May 15, 2003

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Senior center fielder Tiffany Tolleson (Winter Haven, Fla.) and freshman first baseman Jaclyn Holden (Santa Clarita, Calif.) were named to the All-Southeast Region first team this afternoon by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Freshman pitcher Crystal Cox (Harrisburg, N.C.) earned second team honors to round out Tar Heels on the all-region team. The Tar Heels will face No. 3 seed Michigan State at 3:06 p.m. PDT in Fresno, Calif.

Tolleson earned the honor for the second straight year after leading the Tar Heels in batting average (.410). The senior ranks first all-time in school history with a .410 career batting average and 101 career stolen bases. She has 194 stolen bases in her career and needs three more to break the NCAA Division I record. Tolleson led the Atlantic Coast Conference in hits (77) and stolen bases.

Holden became the second Tar Heel to earn All-Southeast honors as a freshman. Holden led UNC in home runs (12), doubles (25/school record), slugging percentage (.761), RBI (49) and total bases (138). She led the ACC in slugging percentage, doubles and total bases. Holden ranks second on the Carolina squad with a .392 batting average.

Cox led Carolina on the mound this season ending 24-11 with an 1.06 ERA. Cox has 245 strikeouts on the season and needs just six more to become the all-time leader for a season at UNC. She ranks in wins and ERA in the NCAA. Her 24 wins is third all-time in UNC history for a single season.

North Carolina is the sixth seed in Region 2 in Fresno, Calif. The Tar Heels and MSU will play the third game of the day at Bulldog Diamond. Other teams in the region are No. 1 seed UCLA, No. 2 seed Georgia, No. 4 seed Fresno State (host), No. 5 seed Long Beach State, No. 7 seed Long Island and No. 8 seed Colgate. The regional bracket is a double-elimination tournament with the winner advancing to the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Okla., May 22-26.