Fresno State Athletics
A Look Back on 2009
6/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
June 9, 2009
FRESNO, Calif. - The 2009 season saw the WAC Regular season and WAC Tournament Championship trophies return to Fresno State as the `Dogs extended their NCAA record with their 28th-straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Fresno State hosted the WAC Tournament and won the school's he third tournament title and its 10th WAC regular season and 21st overall conference title.
The `Dogs finished the year with a 38-20 overall record and now have won at least 36 games a year since 1982 and have never had a losing season in the 31 years of the program. With a 1366-450 overall record in the 28 years of Division 1 softball, Fresno State is the all-time winningest program.
Fresno State booked once again, one of the toughest schedules in Division I, as the `Dogs took on 15 teams from the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Early on, the `Dogs earned wins over Top 25 teams such as North Carolina, Northwestern, Florida State, and Cal. At the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, the `Dogs took eventual national champion Washington, and USA Softball Player of the Year Danielle Lawrie, to 11 innings.
Margie Wright won her 300th WAC game with a 1-0 victory over Nevada on April 17. The NCAA's all-time winningest coach, became the first coach in WAC history to reach the 300 plateau in the conference.
That game also proved to be a historic milestone for sophomore pitching ace Morgan Melloh. Melloh recorded her 800th career strikeout in the game and became just the third Bulldog pitcher along with Jamie Southern and Amanda Scott to record 800. She also became just the fourth WAC pitcher to hit the mark.
With her 400 strikeout of the season against Louisiana Tech during the WAC Tournament, Melloh became just the fourth pitcher in NCAA history (Monica Abbott - Tennessee, Cat Osterman - Texas and Angelica Selden - UCLA) to record back-to-back 400 strikeout seasons her freshman and sophomore campaigns.
Melloh ended the season with 450 strikeouts and after just two years as a Bulldog, has tallied 904 strikeouts. The First Team All-WAC and All-West Region member, ranks in the top 10 in 11 of 15 career pitching categories at Fresno State. In the WAC career books, she ranks in the top 10 in five categories and in a single season she posted top 10 numbers in seven Fresno State categories and four WAC categories.
The Bulldogs saw one senior say goodbye at the end of the year, as Haley Perkins, arguably one of the most decorated student-athletes to ever attend Fresno State, forever etched her name into the Fresno State and WAC record books. The Fresno native was named All-WAC for three seasons and to the 2008 WAC and Regional All-Tournament teams along with earning over 20 academic honors in her four years while majoring in kinesiology.
Perkins played shortstop, third and second base in her career as a Bulldog and leaves Fresno State ranked in the top 10 in the school record book in hit by pitch, runs, hits, triples, batting average, stolen bases, total bases and walks. In the WAC career record book, Perkins finished in the top 10 in runs, hits, at bats and triples.
Grand slam history was made on March 27 at New Mexico State as sophomore catcher Caitlin Stiglich hit her second grand slam of the season, becoming just the fourth Bulldog to ever hit two grand slams in one season.
Freshman outfielder Alexis Lujan then hit her first home run of her career for a grand slam in the same game. Lujan became the second freshman to hit a grand slam as her first collegiate home run, joining former Bulldog All-American Laura Berg.
It was only the second time in a storied Bulldog history that two student-athletes have hit grand slams in the same game. The only other time was on May 11, 2005 at Bulldog Diamond as Christina Clark and Rachael Donaldson did so vs. UC Santa Barbara.
In the polls, the `Dogs started the season ranked No. 14 by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), their highest of the season, and were ranked in eight of the 16 weekly polls. The `Dogs finished as the third team out of the top 25 and receiving votes in the final poll.
In the national rankings, Melloh finished second among all Division I pitchers in strikeouts, fifth in shutouts, seventh in wins and ninth in strikeouts per seven innings. Her ERA and saves also ranked in the top 75.
Perkins finished 24th in the toughest to strike out category as the Bulldogs as a team ranked in the top 50 in team ERA, fielding percentage and W/L percentage.
WAC All-Tournament Team
Haley Gilleland, IF
Lisamarie Coronado, OF
Morgan Melloh, P - MVP
All-WAC
Morgan Melloh, P - First Team
Haley Perkins, IF - First Team
Haley Gilleland, IF - Second Team
Caitlin Stiglich, C - Second Team
All-West Region
Morgan Melloh, P
Academic All-District
Haley Perkins, IF - Second Team
"We are Your Team!" For all the latest news on the Fresno State women's softball team, visit gobulldogs.com.
