Roth Earns Player of the Week and Softball Gains National Ranking – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 28, 2002
COLUMBUS, Ohio– Ohio State catcher Stacy Roth (Sr., Wauseon, Ohio/Wauseon) was selected as the Big Ten Player of the Week for the week ending March 24 the conference announced Tuesday. Roth is the third Buckeye softball player to garner a weekly Big Ten honor in the past two weeks joining Wendy Allen (So., Moreno Valley, Calif./Moreno Valley) and Katie Chain (Jr., North Canton, Ohio/Hoover), the player and pitcher of the week, respectively, for March 18.
Roth hit at a .450 clip with a 9-of-20 performance at the plate in seven games at the Buzz Classic with three home runs (one grand slam) and 11 RBI. She also scored seven times and collected 18 total bases while walking five times. Overall, Roth is second on the team in hitting this year (.398) and leads the team with 35 RBI.
“It feels good to be selected player of the week because of the recognition for me and the team,” Roth said. “It has taken four years for me to be recognized but it was worth it. Having me and Wendy and Katie all recognized means the team is doing well and the conference is taking notice.”
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association/USA Today Top 25 poll was released today with Ohio State cracking the poll for the first time this year at No. 25. The Buckeyes (27-6 overall, 0-0 Big Ten) are one of four Big Ten teams to receive a spot in the national poll. OSU joins No. 13 Michigan, No. 19 Iowa and No. 24 Minnesota.
The No. 25 ranking is not only the first of the year for the Buckeyes, but the first for the program since the 1994 season. In the April 4, 1994 poll, the Buckeyes broke in at No. 22 after sweeping No. 24 Robert Morris at home and splitting a four-game series in Ann Arbor, Mich., with the Michigan Wolverines. After sweeping two games from Morehead State at home the following week, OSU fell from the rankings when Indiana swept four games in Columbus. The Buckeyes did make a return to the poll on April 25, 1994, following the program’s longest winning streak of 17 games. OSU came back as the No. 21 team but went 7-5 to close the season unranked.
