Belshe, Hopson Named to All-Big 12 Second Team
May 13, 2015 | Softball
Kristi Belshe (pictured above) joined teammate Lea Hopson on the All-Big 12 second team that was announced Tuesday. It was the first career postseason honor for both Belshe and Hopson.
May 13, 2015
This is the first career postseason for both Belshe and Hopson as the duo helped lead the Red Raiders to a 9-9 finish in Big 12 play following four-straight series wins to conclude the season. The strong ending helped Tech finish in fourth place in the Big 12 standings for just the second time since 2001.
Belshe, a native of Honolulu, Hawaii, bolstered the Red Raiders behind the plate, hitting .333 overall with three home runs and 18 RBI. Belshe's average climbed during Big 12 play as she hit .358 against league foes with two home runs and 10 RBI.
Her biggest impact was felt behind the plate, though, as Belshe started 44 games at catcher where she threw out 11 would-be base stealers and allowed just three passed balls. She was one of two conference catchers represented on either of the two teams.
Hopson, meanwhile, was one of the top speed-power combinations in the conference this past year as she belted 11 home runs to go along with 37 RBI and a .326 average. Hopson also stole 10 bases while drawing a team-leading .426 batting average.
A native of Sequim, Washington, Hopson's 11 home runs finished tied for 10th all-time in the Tech single-season record book. She also ended her career among the school's leaders for career home runs and stolen bases.
The two selections mark the sixth-straight year where multiple Red Raiders were represented on the All-Big 12 teams. Tech ended the season 25-26 overall with wins in nine of its final 12 contests.
Congratulations to all of our #Big12SB student-athletes who have been named to the 2015 All-Big 12 Softball Teams! http://t.co/7azB68Yc2c
-- Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) May 13, 2015
