Three Cavaliers Earn All-ACC Honors

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May 13, 2004

GREENSBORO, N.C. – University of Virginia softball players Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln), Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) and Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) have been named to the 15-member 2004 All-Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Team as voted on by the league’s six head coaches.

Field, a fourth-year shortstop earns All-ACC honors for the first time in her career. Field holds the ACC record for career walks with 151, including a school record 62 this season. The four-year starter is hitting .329 (56-170) with a school record 59 runs scored and a .512 on-base percentage. She has driven in 34 runs and has hit a career-high 10 home runs this season, including four lead-off homers. In addition to the school record for walks, Field is UVa’s career leader in runs scored (177) and assists (520).

Owings, a fourth-year first baseman, also garners All-ACC honors for the first time. Owings, who holds Virginia’s career putouts record with 1,407, is having the best year of her career. She is hitting .358 (63-176) with 34 RBI and 41 runs scored. The four-year starter has hit a career-high nine home runs and 12 doubles this season. Owings also possesses a .991 fielding percentage with only four errors in 465 total chances.

Larquier, a second/third baseman, captures All-ACC accolades for the second consecutive season. The second-year tops the Cavaliers with a .374 (71-190) batting average and also leads the team with 30 extra-base hits, 119 total bases and 48 RBI. She is tied for the team lead with 18 doubles which are one shy of the school record. Larquier also has a .626 slugging percentage to her credit.

Florida State led all schools with six All-Conference players, while Virginia and Georgia Tech both had three selections. North Carolina is represented on the All-ACC Team by two players, while Maryland has one selection. Florida State senior Jessica van der Linden was selected as the ACC Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, while teammate Veronica Wootson was named the Rookie of the Year. FSU’s Joanne Graf was named the ACC Coach of the Year.

Virginia (38-24, 6-4 ACC) begins play in the 2004 ACC Championship, which is being held at the Seminole Softball Complex in Tallahassee, Fla., on Friday, May 14. The third-seeded Cavaliers open the six-team, double elimination tournament by playing sixth-seeded Maryland (31-25, 1-9 ACC) at 1:30 p.m.

2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Softball Team (alphabetical order)

Liz Bartle              Jr.  Georgia TechHeather Field           Sr.  VirginiaCasey Hunter            Jr.  Florida StateNatasha Jacob           So.  Florida StateTara Knudsen            Sr.  Georgia TechSara Larquier           So.  VirginiaKeri Lounge             Fr.  MarylandHannah Owings           Sr.  VirginiaEmily Price             Sr.  North CarolinaJessica Sallinger       Jr.  Georgia TechDionne Streete          Sr.  North CarolinaJessica van der Linden  Jr.  Florida StateElisa Vasquez           Sr.  Florida StateBeth Wade               Sr.  Florida StateVeronica Wootson        Fr.  Florida StateACC Player of the Year  Jessica van der Linden  Florida StateACC Rookie of the Year  Veronica Wootson        Florida StateACC Coach of the Year   Joanne Graf             Florida State