Perry Selected as CCAA Most Valuable Player of the Year, Leads Seven Toros Chosen to All-CCAA Squads
Maier tabbed CCAA Coach of the Year as CSUDH claimed first conference title since 1983
May 17, 2005

Carson, CA -- Cal State Dominguez Hills junior Cindy Perry (Victorville, CA/Silverado HS) has been named the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Softball Most Valuable Player of the Year while head coach Jim Maier (La Habra, CA) was voted as CCAA Coach of the Year, it was announced this afternoon by the CCAA Office. A Victorville native, Perry heads a list of seven Toros who earned All-CCAA honors, including 1st-team selection Valerie Long (Stockton, CA/St. Mary’s HS).

CSUDH finished its season at 46-12, setting a record for the most wins in the program’s history.

Cindy Perry is the CCAA MVP. She leads a seven-player Toros contingent who have been honored by being placed on all-conference teams. Photo by Michael Foo

Entering the NCAA DII Far West Region Softball playoffs last Thursday, Perry ranked 14th in the nation in stolen bases, topped the CCAA in batting average, on-base percentage, hits and stolen bases, and finished 2nd in runs scored. In just her third year in Cardinal Red & Gold, the two-time 1st-team All-Region and 2004 All-American selection broke two of her own records this season for hits and stolen bases, established the single-season record for batting average, and tied the single game record for hits with five. Additionally, Perry holds the records for stolen bases in a game and consecutive stolen bases in a season, already has established the CSUDH career marks for both runs scored and at-bats, and tied the Toro career mark for hits with her senior season on the horizon. Earlier this month, Perry was named a 1st-team All-Far West Region selection, and recently was named to the just concluded All-Far West Tournament team.

Valerie Long was honored by the CCAA, as she was named to the all-conference first team. Photo by Michael Foo

Long established the CSUDH career marks for wins and strikeouts, and the single-season mark for strikeouts in a season during which she won 21 games (21-5). She earns her first 1st-team selection after two 3rd-team honors the past two seasons. Entering the postseason, Long ranked 21st nationally in strikeouts per 7 innings, led the conference in strikeouts and opposing batting average, was 2nd in wins and 3rd in ERA. Long earned two CCAA Pitcher of the week honors this season and is credited with the only two postseason wins in the program’s history, adding this All-CCAA selection to her 1st-team All-Region nod announced earlier this month.

Kate Groden (San Pedro, CA/San Pedro HS/SE Missouri Univ.) heads the list of Toros chosen to the All-CCAA second-team squad. In her first season in Cardinal Red & Gold, Groden led the conference in RBIs and runs scored, finished 5th in hits and 10th in batting average. She twice was named CCAA Player of the Week, establishing Toro records for RBIs, runs scored and doubles in a season, as well as doubles in a single game. Groden also earned a 1st-team All-Far West Region honor earlier this month.

Senior Crystal Dingman (Sunland, CA/Verdugo HS/College of the Canyons) earns her first 2nd-team All-CCAA honor after establishing the CSUDH record for home runs in a season (7) to pace the Toros’ power surge. Juniors Natalie Greco (Downey, CA/Warren HS), Jackie Miller (Bremerton, WA/Central Kitsap HS/CS Stanislaus) and Pebbel Prestwood (Hesperia, CA/Sultana HS/CS Stanislaus) round out the 2nd-team All-CCAA selections. Greco enjoyed a stellar junior season, slugging her first-career home run en route to collecting 39 hits, 23 RBIs and 19 runs scored. Miller, who picked up both CCAA Player and Pitcher of the Week honors this season, was a double-threat for the Toros as she tallied an 18-4 record with 93 strikeouts and a 1.57 ERA in the circle, and 45 hits 28 RBIs, 22 runs scored and five home runs in the batter’s box. Prestwood garnered a .331 batting average with six home runs, 23 RBIs and a robust .534 slugging percentage in her first season in Cardinal Red & Gold, and was flawless as catcher as she handled all 151 chances.

Maier coached the 2005 Toros to a school-best 46-12 record, the fifth-consecutive season CSUDH has won at least 30 games. In his five years at the helm of the Toro program, he has a 184-100-2 overall (.647) and 100-60 conference (.625) record, having coached one All-American (the 2005 All-American selections will be released later this month), seven All-Region, one CCAA Player of the Year and 27 All-CCAA selections.

The Toros, whose season ended last Friday in the 2nd round of the NCAA Far West Regional, ranked 10th nationally at the end of the regular season and return their top nine hitters from this year’s record-breaking squad.