Ehnes, Hanley Earn PacWest First Team Honors (May 6, 2004)
Complete All-Conference Teams

BILLINGS, MT – Juniors Joey Ehnes and Sara Hanley were named to the Pacific West Conference All-Conference first team on Thursday in voting by the league’s coaches.  The two become the first Yellowjackets to earn first team honors in the program’s four year history.  In all, the Yellowjackets had seven players honored.  Layne Pavey, Cami Rainey and Christy Wankel were named to the All-Conference second team.  Theresa Campbell and Stephanie Cochrun earned honorable mention honors.

Ehnes, a junior pitcher from Great Falls, Mont., was the second-highest vote getter among pitchers and the fourth-highest overall in the conference.  She set school single season records with 21 victories and 261 strikeouts while ranking in the PacWest’s top 10 in eight statistical categories.  She was second for both wins and strikeouts, fourth for ERA (1.90), second for opposing batting average (.211), second for innings pitched (232), first for saves (2), second for appearances (42) and second for games started (33).  Western New Mexico’s Angela Slaugh was the top pitcher in the voting, earning her third-straight conference Pitcher of the Year award.

Ehnes, who was named the Yellowjackets’ Most Valuable Defensive Player by her teammates, also was productive at the plate.  She batted .271 and led the Jackets with 30 RBI and 29 runs scored.  She ranked in the conference’s top 10 for RBI, runs scored, total hits, doubles and home runs.  Ehnes was an all-conference second team selection as a freshman and a sophomore.

Hanley, a junior third baseman from Kalispell, Mont., was the Yellowjackets’ second leading hitter with a .308 average, ranking her tenth in the PacWest.  She led the PacWest in total hits with 53 and also ranked eighth for total bases with 67.  Hanley was one of the best fielding third basemen in the league, posting a .904 fielding percentage in 146 chances with 92 assists.  She was also named the Yellowjackets’ Most Improved Player.

Pavey, a junior catcher from Spokane, Wash., was the PacWest home run champion with eight homers.  She batted .307 with 28 RBI and 24 runs scored.  She ranked fourth in the conference for RBI and eighth for runs.  She also ranked first in the league for total bases (83) and sixth for slugging percentage (.509).  Pavey was a second team selection last year as well.

Rainey, a junior shortstop from Terreton, Idaho, led the Yellowjackets with a .315 batting average, ranking her sixth in the conference.  She was also eighth for slugging percentage (.479), second for runs scored (29), second for total hits (52), third for doubles (12), and third for home runs (5).  At shortstop, Rainey had a .929 fielding percentage in 211 chances with a team-high 104 assists.  Pavey and Rainey were selected as the Yellowjackets’ co-Offensive Players of the Year.

Wankel, a sophomore from Great Falls, Mont., batted .262 with 21 runs scored and 16 RBI.  She also hit three home runs and six doubles.  The Yellowjackets’ most dynamic defensive outfielder, Wankel played in both left and right field, posting a .918 fielding percentage in 61 chances. 

Cochrun, a junior first baseman from Lake Stevens, Wash., batted .228 with four home runs, 21 runs scored and 20 RBI.  She had a .968 fielding percentage in 216 chances while starting all 55 games for the Yellowjackets.  Cochrun was a second team selection last year.

Campbell, a junior designated hitter from Great Falls, Mont., earned honorable mention honors despite having and up and down season.  She hit four home runs with 23 RBI and 20 runs scored while batting only .187.  She was a second team selection last year.

In addition to the seven all-conference selections, MSU Billings placed five players on the Academic All-Conference team, the most of any school in the league.  Pavey, Cochrun and Campbell were named to the team for the second-straight year.  Pavey had the second-highest grade point average in the conference.  The Sociology (Pre Law) major has a 3.87.  Making the academic team for the first time were Wankel and Megan McCrae, a junior from Brandon, Manitoba.  To qualify for the Academic All-Conference team, a player must have at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA and be in at least her second year at the same school.