The 2010 All-Big 12 First and Second Teams and postseason awards have been chosen, the conference office announced. Texas’ Connie Clark was selected Coach of the Year, while senior Amber Flores (Oklahoma) was named Player of the Year. Texas’ Blaire Luna took both Pitcher and Freshman of the Year honors, and OU’s Lindsey Vandever was voted Defensive Player of the Year.
Clark (550-257-3) garnered her third Big 12 coaching honor after leading the Longhorns to their fourth Big 12 regular season title with a conference record of 14-2. She coached six All-Big 12 selections in 2010, including four first team honorees and the Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in Luna.
Flores, the 2009 Player of the Year, led OU in batting average (.378), slugging percentage (.711) and on base percentage (.550). She also leads the Big 12 in runs scored with 58 while ranking eighth nationally in the same category. In conference play, Flores ranks second in home runs (5) and runs scored (18), third for on base percentage (.556) and fifth in total bases (36). OU’s career leader in home runs, she also ranks ninth on the Big 12 career list for batting average at .374 (234-626).
Luna has had a successful freshman campaign from the circle, tossing 25 complete games and holding opponents to an .127 batting average. The Austin, Texas native is sixth in the nation in strikeouts (357) and strikeouts per seven innings with 11.6. She ranks 16th with 10 complete-game shutouts and ninth with 28 victories. The right-hander is just the second Longhorn to win Pitcher of the Year honors, and the fifth from UT to be named Freshmen of the Year. She is also only the third freshman to garner both awards, following Whitney Canion (Baylor) last season and Cat Osterman (Texas) in 2002.
Vandever is the fourth Sooner to win Defensive Player of the Year honors after a solid senior year behind the plate. In conference play, she threw out three of six attempted base-stealers while not allowing a passed ball. On the season, the four-year starter picked off three base runners and tallied 232 put outs. In addition to calling her own games and working with two freshman starting pitchers, Vandever ranked second on the team in batting average (.358) and RBI (40).
All-Big 12 and postseason honors are selected in a vote by the league’s head coaches, who are not allowed to vote for their own players. This year’s list had at least one student-athlete make either the first or second team from all 10 squads. Texas and Oklahoma led the league with six players apiece (four first-team), while Missouri had three on the first team. MU, OSU and TAMU all had five student-athletes honored overall. Nebraska had one first teamer and two second team recipients and Texas Tech placed three on the second team. Two Baylor student-athletes garnered first team nods while Iowa State had one player on each team. Kansas rounded out the second team with one honoree.
Coach of the Year Connie Clark, Texas
Player of the Year Amber Flores, Oklahoma, Second Base
Pitcher of the Year Blaire Luna, Texas, RHP
Freshman of the Year Blaire Luna, Texas, Fr., Pitcher
Defensive Player of the Year Lindsey Vandever, Oklahoma, Sr., Catcher
