By Hailey Smith
BYU”s softball team has something to brag about.
Sophomore outfielder Oli Keohohou was named First-Team All-American for the second consecutive season.
The only player in Mountain West Conference history to ever be named to the team, Keohohou now has the prestige of winning the honor twice in only two years of college play.
“Oli is a tremendous talent,” coach Mary Kay Amicone said. “She has brought immediate attention to a new program, and is just a remarkable player.”
Expectations for Keohohou were high last season, after the attention she received her last year, but teammates and coaches said it did not bother Keohohou.
“She doesn”t let pressure get to her,” Amicone said. “She is fun-loving and laid-back, and that”s how she plays the game.”
Keohohou led the MWC in six different categories this season: batting average (.422), RBIs (45), runs (54), walks (67), home runs (18), and slugging percentage (.891). She was second in the country in homeruns. Her batting average ranked 15th and she was 21st in RBIs.
Keohohou played five different positions last season, and had a .956 fielding percentage.
“The award is a testament to Oli”s talent,” Amicone said. “It”s an honor to coach such a wonderful person, and we are all pleased to have her as part of BYU”s program.”
Besides her two-time All-American status, Keohohou has also been named First-Team All-Region, and was an All-Conference selection twice. Last season she led BYU to the conference title in the team”s second year of conference play. She was one of four finalists for the Honda Award, which is given to the top softball player in the country, and was also the MWC Freshman of the Year.
Before coming to BYU, Keohohou was High School Player of the Year at Newbury High in Newbury Park, Calif. She was named to the All-State team, and was highly recruited coming out of high school.
The All-American team, selected by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, was honored at an awards banquet held Wednesday night as part of the 2002 NCAA Softball World Series. The team consisted of fifty-five players, with eighteen selected as First-Team.
