Fresno State press Release
April 28, 2003

Bulldogs' Hoffman Garners WAC Player of the Week
Fresno State's Lori Hoffman garners first career weekly conference honor

FRESNO, CA. - Fresno State softball's junior right fielder/designated player Lori Hoffman (Benicia, Calif.) was named Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week today.

Picking up her first WAC Player of the Week accolade, Hoffman had a tremendous four-game series at Nevada last weekend. With two long balls to push her season total to three, she hit her first career grand slam and tied the school?s single-game record in total bases with nine (9, Amanda Scott vs. San Jose State, March 25, 1998).

Hoffman, who is the third Bulldog this season to have a multiple home run game, had a career-high six RBI in the Bulldogs' 11-2 win after going 3-4 with two runs. She was one RBI shy of tying the school's single-game record (7, Gina LoPiccolo vs. New Mexico, March 2, 1991) and of tying the WAC games only, record (7, Cyndee Bennett, Utah vs. New Mexico, 1996).

For WAC games only, her multi-home run game tied the league's single-game record. The last WAC batter to have a multi home run game in league play was Hawai'i's Kate Judd (vs. Portland State and Tulsa in 2001).

Hoffman, who hit a pair of home runs in back-to-back innings in the 11-2 win, connected for a walk-off opposite field shot in the fifth. She followed that up with a one-out grand slam in the sixth. So majestic was Hoffman's grand slam that the ball traveled approximately 250 feet and hit the top of the scoreboard, which sat 20 feet behind the 210 power alley and stood approximately 25 feet high off the ground.

The last Bulldog to hit a grand slam was Lindsay Fossatti, who hit one at No. 2 Arizona on April 18, 2001 in a non-conference doubleheader.

In the first day of doubleheader action against Nevada, Hoffman hit .286 (2-7) with a walk and three RBI. The next day, she exploded by batting .625(5-8) with two runs, two home runs, seven RBI and 11 total bases for a 1.375 slugging percentage.

Tying a career- and season-high best mark in consecutive games with a hit, Hoffman has a current seven-game hitting streak and is batting .440 (11-25) with three runs, walk, sacrifice fly, two home runs (grand slam), 12 RBI and 17 total bases for a .680 slugging percentage.

In her last 18 games, she is batting .338 (22-65) with six runs, double, walk, sacrifice fly, three home runs (grand slam), 17 RBI and 32 total bases for a .492 slugging percentage.

On the year, Hoffman is second on the team in hits (53), doubles (7) and RBI (36) while third in batting (.317), home runs (3) and total bases (69).

April 28, 2003
To: Sports Desk
Fr: Jan Winslow
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Fresno State Selected as NCAA Regional Softball Host Site
Bulldogs host 18th NCAA Regional in 22-year history of NCAA Division I
Softball Championships

FRESNO, CA.? Announced this morning by the NCAA Division I softball
committee, the NCAA released the eight regional sites for the 2003 NCAA
Division I Softball Championship and Fresno State has been selected for
the 18th time in the 22-year history of the NCAA softball tournament.

The eight regional sites are Alabama, Arizona, CS Fullerton, Florida,
Fresno State, Michigan, Nebraska and Texas.

Each regional site will feature eight teams playing a
double-elimination format at the campus sites, Thur.-Sun., May 15-18.
The host institution, however, is not guaranteed a bid to the
tournament.

This is the first time in which softball regional sites have been
announced in advance. Site selections were based on geographic
location, quality of facilities and quality of the experience for the
student-athletes, including attendance history.

The at-large teams, top-eight national seeds and first-round pairings
will be announced live on Sun., May 11, at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time
(7:00 PDT) on ESPNEWS. The bracket, which will not be re-seeded prior
to the NCAA Women's College World Series, will be the first to announce
a 64-team field since the championship began in 1982.

Expanding from last year's field of 48, 26 Division I conferences will
receive an automatic berth along with 38 at-large selections.

All-tournament passes for the 2003 NCAA Softball Regional at Fresno
State will go on sale to the Bulldog softball season ticket holders on
Wed., April 30. Passes can be purchased at the Bulldog Ticket Office
(559-278-3647) or go on-line at www.gobulldogs.com. The Bulldog Ticket
Office will be taking orders for the general public beginning Tue., May
6. Single day tickets will be available on each day of the regional,
only. No refunds will be given if Fresno State does not qualify for the
NCAA tournament.