Thursday, July 3, 2003 | 11:15 a.m.
Noteworthy: Far and away Nevada4s best softball player ... Sun All-State first- teamer all four years of high school ... third selection as Player of the Year ... led Colts to fourth consecutive state crown ... in 208 innings, allowed three earned runs (0.10 ERA) ... went 26-2 with 25 shutouts, 395 Ks, and 41 BB ... slugged five homers and drove in 23 runs in 87 at-bats ... missed eight games, mostly due to midseason ankle injury ... will play at Oregon State.
Said Colts coach Dick Allen: "I pretty much let her call her own game. She's very smart and she works hard at what she does."
Shannon Crisp P, Jr., Centennial
Noteworthy: Dominant pitcher and hitter once again for two-time state runner-up Bulldogs ... Sunset Region Pitcher of the Year ... third consecutive selection to Sun All-State First Team ... gave up just 20 earned runs in 241 innings (0.58 ERA) ... opponents batted .132 against her ... 28-7 record ... totaled 389 strikeouts and 38 walks ... equally strong at the plate with .471 average, 11 homers, and 37 RBIs -- all team highs.
Said Bulldogs coach Cyndi Castro: "We would not have accomplished what we accomplished this year without Shannon. This has been really her breakout year, even though she's been good all three years of high school ball."
Katie Ward P, Sr., McQueen
Noteworthy: Lancers' ace earns her second consecutive Sun All-State First Team selection ... senior campaign even better than strong junior season ... High Desert Division Player of the Year ... went 25-9 with a 1.04 ERA to lead McQueen to semifinals of the 4A State Tournament ... compiled 183 strikeouts to 39 walks ... also a force at the plate with .559 average, including two homers and 27 RBIs.
Said Lancers coach Stacey Allinson: "Katie was a four-year starter. It was her work ethic that made her one of the best pitchers in the state, in my opinion."
Renee Dipuccio P, Sr., Palo Verde
Noteworthy: Few individuals meant more to their team than Dipuccio did to Palo Verde ... cited by many coaches as the biggest reason the Panthers advanced to the state tournament for the second consecutive season ... first-team All-Sunset Division selection ... 1.15 ERA with 187 strikeouts for the year ... cranked up her game during the playoffs, blanking Bonanza and Green Valley, and extending Centennial to extra innings in postseason play ... signed with UTEP.
Said Panthers coach Jaime Ditto: "She was a leader on the mound and a senior captain. She's going to be a big loss as a presence on the field and for her leadership qualities."
Dani Delgado INF, Sr., Centennial
Noteworthy: Classic example of a player whose value cannot be measured by statistics alone ... senior leader for young Centennial team that fell 1-0 to Wooster for state championship ... batted .429 and compiled 51 hits, including six doubles and six triples ... scored 38 runs and drove in 12 runs from leadoff spot ... scored lone run in extra-inning win against Palo Verde in state playoffs ... .547 on-base percentage.
Said Bulldogs coach Cyndi Castro: "She obviously had a phenomenal year as well. She made things happen when we were down and out. She always found a way to score. She was always a deciding force."
Jackie Rinehart OF, Sr., Reno
Noteworthy: Huskies4 outstanding leadoff hitter carried her team all season ... Co-Player of the Year with McGowan in Sierra Division ... led the state with a .601 average and .662 on-base percentage ... also stole 41 bases and scored 47 runs, easily team highs for Reno ... totaled two homers and 23 RBIs ... doubled eight times and tripled six times ... signed to play college ball at Stanford.
Said Huskies coach Jim Pace: "She's so versatile. She can slap, bunt, or swing and she takes what they give her. The stats speak for themselves. As a teammate, someone with her talent could easily be kind of arrogant, and she wasn't really even close to that."
Lisa Curran OF, Jr., Meadows
Noteworthy: The rock of the 2A state champion Mustangs, Curran put together a remarkable season ... a one-girl wrecking crew with her power ... totaled 12 homers and 62 RBIs, compiling a slugging percentage of 1.046 ... doubled 14 times and tripled twice ... batted .560 and scored 48 runs ... smacked a three-run homer to lead Meadows to a 4-1 win in 2A title game ... also keyed Mustangs' win against 3A state champ Pahrump.
Said Mustangs coach Chris Kaempfer: "She was incredible. When she made an out, it was only because she hit the ball to the fence or at someone. She's a great little ballplayer, our unquestioned heart and soul."
Kayla Dunn Utility, So., Douglas
Noteworthy: A do-it-all standout for the Tigers ... selected to the Sierra Division first team as a designated hitter ... in 122 at-bats, recorded 49 hits for a .480 average ... doubled her batting average with .961 slugging percentage ... totaled 11 homers and 45 RBIs, with 10 doubles and three triples ... scored 35 runs ... as a pitcher, went 9-4 with a 1.36 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 82 innings.
Said Tigers coach Rick Smith: "What an unbelievable year she had for us. She also pitched for us. You are going to hear her name a lot over the next couple of years."
Cassie Koenig DH, Sr., Silverado
Noteworthy: Heart-and-soul backstop for perennial state power Skyhawks ... a standout behind the plate for Silverado, but also batted in the middle of the Skyhawks4 order and drove in many runs ... Silverado again won the Sunrise Region crown ... chosen as the Sunrise Region Player of the Year ... will play collegiately next season for Big East member Villanova.
Said Skyhawks coach Doug Thornhill: "Cassie was the team leader, I think, bar none. She's probably the best catcher in the state. She's just a really good softball player."
Katie Stevens IF, Jr., Wooster
Noteworthy: The sparkplug of the Colts, Stevens set the table for the state champions ... part of an All-State double-play infield with Lazzari ... first-team All-Sierra Division selection ... a .370 average with 51 hits and 22 walks at the top of the order ... scored 41 runs ... one homer and 18 RBIs, to go with four doubles and four triples.
Said Colts coach Dick Allen: "She led off for us. We depended on her to get on base, bunt her over, and get her in. Katie was a consistent leadoff hitter and every year, she's gotten better hitting the ball. That's essential for us."
Lindsey Pridgen IF, Sr., Silverado
Noteworthy: Exceptional play on both offense and defense for the Skyhawks ... Silverado claimed its ninth consecutive berth in the 4A State Tournament by defeating Green Valley, 2-1, in the Sunrise Region championship game ... Pridgen contributed heavily to Skyhawks' two victories against fellow South power Centennial during regular season ... scored the go-ahead run in second-round state win against Reed.
Said Skyhawks coach Doug Thornhill: "She was a four-year starter at shortstop at Silverado. Lindsey has great range, she's the best fielding shortstop as far as range. She can play really deep and get to a lot of stuff because of her great arm."
Jamie Brant IF, Sr., McQueen
Noteworthy: An offensive and defensive standout as McQueen made another strong run through the state tournament ... first-team All-Sierra Division choice at catcher ... behind the plate, threw out 13 of 16 would-be base stealers ... at the plate, batted .491 with a .709 slugging percentage ... swatted two home runs and drove in 35 runs for the Lancers.
Said Lancers coach Stacey Allinson: "All year long, she only had one passed ball. I would make pickoff plays around her because I felt so confident with her back there. She'll be difficult to replace."
Andrea Lazzari IF, So., Wooster
Noteworthy: A sophomore standout in the infield for Dick Allen's Colts ... All-Sierra Division first teamer ... batting in front of McGowan, recorded .413 average and 57 hits ... totaled 15 doubles, six triples, and four homers ... walked 15 times and struck out just seven times ... 45 runs scored and 45 runs batted in ... also excellent in the field with double-play partner Katie Stevens.
Said Colts coach Dick Allen: "Andrea missed most of last season. Having her this year, she absolutely crushed the ball. She was our leading RBI girl and we really depended on her. We needed someone to hit in front of Brianne."
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