Player Bio: Erin Helgeland - University of Washington Official Athletic Site
April 18, 2013 | Softball
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Wilson on Helgeland: "Erin is a quite determination. You can never accuse Erin of not having enough pride, of not having a great sense of desire. You just never hear her say much about it. Erin is a very blessed athlete. She's incredibly fast, she can bunt, she can hit the gap, she can hit for power. She has become a phenomenal center fielder. She can run down balls that most people wouldn't dream of catching. To watch her kick it into overdrive and run down a ball is an amazing thing to see."
Washington: Stands tied for seventh on the UW career stolen-base list, snagging 38 of 40 bases attempted.
Junior (1999): Started all 69 games of the season, one of five Huskies to do so...Anchored the outfield defense from center, committing just two errors and throwing out two runners at home...Hit 5-for-12 during the regional tournament and .292 overall in the postseason...Hit the game-winner against Arizona State in UW's CWS opener, with a run and two RBI...Went 1-for-3 with one RBI in the CWS championship game against UCLA...Tied for third on the team with nine sacrifice hits, which also is tied for third on the all-time season chart...Had nine two-out RBI...Was perfect on all 12 stolen-base attempts...Went 10-for-22 in an eight-game stretch in late April-early May...Homered against Illinois-Chicago (2/6) and Arizona State (5/7)...Shared the team's most improved award.
Sophomore (1998): Appeared in 50 games...Started 44 contests, 40 in right field and two each at left and center...Tied with Eve Gaw as the team's leading hitter with a .345 mark...That average was the lowest it had been since mid-April...Earned a spot on the Region No. 4 all-tournament team after going 2-5 and crossing the plate twice...Also was named second-team all-Pacific Region and honorable mention all-Pac-10...Third on the team in slugging percentage (.388) and on-base percentage (.398)...Led the team in several specialized categories, including two-out RBI (15), and average with runners on base (.388), with bases loaded (.667), with two outs (.405), and with runners in scoring position (.400)...Stole 19 of 21 bases attempted...Hit in the sixth or seventh spot in the lineup in all but eight games...Began the year strong, getting three hits in four at bats, with two RBI and a run scored, against Cal State Fullerton on Valentine's Day...Best outing was at Portland State (5/1), collecting a career-high four base hits in four at bats, with two runs and an RBI...Had a career-high four RBI vs. Utah State (2/21)...Collected more than one hit in 10 outings altogether.
Freshman (1997): Started in 24 of her 51 appearances, spending the majority of her time in right field or as the designated hitter...Productive at the plate, hitting .224 with 19 hits, 11 runs and 11 RBI...Successful in all seven stolen-base attempts...Had a key base hit and drove in a run in UW's come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma State to win the regional title and advance to the World Series...Was 3-3 versus Pacific (2/21)...Knocked an inside-the-park home run versus Southwest Texas (2/21)...During the summer, played with the Diamond Queens.
High School: A three-sport athlete at Arlington H.S., competing in softball, soccer, and basketball...Lettered in each of her four years in all three sports...Named Seattle Times' North County Athlete of the Year in 1996...A versatile player for coach Dennis Doolittle...Earned first-team all-league honors at shortstop as a junior and in center field her senior year...Second-team all-league honors her first two seasons, as a pitcher her freshman campaign and as a utility player her second season...MVP as a freshman and best defensive player as a sophomore and junior...Won the best offense award as a senior, hitting .460...Team finished first in the league in 1996...A midfielder in soccer, earning second-team all-league three times...Played forward in basketball...Was a first-team all-area pick her final year and first-team all-league as a junior and senior...North Snohomish Weekly's basketball player of the year as junior...Averaged 15.8 points per game...All three sports reached the postseason her senior year...Earned four academic letters for having a 3.5 GPA or higher, finishing with a 3.58 GPA.
Personal: Major is sociology...Parents are Mary and Curt Helgeland...Mother is a nurse and father is a customer service representative for the Snohomish County PUD...Has an older sister, Kyla (24), with whom Erin sometimes sings the national anthem prior to Husky softball games, two nephews, Austin and Josiah, and a niece, Khole...Engaged to marry Kelly Luhr on Aug. 27...Three uncles attended UW...Erin Leigh Helgeland was born on Halloween in 1977 in Everett, Wash.
TOP GAMES
Hits: 4 (5/1/98 vs. Portland State)
Runs: 2 (6 times)
RBI: 4 (2/21/98 vs. Utah State)
2B: 2 (5/7/98 vs. Oregon State)
SB: 2 (2 times)
BB: 2 (2 times)
Hitting streak: 5 (3 times)
ERIN HELGELAND HONORS & AWARDS
Regional All-Tournament
1998
All-Pacific Region
1998 (2nd)
All-Pac-10
1998 (hm)
