Softball Tested In Four-day Trip to S. California – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2000
Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio State Buckeyes (13-9) will have the toughest test of the season as they take on DePaul on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. (PST), Long Beach State on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. (PST) and Cal-State Fullerton at 5 p.m. (PST) on Thursday.
ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS
For any questions or requests regarding the Ohio State softball team, please contact Robin Jentes of the Ohio State Athletics Communications staff. The team will be staying at the Radisson Hotel in Fullerton, Calif. (714- 992-1700) from Sunday until Thursday.
BIG WINS FOR THE BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes captured a 6-1 record at the Winthrop Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C. The Buckeyes defeated Tennessee State (13-0), UNC-Wilmington (2-0), UNC-Charlotte (15-5), North Carolina A&T (11-1) and Pittburgh (2-0) before falling to No. 11 Southern Mississippi (3-2). As a team, Ohio State posted a .337 batting average, 52 runs batted in, six home runs and a slugging percentage of .528.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Katie Chain, Stacy Roth and Renae Weigel were named to the Winthrop Invitational all-tournament team after a great weekend of play. Chain recorded her first no-hitter against Tennessee State (March 17), striking out 10 and giving up only one walk. Roth led the team in the tournament with a batting average of .450, six runs batted in and two home runs. Weigel blasted her first home run of the season against UNC-Charlotte (March 18), posted a tournament BA of .421 and a team-leading 10 RBI.
SMITH BURGLARIZING THE BASES
Sophomore Anna Smith posted an OSU record of five thefts against UNC-Charlotte on Saturday. She has now moved into sole possession of sixth on the single-season OSU ladder with 19.
PERFECT PITCHING
The Buckeyes were nearly perfect in pitching this weekend, posting a tournament ERA of .98. Kristi Martin leads the team with a 1.50 ERA and striking out 66 overall. Katie Chain captured a 3-0 tournament record, to give herself a win(1995).
WEIGEL IS BACK
With 10 runs batted in over the weekend, Renae Weigel has now moved into sixth on the all-time leader for RBI at Ohio State. She also blasted her 11th career home run against UNC Charlotte (March 18) to tie her with assistant coach Jaime Chenevey (1996-99). She only needs two more to clinch the home runs record held by Jodi Dolan (1995-98).
FIVE KEY FACTORS FOR THE BUCKEYES
* Anna Smith – Smith has 19 stolen bases on the season and a team-high on base percentage of .458.
* Stacy Roth – She blasted her fourth home run of the season against UNC-Greensboro. She also boasts a team-leading .588 slugging percentage and a .353 BA.
* Renae Weigel – After missing the first three games because of injury, Weigel is back hitting a blazing .277, 13 hits and 10 runs batted in.
* Katie Chain – She posted a 3-0 record at the Winthrop Invitational posted a season-high 11 strike outs against Pittsburgh and gave up only three hits in the tournament.
* Kristi Martin – She leads the team with a 1.50 ERA and 66 strike outs in 66.1 innings pitched.
ALL-BIG TEN CANDIDATE ROTH
Sophomore Stacy Roth proved again her consistency to make things happen. Over the weekend, she posted a team leading .450 batting average and blasted two home runs. She leads the team with a .353 BA, four home runs, four doubles and a .588 slugging percentage.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Ohio State are undefeated against DePaul (2-0). In their last meeting, the Buckeyes defeated the Blue Demons, 10-8, on March 21, 1993 at the Cal-State Fullerton Mini-Tournament.
SCOUTING LONG BEACH STATE
No. 19 Long Beach State has recorded a 20-10 record under head coach. Natalie Walker leads the team with a .337 batting average, while Jessica Smith has blasted a team-high seven home runs and 27 runs batted in.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Long Beach State leads the all-time series with a 1-9 record against the Buckeyes. In its last meeting, Ohio State fell in a doubleheader against Long Beach 4-1 and 3-0 on March 21, 1999.
SCOUTING THE TITANS
As of March 16, No. 9 Cal-State Fullerton holds a 23-3 overall record with last week’s losses to Depaul, 3-2 and Texas, 3-2. Yasmin Mossadeghi leads the team with a batting average of .410, 32 hits and 16 runs batted in this season.
THE ALL-TIME SERIES
The Buckeyes are 1-10 against the Titans. Last year, Cal-State defeated the Buckeyes, 4-3 and 4-0 at the Hawaii Invitational, Feb. 11, 1999. Ohio State’s only win against the Titans was on Feb 14 at the ASU Coca Cola Classic with a 4-0 victory.
VS. THE RANKED
Ohio State has a 0-3 record against ranked opponents this season. Ohio State fell to No. 7 Louisiana State (11-0, 4-0), No. 20 Florida Atlantic (2-1) and No. 11 Southern Mississippi (3-2).
ADDITION TO THE COACHING STAFF
Jaime Cheveney returns to the Buckeyes this season as an assistant coach. Cheveney was a four-time letterwinner and was selected as a second-team all-Big Ten selection as the Buckeyes’ catcher. Cheveney still holds the No. 2 spot on the Ohio State career home run ladder with nine. Last summer, Cheveney competed on the Akron Racers of the Women’s Professional Softball League with former Buckeye Jodi Dolan. Cheveney is a graduate student of Ohio State in education.
UP NEXT FOR THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State will open a six-game homestand on March 29 against Miami (O.) at 2p.m. The Buckeyes will then compete against Toledo, April 3, and Morehead, April 4, before opening up Big Ten play against Purdue on April 7.
ON DECK IN 2001
Coach Kalafatis signed one of the best recruiting classes in the nation to be added next season. Wendy Allen (Moreno Valley, Calif.), Kristi DeVries (Corona Calif.) and Beth McAbier (Carrollton, Ohio) all signed letters of intents to attend Ohio State in 2001. Allen, a left-hand pitcher, was one-of-16 players in the nation to be named a National Fastpitch Coaches’ Association All-American. DeVries is a high school All-American pitcher who notched a 24-6 record last season with 321 strikeouts and 23 walks. McAbier, a shortstop, was a two-time all-conference pick and three-sport student-athlete at Carrollton High School.
