May 17, 2007

Starkville, Miss. - Seniors Gina Carbonatto (Lake Stevens, Wash.) and Jennifer Curtier (Lancaster, Calif.) along with sophomore Casey Goldsand (Scottsdale, Ariz.) were named to the 2007 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division I All-West Region as announced on May 17. Carbonatto and Curtier garnered first team honors while Goldsand was named to the second team. The Pacific trio joins five other Big West players on the all-region team.

For Carbonatto the selection marked the fourth time in her record breaking career that she received first team honors. On of the top center fielders in the nation for each of her four seasons, Carbonatto's senior season was no different as she led the Tigers in batting with a .393 average and 72 hits (a program single season record) while scoring 54 runs. In her final season of play, Carbonatto showed some pop at the plate as she produced a career-best four home runs and 38 RBI, after entering the season with one home run and 37 career RBI. In the field, Carbonatto produced six outfield assists including throwing a runner out at first base on a would be single up the middle.

In the case of Curtier her selection marked the third consecutive time and third time in her career that she has garnered first team honors. In her final season of play, Curtier finished the regular season as the team's leader in home runs (8), RBI (43), walks (51), on-base percentage (.526) and stolen bases (10). When not walking to first, a feat she did the second most times in program history for a single season, Curtier pounded out 60 hits on the year for a .377 batting average, third best in the conference. Of her 60 hits, 17 were doubles, good enough for second among all Big West hitters. During the season, Curtier became the conference's all-time leader in runs batted in as she finished the regular season with 167 RBI. Against the best of the best (NCAA Tournament teams) Curtier showed why she is one of the most feared hitters in the country as she led the Tigers with a .412 batting average while knocking out 28 hits. In addition, Curtier was walked 21 times to finish with a .544 on-base percentage.

Joining the senior duo on the all-region team for the first time in her career, Goldsand stepped up her game in her second season in a Tigers uniform, upping her batting average by nearly 200 points from her freshman season. The second baseman is fourth in the Big West in batting average (.367), while ranking fifth in hits (58). She also set career highs in runs scored (25) and RBI (17) and led Pacific in hitting during conference play at .382. Most recently, Goldsand earned her first All-Big West selection of her career as she was named to the all-conference second team.

The other Big West players on the all-region team included Lisa Modglin of Cal Poly, the Big West Field Player of the Year, on the first team choice while Cal State Fullerton's Candice Baker, Cal State Northridge's Christina Saenz, Long Beach State's Jessica Beaver and UC Santa Barbara's Jennifer Davis were second team selections.

Pacific will hit the road to Tucson, Ariz. to take part in the NCAA Regional for the first time since 2004. The at-large bid returns the Tigers to the NCAA tournament after missing out on the postseason the last two seasons. The Tigers will take on Mississippi State in the first game of the regionals at 4:00 pm on Friday, May 18.