 SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The College of the Canyons softball team finished the 2010 campaign by collecting a handful of postseason honors. Leading the team with awards were infielder Ruby Herrera and outfielder Melissa Herndon, who were both named All-American. This marks the first time that COC softball head coach John Wissmath has had two All-American honorees on one team.
“It couldn’t be more fitting for these two athletes to earn the awards they did,” Wissmath said. “Ruby is a freshman and definitely has Division I talent. She gives it her all every time she steps on the field and can play every part of the game well. Melissa is the athlete who always takes extra batting practice, and she works hard. Her key to success is her bat. Every time she comes up to bat, she can make something special happen.”
Herrera, a freshman shortstop from John F. Kennedy High of Granada Hills, posted a .389 batting average in 131 plate appearances. She led the Western State Conference with 46 RBIs and was fourth in the state in that category. She also had a conference-best nine home runs.
The sophomore Herndon, a graduate of West Ranch High, had a .446 batting average with 62 hits in 41 games. The left fielder came to the plate 139 times this season and registered 13 doubles, four triples and five home runs. She was also named First-Team All-State and Conference Player of the Year, becoming one of the most decorated softball players in Wissmath's coaching career.
College of the Canyons finished the season in first place in the Western State Conference, Blue Division, with a 28-13 overall record and a 15-3 mark in conference play. The Cougars lost in the first round of the regional playoffs to Grossmont College. |