Vanessa Iapala Named Pac-10 Softball Player Of The Week
March 16, 2004
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - Oregon State sophomore Vanessa Iapala has been named the Pacific-10 Conference Softball Player of the Week for the week of March 10-16, Commissioner Tom Hansen announced on Tuesday.
Iapala, from San Diego, CA, earned All-Tournament honors at the Clovis Auto Row Classic hosted by Fresno State for her efforts in helping Oregon State to the tournament title and a 5-1 record. Iapala finished the weekend with a .474 batting average (9-for-19), four doubles, four runs scored, six RBI, and a .684 slugging percentage.
In a 9-0 victory against North Texas on Thursday, the sophomore first baseman went 2-for-3, while a day later she belted a pair of doubles in a victory against Utah. Iapala went 2-for-3 in a win against Long Beach State on Saturday, and her 2-for-4 effort from the plate helped the Beavers beat top-ranked UCLA. Oregon State's victory against the previously undefeated Bruins was just the sixth in program history (UCLA leads the series 65-6).
The Pac-10 Player of the Week honor is the first for Iapala in her career and marks Oregon State's 22nd all-time selection.
After playing its first 32 games away from Corvallis, Oregon State opens action at the OSU Softball Complex on Sunday with a double-header against Kansas. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
