonville/Sr./Clearwater, Fla.
(IF) Danielle Arriaga - Florida Atlantic/Sr./Miami, Fla.
(IF) Jessica Sachs - Florida Atlantic/Sr./Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.
(IF) Shauna Corso - Florida Atlantic/Jr./Seal Beach, Calif.
(IF) Ashley Parenteau - North Florida/So./Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
(OF) Jenna Lopez - Florida Atlantic/Jr./Orangeburg, N.Y.
(OF) Jessi Williams - Gardner-Webb/So./Ellenton, Fla.
(OF) Sherrel Fountain - Stetson/Jr./Nassau, Bahamas
(DP/Utility) Renae Beauchman - Belmont/Fr./Eagle Rock, Calif.
All-Freshmen Team
Erica Demers - Stetson/P/Miami, Fla.
Andrea Migliori - Stetson/IF/Winter Garden, Fla.
Lindsey Whitfield - Gardner-Webb/SS/Anderson, S.C.
Mary Catherine Vercoe - ETSU/1B/P/Signal Mountain, Tenn.
Beth Glasscock - Jacksonville/Utility/Leitchfield, Ky.
Kala Guy - Florida Atlantic/Utility/DP/Hollywood, Fla.
Kori Bowser - Belmont/3B/SS/Gilbert, Ariz.
Sammi Parks - Belmont/P/SS/Riverside, Calif.
Krysten Vlacancich - Campbell/3B/Utility/Marietta, Ga.
Renae Beauchman - Belmont/Utility/DP/Eagle Rock, Calif.
Carolina Rojas - Stetson/DP/Miami, Fla.
