Ohio State Softball Plays Host to Michigan State and Northwestern – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/15/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 15, 2004
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (25-14; 2-4 Big Ten) returns to Big Ten action this weekend in games vs. Michigan State (23-16; 3-5 Big Ten) and Northwestern (20-13; 3-5 Big Ten) at Buckeye Field. The Buckeyes and the Spartans play at 6 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday, while Ohio State plays host to Northwestern in a doubleheader beginning at noon Sunday.
TAKING IT TO THE AIRWAVES
This weekend’s games vs. Michigan State and Northwestern will be broadcast by KBUX, the student radio station at Ohio State. Aaron Stollar will be making the call and fans can tune into www.underground.fm to hear all the softball action from Buckeye Field.
SO LONG, SENIORS!
This weekend will commemorate the final home weekend for three Ohio State seniors. Kristi DeVries, Beth McAbier and Breana Pozzi will be honored following the Michigan State game Saturday with a senior ceremony.
THE BUCKEYES IN THE 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 home runs, 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. 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 home runs 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 29 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 .400 (as of April 15).
-Koyano has upped her average from .105 (as of Feb. 28) to .356 (as of April 15).
-Koyano (at second base) has started all 39 games this year.
-Juarez’s 11 pitching wins rank fifth in Ohio State history for wins by a freshman. The record is 16 and is held by senior Kristi DeVries (2001).
-The Buckeyes have out-scored their opponents 44-10 in the first inning of games this season.
-Ohio State combined for six home runs last Tuesday and Wednesday vs. Butler and Dayton to improve its record to 14-1 this season when hitting at least one home run. In addition, Ohio State is 23-3 when out-hitting their opponents, 20-2 when scoring first and 24-1 when leading after five innings of play.
BUCKEYE LEADERS
-Nycole Koyano leads Ohio State in hits (36), followed by Karisa Evans, who has 35 on the season. Evans is tied with a pair of rookies – Jamee Juarez and Megan Schwab – for the team-lead in home runs with three.
-Koyano is batting .356 with seven RBI and a .468 on-base percentage and leads the team with 25 runs and 13 stolen bases (of 15 attempted). Her 25 runs scored are No. 4 among Buckeye all-time freshmen leaders and her 13 stolen bases is a record for a rookie Buckeye softball player.
-Megan Schwab (.293) has 34 hits. Schwab and Juarez (295) each have nine doubles, best on the squad.
-Juarez owns a team-best 29 RBI, while Schwab is next with 18.
-Ashley Cutcliff and Chelsea Baker lead the Buckeyes in batting average (.400) and Cutcliff owns the best slugging percentage (.640) on the squad. Baker’s .534 on-base percentage is the best of the Buckeyes. .
-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 (11-6, 1.83 ERA) owns 87 strikeouts, while Baker has won her last six consecutive starts to improve to 6-1 with a 0.84 ERA.
SENIORS FIVE WINS FROM THE RECORD
The 2004 senior class of P/1B Kristi DeVries, 3B Breana Pozzi and 1B/DP Beth McAbier has been a part of 152 victories while wearing scarlet and gray, which is five 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 MICHIGAN STATE
With three wins in the Big Ten, the Spartans (23-16, 3-5 Big Ten) enter the two-game set with the Buckeyes this weekend tied for fourth with Northwestern and Wisconsin. The Spartans are no strangers to Buckeye Field, as Michigan State shutout Oakland and Robert Morris, 10-0 and 9-0, in the Buckeye Invitational March 20. Head coach Jacquie Joseph enters her 11th season with five starters returning, including leading pitcher Jessica Beech (18-12, 2.13 ERA) and senior Natalie Furrow, who leads the conference in batting with a .468 batting average. Along with Furrow, Beech, sophomore catcher Elizabeth Peterson, freshman infielder Dayna Feenstra and freshman outfielder/infielder Nicole Mercado have helped the Spartans lead the Big Ten in team batting with a .318 average. Michigan State has needed to rely on its offense, as the Spartans rank at the bottom of the league in team pitching with a 2.96 ERA. MSU most recently spilt a doubleheader last weekend with Wisconsin, with Mercado going 4-for-8 and senior outfielder Angel Merren going 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored in the second game.
LAST YEAR VS. THE SPARTANS
Ohio State spilt a doubleheader with Michigan State April 20 in Columbus last season. In game one, the Buckeyes made use of two home runs to beat the Spartans 2-0 at Buckeye Field. Ashley Cutcliff and Rogeanna Hottinger each hit round trippers in the second and fifth inning, respectively. Buckeye starter Kristi DeVries threw 6.2 innings, giving up five hits before giving way to Katie Chain for the save. Nine Spartan runners were left on base as the Buckeyes’ defense and pitching turned in a solid effort.
In game two, Michigan State shutout Ohio State 8-0. Chain suffered the loss as the Spartans scored five runs in the fourth inning and collected nine hits on the day. The Buckeyes had two hits, with Karisa Evans and Hottinger each reaching base.
A LOOK AT NORTHWESTERN
After earning a second-place finish in the Big Ten last season with an 11-9 record, the Wildcats have 17 letterwinners and four starters back for the 2004 campaign. Even though they are tied for fourth in the conference, the Wildcats (20-13, 3-5 Big Ten) have gone 4-2 in their last six games. Steady pitching and timely hitting have led to recent success for Northwestern, as freshman pitcher Eileen Canney threw a shutout in a 4-0 win last weekend against Minnesota. Canney has been impressive thus far, compiling an 11-2 record with seven wins coming by way of shutout. Second team All-Big Ten pitcher Courtnay Foster, who set Big Ten Tournament records with 38 strikeouts and 30.1 innings pitched last year, bolsters the young Wildcats pitching staff. The sophomore has a 1.73 ERA and an 9-11 record, with four shutout wins. In her third season as head coach, Kate Drohan is relying on junior outfielder Erin Mobley and senior infielder Carri Leto for offensive output. Garland Cooper leads the team in team batting with a .367 average. Northwestern plays at Penn State Friday and Saturday before traveling to Columbus for a Sunday doubleheader with the Buckeyes.
LAST YEAR VS. THE WILDCATS
The Wildcats swept the Buckeyes, 5-2 and 10-3, April 5 in Evanston, Ill. Then-No. 20 Ohio State lost for the first time in the Big Ten in game one. A five-run sixth inning was all Northwestern needed, as the Buckeyes scored two runs in the first but could not advance a runner past second for the remainder of the game. Buckeye pitcher Kristi DeVries threw 5.1 innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs. Katie Chain relieved DeVries in the sixth after Northwestern got two on with one out, where she would later allow a two-run double to right-center that began the Wildcats sixth inning run fest.
In game two, Northwestern jumped out early and often, scoring four in the first inning to lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 victory. A bright spot for Ohio State was Amy Ellis hitting her first career homerun off the left field foul pole. In addition to Ellis, Annie Dedic and Kristine Himes led the offensive surge for the Buckeyes, with both going 2-for-4.
BUCKEYES DOMINANT AT HOME
Ohio State’s 11-2 record at Buckeye Field this season has been accompanied by some impressive statistics. As a team, the Buckeyes are hitting .308 in Columbus, compared to .175 for their opponents. Ohio State has slugged 34 extra-base hits, including nine home runs, compared to seven extra-base hits and no home runs for the opposition. OSU pitchers sport a 0.90 ERA at Buckeye Field, while opposing hurlers own a 5.12 ERA.
Individually, offensive leaders at Buckeye Field include Chelsea Baker (.588, 1 HR), Ashley Cutcliff (.412, 1 HR), Jamee Juarez (.400, 1 HR, 13 RBI), Christina Douglas (.400), Nycole Koyano (.387), Breana Pozzi (.300) and Karisa Evans (.278, 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 4-1 (1.33 ERA) and Chelsea Baker is 4-0 (1.52 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 has improved to 253-181-2 in her eighth season at Ohio State and 526-296-2 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 526-296-2 (.644) in her 16th season as a collegiate head coach and 253-181-2 (.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 a native of Utica. Fowler will be coaching the Buckeye outfielders in place of Drema Neal, who is on medical leave.
NO. 500 FOR DEVRIES
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.
OSU PERFECT AT BUCKEYE INVITATIONAL
With a 3-0 record at the Buckeye Invitational March 19-20, Ohio State improved to 16-0 all-time in their early-season tournament, which is in its fourth year. The Buckeyes defeated Loyola-Chicago, 3-0, and Robert Morris, 8-1, Friday and topped Northern Illinois, 11-3, Saturday before cold weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s slate of games.
Past teams that the Buckeyes have defeated in the tournament include Buffalo (2001), Cleveland State (2001), IUPUI (2001), Robert Morris (2002), Kent State (2002), Seton Hall (2002), Oakland (2003) and Morehead State (2003).
CUTCLIFF, JUAREZ ALL-TOURNEY TEAM MEMBERS
Ohio State junior Ashley Cutcliff and freshman Jamee Juarez both were named to the nine-member Buckeye Invitational All-Tournament Team. Cutcliff batted .833 (5-for-6) during the weekend with three RBI, while Juarez batted .556 (5-for-9) with a double, triple and four RBI. Juarez also went 1-0 on the mound with a 0.00 ERA in nine innings pitched.
BAKER, SCHWAB RECEIVE HONORS AT WINTHROP INVITATIONAL
Ohio State’s Chelsea Baker and Megan Schwab both were named to the all-tournament team of the Winthrop Invitational March 12-14.
Baker went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 15.0 innings during the tournament and tossed a one-hit shutout vs. Furman Saturday. She also was impressive with the bat, hitting .467 (7-for-15) with a double and home run.
Schwab batted .412 (7-for-17) during the weekend with two doubles, a home run and six RBI. Her home run, a leadoff homer vs. Jacksonville State, was her second of the season and her 4-for-4 performance vs. tournament host Winthrop was her second such perfect effort of the season.
DEVRIES PERFECT VS. WRIGHT STATE
Senior Kristi DeVries tossed a six-inning perfect game in Ohio State’s 8-0 mercy rule win vs. Wright State March 6 at the Dayton Flyer Invitational. DeVries set down all 18 Raider batters she faced, striking out a season-high 10 hitters and retiring the remaining eight batters with four ground-outs and four pop-outs. The Big Ten named her the league’s Pitcher of the Week for her efforts.
The game marked DeVries’ 20th career shutout (ranked 2nd all-time) and second career no-hitter, with her first coming April 17, 2002 vs. Morehead State. She took a perfect game into the seventh inning vs. Robert Morris as a freshman (March 20, 2001) but allowed a hit in the seventh inning.
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.
LOSSES FROM 2003 SQUAD
The 2003 senior class left Ohio State as the winningest class in the history of the program. 3B Kristine Himes, 2B Jennifer Link, IF Elizabeth Kacsanek, OF Rogeanna Hottinger, OF Amy Ellis, C Annie Dedic and P Katie Chain racked up 157 victories while wearing scarlet and gray.
Chain set career records at Ohio State for innings pitched (677.1), wins (67), strikeouts (692) and shutouts (26). She and Link received All-America honors in 2002, while Himes belted a school-record 41 career home runs.
2004 OUTLOOK
The Ohio State softball program is looking to return to their winning ways under the direction of head coach Linda Kalafatis, who is in her eighth season at the helm of the Buckeye program. A combination of new talent, experienced leaders, versatility and lights at Buckeye Field for the first time in program history should prove to add up to an exciting softball season in Columbus.
Ohio State finished 55-14 in 2002 but saw its record slip to 26-23 last season.
“We were not pleased with the second half of our season (last year) and I think that really has motivated our team,” Kalafatis said. “I think we have some very determined young ladies.”
In addition to a freshman class that will contribute immediately, Kalafatis is confident in her senior class, which consists of DeVries, McAbier and Pozzi.
“We have three seniors who are all capable of having their best seasons yet,” Kalafatis said. “So far they have provided good leadership for our team and they have the potential to leave as the winningest class in Ohio State softball history, like the two previous senior classes did.”
The pitching mound will have one of the Buckeyes’ leaders and all-time best pitchers this year in DeVries, who ranks second in career wins and strikeouts at Ohio State. The infield is perhaps where the most experience and the most versatility lies on the Buckeye squad. Returnees include DeVries, who doubles as a pitcher and first base player, McAbier, who led the team with 211 putouts last year at first base, Carder and Johnson, who shared time at shortstop last season, and Pozzi, who split time between third base and shortstop. A pair of catchers, junior Natalie Hales and sophomore Stacy Hibma, played in 16 and 28 games, respectively, last year. Rowlands, who played left field last season, will shift to center field this season and will be joined by returning starter junior Karisa Evans, who batted a team-high .345 in 2003.
BUCKEYES PERFECT IN FALL BALL
Ohio State fashioned a perfect 9-0 record during the fall over two weekends of tournament play. Once again Ohio State hosted the Ohio Collegiate Charity Classic, which raised nearly $10,000 for breast cancer research. Kalafatis’ squad won the event with a 5-0 record for the third consecutive year. A week later, the Buckeyes were a flawless 4-0 at the Wright State Fall Tournament in Dayton, Ohio.
NEXT UP
After the last home weekend for the Buckeyes, Ohio State will play host to Southeastern Conference opponent Kentucky in a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Buckeye Field. The Buckeyes then take to the road for the final three weekends of Big Ten play.
