Nikki Gay Named First Team All-LSC South
and LSC South Freshman-of-the-Year
Murray Chosen for Second Team;
Barajas, Richardson, Rhoten Earn Honorable Mention

PORTALES, NM – Eastern New Mexico University center fielder Nikki Gay (Fr., 5’7”, Schertz, TX/Samuel Clemens HS) has been named First Team All-LSC South, as selected by the LSC South head coaches. Gay, who tied an ENMU record with 11 home runs during the season, also was selected LSC South Freshman-of-the-Year. She set additional school records with 57 runs and 32 stolen bases. She was hit by an ENMU record nine pitches.

Eastern first baseman Dawn Murray (Sr., 5’4”, Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad HS) was named to the All-LSC South Second Team. Third baseman Kim Barajas (So., 5’3”, Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo HS), designated player Bobbi Richardson (Jr., 5’10”, Kerrville, TX/Tivy HS) and outfielder/pitcher Maegan Rhoten (Jr., 5’9”, Albuquerque, NM/St. Pius X HS) were chosen for the Honorable Mention list.

Overall, 12 players were named to the First Team, with 13 players earning spots on the
Second Team. An additional 13 players received Honorable Mention.

First Team All-LSC South, LSC South Freshman-of-the-Year

Gay provided the Zias with quality defensive play, plus power at the plate and speed on the base paths. She ranked second on the team with a .425 batting average, and led the Zias with 76 hits, 179 at bats, 26 extra-base hits and 10 doubles, in addition to her school records for homers, runs, stolen bases and hit by pitches. She also ranked first on the team with a .721 slugging percentage. Her 11 homers were the most by a freshman in the seven-year history of the Zia softball program, and tied the school record set by Rachel Mohler as a sophomore in 2000.

Gay not only set the ENMU season record for stolen bases, but also broke the career record. Her 32 steals eclipsed the marks set by Jessica Rowley (2001-02), who stole 17 bases in 2002 to finish with 31 career stolen bases.

She ranked in the top five in regular season statistics for the 12-team LSC in seven offensive categories. She was first in total bases (129) and runs scored (57), and tied for second in home runs (11) and hits (76). She tied for third in triples (5), and was fourth in batting average (.425) and stolen bases (32).

Gay earned a solid .974 fielding percentage. She registered 70 putouts, four assists and two errors. She played in all 53 games, including 52 starts, and was the only freshman chosen First Team All-LSC South this season. Gay was named LSC South Hitter-of-the-Week on Mar. 25.

Second Team All-LSC South

Murray was named Second Team All-LSC South at first base, but also played third base
part of the season and pitched in one game. Her .317 batting average ranked fifth on the team, but she was second in hits (53) and at bats (167). She tied an ENMU record with 10 sacrifice bunts during the year and set a school record with 13 total sacrifices.

A four-year letterman, Murray finished her career fourth all-time at Eastern with 173 hits
and tied for fifth with 82 RBIs. She ranked sixth all-time with 24 doubles. She also ended the season with a solid .291 career batting average, 72 career runs, and an outstanding .982 career fielding percentage. She earned 1,036 career putouts to go with 137 assists and just 21 errors.

Murray also broke all of Eastern’s career sacrifice records. She provided the Zias with 12 sacrifice flies, 21 sacrifice bunts and 33 total sacrifices during her career.

She was named Second Team All-LSC South at first base for the second year in a row. She also earned Honorable Mention honors at first base in 2000 and at pitcher in 2001. Her career pitching totals included a 12-7 record, a 2.53 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 155 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention All-LSC South

Barajas led the Zias and ranked second in the LSC this season with a .450 batting average on 49 hits in 109 at bats. She overcame arm and knee injuries to play in 37 of 53 games, with 36 starts at third base or designated player. She ranked first on the team with 35 RBIs, finished second in slugging percentage (.661) and walks (13), and was fourth in homers (5).

In two seasons at Eastern, Barajas has produced a .374 career batting average with 35 runs and 57 RBIs. She has registered 82 hits, including 17 doubles, two triples and eight homers, in 219 at bats. She owns a .954 career fielding percentage, including .981 this season.

Richardson was Eastern’s third leading batter in 2003 with a .345 average. She hit eight doubles and two homers. She scored 15 runs, had 24 RBIs and supplied the Zias with five sacrifice bunts and two sacrifice flies. She was chosen Honorable Mention at designated player, but also played first base, where she recorded 149 putouts, three assists and four errors for a .974 fielding percentage. She was named First Team All-LSC South at designated player in 2002.

She has a .333 career batting average in 103 games played (83 starts). She was the only Eastern player to start all 53 games this season. She played in 43 of 51 games in 2002, but saw action in just seven games in 2001 due to an injury. During her career, she has achieved 84 hits, including eight doubles and five homers. She has scored 15 times, while earning 24 RBIs.

Rhoten received Honorable Mention recognition as a utility player for her solid efforts as a pitcher and left fielder. She ranked fourth on the ENMU roster with a .326 batting average. She led the Zias with 15 doubles and ranked second with seven homers. She also held second on the offensive chart in runs scored (22), and was third in RBIs (30). Her .601 slugging percentage trailed only Gay and Barajas, and her seven hit by pitches were the second most in school history.

As a pitcher, Rhoten struck out 128 batters in 124 2/3 innings pitched for the second highest strikeout total in ENMU history. She limited opponents to a .267 batting average, while earning a 9-9 record with one save and a 2.86 ERA.

Rhoten owns a .293 career batting average on offense. She ranks second on Eastern’s career chart with 36 doubles, and is tied for second with 19 homers and six sacrifice flies. She is third all-time with 112 RBIs and is fifth with 136 hits. On the mound, she is 22-17 in three seasons, with 269 strikeouts (second all-time at ENMU) and a 2.90 ERA in 272 2/3 innings. She was chosen First Team All-LSC South as a utility player in 2001 and was Second Team All-LSC South as a utility player in 2002.

LSC South Special Awards

Julie Mata, head coach of LSC South co-champion Tarleton State, was chosen LSC South Coach-of-the-Year. Monica Garza, an outfielder from TSU, was selected LSC South Player-of-the-Year, and Carla Geeslin of TSU was named LSC South Pitcher-of-the-Year. Jennifer West, a third baseman at Texas Woman’s, was chosen LSC South Rookie-of-the-Year.

Gay was the second ENMU softball player to be named LSC South Freshman-of-the-Year. Mohler tied for first place in the voting for LSC South Freshman-of-the-Year in 1999.