Seven 'Hawks Earn Big 12 Softball Honors
May 12, 2004
OKLAHOMA CITY – Senior pitcher Kara Pierce and six other University of Kansas athletes were honored for their performance on and off the field Wednesday by the league’s coaches at the ninth annual Big 12 Softball Tournament banquet at the Oklahoma City Marriott Hotel Ballroom.
Pierce (17-11) earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors for the second time of her career (also as a freshman) for her performance in the circle this season. The Mesa, Ariz., native posted a 1.74 ERA (1.37 in Big 12 games) and has 245 strikeouts on the season, good for fourth on the KU all-time single season list.
A total of six Jayhawks, including three graduating seniors, earned Academic All-Big 12 Honors. Senior first baseman Leah Mountain (Wichita, Kan.) and sophomore reserve outfielder Ashley Frazer (Shawnee, Kan.) took home First-Team honors for achieving a 3.2 grade point average.
Sophomore shortstop Destiny Frankenstein (Broken Arrow, Okla.), sophomore pitcher/designated player Serena Settlemier (Kelso, Wash.), senior catcher Dani May (Lawrence, Kan.) and senior center fielder Mel Wallach (Pacific, Mo.) earned Second-Team honors for maintaining a 3.0 GPA.
Of the 48 athletes honored, Kansas was one of five Big 12 schools to have six athletes receive the awards for academic achievement.
Other All-Big 12 awards went to Nebraska senior Peaches James (Player of the Year), Texas A&M senior Jessica Kapchinski (Pitcher of the Year) and freshman Sharonda McDonald (Freshman of the Year) and Oklahoma senior Heather Scaglione (Defensive Player of the Year). Texas A&M head coach Jo Evans was named 2004 Big 12 Coach of the Year.
The Jayhawks (31-26-1, 7-11 Big 12) and Texas Tech (22-35, 2-16) will meet at 5 p.m. Wednesday at the ASA Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium (Field 2). With a win, seventh-seeded Kansas or Texas Tech, the No. 10 seed, will move on to face No. 2 Texas A&M in double elimination play immediately following the contest.
Pierce or freshman Kassie Humphreys (14-11) will take the circle for KU while Erin Crawford (10-14) will get the starting nod for the Red Raiders.
