SPOKANE, Wash. - Record-setting pitcher Jo Sonnett leads four Whitworth players named to the 2006 All-Northwest Conference softball team today. Sonnett was named NWC Pitcher of the Year and is joined on the First Team by Heather Case. Lindsay Davis was named to the Second Team and Kristin Hanson was an Honorable Mention selection.

Jo Sonnett	Heather Case	Lindsay Davis	Kristin Hanson

Sonnett, a senior from Puyallup (Emerald Ridge), finished the season with a 19-6 record and a 1.78 earned run average. She led the NWC and set new school records with 19 wins, 21 starts and 8.9 stikeouts per seven innings. A three-time First Team All-NWC honoree, Sonnett completes her stellar career as Whitworth's career record holder for wins (59), strikeouts (557), strikeouts per seven innings (6.65), innings pitched (586.2), games started (76), complete games (61) and shutouts (18). On April 14th of this season she threw two five-inning, no-hit shutouts, including a perfect game in which she struck out 11 of the 15 batters she faced.

Case, a sophomore from Poulsbo, Washington (North Kitsap), was named to the First Team for the second year in a row. Case batted .416 from her leadoff spot in the lineup and set new school records for runs scored (33) and hits (52), while tying the school record for doubles (13) and home runs (6) in a season. She did her part in the season-ending series at Linfield that decided the NWC title, hitting game-winning home runs in the first and third contests that gave the Pirates a chance to win the championship on the road at the two-time defending champion Wildcats. She was named NWC Player of the Week for her efforts.

Davis, a junior from Lake Forest, Calif. (Laguna Hills), batted a career-high .278 this season as the starting catcher. She also established career highs in runs (29), hits (30), doubles (5), home runs (3) and runs batted in (15). She only allowed four passed balls all season while catching two of the hardest throwing pitchers in the NWC. She was one of only three players on the team to start all 38 games this season, most of which were at catcher. She was an Honorable Mention All-NWC choice in 2005.

Hanson, a senior from Hamilton, Montana (Hamilton), made the switch from short stop to second base this season. She batted .261 and led the team with 26 runs batted in. She was named NWC Player of the Week on April 3rd after she led the Pirates to a series sweep at George Fox by hitting .667 (8 of 12) and driving in 12 runs. She had two home runs, two doubles and a triple, and scored six times. She set career highs for runs batted in, home runs (2), doubles (9) and runs scored (19).

Click here for the entire All-NWC Softball Team.

Whitworth finished the regular season with a record of 26-12 and in second place in the NWC with a mark of 21-7, one game behind Linfield. The Pirates await word on a possible at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, which will come on Monday morning, May 8th.