BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Texas Southern junior catcher Yesenia Torres has been named the 2011 SWAC Softball Player of the Year in a vote of the league’s head coaches and sports information directors, while Mississippi Valley State sophomore Kimberly Spivey has received the nod as Pitcher of the Year.
Torres was also named Newcomer of the Year, while teammate Fitima Alvizo received Freshman of the Year honors. Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Misti Cosby was voted the Hitter of the Year, and Texas Southern’s Worley Barker received Coach of the Year honors.
Torres is fifth in the SWAC batting .436. She ranks first in hits (58) and RBI (50) and leads her team in eight different categories. The junior from Edinburg, Texas is tied for second in the SWAC in home runs with seven.
Spivey, a 5-3 sophomore, currently owns a 10-1 record in league play to go with a SWAC-low 0.72 ERA. The Dallas, Texas native has struck out a conference-high 59 batters in 67.2 innings while limiting opposing hitters to a total of seven earned runs – another SWAC low.
Alvizo, a 5-2 freshman from Sugar Land, Texas, is second in the conference in doubles with 12. She bats .361 and has 48 hits to go along with 29 runs and 20 RBI.
Cosby, a 5-10 senior from Lindale, Texas, ranks third the SWAC in batting with a .512 average along with 42 hits and 10 doubles. In conference games only, Cosby is hitting an even more torrid .560 with 28 hits and eight doubles.
Texas Southern’s Barker received the conference Coach of the Year award after leading the Lady Tigers to the Western Division title (with a 14-3 SWAC mark) and the top seeding for this week’s SWAC Championship at Birmingham’s Shea Brothers Complex.
Mississippi Valley State placed a league-high five players on the 22-member All-SWAC first and second teams, including three first-team selections. Texas Southern followed with four selections while Jackson State and Alcorn State each had three players selected to the All-SWAC teams.
Newcomer of the Year – Yesenia Torres, Texas Southern
Freshman of the Year – Fitima Alvizo, Texas Southern
Hitter of the Year – Misty Cosby, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Pitcher of the Year – Kimberly Spivey, Mississippi Valley State
Player of the Year – Yesenia Torres, Texas Southern
Coach of the Year – Worley Barker, Texas Southern
All-SWAC First Team
P – Breea Jamerson, Jackson State
P – Kimberly Spivey, Mississippi Valley State
P – Rebecca Villarreal, Texas Southern
C – Yesenia Torres, Texas Southern
1B – Misty Cosby, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
2B – Wendi Reed, Jackson State
SS – Shawntall Steamer, Southern
3B – Alex Robertson, Mississippi Valley State
OF – Rashundra Brass, Mississippi Valley State
OF – Victoria Stewart, Southern
OF – Monica Castillo, Texas Southern
All-SWAC Second Team
P – Deanna Rancilio, Alcorn State
P – LeEthel Guilory, Jackson State
P – Bridget Coronado, Prairie View A&M
C – Nicole Burr, Mississippi Valley State
1B – Shana Ladner, Mississippi Valley State
2B – Jessica Haynes, Texas Southern
SS – Brehanna Rodrigues, Alabama State
3B – Jasmine Riley, Alabama A&M
OF – Brittanee Crayton, Alcorn State
OF – Shawna Bruton, Alcorn State
OF – Kesha Hagerman, Prairie View A&M
