Jan. 26, 2011

EL PASO – UTEP senior Camilla Carrera has been chosen as the 2011 Conference USA Preseason Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s head coaches.

“It’s such an honor for Cami to enter her senior year as the preseason player of the year,” co-head coach James Rodriguez said. “She has been the backbone to our team for four years and hopefully she’ll reach her expectations and all she wants to accomplish.”
Carrera was also named to the All-C-USA Preseason Team that features 15 of the top softball players in the conference.

The Laveen, Ariz., native is coming off a season that saw her earn 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-Midwest Region first team honors. She also became the first player in UTEP softball history to receive All-C-USA first team honors for three consecutive seasons. Carrera batted a team-leading .376 and ranked first on the club in hits (59), RBIs (42), doubles (16), total bases (93) and double plays (5).

Carrera and the Miners will open the 2011 campaign with a doubleheader (3 p.m.) at home on Feb. 10 against Northern Colorado.

2011 PRESEASON SOFTBALL AWARDS
PRESEASON PITCHER OF THE YEAR
Toni Paisley, East Carolina (Senior)

PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Camilla Carrera, UTEP (Catcher/Utility, Senior)

PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
P - Toni Paisley, East Carolina
P - Donna Bourgeois, Houston
P - Lauren Webster, UAB C - Mandy Lowman, UAB
IF - Samantha Cobb, Tulsa
IF - Natalie Land, UCF
IF - Kayla Orr, UAB
IF - Jazmine Valle, Marshall
IF - Tiffany Lane, UCF
OF - Caitlin Everett, Tulsa
OF - Ashleigh Jones, Houston
OF - Lelani Bernardino, Memphis
OF - Leslie LeJune, Southern Miss
DH - Reina Gaber, Houston
UT - Camilla Carrera, UTEP