Buckeye Softball To Host Butler and Dayton – Ohio State Buckeyes
4/5/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 5, 2004
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team, fresh off its first weekend of Big Ten games of the 2004 season, returns to non-conference action this week with a pair of double-headers at Buckeye Field. Ohio State (19-12, 2-2 Big Ten) will host Butler at 5 p.m. Tuesday and take on Dayton at 5 p.m. Wednesday. The Buckeyes will then depart Thursday evening for Ann Arbor, Mich., for a pair of games Friday and Saturday against Big Ten-leader and ninth-ranked Michigan.
Ohio State went 1-1 against both Minnesota and Wisconsin last weekend in Columbus. 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 are 5-2 at home this season and following a two-game series at Michigan this weekend return to Columbus to play nine consecutive games at Buckeye Field.
A pair of prestigious milestones are within the grasp of both the 2004 Buckeye seniors and head coach Linda Kalafatis. With 146 wins, the senior class is 11 victories shy of the Ohio State record for wins by one class, which is currently held by the 2003 senior class with 157 wins. In addition, Kalafatis is just three wins away from earning her 250th win at the helm of the Ohio State program. She is 247-179-2 in her eighth season in Columbus and 520-294-2 overall in her 16th season as a collegiate head coach.
BUCKEYES AMONG BEST IN BIG TEN
In overall Big Ten statistics as of March 29, Ohio State boasts the league’s third-best offense and fourth-best pitching staff. The Buckeyes’ .293 average (currently .284) was No. 3 and their 1.54 ERA (currently 1.55) was No. 4 in the conference, as was their .401 slugging percentage (currently .394). OSU’s .363 on-base percentage was No. 3 (currently .361). In addition, Ohio State ranks as the toughest team in the Big Ten to strike out, as the Buckeyes have been fanned just 110 times in 696 at bats for a Big Ten-low .158 strikeout average (currently 126 strikeouts in 805 at bats (.157 strikeout average).
Individually, freshman Nycole Koyano ranked sixth in batting average (.386, currently .361) and second in walks (15, currently 17) and on-base percentage (.488, currently .465). Junior Karisa Evans ranked ninth in on-base percentage (.435, currently .426), while freshman Jamee Juarez ranked seventh in RBI (20, currently 21). Juarez and senior Kristi DeVries both rank among the Big Ten’s Top 15 pitchers with 78 and 95 strikeouts, respectively.
DEVRIES STRIKES OUT NO. 500
Senior Kristi DeVries has lowered her ERA from 3.78 (as of Feb. 27) to 1.26 in her last 10 starts, in which she is 7-3 with 85 strikeouts. Her three-hit shutout of Wisconsin Sunday was her 23rd career shutout, which are 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.
NOTING THE BUCKEYES
Ohio State is already on its way to turning around last season’s 5-11 Big Ten record. The Buckeyes are 2-2 in the conference against teams that swept Ohio State a year ago. Ohio State has out-scored its opponents 30-10 in the first inning this season, which marks the team’s highest run producing inning. The Buckeyes are 18-3 when out-hitting their opponents and 15-2 when scoring first. In the month of March, Ohio State out-hit its opponents, 150-69, and out-scored them, 87-33. Of the Buckeyes’ first 10 opponents this season, all but one was selected for the NCAA tournament last season and six are currently ranked or receiving votes in the national polls.
Freshman Jamee Juarez has driven in 21 runs this season, which leads the team and is moving up the charts for RBI in a season by a freshman (the record is 35 by Kristine Himes in 2000). The last time a freshman led Ohio State in RBI was Stacy Roth in 1999 with 31. Freshman Nycole Koyano has raised her batting average from .105 (as of Feb. 28) to .361. Over that period, she has hit safely in 19-of-22 games and fashioned a team-best eight-game hitting streak. Koyano’s 10 stolen bases are just two shy of the Ohio State record for stolen bases by a freshman, which is held by Candace Kollen in 1995. Sophomore Chelsea Baker has hit safely in her last eight consecutive games to tie Koyano for the team’s best hitting streak this season. In her last 10 games, Baker has raised her average from .100 (as of March 6) to .379.
In 13 starts in the circle this season, senior Kristi DeVries has not allowed a walk in five games. DeVries allowed no walks in just two games all of last season. In her last three starts, DeVries has collected 30 strikeouts while allowing only three walks and one earned run. Of senior Beth McAbier’s 11 hits this season, six are doubles. Senior Breana Pozzi entered last weekend’s Big Ten games without an RBI this season, but drove in three runs, which tied her career-high, in Ohio State’s 9-6 win vs. Minnesota Saturday.
BUCKEYE LEADERS
With four base hits in Big Ten play over the weekend, junior Karisa Evans took over the team-lead in hits with 31. She is batting .348 with three doubles and two homeruns. Two Ohio State freshmen are right behind Evans in hits, as Nycole Koyano (.361) and Megan Schwab (.313) both have 30 hits. Schwab belted her team-leading third homerun of the season, a three-run shot, in OSU’s 9-6 win vs. Minnesota Saturday. Schwab’s 16 RBI are second-most on the team behind freshman Jamee Juarez’s 21. Ashley Cutcliff leads the squad in batting average (.409), slugging percentage (.614) and owns 12 RBI, while Chelsea Baker is batting .379 and leads the team in on-base percentage (.526). Other offensive leaders include Meghan Rowlands (.298), Juarez (.283), Billie Jo Carder (.267), Breana Pozzi (.262) and Natalie Hales (.246). Kristi DeVries leads the pitching staff in strikeouts with 95 and is 7-6 with a 1.26 ERA. Juarez (9-5, 2.12 ERA) has collected 78 strikeouts, while Baker (3-1) leads the team in ERA (1.05) and opponents’ low batting average (.163).
A LOOK AT BUTLER
The Butler Bulldogs are 7-23 overall this season but own a 3-2 record in the Horizon League and are 3-3 in their last six games. Head coach Tom Spencer returns 15 letterwinners this season, including seven starters, from last year’s squad that went 18-31 overall and 8-13 in league play. Melissa Lemrick leads the Bulldogs with a .342 batting average, while other offensive leaders include JoAnna Gonzalez (.333, 34 hits) and Jamie Bradley (.329, 9 2B, 13 RBI). Melissa Benter (3-6, 3.05 ERA) and Jamie Wonderly (3-9, 4.76) lead the Butler pitching staff.
A LOOK AT DAYTON
The Dayton Flyers are 10-19 overall this season and will be facing Ohio State for the second time in 2004. The Buckeyes took a 9-1 win over the Flyers March 6 in Dayton as Ohio State’s Jamee Juarez threw a three-hitter. The Flyers are led by Angie Barney (.320, 11 RBI) and Shannon St. Clair (.265) at the plate, while Lindsay Jordan is batting .333 (7-for-21). Melissa Myher leads the pitching staff with an 8-7 record and a 2.17 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 146 victories while wearing scarlet and gray, which is 11 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.
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 518-292-2 (.643) in her 16th season as a collegiate head coach and 245-177-2 (.581) in her eighth season at the helm of the Ohio State program.
OHIO STATE PERFECT IN 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 NAMED BUCKEYE INVITATIONAL ALL-STARS
Ohio State junior Ashley Cutcliff and freshman Jamee Juarez both were named to the nine-member Buckeye Invitational All-Tournament Team last weekend. 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.
WINTHROP INVITATIONAL RECAP
Ohio State traveled to Rock Hill, S.C., March 12-14 and placed second at the Winthrop Invitational. The Buckeyes went 4-0 in pool play then defeated Jacksonville State, 10-1, in the semifinals. Ohio State was defeated by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-0, in the tournament championship game.
The Buckeyes batted .395 during the tournament, compared to .189 for their opponents, and in their five wins OSU out-scored the opposition, 38-6. Twelve different players batted .300 or better during the weekend, led by Nycole Koyano (.562, 9-for-16), Ashley Cutcliff (.500, 6-for-12) and Chelsea Baker (.467, 7-for-15).
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 homerun. Schwab batted .412 (7-for-17) during the weekend with two doubles, a homerun and six RBI. Her homerun, 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 last Saturday 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. DeVries currently ranks second in the Ohio State career record book in both wins (51) and strikeouts (521).
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.
A HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR JUAREZ
Freshman Jamee Juarez celebrated her 19th birthday Feb. 15 with an outstanding performance in Ohio State’s 6-3 win vs. then-No. 19 Arizona State. The La Puente, Calif., native pitched all seven innings, allowing just six hits, and got the job done at the plate, as well, with a grand slam homerun to put the Buckeyes on top, 5-0, in the fourth inning. In the Arizona State Fiesta Bowl Tournament, which marked her collegiate debut, Juarez was 3-0 on the mound with a 1.00 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 21 innings of work.
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 homeruns.
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 (44) and strikeouts (426) 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 leftfield last season, will shift to centerfield 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
Ohio State will get back into Big Ten play this weekend with a pair of games at Michigan. The Wolverines, who are co-leaders in the league with a 4-0 record, are ranked ninth in the nation and will host the Buckeyes for a 4 p.m. game Friday and a 1 p.m. contest Saturday. Ohio State will then play its next nine games at Buckeye Field.
### Go Bucks! ###
