Softball Heads South for Its Second Tournament of the Season – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
February 23, 1999
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes (1-5 overall, 0-0 in the Big Ten) will travel to Atlanta Ga., for the Georgia State Softball Classic. This two-day tournament begins on Saturday. The Buckeyes will play a total of five games. Other teams competing will be Indiana State (0-0 overall), Tennessee Tech (0-4 overall), St. Louis (0-4 overall), Kentucky (4-7 overall) and Georgia State (2-2 overall). The Buckeyes are the team with the furthest distance to travel to the tournament. The trip marks a return to Atlanta for a second consecutive year. Last season, OSU was scheduled to play in the Georgia State Softball Classic but the tourney was cancelled due to rain.
%^$OSU TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
%^$Saturday, Feb. 27 – 9 a.m. vs. Indiana State, Field 2;%^$1:30 p.m. vs. St. Louis, Field 2;%^$3:30 p.m. vs. Georgia State, Field 1
%^$Sunday, Feb. 28 – 9 a.m. vs. Tennessee Tech, Field 1; 11 a.m. vs. Kentucky, Field 1
%^$THE GEORGIA STATE SOFTBALL CLASSIC
%^$The 1999 Georgia State Softball Classic will be played at Panthersville, a multiuse athletic area located about 15 minutes east of downtown Atlanta. For information on the tourney, please contact Devlin Pierce of the Georgia State Sports Information Office at 404-651-3168.
%^$ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS
%^$For any questions or requests regarding the Ohio State softball team, Assistant Sports Information Director Pat Chun will represent the OSU Athletic Communications Office on the road.
%^$TRAVEL ITINERARY
%^$The Buckeyes will depart from the Woody Hayes Athletic Center at noon on Friday. They will travel by charter bus to Atlanta and will stay at the Fairfield Inn located at 2155 Ranchwood Rd. The phone number is 770-491-7444.
%^$SCOUTING OHIO STATE
%^$The Buckeyes are off to a 1-5 start. Offensively, the team is led by junior Renae Weigel with a .333 batting average. Freshman Stacy Roth is chipping in with a .313 BA and team high four runs batted in. Senior Cheryl Palaraon leads the team with three stolen bases. Freshman Anna Smith has a pair of stolen bases. As a staff, the OSU pitchers are throwing extremely well. Senior Meaghan Robinson and junior Toni Hileman have combined for a minuscule 1.68 earned run average.
%^$SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES
%^$The Indiana State Sycamores will open their 1999 season at the Georgia State Softball Classic. They finished last season in 10th place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 2-16 record. Overall, the Sycamores finished 14-36. Outfielder Emily Stuck is the team’s top returning hitter. Last season, she batted .267 with four runs batted in and a team leading 11 stolen bases. Catcher Aimee Rytting led the team with 19 RBI. Keri Przygocki is the top returning pitcher. In 1998, she had a team low 2.36 earned run average and carried a 6-15 record. The Sycamore head coach is Tom Rupert. He is in his first season at the helm.
%^$BUCKEYES vs. SYCAMORES HISTORY
%^$Indiana State holds a 5-4 edge in the all-time series over Ohio State. The last meeting between the two schools came on May 13, 1979 at the NCAA Regionals in Whitewater, Wis. The Sycamores won that game 3-0.
%^$SCOUTING THE BILLIKENS
%^$The St. Louis Billikens enter this weekend with an 0-4 record. Offensively the team is led by Jennifer Messmer and Janet Venorsky. They are batting .455 and .444 respectively. Inside the circle, the pitching staff has a combined 23.14 earned run average. The St. Louis head coach is Jim Molloy.
%^$BUCKEYES vs. BILLIKENS HISTORY
%^$The Buckeyes lead the all-time series 9-1. The two teams last met in 1981 with OSU winning 15-5 at the Redbird Invitational.
%^$SCOUTING THE LADY PANTHERS
%^$The Georgia State Lady Panthers enter this week with a 2-2 overall record. They have split series against Auburn and South Carolina. On Wednesday, they will play Kennesaw at 3 p.m. The Georgia State mentor is Phyllis Guedry. She is in her first season at the helm.
%^$BUCKEYES vs. LADY PANTHERS
%^$Georgia State leads the all-time series over OSU 4-1. The two last met in 1995 at the Florida State Invitational with Georgia State winning 7-2.
%^$SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
%^$Tennessee Tech enters the tournament with a 0-4 record. They return to Georgia after playing in Macon two weeks ago at the Mercer Tournament. In their opener, the Golden Eagles lost 8-3 to Belmont. They would later lost to Charleston, Mercer and Belmont again, 5-3, 5-4 and 2-1, respectively. Inside the circle, Brandy Henry leads the team with a low 1.34 earned run average. Teams are batting just .158 against her. Shortstop Shelley Barnett leads the team with a .462 average. Oufielder Whitney Williams has the team’s only homerun, team-high four runs batted in and is carrying a .400 average. The Golden Eagle mentor is Tory Acheson. He is in his first season at the helm but is currently in his 16th season of coaching.
%^$BUCKEYES vs. GOLDEN EAGLES HISTORY
%^$Sunday’s game marks the first ever meeting between the two schools.
%^$SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
%^$The Kentucky Wildcats enter the tournament with a 4-7 overall record. On Sunday, the Wildcats fell to No. 24 Illinois-Chicago, 8-0. Offensively, the team is led by Tiffany Kruse. She leads the team with a .515 batting average and five runs batted in. Jennifer Howland is also chipping in with a .314 BA Inside the circle, Howland is carrying a team low 0.79 earned run average. Keary Camunas leads the team with both two wins and four losses. The Kentucky mentor is Beth Kirchner. She is in her third year at the helm.
%^$BUCKEYES vs. WILDCATS HISTORY
%^$Sunday’s game marks the first ever meeting between the schools.
%^$PARADISE CLASSIC RECAP
%^$In their first action of the 1999 season, the Buckeyes finished the Paradise Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii with a 1-5 record. The Buckeyes notched their first win of the season against Baylor (2/13) with a 4-2 win.
%^$SOME NEW FACES
%^$This year’s roster features seven new faces. The highly touted freshman class includes Anna Smith, Samantha Kimura, Stacy Roth, Julie Darney and Sarah West. Chrissy Fowler and Natalie Woods transferred from Wright State and South Mountain Community College, respectively.
%^$CAPTAINS ARE NAMED
%^$Jaime Chenevey, Natalie Kratzer, Cheryl Palaroan and Renae Weigel have been named captains for the 1999 Ohio State softball team. “I expect our captains to represent and reflect the ideals we want out of our student-athletes,” Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis said. “Natalie, Renae, Jaime and Cheryl all possess excellent work ethics, they are academically focused and are solid people. They characterize what our program stands for in every sense of the word.”
%^$PAIR OF BUCKEYES DRAFTED
%^$In December, Jaime Chenevey and Cheryl Palaroan, respectively, became the second and third Buckeyes ever to be drafted by the Women’s Professional Softball League. The Akron Racers selected Chenevey in the third round and Palaroan in the eighth round in the WPSL Senior Draft.
%^$CLOSING IN ON SOME RECORDS
%^$Several Buckeyes are close to breaking some OSU career records. Cheryl Palaroan is only five stolen bases away from tying Candace Kollen’s career record of 44. Jaime Chenevey is three home runs away from tying Jodi Dolan’s record of 12.
%^$THE 1999 SCHEDULE
%^$Ohio State will travel 20,372 miles, visit nine states and five different time zones this season. The travel log features four tournaments and a four-game swing through Southern California. At home, Buckeye Field will play host to Michigan, Iowa, Bowling Green, Purdue, Butler, Dayton, Northwestern and Youngstown State.
%^$HEAD COACH LINDA KALAFATIS
%^$Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis is entering her third season at the helm. Last season’s 33-23 overall and 10-14 conference records speak for themselves. %^$The overall record marked the first winning season since 1995. The 33 wins marked only the fifth time in the school’s 27 year history that it had won at least 30 games. The .589 winning percentage was OSU’s third highest in the ’90s and highest since 1994. For the second consecutive year, Kalafatis improved the Buckeye winning percentage by over 100 points. %^$The Big Ten was also served notice with 12 of the 24 games decided by a one or two run margin. And with four days left in the season, the Buckeyes found themselves still alive for a tournament berth. Not bad for a team that won only four Big Ten games in 1997 and six in 1996. The 10-14 conference record was good enough for a sixth place finish. %^$A major part of winning are the awards and the Buckeyes earned their share.%^$After the season, the Buckeyes took home a second team all-Big Ten and two second team regional All-America selections. %^$During the season, Ohio State was one of six Big Ten schools to have a player named conference player of the week. In addition, four members of the OSU squad were named to the South Florida/Louisville Slugger all-tournament team and one Buckeye was named to the Air Touch Cellular Capital Classic all-tournament team.%^$Prior to the 1998 season, the Buckeyes had their first ever draft selection in the Women’s Professional Softball League with the fifth overall pick in the first round. Prior to this season, two more Buckeyes were selected in the draft.%^$And as always, Buckeye Softball took control in the classroom. Nine members of the 1998 squad were named OSU Scholar-Athletes and one member of the team was named to the GTE Academic All-America District team. %^$Kalafatis has proven over and over that reclamation projects are not a problem. Prior to Ohio State, she took over two troubled programs and built them into winners. At the University of Akron, she compiled a mark of 98-63-1. Prior to Akron, Kalafatis headed the coaching staff at California University of Pennsylvania, her alma mater. In five seasons, she posted a 175-53-1 record, winning the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference every year. She graduated from California in 1988 with a bachelors degree in business administration and marketing and in 1991, she earned her masters degree in geography and regional planning. %^$In her career, Kalafatis has coached three All-Americans, 28 all-region and 36 all-conference players.%^$A native of Bethel Park, Pa., Kalafatis is an active member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association and has served as a member of the Eastern Regional Softball Committee.
%^$1998 SEASON REVIEW
%^$The Buckeyes finished the 1998 season with a 33-23 overall and 10-14 Big Ten record. The overall record marked the first winning season since 1995. The 33 wins marked only the fifth time in school history that OSU has won at least 30 games. The .589 winning percentage was the school’s third highest in the 90s and the highest since 1994s .667. Within the conference, OSU finished in sixth place.
%^$GETTING RESULTS
%^$Results for the Buckeyes will be posted through www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com approximately two hours after the last game of each day. Results are also available through the Fax-on-demand service (The Big Ten passcode – 282; Release – 2665, Last Game Result – 2667).
%^$ON DECK
%^$The Buckeyes will hit the road next weekend when they travel to Lexington, Ky., for the Kentucky Invitational. OSU is scheduled to face Akron, Canisius and Kentucky.
%^$BUCKEYE PROFILE UPDATES
%^$00 Julie Darney 3B/P Fr.
%^$Made her college debut against Hawaii (2/12) as a pinch-hitter. Threw a shutout inning against Cal-State Fullerton (2/14).
%^$3 Cheryl Palaroan CF Sr.
%^$Co-captain of this year’s team. Has a team high three stolen bases in three attempts. Went 2-for-4 against Loyola Marymount. Has started every game in centerfield and as the leadoff hitter. Has started every game.
%^$4 Natalie Kratzer 3B Sr.
%^$Co-captain of this year’s team. Singled in first at bat of the season against Cal-State Fullerton (2/11). Has started every game.
%^$6 Meaghan Robinson P Sr.
%^$Opening day starter against Cal-State Fullerton. Second consecutive season she got the call on opening day. Leads the team with a minuscule 1.27 earned run average.
%^$7 Kelli Tom P Sr.
%^$Missed the first tournament of the season due to injury.
%^$8 Chrissy Fowler UT So.
%^$Missed the first tournament of the season due to injury. Could be out for the season with torn ligaments in her knee.
%^$9 Katie Wessendorf DP So.
%^$Started season opener against Cal-State Fullerton (2/11).
%^$10 Natalie Woods 2B/SS Jr.
%^$Made her OSU debut with a starting assignment at second base against Hawaii (2/12). Recorded her first career hit and RBI against Loyola Marymount’s Jenny Hart (2/13).
%^$11 Jaime Chenevey C Sr.
%^$Co-captain of this year’s team. Went 1-for-3 against No. 17 Hawaii (2/12).
%^$17 Carrie Vanderpool 2B Sr.
%^$Started season opener against Cal-State Fullerton (2/11). Recorded the first hit of her season against Baylor (2/13).
%^$18 Renae Weigel SS Jr.
%^$Co-captain of this year’s team. Led the team with a .333 batting average at the Paradise Classic.
%^$20 Anna Smith LF Fr.
%^$First career start came in season opener against Cal-State Fullerton. First career hit and RBI came in the third inning of the Oregon State (2/12) game off Tarrah Beyster. Second on the team with a pair of stolen bases. Has started every game.
%^$21 Stacy Roth RF Fr.
%^$Recorded the first hit of her first career in her very first plate appearance against Cal-State Fullerton’s Jana Oetgen (2/12). Also notched her first career RBI that game. Had a career high three walks against CSUF (2/14). Has started every game.
%^$23 Toni Hileman P/1B Jr.
%^$Winning pitcher in OSUs first win of the season over Baylor (2/13). Went 2-for-3 at the plate against Oregon State (2/12).
%^$24 Samantha Kimura 1B/C Fr.
%^$Started season opener against Cal-State Fullerton (2/11). Recorded the first hit of her career against Baylor’s Carrie Arn (2/13). Finished that game 2-for-3 with a double.
%^$26 Sarah West 1B Fr.
%^$Made career debut as a pinch-hitter against No. 17 Hawaii (2/12). Made first career start against Cal-State Fullerton (2/14).
%^$28 Holly English OF So.
%^$Missed the first tournament of the season due to injury. Should be back in action at Georgia State Classic.
%^$Location: Columbus, Ohio
%^$Enrollment: 48,278
%^$President: William E. Kirwan
%^$Athletic Director: Andy Geiger
%^$Associate Director: Archie Griffin
%^$Nickname: Buckeyes
%^$Colors: Scarlet & Gray
%^$Mascot: Brutus Buckeye
%^$Home Facility: Buckeye Field at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center
%^$Capacity: 800
%^$Dimensions: 190-220-190
%^$Conference: Big Ten Conference
%^$1999 Record: 1-5 overall, 0-0 in Big Ten
%^$Head Coach: Linda Kalafatis, California (Pa.), ’88
%^$OSU Record: 54-59 (.478), Third Year
%^$Career Record: 327-174-2 (.652), 10th Year
%^$Assistants: Belinda Cernava, Drema Neal, Shauna Bowman Miller
%^$Trainer: Daniel Hamilton
%^$Athletic Communications: Pat Chun
%^$Phone: (614) 292-6861
%^$Fax: (614) 292-8547
%^$Home: (614) 326-0193
%^$E-mail: chun.18@osu.edu
%^$Website: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com
%^$Address:Room 124, St. John Arena. 410 Woody Hayes Drive. Columbus, Ohio 43210-1166
%^$This Week
%^$Feb. 27-28: Ohio State will travel to Atlanta, Ga., for the Georgia State Softball Classic.
%^$Next Week
%^$March 6-7: Ohio State will travel to Lexington, Ky., for the Kentucky Invitational. The Buckeyes are scheduled to compete against Akron, Canisius and Kentucky.
%^$Insider Information
%^$ Copies of the 1999 Ohio State Softball Media Guide are on sale at The Winning Schott, the gift shop inside the Jerome Schottenstein Center. Store hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. For more information, please call (614) 292-2073 or 1-800-678-6022.
