Document text
Several area standouts receive all-star nods The Southern Oregon University softball team parlayed its success on the field into Cascade Conference postseason awards. The Raiders matched league champion Oregon Tech with four players on the all-conference team. Third baseman Angie Chaplin, pitcher Brandi Brown, second baseman Haley Varley and first baseman Lisa Aitchison all made the squad for SOU. OIT's Leah Azevedo was named player of the year and was joined in the awards circle by teammate Leslie Ernstrom, who earned pitcher-of-the-year honors. Dan Miles and Mary Bradford shared the coach of the year award by leading the Owls to a 37-9 record and a No. 16 national ranking. Chaplin, a sophomore who graduated from South Medford High, accumulated a .370 batting average in starting all 34 of the Raiders' games. She smashed a team-high five home runs and drove in a team-high 34 runs. Brown, a junior from Colton, started 26 games for SOU and completed 25 of those starts. She posted a 24-6 regular-season record and boasts an earned-run average of just 1.13. She has struck out 162 batters in 191� innings pitched and also contributes with a .349 batting average at the plate. A freshman who starred for North Medford last year, Varley has stormed to a .393 batting average as a true freshman. She also paces the Raiders with 10 stolen bases. Aitchison, a sophomore from Bandon, bats at a .392 clip and has produced three home runs and 22 RBIs. Junior shortstop Latisha Inget of Eagle Point was named honorable mention all-Cascade. SOU, which went 27-7 during the regular season to finish one game behind OIT, begins play today in the NAIA Region I Tournament in Portland. The Raiders need four victories to advance to the NAIA Championships in Decatur, Ala., from May 17-22. In Cascade Conference baseball action, Medford's K.C. Rumrey and Nate Mayben and Beau Batsell of Klamath Falls were part of six Western Baptist players recently honored with selections to the all-star team. Rumrey and Batsell were joined by teammates Sam Owre and Jeff Tollison as first-team selections. Mayben and teammate Micah Mills were honorable mention selections for Western Baptist (29-21), which is in the process of posting its first winning season since the baseball program was reinstated in 1988. Rumrey, a junior centerfielder, is second on the squad in batting average (.330), doubles (15) and home runs (6). Batsell, a senior third baseman, leads Western Baptist in batting average (.346) and stolen bases (13). Mayben, a sophomore pitcher and second baseman, is batting .323 with 31 RBIs and has the team's second-best ERA at 3.83. The Warriors will play in the NAIA Region I Tournament this weekend at Albertson College in Caldwell, Idaho. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.