Ehnes, Wankel Named to Regional All-Tourney Team (May 16, 2005)
Tournament Stats

CARSON, CA – Montana State-Billings softball players Joey Ehnes and Christy Wankel were named to the West Regional All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the tourney Sunday evening.  The pair helped the Yellowjackets—competing in their first ever NCAA Tournament—to a third place finish in the West Regional.

Ehnes, a senior from Great Falls, Mont., pitched every inning of the tournament for the Yellowjackets, going 2-2 with a 1.81 earned run average.  She struck out 19 in 27 innings and only gave up seven earned runs.  Ehnes went the distance in two games on Friday, knocking out the tournament’s top two seeds.  She defeated No. 1 Humboldt State, 3-1, and followed up with a 5-2 victory over No. 2 Cal State-Dominguez Hills.  Ehnes finished her MSU Billings career with every pitching record in the school record book.  She will depart this week for Holland to play professionally this summer.

Wankel, a junior outfielder from Great Falls, Mont., batted .364 for the tournament to lead all Yellowjacket hitters.  She was 4-for-11 at the plate, driving in a team high three RBI.  She also scored twice.  Wankel played in left field the entire tournament and finished with a .900 fielding percentage.  Her only error was scored on a missed diving catch that could have been ruled a hit.

The Yellowjackets lost out of the tournament in the semifinals to eventual champion San Francisco State.  The Gators came through the loser bracket to defeat Chico State twice for the title and move on to the Softball World Series in Salem, VA, this week.  SF State’s Sonja Garnett was named the tournament’s MVP after pitching all six games, winning five.  She held the Yellowjackets scoreless in the Gators’ 4-0 semifinal win, then dispatched Chico State twice for the championship.

2005 ALL-WEST REGIONAL TEAM
Position            Player                           Team
Catcher            Jenny CHACON               Chico State
INF                  Chelsea LUNDBERG          Chico State
INF                  Kate GRODEN                 Cal State Dominguez Hills
INF                  Vanessa RODRIQUE         San Francisco State
INF                  Cindy PERRY                  Cal State Dominguez Hills
OF                   Christy WANKEL             Montana St.-Billings
OF                   Jennifer WILSON            Cal State Dominguez Hills
OF                   Kristin BARTHOLAMAY     San Francisco State
P                      Sonja GARNETT            San Francisco State
P                      Katie STOKX                Chico State
DP                   Linda REYES                  Cal State Dominguez Hills
At Large           Joey EHNES                  Montana St.-Billings
At Large           Chrissy HILDEBRANDT      San Francisco State
MVP                Sonja GARNETT              San Francisco State