June 2, 2005
For Immediate Release

Contact:  Jan Winslow

Fresno State Softball's Jamie Southern Garners Academic All-America Honors

      FRESNO, Calif. – While her four-year career is finished on the diamond and in the classroom, the postseason awards are coming in for Jamie Southern (Clovis, Calif.), who graduated last month with a Bachelor of Arts degree in liberal studies with a cumulative 3.53 grade point average. 

      For her efforts as a student and athlete this past season, Southern added a fifth All-America accolade to her resume when she was named 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America University Division Second Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) in the sport of softball this morning. 

      As the university’s 35th Academic All-American since 1985, she is the seventh softball student-athlete to be a multiple Academic All-American.  While Southern’s honor makes it 17 times overall that a Bulldog softball player has been singled out, she also is head coach Margie Wright’s 15th Academic All-American.    With back-to-back Academic All-America honors, Southern also is the fourth pitcher to be a multiple Academic All-American. 

      In the classroom, Southern repeated as an Academic All-American after being a third team selection a year ago.  A member of the Dean’s List six times, she also has been a four-time Fresno State and Western Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete as well as a three-time WAC All-Academic selection.   Also a two-time Academic All-District VIII and President's List (4.0) honoree, Southern was a Fresno State Torchlighter awardee, an honor given to a senior who has completed his/her eligibility, lettered two of the past three years and has a cumulative 3.5 GPA.

      Southern wrapped up her stellar career by ranking in nine of the 11 NCAA Division I all-time pitching marks.  Throwing four no-hitters in 2005, she also finished her career by holding 11 school and all six WAC pitching marks. 

      As the first WAC hurler to be a four-time WAC Pitcher of the Year, Southern also ranked among the top three in ERA all four years as she holds all six league career pitching records and 11 all-time Fresno State pitching marks.  Offensively, she ranks in seven of the 11 all-time Top 10 career records in WAC history while being listed in seven all-time Fresno State offensive marks. 

      Having a 12- and 11-game win streaks in the circle for the Bulldogs this past season, she recorded four no-hitters, including a perfect game.  Since her freshman year, Southern has ranked all 32 weeks in ERA while also appearing 28 weeks in victories, 15 weeks in strikeouts per 7/innings pitched and four weeks in saves.  Still further, she led the nation in ERA 15 weeks in her stellar career.