Utah State Softball's Lenzora and Uchida Selected on Preseason All-WAC Team

Utah State [University] softball had two players selected to the preseason all-WAC team, sophomore short stop Allison Lenzora and sophomore outfielder Kassy Uchida. The team was announced Jan. 31 by the Western Athletic Conference office. Their selection to the preseason all-conference squad is the first time since 2006 when third baseman Sara Flemming was selected; it was also USU's first year in the WAC.

"Kassy Uchida is a five-foot person but plays like she is a six-foot player,” said Aggies head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba. “I expect for her to supersede what she did last season. She is growing in her game and getting better. Allison (Lenzora) achieved something that, at the beginning of the year, if you would have asked me if she could have achieved, I would have said no. I am very proud of the hard work she put in to achieve what she has. She has become a very even-keeled player and always manages to come up with what we need in a pinch. She did a great job of that last year."

Utah State was also selected to finish eighth in the WAC for the third season in a row in the WAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Defending WAC champion Fresno State was picked to finish first by the coaches with 44 votes and three first place votes. Hawai'i was selected to finish second with 42 votes and two first place votes. New Mexico State finished third in the voting with 37 votes and also received two first place votes. The WAC coaches welcomed newcomers Brigham Young with 35 votes and one first place vote, which put them fourth in the poll. Nevada was selected to finish fifth with 20 votes, tied for sixth with 17 votes apiece were Louisiana Tech and San Jose State. USU received 12 votes.

The Aggies played their best softball in conference action last season and finished a school best fifth in the WAC. Utah State returns six starters from last year's squad, including Lenzora, Uchida, all-time home run leader senior Kelley Kaneshiro and pitchers Mandy Harmon and Shelbi Tyteca. USU has nine newcomers joining the effort for 2012, including junior transfer Christine Thomsen who brings a big bat to the middle of the lineup for the Aggies.

"We are going to have a very good team this year, the challenges that we have been trying hurtle over the last two seasons are going to come to fruition,” said coach Millsap of the upcoming season. “We have all the pieces that we need offensively, defensively as well as in the circle. We have a good balance between athleticism and maturity on this team.,"

The Aggies open the softball season in the Red and Black Showcase Softball Tournament Feb. 10, hosted by Georgia, opening against Atlantic Coast Conference foe North Carolina State at 9 a.m. (MT)

2012 WAC Preseason All-Conference Team

2012 WAC Preseason Poll

Additional Aggie sports news is available at the Athletics website.