Buckeye Softball Hosts IPFW Tues., Pittsburgh Wed. – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 12, 2004
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team returns to Columbus this week for eight games, beginning with a pair of non-conference double-headers Tuesday and Wednesday at Buckeye Field. Ohio State (23-14, 2-4 Big Ten) is coming off a pair of losses at ninth-ranked Michigan April 9 and 10, but is 9-2 at home this season. The IUPU-Ft. Wayne games were originally scheduled for Monday.
BUCKEYES AMONG BEST IN BIG TEN
In overall Big Ten statistics as of April 8, Ohio State boasts the league’s third-best offense and pitching staff with a .297 batting average and 1.43 ERA, respectively. In addition, the Buckeyes were one of only four teams in the league with at least 20 homeruns, ranked third in the Big Ten in slugging percentage (.429) and second in on-base percentage (.375). OSU was tied for third in the Big Ten in stolen bases (53) and ranked as the toughest team in the Big Ten to strike out, as the Buckeyes were fanned just 133 times in 893 at bats for a .149 strikeout average.
Individually, freshman Nycole Koyano led the Big Ten in walks (21), ranked fourth in batting average (.378), second in on-base percentage (.491) and sixth in stolen bases (13). Junior Karisa Evans ranked tenth in average (.347), while freshmen Jamee Juarez and Megan Schwab were tied for fourth in doubles (9). Juarez ranked second in RBI (28). Senior Kristi DeVries ranked eighth in the league in ERA (1.17) and ninth in strikeouts (106). Chelsea Baker’s 0.96 ERA ranked fifth, while Juarez ranked tenth in wins (10).
NOTING THE BUCKEYES
With a stolen base vs. Dayton April 7, Nycole Koyano set an Ohio State record for stolen bases by a freshman with 13. The previous record of 12 was set by Candace Kollen in 1995. Senior Kristi DeVries blanked Dayton April 7, 8-0, for her 24th career shutout, which is just two shutouts away from the Ohio State record of 26 held by Katie Chain (2000-03). Sophomore Stacy Hibma’s homeruns April 6 and 7 were her first of the season. Her second homer, a two-run shot vs. Dayton, accounted for her first career multi-RBI game. Juarez owns a team-high 28 RBI, which is closing in on the Ohio State record for RBI by a freshman, held by Kristine Himes with 35 in 2000. Junior Natalie Hales is batting 1.000 (2-for-2) with the bases loaded and has thrown out 38.9% (7-of-18) would-be base stealers.
Evans owns a team-best 10 multi-hit games this season. Koyano and Juarez both have nine. With a homerun vs. Butler last Tuesday, Chelsea Baker extended her hitting streak to nine games, which ended a game later but ranks as the best on the team this season. Baker has improved her batting average from .100 (as of March 6) to .385. Koyano has upped her average from .105 (as of Feb. 28) to .354. Schwab (in leftfield) and Koyano (at second base) have started all 37 games for Ohio State this season. Juarez’s 10 pitching wins rank fifth in Ohio State history for wins by a freshman.
The Buckeyes have out-scored their opponents 42-10 in the first inning of games this season. Ohio State combined for six homeruns last Tuesday and Wednesday to improve its record to 14-1 this season when hitting at least one homerun. In addition, Ohio State is 22-3 when out-hitting their opponents, 18-2 when scoring first and 22-1 when leading after five innings of play.
BUCKEYE LEADERS
Karisa Evans leads Ohio State in hits (35) and is tied for the team-lead in homeruns with three. She is batting .337 with 12 RBI and a .405 on-base percentage. Nycole Koyano (.354) leads the team in runs (24) and stolen bases (13). Koyano and Megan Schwab (.304) each have 34 hits. Schwab and Jamee Juarez share the team-lead in homers (3) with Evans and each have nine doubles, best on the squad. Juarez owns a team-best 28 RBI, while Schwab is next with 18. Ashley Cutcliff leads the Buckeyes in batting average (.408) and slugging percentage (.653), while Chelsea Baker is hitting .385 with a team-best .538 on-base percentage.
Kristi DeVries (8-7, 1.32 ERA) owns a team-best 109 strikeouts in 90.1 innings pitched. Opponents are hitting just .158 against her, which is best of the team. Juarez (10-6, 1.96 ERA) owns 83 strikeouts, while Baker has won her last five consecutive starts to improve to 5-1 with a 0.96 ERA.
SENIORS AIMING FOR WINS RECORD
The 2004 senior class of P/1B Kristi DeVries, 3B Breana Pozzi and 1B/DP Beth McAbier has been a part of 150 victories while wearing scarlet and gray, which is seven wins shy of the Ohio State-record of 157 wins collected by the senior class of 2003. Should the 2004 seniors break the wins record, it would mark the third-consecutive season the Buckeye senior class has broken the school’s wins record.
A LOOK AT IUPU-FT. WAYNE
IUPU-Ft. Wayne is 4-22 on the season but split a double-header with Bowling Green April 3 in the Mastodons’ last games before facing Ohio State April 12. Fifth year head coach Keith Fisher will hope to use the eight-day layoff to prepare his squad for a busy next three weeks, which will include 20 games in the next 17 days. IUPU-Ft. Wayne returns seven starters this season from its 2003 squad, which finished 18-25. The Mastodons boast two players hitting over .300, including Jenna Beachy, who leads the team in batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.456), on-base percentage (.400), RBI (9) and hits (28). Other offensive leaders include Maggie Bruening (.333), Mindy Mason (.267) and Heather DeVore (.250). Mindy Pomeroy leads the pitching staff with a 2.58 ERA and 43 strikeouts and owns a 2-5 record.
A LOOK AT PITTSBURGH
The Panthers are 16-22 overall and 1-5 in the BIG EAST heading into Wednesday’s double-header at Buckeye Field. Pittsburgh is coming off a pair of losses at Virginia Tech Saturday, 7-4 and 3-0, respectively, but had won three consecutive games prior. Francesca DiMaria leads the Panthers in batting average (.333), hits (38) and on-base percentage (.405). Sheena Hellon boasts a team-high three homeruns, while Joey Scarf leads the squad in RBI (16) and ranks second in hits (27). Laura Belardinelli is tops on the pitching staff with a 7-7 record and a 3.56 ERA. Meghan Bostick is 9-12 with a 5.05 ERA. Head coach Michelle Phalen is Pittsburgh’s first and only coach in program history, as she has guided the Panthers since the team’s inception in 1997. She guided Pitt to 21 wins in 2000 and 2002, which stand as the most in school history.
BUCKEYES DOMINANT AT HOME
Ohio State’s 9-2 record at Buckeye Field this season has been accompanied by some impressive statistics. As a team, the Buckeyes are hitting .324 in Columbus, compared to .170 for their opponents. Ohio State has slugged 33 extra-base hits, including nine homeruns, compared to six extra-base hits and no homeruns for the opposition. OSU pitchers sport a 1.07 ERA at Buckeye Field, while opposing hurlers own a 5.73 ERA.
Individually, offensive leaders at Buckeye Field include Chelsea Baker (.636, 1 HR), Ashley Cutcliff (.438, 1 HR), Jamee Juarez (.433, 1 HR, 12 RBI), Christina Douglas (.400), Nycole Koyano (.385) and Karisa Evans (.323, 2 HR). Among the pitchers, Kristi DeVries is 3-1 with a 0.00 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 30 innings pitched, while Jamee Juarez is 3-1 (1.81 ERA) and Chelsea Baker is 3-0 (2.03 ERA).
KALAFATIS WINS NO. 250 AT OSU
With the Buckeyes’ 8-0 win vs. Dayton in the first game of a double-header April 7, Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis collected her 250th win at the helm of the Buckeye softball program. Already Ohio State’s all-time wins leader, Kalafatis improved to 250-179-2 in her eighth season at Ohio State and 523-294-2 overall in 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
BUCKEYES 2-4 IN BIG TEN
Ohio State opened Big Ten play April 2-4 as Minnesota and Wisconsin visited Buckeye Field. The Buckeyes dropped a 1-0 decision in 10 innings to the Golden Gophers Friday night, then took a 9-6 win vs. Minnesota Saturday. Against Wisconsin Sunday, Ohio State took game one, 2-0, but fell in the nightcap, 3-1.
The Buckeyes out-hit the Badgers in both games and the Gophers in one game and finished the weekend with a 25-21 advantage in base hits. Ohio State averaged just one error per game over the three days and its pitchers notched 29 strikeouts compared to 16 for Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The Buckeyes then dropped a pair of games at Michigan last weekend, falling 3-0 April 9 and 1-0 April 10. Ohio State received strong pitching performances by Kristi DeVries and Jamee Juarez, but was held to four hits in the series.
KALAFATIS REACHES MILESTONES
The 2003 season provided Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis with a pair of prestigious accomplishments. A 4-1 win vs. Toledo April 9 was Kalafatis’ school-record 221st while at Ohio State, surpassing the previous record of 220 set by Gail Davenport from 1989-1996. Then April 30 a 6-0 win vs. Marshall gave Kalafatis her 500th career victory as a collegiate head coach. Kalafatis is now 524-296-2 (.644) in her 16th season as a collegiate head coach and 251-181-2 (.582) in her eighth season at the helm of the Ohio State program.
FOWLER ADDED TO OSU STAFF
Former Buckeye standout Chrissy Fowler has joined the Ohio State softball coaching staff. Fowler, a 2002 OSU graduate, was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes from 2000-02 in the outfield and was an integral part of Ohio State’s record-setting teams in 2001 and 2002 that finished 46-18 and 55-14, respectively. In 2000, she was named the team’s scholar athlete of the year and earned the Buckeye spirit award. In 2001 she was named the team’s most improved player.
Fowler, who graduated with degrees in sociology and women’s studies, is currently in graduate school at Ohio State working towards a master’s degree in women’s studies. A native of Utica, she is a member of the Columbus Comets, a women’s professional football team. Fowler will be coaching the Buckeye outfielders for Drema Neal, who is on medical leave.
DEVRIES STRIKES OUT NO. 500
Senior Kristi DeVries has lowered her ERA from 3.78 (as of Feb. 27) to 1.17 in her last 11 starts, in which she is 8-3 with 96 strikeouts. Her three-hit shutout of Wisconsin April 4 was her 23rd career shutout, which is three shutouts shy of the Ohio State record of 26 held by Katie Chain. Her ninth and final strikeout at No. 15 Fresno State March 26 was her 500th career strikeout, making her just the second pitcher in Ohio State history to reach the 500 strikeout plateau. Katie Chain holds the record with 692 from 2000-03.
SEVEN STARTERS RETURN
Seven starters return for the Buckeyes in 2004, including senior P/1B Kristi DeVries (.288, 15 RBI, 12-8, 1.33 ERA), junior OF Karisa Evans (.345, 13 2b, 17 RBI), junior 1B/DP Ashley Cutcliff (.280, 5 HR), sophomore SS Billie Jo Carder (.271), junior OF Meghan Rowlands (.192), senior 1B/DP Beth McAbier (.185) and junior IF Jennifer Johnson (.169). A total of 13 letterwinners return.
DEVRIES, POZZI NAMED CAPTAINS
Senior P/1B Kristi DeVries and senior 3B Breana Pozzi have been selected as co-captains for the 2004 Buckeyes. DeVries is already near the top of most Ohio State pitching records and also has been a solid contributor at the plate for the Buckeyes, as well. Pozzi, who heads into the 2004 season as the starter at third base, has proven to be a spark at the plate for Ohio State. Nagging injuries hampered her junior season after she batted .329 with 12 RBI as a sophomore.
NEXT UP
Following the Pittsburgh games Wednesday, Ohio State will get back into Big Ten play this weekend vs. Michigan State and Northwestern. The Buckeyes and Spartans will meet Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at noon, while OSU and the Wildcats will do battle in a double-header Sunday at noon.
### Go Bucks! ###
