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June 22, 2004
LYNCHBURG, Va. – University of Virginia softball player Sara Larquier (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs) has been selected as the 2004 Virginia College Sports Information Directors (VaSID) University Division All-State Softball Co-Player of the Year along with Liberty’s Amanda Maska. In addition, Cavalier head coach Cheryl Sprangel has been named the VaSID Softball Coach of the Year and four other UVa softball players join Larquier on the 11-member VaSID University Division All-State Softball Team.
In addition to being selected as co-player of the year, Larquier was named to the VaSID All-State Softball Team at third base. It marks the second consecutive year Larquier has earned VaSID All-State honors. Hannah Owings (Issaquah, Wash./Liberty) was selected as the first baseman and Heather Field (Lincoln, Calif./Lincoln) was chosen as the shortstop. Elea Crockett (Tucson, Ariz./University) and Erin Horn (Tallahassee, Fla./Leon) rounded out UVa’s selections at second base and pitcher, respectively.
Larquier, a rising third-year, was a 2004 third-team Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-America selection at third base as well as a first-team All-Southeast Region pick. The two-time first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection, led the Cavaliers with a .365 (72-197) batting average, 123 total bases and 49 RBI in 2004. Among her 72 hits were a team-high 31 extra-base hits for a .624 slugging percentage. Larquier’s 123 total bases are the third-highest single season total in school history. Her 18 doubles were second on the team and tied for the third-best single season total in school history. She also tied for second on the club with six triples and was third in home runs with seven. Larquier was one of only two players on the team to start all 64 games this season. She led the Cavaliers with 21 multiple-hit and 12 multiple-RBI games in 2004. In 10 ACC contests, Larquier hit an impressive .452 (14-31) with three homers, three doubles and two triples. She also drove in nine runs and scored six times.
Owings and Field, 2004 UVa graduates, earn VaSID All-State honors for the first time. Owings was a first-team All-ACC selection in 2004. She hit a career-best .357 (65-182) with 12 doubles and nine home runs. She drove in 34 runs while scoring 41 times, stole 11 bases and registered a .992 fielding percentage. Owings, a co-captain, holds the school record with 1,419 career putouts.
Field also earned first-team All-ACC accolades in 2004. She is the ACC record holder for career walks with 153 and also holds the single season walks mark with 64 in 2004. Field holds the Virginia career school records for games played (262), runs scored (178), assists (153) and stolen bases (65). She also set the single season record with 60 runs scored in 2004. The co-captain hit .326 (57-175) with nine doubles, six triples and a team-high 10 home runs. She also led the team with 19 stolen bases. Field started all 64 games this past season at shortstop and missed just one game during her four-year career.
Crockett and Horn both earn VaSID honors for the first time as well. Crockett had a great freshman season for the Cavaliers and earned VaSID honors at second base. She hit .363 (57-157) with 29 runs scored, 21 RBI and 17 stolen bases. Crockett played in 59 games with 56 starts and had four game-winning RBI, including a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lift UVa to a 5-4 win over second-ranked Florida State.
Horn, a rising third-year, was one of two pitchers named to the All-State team. She posted a 17-11 record with two saves and a 2.66 ERA. In 155 innings, Horn struck out 135 batters while issuing 85 walks. Horn registered complete-game victories over three ranked teams (#15 Fresno State, #17 Pacific, and #2 Florida State) and was also 4-2 in ACC competition.
Sprangel was selected as the VaSID Coach of the Year for the second straight year and third time overall. She led the Cavaliers to a 38-26 overall record and a 6-4 mark in the ACC. UVa tied for second place in the ACC regular-season standings. The Cavaliers recorded three ranked wins under Sprangel’s tutelage and she also earned her 700th career coaching victory in February.
In addition to the five UVa players, Liberty, Virginia Tech, Hampton, George Mason and James Madison each had one player named to the VaSID All-State Softball Team. JMU’s Liz George was named to the team as both an outfielder and a pitcher.