Ohio State Softball Hosts Buckeye Invitational This Weekend – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 14, 2005
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ohio State softball team (11-6) will play its first home games of 2005 at Buckeye Field this weekend as host of the Buckeye Invitational. The event, which is in its fifth year, welcomes five visiting teams to Columbus, including Notre Dame, Ball State, Marshall, Oakland and Eastern Michigan.
Ohio State has won seven of its last eight games this season and is aiming to remain perfect in the Buckeye Invitational, where OSU is 16-0 in the four years of the event.
Friday the Buckeyes take on Ball State at 4 p.m. and Eastern Michigan at 6 p.m., while Saturday will feature a 7 p.m. match-up with Notre Dame. The tournament will conclude Sunday with a 4 p.m. game against Marshall. Following the Buckeye Invitational, Ohio State will head west for a six day spring break trip to southern California for games against Cal State Fullerton, Loyola Marymount and Cal Riverside.
OSU PERFECT IN BUCKEYE INVITE
Ohio State has not been defeated in the four years of the Buckeye Invitational, fashioning a perfect 16-0 record in the event’s history. Past teams that the Buckeyes have defeated in the tournament include Buffalo (2001), Cleveland State (2001), IUPUI (2001), Robert Morris (2002, 04), Kent State (2002), Seton Hall (2002), Oakland (2003), Morehead State (2003), Loyola-Chicago (2004) and Northern Illinois (2004).
BUCKEYES FARE WELL IN MARCH
Ohio State has an outstanding record in March over the last five seasons, which includes a 6-1 record already this season. A year ago, Ohio State was 12-4 in March, building on a 12-4 record in 2003, a 20-7 record in 2002 and a 17-7 record in 2001. Winning streaks during those years included seven games in 2004, nine in 2003, 14 in 2002 and 12 in 2001.
OSU TAKES SECOND AT BUZZ CLASSIC
The Buckeyes are coming off a 6-1 record and runner-up finish March 4-6 at the Buzz Classic hosted by Georgia Tech. In the four games of pool play, the Buckeyes outscored their opponents 32-13 and entered the single-elimination tournament undefeated at 4-0. Ohio State beat Mississippi State, 11-0, in the quarterfinals and then knocked off host and 19th-ranked Georgia Tech, 5-3 in the semifinals before falling to Iowa in the championship game. As a team, Ohio State batted .328 in the tournament, fourth best overall, and had a 2.64 team ERA, fifth best overall.
JUAREZ, SCHWAB, CARDER LEAD OSU AT BUZZ CLASSIC
Among Ohio State’s offensive exploits and big wins at the Buzz Classic March 4-6, three individual performances warrant special recognition. Sophomores Jamee Juarez and Megan Schwab and junior Billie Jo Carder had outstanding weekends, helping the Buckeyes to a runner-up finishing at the event.
Schwab earned a spot on the all-tournament team after batting .435 (10-for-23) during the weekend with five home runs and 11 RBI. She hit two home runs against Mississippi State and the game-tying homer against No. 19 Georgia Tech. Juarez was perfect in the circle with a 4-0 record and 0.00 ERA in 24 innings pitched and held hitters to a .155 batting average. Carder batted .409 (9-for-22) with a grand slam against Mississippi State and finished the weekend with seven RBI.
OHIO STATE QUICK HITS
Ohio State is batting .310 (2nd in Big Ten) compared to just .252 for its opponents. The Buckeyes have more doubles (18-9), triples (8-1), RBI (80-61) and stolen bases (28-11). OSU batters have more walks (53-36) and fewer strikeouts (60-90). Ohio State is batting.350 (7-for-20) with the bases loaded and .355 with runners in scoring position. In 109 innings played this season, the Buckeyes’ leadoff batter has reached base at a .422 clip. Nearly half of OSU’s 80 RBI, 39 to be exact, have come with two outs. Ohio State batters have a .540 success rate advancing runners.
Ohio State’s eight triples are already more than the Buckeyes had in 60 games all of last season (7). Buckeye pitchers have at least five strikeouts in each of the last seven games and in 11 of 17 games overall, while those same pitchers have one or fewer walks in each of the last four games and in eight games overall. OSU is outscoring the opposition 21-5 in the second inning this season.
Ohio State is 9-2 when holding its opponents to five or fewer runs. The Buckeyes are 10-1 when they score first and 4-0 when scoring in the first inning (OSU is 1-5 when opponents score first and 2-2 when opponents score in the first inning). Ohio State is 10-0 when leading after four innings. The Buckeyes are 10-0 when they outhit their opponent or have the same number of hits (1-6 otherwise) and OSU is 8-0 when its opponent does not hit a home run.
NOTING THE BUCKEYES
Chelsea Baker’s two-run home run in the seventh inning against 19th-ranked Georgia Tech March 6 was her second of the season and fifth of her career. She is batting .455 (5-for-11) in her last four games and had two RBI in three of those games. Baker’s triple March 4 vs. South Dakota State was the first of her career. Her batting average jumps to .375 with runners on base and .400 with runners in scoring position. OSU is 3-0 when she starts in the outfield this season.
Liz Caputo is batting .438 (7-for-16) in her last six games to raise her season batting average to .297. She has started in centerfield in six of OSU’s last 10 games. Against Long Island Feb. 27, Caputo went 3-for-3 with a three-run home run and a grand slam for seven RBI, which was one shy of the school record and the most ever by a freshman. Her 12 RBI rank second on the team and a team-leading 10 of those have come with two outs. Caputo is 3-for-5 with the bases loaded and is batting .357 (5-for-14) with runners in scoring position.
Billie Jo Carder hit .409 (9-for-22) during the Buzz Classic to raise her season batting average to .316. In the first three games of the tournament, she was a blistering 7-for-11 (.636) at the plate, and in OSU’s quarterfinal win over Mississippi State she belted a first-inning grand slam. Carder has started in each of the last nine games and set three single-game career-highs during the Buzz Classic, including at bats (5), hits (3) and RBI (4).
Ashley Cutcliff notched three hits in a game for the sixth time in her career when she went 3-for-3 vs. Long Island Feb. 27. She went 2-for-2 against SDSU March 4 and is batting a team-best .429 (6-for-14) this season.
Christina Douglas has played in all 17 games this season and started in 16, all at first base. Her six game hitting streak from Feb. 27 to March 6 was the best of her career and the best on the team this season. Douglas batted .500 (9-for-18) during that stretch and pushed her total of multiple hit games up to four, which is tied for the team lead. She leads the Buckeyes in at bats (50), is second in hits (15) and is tied for first in runs (10).
Karisa Evans has started 15-of-17 games this season and had at least one hit in four of OSU’s seven games at the Buzz Classic. She went 2-for-2 with an RBI single and a three-run double against Boston March 5 for a career-best four RBI. She had a big start to the season, collecting five hits in her first 11 at bats (.455).
Nicole Gragson pitched six solid innings against Iowa (now ranked No. 24) March 6 in the championship game of the Buzz Classic. Her six innings, as well as her four strikeouts, are her career best. She had her first collegiate win March 4 when she went four innings to beat SDSU. Catcher Natalie Hales has thrown out three would-be base stealers this season, while short stop Jennifer Johnson owns a team-best 33 fielding assists in 2005.
Stacy Hibma belted two home runs against Boston March 5, her career-best. Her two runs scored, two RBI and two hits in that game all either set or tied career-highs. Stephanie Hill was in the starting lineup March 5 vs. Boston in the flex spot and has scored a run in three of her last four games played.
Jamee Juarez is batting .378 and leads the Buckeyes with a .521 on base percentage. In the circle, she leads the pitching staff in innings pitched (60), wins (7), strikeouts (58) and lowest opponent batting average (.202). Juarez delivered four of OSU’s six wins at the Buzz Classic (see earlier note).
Nycole Koyano tied an OSU single-game record in the Buckeyes’ season-opening 8-0 win vs. Rutgers with two triples. She went 4-for-4 with three RBI in that game, both career-bests. Koyano is batting .341 overall, .400 with two outs and has reached base 11 times in 23 chances as OSU’s first batter of the inning.
Nicole Lancaster had a career-best day March 5 against SDSU when she went 2-for-2 with two runs scored, an RBI and a double. She is batting .364 (4-for-11) this season. Meghan Rowlands had five hits in her first 12 at bats this season, including the game-winning RBI vs. Pittsburgh, Feb. 19.
Megan Schwab was named to the Buzz Classic all-tournament team (see earlier note). In her last seven games she has raised her average from .286 to .362, which ranks fourth on the team and second among the regular starters. Schwab leads the Buckeyes in hits (17), doubles (4), home runs (5), RBI (14), total bases (38) and slugging percentage (.809). She ups her average to .421 with runners in scoring position and to .474 with two outs. Schwab’s five multiple RBI games are best on the squad.
Andrea Tribuzi made two pitching appearances in the Buzz Classic and has five on the season. Brittany Vanderink has started in six of OSU’s last 10 games and is batting .333 (7-for-21) over that stretch. Her three triples this season are tied for the second-most ever by a freshman at OSU and are one shy of the freshman record. She is batting .306 this season, best among the freshmen, and raises that to .556 (5-for-9) with runners in scoring position and .750 (3-for-4) with two outs.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
Ohio State’s .310 batting average ranks second in the Big Ten, as does the Buckeyes’ 93 runs, 80 RBI, .480 slugging percentage, .393 on base percentage and 28 stolen bases. OSU leads the conference in triples with eight and ranks fourth in home runs with 14. The Buckeyes’ .967 fielding percentage is fourth.
Individually, Ashley Cutcliff’s .429 batting average ranks third and her .500 on base percentage is seventh. Megan Schwab’s .809 slugging percentage is third and her five home runs rank fifth. Schwab’s 38 total bases are tied for fourth. Nycole Koyano and Brittany Vanderink share the Big Ten lead in triples with three each. Koyano’s 12 walks are tied for third. Jamee Juarez ranks fifth in on base percentage at .521 and, in the pitching department, her 58 strikeouts are eighth. Her 60 innings pitched are seventh and her seven wins are fifth.
SIZING UP THE COMPETITION
Ohio State’s first opponent this weekend, Ball State, travels to the Buckeye Invitational with a 4-12 record but is 3-4 in its last seven games, with two of those losses coming at the hands of No. 21 Missouri. Six starters are back in 2005 for Ball State, with junior 1B Kathryn Pilger leading the offense with a .333 average and five doubles.
Eastern Michigan is 0-4 so far this season, but those losses came at No. 29 Arizona State and at No. 1 Arizona. Seven starters return for the Eagles, including senior IF Liz Flack, who went 4-for-10 against ASU and Arizona, including a home run.
Notre Dame, an NCAA regional tournament team in 2004 that finished with 49 wins, is off to an 11-7 start in 2005, which includes wins over ranked South Florida, Florida and Tennessee teams. The Fighting Irish have won five in a row and seven of their last eight. Senior OF Megan Ciolli (.357, 2 HR, 10 RBI) and junior OF Kellie Middleton (.333, 1 HR, 5 RBI) lead the UND offense, while junior P Heather Booth is 7-3 with a 1.30 ERA in the circle.
Marshall, which won a school-record 41 games in 2003 but slipped to 31-27 a year ago, is aiming for big things this season, which will be the Thundering Herd’s last in the Mid-American Conference before entering Conference-USA after the season. Offensive leaders this season include Rachel Folden (.417, 2 HR, 17 RBI) and twin sisters Amanda (.383, 1 HR, 11 RBI) and Jessica Williams (.333, 9 RBI). Randi Nielson leads the pitching staff with a 6-4 record and 3.75 ERA.
Oakland, which does not play Ohio State in the tournament this weekend, is 3-13 on the season but won two of its last three games last weekend at the Winthrop Ringor Classic in Rock Hill, S.C. The Golden Grizzlies return seven starters from last year’s squad, which went 11-42.
JUAREZ EARNS BIG TEN HONORS
Sophomore Jamee Juarez was named the Big Ten softball co-player of the week Feb. 22. At the plate, Juarez went 7-for-10 (.700) during the FAU Doubletree Classic in Boca Raton Feb. 18-20 and fashioned a 2-1 record in the circle with a 0.78 ERA in 18 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts. In the field, she posted a 1.000 fielding percentage on nine opportunities in the circle and at third base. Juarez had at least one hit in each of Ohio State’s five games, going 3-for-5 in the first two games and 4-for-5 in the final three games when she also notched both her two pitching wins.
A GLANCE BACK AT 2004
The Buckeyes posted a 35-25 overall record in 2004 (8-11 Big Ten) and made trips to the Big Ten and NCAA Regional tournaments. OSU earned a No. 6 seed in the Big Ten tournament and knocked off No. 3 seed Iowa before falling to No. 2 seed Illinois. At regionals, the Buckeyes topped Bethune-Cookman but were eliminated from the bracket by South Florida and Cal State-Northridge.
Seniors Kristi DeVries, Beth McAbier and Breana Pozzi concluded their Ohio State careers with 160 wins, marking a new school record for wins by one class. DeVries, a pitcher, leaves OSU ranked No. 2 in the career record book for wins (59), strikeouts (624), ERA (1.52) and shutouts (19). She and McAbier return in 2005 as volunteer assistant coaches.
Last year’s freshman class of P/3B Jamee Juarez, LF Megan Schwab, 2B Nycole Koyano and OF/DP Christina Douglas not only made an immediate impact for the Buckeyes, they rewrote many OSU freshman records along with way. She page 10 of this release for their rank among OSU’s all-time best freshmen.
KALAFATIS IN YEAR NINE AT OSU
Ohio State head coach enters her ninth season at the helm of the Buckeyes’ softball program in 2005. She is already OSU’s all-time wins leader with 274 victories in Columbus (274-198-0, .579), and her overall record stands at 547-313-2 (.636) in 17 years as a collegiate head coach. Kalafatis has guided Ohio State to the NCAA tournament in two of the last three years and was named the 2002 Big Ten Coach of the Year. She is assisted by former Buckeyes Belinda Quisenberry and Chrissy Fowler.
### Go Bucks! ###
