Haller, Moore, Tincher, Laster Garner Top '07 All-State Softball Honors

LYNCHBURG, Va. – For the second-straight year, Liberty’s Jessica Moore and Virginia Tech’s Angela Tincher have been named the VaSID Player and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, as announced by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) on Thursday.

2007 VaSID University Division All-State Softball Team

Virginia’s Kelly Haller took home VaSID Rookie of the Year honors and Hampton’s Tiny Laster was named VaSID Coach of the Year, rounding out the top honors as part of the organization’s university division all-state softball team announcement.

Laster guided Hampton to an unblemished 14-0 record (36-13 overall) in MEAC play to capture the regular-season title, just prior to the 19-year head coach passing away after succumbing to a lengthy battle with a kidney disease. Laster is one of the winningest coaches in the history of the Commonwealth, recording 537 victories (537-303-1 career record) since taking the head coaching position in 1989.

Earlier this year, Moore (Sr., OF, Chesapeake, Va.) was named Big South Player of the Year after she was the only player in the conference to rank nationally in five different statistical categories. She batted .434 with 19 home runs and a career-best 54 RBI to earn her second-straight state player of the year accolade and her third-consecutive placement on the first-team all-state squad.

Tincher (Jr., P, Eagle Rock, Va.) also repeated as the top player in the Commonwealth at her position, earning her third-straight first-team all-state selection. The right-handed hurler led the Hokies with an impressive 38-7 record, 0.56 ERA and 617 strikeouts, garnering her ACC Pitcher of the Year recognition. Tincher’s strikeout total ranks fourth best in NCAA history for a single season.

Haller (Fr., 1B, Leesburg, Va.) caps off her first year as a member of the Cavaliers by being named Virginia’s best rookie player on the softball diamond, adding to her All-ACC and All-Southeast Region second-team selections. The freshman posted the second-best slugging percentage in program history, (.685) and she was the fifth player at Virginia to best the .400 batting average mark (.409). She tallied 11 home runs, third most in program history and just two shy of the school single-season record.

All in all, 22 players were named to the first and second team listings, including 10 student-athletes who notched a spot on last year’s all-state squad. Hampton, James Madison, Radford and Virginia Tech each placed four players on the team, with three of the Hokies’ four all-state nods being first-team honorees.

All-State teams are selected by active members of the Virginia Sports Information Directors Association.  For more information, please visit the VaSID site at http://www.ferrum.edu/athletics/vasid.