Santana Adds To Haul; Named All-Pacific Region
May 17, 2012
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Oregon State shortstop Elizabeth Santana continued to rake in postseason honors when she was selected to the 2012 NFCA Division I All-Pacific Region Second Team as announced by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association on Thursday. The award comes on the heels of receiving a nod on the All-Pac-12 First Team yesterday morning.
The all-region teams were chosen by NFCA member coaches from each of 10 geographical areas, and Santana will now be eligible for selection to one of three 2012 NFCA Division I All-American teams.
With the honor, the Beaver junior becomes just the third Oregon State player to receive all-region distinction in the last six seasons. Cambria Miranda was named to the NFCA All-Pacific Region First Team in 2007 and Paige Lowe and Lea Cavestany earned second team honors in 2008 and 2010, respectively.
Yesterday, Santana became just the fifth Oregon State player to ever earn a place on the All-Pac-12 First Team and the first since 2007. Brianne McGowan (2005-07), Miranda (2006-07), Brynnen Guthrie (2003) and Tarrah Beyster (1997-2000) are the other Beavers to have received such an honor. All four also received All-America status at some point in their careers.
Oregon State's shortstop, playing her first year for the Beavers after transferring from UC Davis, has started all 55 games and leads the team in average (.349), hits (61), triples (3) and RBI (36). The last OSU player to best her 61 hits so far this season was Miranda, who had 66 in 2007. Santana's 36 RBI are 11th all-time in single-season history at Oregon State and if the season ended today her .349 average would rank the same in that category as well. She had her best game of the year in OSU's upset of then-No. 3 Arizona State on April 10, almost single-handedly dispatching the Sun Devils with a 2-for-4 effort, including a game-tying solo home run in the seventh and a walk-off two-run job in the ninth.
Oregon State is having its best season since 2007 and will make its 10th-ever NCAA postseason appearance this weekend. OSU's first game in the double-elimination regional in Norman, Okla. is on Friday, May 18 against No. 25 Tulsa. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. PT/5 p.m. CT.
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