SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One day after being named the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Player of the Year, Sacramento State senior Lindy Winkler was awarded first team all-West Region honors today. The prolific center fielder becomes the first Hornet softball player to earn first team all-region honors since Susie Bugliarello accomplished the feat in 1997.
The honor marks the second time during Winkler’s career she has earned all-region honors, as she was a second team selection in 2003. The San Andreas, Calif., native will now have the opportunity to become the fourth Sacramento State softball player to earn All-American honors since the program joined the Div. I ranks in 1990, and the first since Bugliarello was named third team All-American in 1997. Winkler is the sixth Hornet to earn all-region honors during the Div. I era.
The West Region consists of teams in the Big West Conference, Western Athletic Conference, Mountain West Conference and Pacific Coast Softball Conference.
The All-American team will be announced during the week of the Women’s College World Series (June 1-7). Winkler will try to join a list of previous Sacramento State Div. I All-Americans that includes Terri Cissna (second team in 1992), Tami Blunt (second team in 1993) and Bugliarello (second team in 1995 and 1996, third team in 1997).
Winkler, who became the Hornets’ first conference player of the year since the program joined the Div. I ranks, cemented herself as one of the best players in school history during a 2006 season in which the center fielder set six school records. She established Sacramento State Div. I season records in batting average (.434), longest hitting streak (18 games), runs (47), hits (76), doubles (17) and stolen bases (11). Her batting average was 40 points better than any other player in the PCSC and ranked as the 13th-best mark in the nation. She also led or was tied for the conference lead in runs, hits, doubles, triples (5) and stolen bases.
She hit safely in 47 of 55 games this season and batted .462 against conference opposition with a .527 on-base percentage. Winkler, who was the only Hornet to start all 55 games this season, did not commit an error all year and had just five miscues during her entire career. A career .358 hitter and a four-time all-conference selection, Winkler started all but two games during her four-year tenure with the Hornets, and owns school records in career batting average, hits (262), runs (140), stolen bases (32), game started (222), triples (17) and at-bats (732).
Winkler played a huge role in Sacramento State completing a successful season in which the team posted a 35-20 overall record and a 14-6 mark in the PCSC. The Hornets, who recorded the most wins since the 1995 season, were narrowly edged by Portland State (15-5) for the conference championship and an automatic berth into the NCAA Regionals. In fact, Sacramento State swept Portland State in a four-game series on May 6-7, but the Vikings won three makeup games last week to overtake the Hornets for the league title.
