SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento State freshman center fielder Lindy Winkler was named to the Louisville Slugger/NFCA Div. I All-West Region Team. She became the first Hornet to receive the honor since Susie Bugliarello in 1997.Winkler was named to the second team after leading the Hornets in numerous statistical categories including batting average (.330), runs (40), total bases (84), slugging percentage (.420), hits (66), triples (seven), stolen bases (nine), average with runners on base (.342), multiple-hit games (22) and outfield assists (seven). Her runs, triples and at-bats (200) are new Sacramento State Div. I single-season records.
Winkler was one of two Hornets to start all 56 games during the season, appearing in center field in every contest. She was the team’s lead-off hitter in 51 of those games while recording a pair of seven-game hitting streaks and hitting safely in a team-best 38 games.
The San Andreas, Calif., native, who was also named first team all-Pacific Coast Softball Conference, becomes the first Hornet freshman to garner all-region honors since Tami Blunt in 1993. Blunt and Winkler are the only two freshmen in Sacramento State Div. I history (1990-pres.) to be named all-region.
Winkler will now be on the national All-America ballot along with student-athletes from all seven regions. All-America selections are scheduled to be released May 20.
A total of 24 players were named to the all-West Region team, comprised of 12 first-team and 12 second-team selections. The West Region encompasses 20 teams, including Cal State Northridge, Colorado State, Fresno State, Long Beach State, Hawai’i, Pacific, Cal State Fullerton and San Diego State (all of which reached this year’s NCAA Tournament).
Winkler was a major contributor to a Hornet squad which finished the 2003 season with a 30-26 overall record, a 12-win improvement over the previous season when Sacramento State posted an 18-33 mark.
