April 18, 2006

FRESNO, Calif. - The NCAA announced its Division I Softball 25th Anniversary Team and Fresno State was honored with two selections on the ten-player squad in former Bulldog All-Americans Laura Berg (Santa Fe Springs, Calif.) and Amanda Scott (Clovis, Calif.).

Based on their outstanding achievements during NCAA championship competition, Berg was one of two outfielders selected while Scott was one of four four-time NCAA First Team All-Americans and one of six pitchers voted to the prestigious list.

In their collegiate career, Berg and Scott both participated in the NCAA Women's College World Series three times with the 1998 season seeing the Fresno State softball program reach the pinnacle of success with the university's first and only NCAA Division I team championship title.

While both also played together on the 1997 Bulldogs team that finished third at the WCWS, Berg and Scott also were honored as All-WCWS selections.

Laura Berg still holds the No. 2 ranking for hits (396) in NCAA Division I history.

Berg, who also helped the 1994 Bulldogs squad to a fifth place showing, batted .471 (8-17) with three runs, two RBI, a stolen base and eight total bases as the lead off batter in the 1998 WCWS. She would go on to be a three-time USA Softball Olympic gold medalist as well as currently serving as a Bulldog assistant coach.

In her collegiate career, Berg finished with a .414 batting average and ranks No. 2 all-time in NCAA Division I history with 396 career hits. While she also currently ranks in three other NCAA Division I all-time batting categories, Berg is the only Bulldog to tally three straight 100-hit seasons as well as guiding to the program to a 206-60 (.774) record in her four-year career.

Scott, who also was part of the 1999 Bulldogs team that placed fifth at the WCWS, garnered WCWS MVP honors after pitching a three-hit shutout victory over two-time NCAA defending champion Arizona in the 1998 title game. At the WCWS that year she would 3-1 with a pair of shutout and 16 strikeouts in 23.2 innings for a perfect 0.00 ERA.

In her collegiate career, Scott would end up being the university's first NCAA Top VIII Award winner, a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and a two-time Honda Awards Softball finalist. The two-time Academic All-American ranked 36 consecutive weeks nationally in ERA and was a two-time NCAA ERA statistical champion (0.24 ERA in 1999 and 0.41 ERA in 2000). A 2000 USA Softball Olympic alternate, Scott led the program to a 226-49 (.822) overall mark.

Amanda Scott was named the 1998 WCWS MVP after throwing a three-hit shutout victory over two-time defending national champion Arizona.

"I am extremely proud of both Laura (Berg) and Amanda (Scott)," Fresno State softball head coach Margie Wright said. "Their impact on this program was phenomenal and their impact on women in sports is phenomenal. I am excited for them as they are both very deserving of this honor.

"Both of these women are perfect role models," Wright continued. "They show tenacity, they're competitive, they exude confidence and their loyalty and passion is second to none. These types of qualities should be what everybody wants in whatever they do.

"Clearly, both Laura and Amanda were instrumental in the success of not only our program but for softball overall," Wright added. "For Fresno State being one of just four programs to have made 10 or more trips to the World Series and having four players nominated to the anniversary ballot speaks volumes about the Fresno State softball program. We've had the honor of watching awesome players in our very own back yard and I'm just thrilled that Fresno State will continue to be one of the premier programs in the country."

Also named to NCAA Division I Softball 25th Anniversary Team were pitcher Shawn Andaya (Texas A&M), catcher Leah Braatz (Arizona), pitcher Debbie Doom (UCLA), third baseman/pitcher Lisa Fernandez (UCLA), pitcher Jennie Finch (Arizona), pitcher Lisa Longaker (UCLA), outfielder Leah O'Brien (Arizona) and shortstop Natasha Watley (UCLA). In addition, Arizona head coach Mike Candrea was selected as the coach of the anniversary team.

The NCAA, which began sponsoring women's championships in 1981, is celebrating the 25th anniversary of women's championships in several sports during the 2005-06 season.

Today, the NCAA sponsors 44 women's championships in 20 sports, providing more than 150,000 women with an opportunity to compete for national titles each year.