Scaglione Garners First Team All-America Honors

OKLAHOMA CITY Junior catcher Heather Scaglione of the Oklahoma softball team was named a USA Today/NFCA First Team All-American on Wednesday evening during a ceremony held in Oklahoma City. Scaglione was the lone Big 12 player on the first team. It is the 19th All-American honor for the OU program and the 11th straight year OU has had a player garner the national honor.

Scaglione received more all-conference votes than any player and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. In the conference ranks for the entire season, she leads the Big 12 in batting average (.391), home runs (16), RBI (49), total bases (134), on-base percentage (.496), slugging percentage (.698), and walks (40), while ranking third in runs scored (42) and fifth in doubles (11).

She claimed seven conference offensive titles after leading all hitters during Big 12 play in batting average (.455), home runs (6), RBI (15), total bases (40), on-base percentage (.597), slugging percentage (.909) and walks (16).

Her most impressive stat may be on defense where she has thrown out 15 of 24 attempted base stealers (63 percent). She also has just three passed balls this season and has picked off five runners.

Her remarkable season will go down in Big 12 history as one of the best ever. Scaglione's current on-base percentage of .496 is the seventh best mark in Big 12 history. Her home run total is tied for sixth, her walk tied for third and her total bases mark is tied for eighth. She is also within reach of the top-12 in hits and RBI.

The only other Big 12 players to earn the distinction were Peaches James (second team) of Nebraska and Jessica Kapchinski (third team) of Texas A&M. The USA Softball Player of the Year was also announced and it was awarded to Jessica van der Linden of Florida State.

Complete list of every All-American

Fifty-four players have been named to the 2004 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-America first, second and third teams. The awards were announced Wednesday in Oklahoma City. All three teams were selected by NFCA-member NCAA Division I coaching representatives, based on nominations from the 2004 season.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association awards more than 300 first, second and third team All-Americans in NCAA Divisions I, II and III as well as in NAIA, NJCAA, California Community Colleges, Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges and high school.

After storming through the Region 1 Championships, the top-seeded Oklahoma Sooners (44-20-1) begin play in their fifth consecutive Women's College World Series on Thursday evening. OU will square off against No. 8 seed Washington (40-17) at 6 p.m. at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

WCWS CENTRAL

The Sooners' opener in the WCWS will be televised live on ESPN 2. It will also be aired live on internet radio through the Yahoo! Oklahoma sports package with Brian Brinkley pulling the one-man show. As usual live stats will be provided through SoonerSports.com.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Scaglione Garners First Team All-America Honors

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