Buckeye Softball Travels for Spring Break Tour in California – Ohio State Buckeyes
3/21/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 21, 2005
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Having won 10 of its last 11 games, the Ohio State softball team (14-6) travels to Southern California this week for a five-game spring break tour against Cal State Fullerton, Loyola Marymount and California-Riverside. Ohio State is coming off a 3-0 championship performance at home in the Buckeye Invitational last weekend to improve to 19-0 all-time in the four years of the event.
Ohio State departs Columbus Monday and will take on Cal State Fullerton Tuesday at 6 p.m. (PST), Loyola Marymount Thursday in a double-header starting at 1 p.m. (PST) and end the trip against California-Riverside Saturday at noon (PST).
Following their spring break trip, the Buckeyes begin Big Ten play with games at Wisconsin April 1-2 and at Minnesota April 3.
OSU WINS BUCKEYE INVITATIONAL
Ohio State won all three of its games in the Buckeye Invitational last weekend to win the tournament and remain undefeated all-time in the four-year event with a 19-0 record. Outscoring their opponents 36-16 in the three games, the Buckeyes defeated Ball State and Eastern Michigan Friday before topping Marshall Sunday in the tournament’s title game.
Ohio State’s four sophomores were all named to the all-tournament team, including Christina Douglas, Nycole Koyano, Jamee Juarez and Megan Schwab. During the weekend, Douglas hit .500, Koyano hit .556, Juarez hit .556 and went 3-0 in the circle, and Schwab hit a tournament-best .700.
JUAREZ EARNS BIG TEN HONORS
Ohio State sophomore Jamee Juarez was named the Big Ten softball Player of the Week Monday for the second time this season. She was named to the Buckeye Invitational all-tournament team after batting .556 (5-for-9) and pitching the Buckeyes to all three of their wins. Juarez totaled 15.1 innings pitched in the tournament and struck out 21 hitters, upping her career total to 194 strikeouts (see later notes).
Juarez earned her first conference player of the week award Feb. 22 after batting .700 (7-for-10) at the FAU Doubletree Classic in Boca Raton Feb. 18-20. She fashioned a 2-1 record in the circle with a 0.78 ERA in 18 innings pitched with 18 strikeouts.
BUCKEYES FARE WELL IN MARCH
Ohio State has an outstanding record in March over the last five seasons, which includes a 9-1 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.
OHIO STATE QUICK HITS
Ohio State is batting .326 (best in Big Ten) compared to .255 for its opponents. The Buckeyes have more doubles (29-15), triples (13-2), RBI (109-74) and stolen bases (36-15). OSU batters have more walks (72-44) and fewer strikeouts (75-113). Ohio State is batting .385 (10-for-26) with the bases loaded and .365 with runners in scoring position. In 129 innings played this season, the Buckeyes’ leadoff batter has reached base at a .450 clip. 42 percent of OSU’s 109 RBI (46) have come with two outs. Ohio State batters have a .547 success rate advancing runners.
Ohio State’s 12 triples are already more than the Buckeyes had in 60 games all of last season (7). OSU is outscoring the opposition 20-9 in the first inning this season and the Buckeyes are 13-1 when scoring first. OSU is 13-0 when leading after four innings, 10-0 when holding its opponent homerless and 13-0 when it outhits or has the same number of hits as its opponent.
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 has appeared in the last three games as a pinch runner, and in her last four games prior to that she batted .455 (5-for-11) and had two RBI in three of those games.
Liz Caputo is batting .450 (9-for-20) in her last eight games to raise her batting average to .317 on the season, the best average among the freshmen. She has started in 12 games in the outfield this season and her 12 RBI are tied for third on the team. A team-leading 10 of those RBI have come with two outs. Caputo has been to the plate with the bases loaded six times this season, more than any other Buckeye, and has three hits with the bases full. One of those hits was a grand slam against Long Island Feb. 27, a game in which she had an OSU freshman record seven RBI.
Billie Jo Carder collected a career-high four hits in Ohio State’s 12-7 win over Marshall in the championship of the Buckeye Invitational March 20. She is batting .421 in her last 12 games to raise her batting average to .354. Carder has made 12 starts already this season after making 13 all of last year. Her grand slam against Mississippi State March 6 helped vault OSU to an 11-0 win. Carder is batting .471 with runners in scoring position, which ranks second on the squad.
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 .400 (8-for-20) this season, which ranks third on the team.
Christina Douglas was named to the all-tournament team of the Buckeye Invitational March 18-20 after hitting .500 (4-for-8) in the event with two doubles, a grand slam and eight RBI. She has started all but two games this season at first base. Her six game hitting streak from Feb. 27 to March 6 was the best of her career and is tied for the best on the team this season. Her 58 at bats this season are tops on the team and her 19 hits are tied for second.
Karisa Evans has started in 18 games this season at three different positions. Ohio State is 2-0 when she starts at third base and 10-3 when she starts in right field. 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). She is now hitting .300 overall, which jumps to .409 with runners on base.
Nicole Gragson pitched six solid innings against Iowa (now ranked No. 23) 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.
Natalie Hales has a hit in three of her last four games. Four of her five hits this season have come with two outs. Jennifer Johnson owns a team-best 41 fielding assists in 2005 and her 31 putouts rank fifth.
Stacy Hibma has three home runs in her last three games played. She blasted two home runs against Boston March 5, her career-best, then hit a three-run homer against Eastern Michigan March 18. Her three RBI against EMU are a career-best. Stephanie Hill was in the starting lineup March 5 vs. Boston in the flex spot and has scored a run in four of her last five games played. She has entered games as a substitute 13 times this season, most on the squad.
Jamee Juarez has won eight consecutive decisions, with three of those coming last weekend in the Buckeye Invitational when she was named to the all-tournament team. In addition to pitching OSU to each of its three wins in the event, she batted.556 (5-for-9) to raise her batting average to .413 for the season, which ranks second on the team. Her 19 hits are tied for second and her 12 RBI are tied for third. Juarez is nearing 200 career strikeouts (see later note). Her average goes up to .474 with runners in scoring position, and her .656 success rate advancing runners is second-best on the team. Juarez owns a team-best .542 on base percentage. She has been named the Big Ten Player of the Week twice in 2005.
Nycole Koyano leads Ohio State in runs scored (16) and walks (17). She hit her team-leading fifth triple of the season March 20 vs. Marshall, which is already tied for the fifth-most triples in a season in OSU history (see later note). Koyano was named to the all-tournament team of the Buckeye Invitational March 18-20 after batting .556 (5-for-9) to raise her season batting average to .380, which ranks fourth on the team. Her 19 hits this season are tied for second on the team and her .537 on base percentage is second. Koyano set 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.
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 .286 (4-for-14) this season. Meghan Rowlands had five hits in her first 12 at bats this season, including the game-winning RBI vs. Pittsburgh, Feb. 19. She went 2-for-3 against Eastern Michigan March 18 with a triple and an RBI. Rowlands has started in center field in 12 games in 2005.
Megan Schwab leads Ohio State in batting average (.421), hits (24), doubles (6), home runs (5), slugging percentage (.825) and has a 1.000 fielding percentage. She is currently sporting a six-game hitting streak, during which time she is batting .667 (12-for-18). Schwab leads the team in multiple-hit games (7) and multiple-RBI games (7). She was named to the all-tournament team of the Buzz Classic March 4-6 and the Buckeye Invitational March 18-20. Schwab’s average jumps up to .538 with runners in scoring position and her .659 success rate advancing runners is best on the team.
Andrea Tribuzi made two pitching appearances in the Buzz Classic and has five on the season. Brittany Vanderink leads Ohio State in stolen bases this season with eight (8-for-8). She has started 10 games this season and is batting .275, which jumps to .455 (5-for-11) with runners in scoring position. Vanderink’s three triples this season are tied for the second-most ever by a freshman at OSU and are one shy of the freshman record.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
Ohio State’s .326 batting average is best in the Big Ten. OSU also leads the Big Ten in triples (12) and on base percentage (.416). Despite the fact that every Big Ten school except one has played more games than Ohio State, the Buckeyes still rank second in stolen bases (36), third in runs scored (129) and RBI (109) and fourth in home runs (16).
Individually, Megan Schwab (.421) and Jamee Juarez (.413) rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in the conference in batting average. Schwab ranks third in slugging percentage (.825) and eighth in RBI (19). Stacy Hibma ranks No. 6 in slugging percentage (.750), while Karisa Evans ranks third in sacrifice bunts. Nycole Koyano’s five triples are tops in the Big Ten and her 17 walks are third. Brittany Vanderink’s three triples rank tied for second and her eight stolen bases are seventh. Among the pitching leaders, Juarez ranks fourth in wins (10) and ninth in innings pitched (75.1).
SIZING UP THE COMPETITION
Ohio State first opponent this week, Cal State Fullerton is coming off three consecutive losses, all at the hands of ranked teams, during the Titans’ own prestigious Kia Classic last weekend in Fullerton, Calif. CS-Fullerton is 9-10 overall and will host No. 14 Washington Tuesday before taking on the Buckeyes. The Titans return five starters from last year’s team that went an uncharacteristic 18-34, but already in 2005 CSF has knocked off No. 3 UCLA and No. 7 Georgia. A year ago, Ohio State defeated CSF at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, 7-2.
Loyola Marymount, located in Los Angeles, is 14-10 so far this season and is coming off a 4-2 performance in Hawaii last weekend. The Lions return 11 starters from their 2004 squad that went 33-13 but was not selected for the postseason. LMU has outhomered the opposition this season, 24-11, and outscored them 101-66.
The Buckeyes end their spring break trip with a game against California-Riverside, of the Big West Conference. The Highlanders are 7-23 entering the week and are hoping to improve on last season’s 13-50 overall record. The game will mark a homecoming for Ohio State freshman Liz Caputo, who is from Riverside.
BUCKEYES AT OR NEAR MILESTONES
Ohio State’s win over Marshall March 20 was the 550th in the coaching career of Linda Kalafatis. She has 277 of those wins at Ohio State.
Sophomore Jamee Juarez is six strikeouts shy of reaching 200 strikeouts for her career. With 21 strikeouts last weekend in the Buckeye Invitational, she now has 194 K’s, which already ranks seventh all-time in Ohio State history.
Sophomore Nycole Koyano has five triples this season, which ranks fifth for triples in a season. The four players above her on the single-season triples list all earned All-America honors. And speaking of triples, freshman Brittany Vanderink has three triples this season, which is tied for second-most ever by a freshman and is one shy of the freshman record.
OSU TAKES SECOND AT BUZZ CLASSIC
The Buckeyes went 6-1 record and were the tournament runners-up 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.
KALAFATIS IN YEAR NINE AT OSU
Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis enters her ninth season at the helm of the Buckeyes’ softball program in 2005. She is already OSU’s all-time wins leader with 277 victories in Columbus (277-198-0, .579), and her overall record stands at 550-313-2 (.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! ###
