May 12, 2009

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Davis is well represented on this year's Big West Softball All-Conference Team, which was announced Tuesday afternoon. A total of four Aggies were named to one of the three levels of awards. Alex Holmes received first-team honors as a designated player while Kelly Harman was named Freshman Field Player Of The Year. Harman becomes the first Aggie to claim a major Big West post-season individual award. Honorable mention went out to Jessica Hancock (pitcher), Holmes (pitcher), Harman (shortstop) and Belinda Paine (outfield).

Holmes finished the season with a .275 batting average, including a .429 average over the last eight games. Holmes was second on the team with 19 RBIs and had a total of nine extra-base hits. In the circle, the sophomore led the team and was fourth in the Big West with a 1.83 ERA to go along with 108 strikeouts and three shutouts. She also had 13 complete games and a save.

Harman led UC Davis with a .295 batting average. She was also tops on the team in homers (5), RBIs (23) and slugging percentage (.429). Harman started all but one game of the season and had six games with at least two runs batted in. Harman also led the Aggies with the most multiple-hit games (13). Harman batted .328 in Big West games.

Hancock received post-season Big West honors for the second straight season. She led the conference with 172 strikeouts and was fifth in ERA (1.85). She also finished with 13 wins, five shutouts and 14 complete games. Paine batted .274 and collected a team-high 48 hits. She led the Aggies with 12 stolen bases and finished her career as the all-time Aggie leader in swipes.

Last season, the first for UC Davis as a Division I and Big West member, Hancock received first-team honors while Paine was recognized as an honorable mention.