May 6, 2009

Memphis Softball C-USA Championship Game Notes

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu

EL PASO, Texas - University of Memphis senior infielder Leila Dolfo and freshman Lelani Bernardino were both honored at the Conference USA Softball Postseason Banquet on Wednesday night.

Dolfo was named to the All-Conference USA Second Team, while Bernardino was selected to the All-Conference Freshman Team.

The All-Conference honor is the third-straight for Dolfo who was a second team selection last year and a first team pick in 2007. The San Diego native also earned all-freshman honors in 2006.

Dolfo leads the Tigers with a .322 batting average, 25 RBI and 19 walks. She sports a .467 slugging percentage and a .418 on base percentage. The Eastlake High School product has scored 23 runs with three home runs, nine doubles and two triples. Dolfo hit .314 in conference play with nine RBI and five doubles.

One of the first four-year products out of the Memphis softball program, Dolfo ranks seventh all-time in C-USA history with 51 doubles and is tied for ninth in career home runs with 30. She has scored 23 game-winning runs in her career and boasts 52 multiple-hit games and 28 multi-RBI contests.

Bernardino is the sixth Tiger to earn C-USA All-Freshman honors. She ranks seventh in the league with 10 sac bunts and is second on the team with 28 runs scored. The Valencia, Calif., native has started every game in the outfield and has made seven assists. She is hitting .261 with 16 RBI, two triples and six doubles. The Valencia High School product has had 13 multi-hit games and leads the team with three game-winning RBI. She also has scored four game-winning runs.

The ninth seeded Memphis Tigers open the Conference USA Championship Presented by Helen of Troy on Thursday morning at 9 a.m. (MST) against No. 8 seed UAB. The winner of the play-in game will face No. 1 seed Tulsa the same day at 2:30 p.m. in the single elimination tournament.

All of the games in the tournament can be followed live through live stats provided by CBS College Sports GameTracker. Streaming live video of the games is also available to All-Access members. Links to the broadcasts can be found at GoTigersGo.com.

All-Conference USA First Team
C - Camilla Carrera, UTEP
IF - Jessica Johnson, East Carolina
IF - Jessica Valis, Houston
IF - Kailey Yarmer, Tulsa
IF - Tiffany Lane, UCF
OF - Megan Hill, Southern Miss
OF - Brooke Smart, Tulsa
OF - Lauren Lindsay, Tulsa
UT - Chelsea Troupe, UTEP
P - Toni Paisley, East Carolina
P - Jackie Lawrence, Tulsa

All-Conference USA Second Team
C - Kristin Pilgrim, Southern Miss
IF - Haley Valis, Houston
IF - Leila Dolfo, Memphis
IF - Vanessa Vice, Tulsa
IF - Breanne Javier, UCF
OF - Katie Bush, Houston
OF - Laurie Wagner, Houston
OF - Joscelyn Bitner, Marshall
UT - Abby McClain, UCF
P - Samantha Davis, Southern Miss
P - Jordan Kinard, Tulsa

All-Conference USA Freshman Team
Melissa Gregson, Houston
Rebecca Gamby, Marshall
Alianna Telles, Marshall
Lelani Bernardino, Memphis
Ashley Razey, Southern Miss
Jessica Stoelke, Tulsa
Skylar Swanson, Tulsa
Catherine Douglass, UAB
Natalie Land, UCF
Vanessa Perez, UCF
Chelsea Troupe, UTEP

Freshman of the Year
Chelsea Troupe, UT, UTEP

Co-Newcomers of the Year
Katie Murphree, P, Marshall
Martina Landrum, CF, UAB

Pitcher of the Year
Toni Paisley, East Carolina

Player of the Year
Camilla Carrera, UTEP

Coach of the Year
Tracey Kee, East Carolina