September 10, 2009
SEASIDE, Calif. – Cal State Monterey Bay softball head coach #Andrea Kenney# has announced that six players have signed to compete for the Otters in the 2010 season. Joining CSUMB next season will be junior college transfers Lisa Hernandez, Diane Ortiz, Nicole Garcia, Courtney Nejman and Shannon Bailey, along with four-year transfer Cat Sampson.
Lisa Hernandez and
Diane Ortiz were members of the Mt. Sac College softball team who won the 2009 CCCAA State Championship. Hernandez, a 5-5 pitcher from Los Angeles, was selected to the All-Tournament Team after pitching 5.2 innings and allowing no runs on four hits in the 7-1 victory over Sierra College in the championship game. A 5-10 pitcher from Pomona, Ortiz was named to the All-Conference second team at Mt. Sac after posting a 2.62 ERA in 160 innings.
“Diane and Lisa add maturity and experience to our pitching staff,” Kenney said. “They played a big role in bringing the State Championship trophy back to Kelly Ford and Mt. Sac College. With all this said, I am excited to have Dianne and Lisa bring their winning attitude to the CSUMB Softball field.”
Nicole Garcia, a 5-9 infielder and pitcher, played for Cosumnes River College under the direction of Cindy Ball. She is a two-time All-Conference first team selection and was named to the All-State team her freshman year. Garcia finished the season ranked sixth in the Big 8 Conference with a .417 batting average
“Nicole is an extremely competitive player and she can do it all,” Kenney said. “She pitches, plays great defense, hits the ball hard and has good speed. I feel very fortunate that Nicole chose to finish her career at CSUMB.”
Courtney Nejman is an infielder that hails from Orange County and has played her last two seasons with the Santiago Canyon Hawks. An All-Conference selection, Nejman was named MVP by her team. She received the Batting Champion Award after leading the team with a .384 batting average.
“Courtney is a solid defensive player with strong offensive skills,” Kenney said. “Her experience the JC level will help the team a great deal.”
Shannon Bailey comes to CSUMB from Antelope Valley College where she was coached by Cindy Vargas. She was a two-time All-Conference selection and led her team to two conference championships. Bailey finished her sophomore season with a .333 batting average and had a team-high 13 doubles.
“Shannon's ability to play a number of positions makes her an important component to this year's team,” Kenney said. “She can catch, play middle infield and outfield on top of having a strong bat and very good speed.
“She will make an immediate impact this year.”
Cat Sampson returns to her home state to finish her collegiate career after playing two seasons for the Greyhounds of University of Indianapolis. During her rookie campaign, Sampson was in the top five on the team in batting average (.301), slugging percentage (.457), on-base percentage (.409), runs scored (33), homeruns (6), doubles (9) and walks (25). A scholar-athlete, Sampson competed in three sports (softball, water polo, golf) at Moorpark High School. She was a two-time All-League and “Best Defensive Player” selection.
“Cat comes to us from a very competitive program at University of Indianapolis, a program that competed in the College World Series last season,” Kenney said. “She is another multidimensional player with great enthusiasm. Her positive upbeat attitude and strong play will help her become an impact player.”
On Friday, Sept 11, the 2009 California Collegiate Athletic Association tournament championship banner will be unveiled prior to the women's volleyball match against Cal State Stanislaus.
