No. 21 Ohio State Hosts NCAA Regional at Buckeye Field – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/16/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 16, 2007
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SETTING THE SCENE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The NCAA tournament returns to Buckeye Field this weekend for the first time since 1990 when Big Ten regular-season and tournament champion and 21st-ranked Ohio State welcomes Cal State Fullerton, No. 13 Virginia Tech and Canisius for one of 16 regionals around the country. The double-elimination tournament includes two games Friday, three games Saturday and the championship game Sunday, which could include a second game Sunday if needed to eliminate the final team.
In the opening game at 5 p.m. Friday, Atlantic Coast Conference champion and the tournament’s overall No. 16 seed Virginia Tech (48-14) will face Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference champ and the regional’s No. 4 seed Canisius (27-19). At 7:30 p.m. Friday, the regional’s No. 2 seed Ohio State (38-16) will put their perfect 19-0 record at home this season on the line against Fullerton (34-20), which finished second in the Big West Conference and earned the No. 3 seed in the regional.
The winner of the Ohio State regional will face the winner of the Arizona regional, hosted by top-seeded and defending national champion Arizona in Tucson.
OHIO STATE REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday:
Game 1: Virginia Tech vs. Canisius – 5 p.m.
Game 2: Ohio State vs. Cal State Fullerton – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday:
Game 3: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 – 1 p.m.
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3 – 6 p.m.
Sunday:
Game 6: Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 – 1 p.m.
Game 7: If needed, Winner G6 vs. Loser Game 6 – 3:30 p.m.
IF YOU GO:
Tickets: Available at the gate, from www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com or 1-800-GoBucks
Who to Watch:
Ohio State: Jamee Juarez (Sr., P/3B). She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Big Ten tournament and is 17-1 since the middle of March. Juarez, who ranks third all-time in career RBI, owns four OSU career pitching records and her 224 strikeouts this season are a single-season record.
Cal State Fullerton: Candace Baker (Sr., P/UTL). For the second-consecutive year, she was named first-team All-Big West at both of her positions. Baker, who is 17-11 in the circle and owns a .276 batting average, went all eight innings and had the game-winning RBI in Fullerton’s 5-4 win over Ohio State earlier this season.
Virginia Tech: Angela Tincher (Jr., P). She is a Top 10 Finalist for USA Softball Player of the Year and for good reason. Tincher is 37-5 with 22 shutouts and 581 strikeouts in 291.2 innings pitched this season. The Buckeyes beat her, 4-0, March 10, but Tincher then no-hit Ohio State March 11.
Canisius: Courtney Piar (Sr., P). A native of nearby Mount Vernon, Ohio, she is returning home to Central Ohio this weekend having won nine of her last 10 decisions to improve to 11-5 in the circle this season with a 1.61 ERA and 171 strikeouts. Opponents are batting only .140 against her.
IF YOU’RE SCORING AT HOME:
GameTracker: www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com
Live Audio (all games): www.OhioStateSports.com
For More Information: Check www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com for box scores, schedule updates, etc.
ALL-TIME SERIES: All three teams are making their first visit to Buckeye Field this weekend.
Ohio State vs.
– Cal State Fullerton: CSF leads 15-4 (Fullerton has won three in a row over OSU, including 5-4 in eight innings in Fullerton March 24.)
– Virginia Tech: Tech leads 2-1 (Two meetings in Clearwater, Fla., March 10-11 resulted in 4-0 OSU win, then 2-0 VaTech win, Tincher no-hitter.)
– Canisius: OSU leads 1-0 (won 3-0 3/7/99 at Kentucky Invitational.)
FIVE WARM-UP PITCHES
1. Ohio State is 19-0 at Buckeye Field this season, where OSU has played 11 of its last 12 games and is 315-121 (.723) all-time.
2. Ohio State is hosting an NCAA regional for the second time (1990). Both times the Buckeyes won the Big Ten, they were given a home regional.
3. In June, a $5.1 million renovation project will begin at Buckeye Field, which opened in 1988.
4. Senior Jamee Juarez was named the Big Ten tournament’s most outstanding player and joined five other Buckeyes on the all-tournament team.
5. The Buckeyes are 31-5 when they score first.
BUCKEYES IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
Ohio State is making its fifth appearance in the NCAA tournament and second as host of a regional. The Buckeyes are 5-8 at regionals and are seeking their first trip to Super Regionals.
– 2006, Tucson (Ariz.) Regional: beat Auburn 1-0 (10 inn.), lost to Arizona 6-3, lost to Auburn 4-0.
– 2004, Tallahassee (Fla.) Regional: lost to South Florida 2-0, beat Bethune-Cookman 2-0, lost to Cal State Northridge 4-2.
– 2002, Ann Arbor (Mich.) Regional: beat Central Michigan 7-0, lost to Michigan 3-0, beat Washington 2-1, lost to Michigan 4-0.
– 1990, Midwest Regional, Columbus, Ohio: lost to Kent State 4-0, beat Oregon 2-0, lost to Kent State 5-3.
Prior to and during the formation of the NCAA tournament in 1982, the Buckeyes made three trips to the AIAW tournament (1978, 1979, 1982 AIAW World Series).
FOLLOW THE ACTION LIVE ON THE WEB
Ohio State’s student radio station will broadcast all games of the regional live and free on its website at www.OhioStateSports.com, with Josh Ellis, Gabe Norris and Joey D’Amico bringing the call. GameTracker will have live statistics for all games at www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Links are found on the tournament central page. Click on the NCAA logo on the softball homepage.
OSU WINS BIG TEN AND BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
After winning the Big Ten title in the final weekend of the regular season with two wins at Buckeye Field over Penn State, Ohio State added more hardware to the trophy case last weekend by also winning the Big Ten tournament at home to secure the program’s first automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
En route to the program’s first Big Ten tournament crown, the top-seeded Buckeyes dominated No. 8 seed Penn State 10-2 in the quarterfinals and No. 5 seed Purdue 10-1 in the semifinals before knocking off No. 2 seed and sixth-ranked Northwestern in the championship game Saturday live on CSTV. It marked Ohio State’s first game on national television and the highest-ranked opponent to fall at Buckeye Field.
OHIO STATE AT A GLANCE
Since seeing its record dip to 14-12 on March 21, Ohio State has gone 24-4 overall, won the Big Ten (14-2) and improved its perfect record at home to 19-0 last weekend by winning the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes are 4-5 against ranked teams this season, with wins coming against (ranking at time of game) No. 6 Northwestern (5/12), at No. 7 Northwestern (4/13) and on neutral fields over No. 26 Virginia Tech (3/10), No. 17 Cal (2/24) and No. 22 Fresno State (2/23).
In Big Ten games only, Ohio State led the Big Ten in batting (.319) and fielding (.973) and ranked third in pitching (2.50 ERA). Overall, the Buckeyes are hitting .297 as a team, compared to .221 by their opponents. The pitching staff owns a 2.29 ERA, which is almost two full runs lower than the opposition (4.24).
At the plate, the Buckeyes are led by freshman Sam Marder (.378, 10 HR, 48 RBI, 42 BB). Four other Buckeyes are batting over .300, including sophomore Courtney Pruner (.346, 6 HR, 35 RBI, .529 avg. lat 20 games), junior Brittany Vanderink (.346, 36 R, 15 SB), and senior Nycole Koyano (.308, 36 R, 18 SB).
In the circle, senior Jamee Juarez (20-8, 1.50 ERA, won last 11 decisions, 17-1 since March 18) and sophomore Kim Reeder (16-7, 2.57 ERA) have combined to start 51 of Ohio State’s 54 games. Juarez owns four OSU career pitching records (see later note).
Ohio State has 10 letterwinners and nine starters back from its 2006 squad that went 39-23 and 11-7 in the Big Ten and went to the Tucson Regional of the NCAA tournament. The Buckeyes led the Big Ten in batting in 2005 and 2006 and led the league in batting in Big Ten games only in 2007.
Head coach Linda Kalafatis is in her 11th year at Ohio State and is one of three coaches in the Big Ten with more than 600 wins. Since 2000, the Buckeyes are 299-162 for a .649 winning percentage, which ranks third in the Big Ten during that time.
SO, WE MEET AGAIN…
Ohio State has faced Cal State Fullerton once this season (lost 5-4 at Fullerton, 8 inn., March 24) and Virginia Tech twice (won 4-0 in Clearwater, Fla., March 10, lost 2-0 in Clearwater March 11).
In the March 11 loss to Tech, the Buckeyes were no-hit by Angela Tincher and saw their team batting average dip to a season-low .247, but since then Ohio State is hitting .329 as a team and led the Big Ten in average in league games only (.319). Since that shutout, the Buckeyes have scored at least one run in a program-record 32 consecutive games.
In the March 24 loss at Fullerton, Ohio State led 4-3 going into the seventh inning, but the Titans tied the game in the seventh and won it on a walk-off single by winning pitcher Candace Baker in the eighth. That game marked the only time this season that the Buckeyes scored first and also out-hit their opponent, but lost (24-1).
In 2007… Date Opponent OSU result Notes 3/10 vs. VaTech W, 4-0 4 R off Tincher in 6th 3/11 vs. VaTech L, 2-0 Tincher no-hitter 3/24 @ Fullerton L, 5-4 (8) C. Baker WP, GWRBI
Other Recent Meetings with Fullerton, VaTech… Date Opponent OSU result, notes 3/25/06 @ Fullerton L, 2-0 … last time OSU was shut out in doubleheader 3/25/06 @ Fullerton L, 4-0 3/23/05 @ Fullerton W, 6-1 2/28/04 vs. VaTech L, 1-0 … Pacheco solo HR 6th
ALL-TIME SERIES NOTES
Ohio State is 4-15 all-time against Cal State Fullerton and is facing the Titans for the first time in Columbus. Of the 19 meetings in the series, eight meetings have been at Fullerton and nine have been at neutral sites. The Buckeyes are 1-2 all-time against Virginia Tech. The Hokies won the first meeting at the 2004 NFCA Leadoff in Columbus, Ga., 1-0, before the teams split two games earlier this season in Clearwater, Fla. (see earlier note).
OHIO STATE AT BUCKEYE FIELD
Ohio State has been dominating at home this season with a perfect 19-0 record, a .386 team batting average and a 1.17 staff earned run average. At 16-0, Ohio State notched its first perfect regular-season record at Buckeye Field since it opened in 1988.
Last year, Ohio State went 21-2, batted .350 as a team and owned a 1.58 staff earned run average at Buckeye Field, which will undergo a $5.1 million renovation beginning in June (see later note).
Ohio State is 105-10 (.913) in non-conference games at Buckeye Field since 11th-year head coach Linda Kalafatis took over the program in 1997. The Buckeyes have won 30-consecutive home non-conference games in a streak that dates back to April 21, 2004 when Kentucky nipped Ohio State, 4-3.
Ohio State is 313-121 (.721) all-time at Buckeye Field since the facility opened in 1988. That mark includes a 124-97 (.561) record in Big Ten games and a 189-24 (.887) record in non-league games.
FAMILIAR FACES MEETING UP
Cal State Fullerton senior pitcher Candace Baker played travel softball for six years with Ohio State senior P/3B Jamee Juarez. CSF sr. P Brooke Weekley played travel ball with OSU sr. SS Nycole Koyano. All 19 CSF players are from Calif., as are eight Buckeyes (seven from Los Angeles/Fullerton area). Canisius sr. P Courtney Piar is from Mount Vernon, Ohio (Mount Vernon H.S.), about 45 minutes northeast of the OSU campus. Canisius soph. OF Angela Turrey and OSU jr. OF Liz Caputo are both from Riverside, Calif.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Going into two-game series with Penn State to close out the regular season, Ohio State was 12-2 in the Big Ten had to win both games to keep its place atop the conference standings. Northwestern had concluded its Big Ten slate with a 15-3 league record, giving the Wildcats an .833 winning percentage. If the Buckeyes dropped either game against the Nittany Lions, the Big Ten title and tournament would head back to Evanston.
Ohio State was up to the challenge, defeating Penn State 4-2 March 5 and 4-0 March 6. Both games were dramatic, as the Nittany Lions scored twice in the top of the seventh inning Saturday in a comeback bid and the Buckeyes scored all four of their runs Sunday in the top of the seventh (see later note).
Ohio State’s 14-2 Big Ten record included a 4-2 mark on the road (split at Northwestern and Iowa, swept Illinois) and a 10-0 record at home (swept Minnesota, Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana and Penn State).
BUCKEYES WIN BT TOURNEY TITLE, TOO
A 2-1 walk-off win over sixth-ranked Northwestern last Saturday at Buckeye Field gave Ohio State its first Big Ten tournament title and first automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Megan Schwab singled to center, stole second, went to third on an infield single by junior Liz Caputo and scored when senior Nycole Koyano grounded to third and Darcy Sengewald’s throw was wild, allowing Schwab to score.
In a 10-2 quarterfinal win over Penn State and a 10-1 semifinal win over Purdue, the Buckeyes established and then tied a team record for runs scored in a Big Ten tournament game.
Six Buckeyes were named to the all-tournament team, including most outstanding player senior Jamee Juarez (utility), freshman Sam Marder (catcher), senior Christina Douglas (first base), junior Brittany Vanderink (second base), senior Nycole Koyano (shortstop) and sophomore Courtney Pruner (outfield).
ARE THESE BUCKEYES VAMPIRES?
Ohio State is 8-2 at night this season, going 3-0 at home, 1-0 on the road (at UAB, Kim Reeder no-hitter) and 4-2 at neutral sites. That trend will be put to the test Friday night when the Buckeyes battle Cal State Fullerton at 7:30 p.m. The three night wins at home include a Jamee Juarez perfect game against IUPUI April 18 and two wins last weekend in the Big Ten tournament.
Sophomore Courtney Pruner is batting .588 (10-17) in night games this season with three home runs and nine RBI. Freshman Sam Marder is batting .500 (9-18) with two homers and 11 RBI. In the circle, Juarez is 4-2 at night with a 1.50 ERA and Reeder is 2-0 with the same ERA.
KALAFATIS, SEVEN BUCKEYES HONORED
Linda Kalafatis was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year and seven members of the Big Ten champion Buckeyes received all-conference honors as the All-Big Ten teams were announced May 10. For the third time in program history, Ohio State received three first-team selections, while the coach of the year honor for Kalafatis is her second (2002) and the third overall for Ohio State (Gail Davenport, 1990).
The three first-team selections included senior Jamee Juarez at the utility position, freshman catcher Sam Marder and sophomore outfielder Courtney Pruner. Juarez, who was named third-team All-Big Ten as a freshman and second-team the last two years, is the fourth Buckeye in program history to earn all-conference honors all four years, joining Krinon Clark (1991-94), Anna Smith (1999-2002) and Jennifer Link (2000-03).
Junior second baseman Brittany Vanderink was named second-team, while earning third-team honors were senior first baseman Christina Douglas, senior outfielder Megan Schwab and senior designated player Lauren Daykin.
THREE EARN ALL-REGION HONORS
The NFCA all-region teams were announced Wednesday and three Buckeyes were named to the Great Lakes All-Region Team. Freshman catcher Sam Marder was a first-team selection, while junior Brittany Vanderink (second base) and senior Jamee Juarez (utility) were second-team honorees. Marder is now a candidate for All-America honors.
SUNDAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
March 6 at Buckeye Field will not be soon forgotten. With the Big Ten title on the line, Ohio State and Penn State were scoreless through six innings thanks to defensive gems on both sides and clutch pitching in tough situations from PSU’s Ashley Esparza and OSU’s Jamee Juarez and Kim Reeder.
The Buckeyes finally got to Esparza in the top of the seventh inning with four runs on five hits and a PSU error on a play that resulted in PSU head coach Robin Petrini being ejected. OSU junior Brittany Vanderink doubled to the wall in left-centerfield to lead off the inning and then scored on a single up the middle by freshman Sam Marder.
That would prove to be all the offense the Buckeyes would need, but they didn’t stop there, as sophomore Courtney Pruner and Juarez singled and senior Lauren Daykin was hit by a pitch to bring home OSU’s fourth and final run. In the bottom of the seventh, the Nittany Lions went in order for the first time in the game, giving Reeder the win.
After the game, the Big Ten trophy was presented to head coach Linda Kalafatis and her Buckeyes and Ohio State’s five seniors were honored in a Senior Day ceremony. It was a day that saw a Buckeye Field record crowd of 695, including the OSU spring band, show up for the team’s annual Scarlet and Gray game, which was attended by members of the OSU athletics department and student-athletes from the other 35 varsity sports.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
During the Big Ten season, Ohio State led the conference in batting (.319 team average) and fielding (.973 team percentage) and ranked third in pitching (2.50 staff ERA). In league games, sophomore Courtney Pruner ranked second in on base percentage (.529), tied for third in doubles (5), fifth in batting (.415), tied for seventh in walks (9) and 10th in slugging percentage (.683). Freshman Sam Marder ranked sixth in RBI (15), junior Brittany Vanderink tied for third in sacrifice bunts (6) and senior Nycole Koyano tied for sixth in stolen bases (4).
Among the league’s pitchers in Big Ten games, senior Jamee Juarez tied for second in wins (9), tied for second in strikeouts (85), third in ERA (1.46), fifth in opposing batting average (.220), seventh in innings pitched (62.1), tied for first in saves (3) and tied for second in fewest walks allowed (8). Sophomore Kim Reeder ranked sixth in wins (5).
In all games, Ohio State ranks third in the league in batting (.297 avg.), fourth in pitching (2.29 ERA) and ninth in fielding (.958 fielding pct.). Marder leads the Big Ten in on base percentage (.536) and walks (42), ranks ninth in average (.378) and is tied for fifth in RBI (48). Koyano is tied for second in triples (5) and tied for fourth in stolen bases (18), while Vanderink is tied for eighth in stolen bases (15) and is ranked fifth in sacrifice bunts (14). In the circle, Juarez ranks second in ERA (1.50), third in strikeouts (224), first in strikeouts looking (72), first in strikeout to walk ratio (8.3-to-1), first in fewest walks per seven innings (1.1), tied for fifth in wins (20), tied for first in saves (4), fifth in opposing batting average (.210) and sixth in innings pitched (173.0). Reeder ranks seventh in opposing batting average (.216) and is tied for eighth in wins (16).
SHORT HOPS…
Since being no-hit and shut out by Virginia Tech All-American Angela Tincher March 11 in Clearwater, Ohio State has scored at least one run in 32 consecutive games, which is a program record. The previous record of 28 consecutive games without being shut out was set last season.
How good is the top of Ohio State’s lineup? The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 46-18 in the first inning this season and 66-18 in the third inning. And how about this number — in Big Ten games, Ohio State is batting .625 (20-32) with a runner on third and less than two outs. The Buckeyes’ .958 fielding percentage overall this season ranks ninth in the Big Ten. Not great, for sure. But conversely, Ohio State improved that fielding percentage to .973 in conference games, which was the best in the Big Ten.
OSU is 31-5 when scoring first. Ohio State is 24-2 when leading after five innings. OSU is 18-4 when scoring in the first inning. When the Buckeyes score first and go on to out-hit their opponent, they are 22-1, with the only loss coming in eight innings at Cal State Fullerton March 24.
JUAREZ REWRITING RECORD BOOKS
Few pitchers at any level have had a stretch of games quite like Juarez has had in the last four weeks. During that time, Juarez, who was named the most outstanding player of the Big Ten tournament, has gone 11-0 with 105 strikeouts, six walks and 0.67 ERA in 63.0 innings pitched. During those four weeks, Juarez has thrown seven complete games in nine starts, pitched a perfect game and set OSU all-time pitching records for wins (75), shutouts (27), innings pitched (733.2) and strikeouts (731). In addition, her single-season total of 224 strikeouts is also a school record.
Juarez, a first-team All-Big Ten selection at the utility position who is 20-8 on the season with a 1.50 ERA, currently leads the Big Ten in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.3-to-1) and fewest walks per seven innings (1.1). She wrapped up the regular season with a 9-1 record in Big Ten games.
Of Juarez’s eight losses this season, five have come to teams including No. 1 Arizona, No. 5 Arizona State, No. 7 Northwestern, No. 9 Oklahoma and No. 26 Virginia Tech. In addition, Juarez ranks third all-time at Ohio State in runs batted in with 127, sixth in doubles with 38 and tied for sixth in home runs with 14.
JUAREZ NAMED 3RD STRAIGHT BTPOW
Senior Jamee Juarez was named the Big Ten pitcher of the week the last three weeks of the regular season, becoming the first Buckeye to ever receive three-consecutive weekly league honors. Juarez is one of only three players in Big Ten history to be honored three straight weeks, joining pitchers Eileen Canney of Northwestern and Lorilyn Wilson of Michigan.
THESE BUCKEYES ARE ON A ROLL, TOO
Senior Nycole Koyano and junior Brittany Vanderink both have career-best stolen base streaks going. After getting caught her first two attempts this season, Koyano has stolen 18 bases in a row, while Vanderink has stolen 15 in a row. Koyano is 76-for-88 in her career, which ranks No. 2 all-time at Ohio State, while Vanderink is 45-for-48, which ranks fifth.
Vanderink owns the team’s best hitting streak this season at 12 games (March 18-April 1) and has her current batting average up to .346. In her last 32 games, she has gone hitless only four times and tied a season high with three hits in the 4-0 win over Penn State May 6 when she scored the game’s first run.
But no Buckeye is hotter at the plate right now than sophomore Courtney Pruner. In her last 20 games, she is batting .529 (27-51) with nine doubles, three homers and 17 RBI.
SENIORS GOING OUT IN STYLE
Ohio State’s five-member senior class has helped guide the Buckeyes to 144 wins over the last four years, which ranks fifth among OSU’s all-time winningest classes. The group includes four-year starters Jamee Juarez (P/3B), Nycole Koyano (2B/SS) and Megan Schwab (LF), three-year starter Christina Douglas (1B) and two-year starter Lauren Daykin (C/DP).
“Back in 2002 we had probably the best team in Ohio State softball history,” Kalafatis said. “We set something like 22 school records and broke a couple Big Ten records. We were just a very talented team and had a lot of seniors, too. We knew when we recruited this current group of seniors, they would be the next cornerstone of our program. It has been a process, no doubt, but their maturity and experience has had a big part in us winning the Big Ten title this year.”
RECORD BOOK WATCH
In addition to senior Jamee Juarez (see earlier note), several other Buckeyes are moving up the career record charts. Senior Nycole Koyano owns 113 walks, which rank second in OSU history and are five shy of the school record. She ranks second all-time in stolen bases (76) and third all-time in runs scored (156). If Koyano leads the Buckeyes in runs this season, she will be the first to do that all four years.
Senior Megan Schwab is second all-time with 47 doubles and fourth with 18 home runs. Schwab’s 115 RBI are fourth and her 123 runs scored are sixth. She has started 117 consecutive games for the Buckeyes, the longest streak on the team.
Sam Marder’s 42 walks (school record) and 48 RBI this season are already OSU freshman records and her 10 homers are tied for the frosh record. In overall single-season records, Marder ranks third in RBI and tied for third in home runs.
Five Buckeyes rank among the Top 15 in career batting average at Ohio State, including Brittany Vanderink (.344), Liz Caputo (.319), Nycole Koyano (.318), Megan Schwab (.312) and Jamee Juarez (.301).
ANOTHER 30-WIN SEASON FOR OSU
Ohio State’s 5-2 win over Indiana in the first game of a doubleheader April 29 was the 30th victory this season for the Buckeyes. It marks the 11th time, and fourth-consecutive year, Ohio State has reached the 30-win plateau since the program was founded in 1972. Seven of those 30-win seasons have come under 11th-year head coach Linda Kalafatis.
HEAD COACH Linda Kalafatis
Head coach Linda Kalafatis is in her 11th season at Ohio State and in her 19th season as a collegiate head coach. She is OSU’s all-time wins leader (367-247, .592) and is one of three Big Ten coaches with more than 600 career wins (640-362-2, .634). Seven times the Buckeyes have won at least 30 games under Kalafatis, who has guided OSU to the NCAA tournament three times (2002, 2004, 2006). She is assisted by former collegiate All-Americans Ali Viola (Nebraska) and Erica Beach (Arizona State).
THREE BUCKS ACADEMIC NOMINEES
Three Buckeyes were nominated April 14 for the Academic All-America Team, which is sponsored by ESPN The Magazine and selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Seniors Lauren Daykin (communication) and Christina Douglas (health management) and sophomore Kim Reeder (communication) met the criteria, which include at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and a sophomore or older status. Daykin was a second-team Academic All-District selection last year.
BUCKEYE FIELD TO GET $5.1M FACELIFT
Buckeye Field, home of Ohio State softball since 1988, will get a $5.1 million renovation as soon as the 2007 season is over. The new 1,500 seat stadium will include indoor and outdoor batting cages, a three-plate bullpen, 650-square foot press box, player clubhouse, lounge and locker room, new dugouts, coaches and umpires locker room and a concession area.
Noting the Buckeyes…
Jamee Juarez, sr., RHP (20-8, 4 s, 1.50 ERA, 224 K, 173.0 IP)
In 2007: Big Ten tourney most outstanding player … 1st-team All-Big Ten, 2nd team all-region (utility) … has won 17 of last 18 decisions (started season 3-7) … 224 K this season is OSU record … last 4 weeks went gone 11-0 with 1 save, 105 strikeouts, 6 BB, 0.67 ERA in 63.0 IP (7 cg in 9 starts) … already owns 4 OSU career records (W-75, IP-733.2, K-731, ShO-27) … Big Ten pitcher of week last 3 weeks of reg. season (3rd in Big Ten history to have 3-straight honors) … leads Big Ten fewest BB per 7 IP (1.1) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.3-to-1) and tied for 1st in saves … went 9-1 in Big Ten with 1.46 ERA, 85 SO, 8 BB … threw 1st career perfect game 4/18 vs. IUPUI (5 IP, 12 K) … leads staff in K (#3 in Big Ten), opp. batting avg. (.210) … threw no-hitter 3/18 vs. Oakland (13 SO) … 5 of her losses have come to #1 Ariz., at #5 Ariz. St., #9 Okla., #26 VaTech and at #7 Northwestern … threw cg in 6-consec. starts 3/8-3/23 … threw complete game 4-hitter in 2-1 win vs. No. 22 Fresno St. 2/23.
Juarez in the Big Ten (all games): t-1st saves, 2nd in ERA, 3rd in K, 1st in K-looking (72), 5th wins, 1st in fewest BB per 7 inn. (1.1), 5th in opp. avg. (.210), 6th IP.
2007 highs: Innings: 7.2; Hits: 11; Runs: 5; Earned runs: 4; Walks: 4; Strikeouts: 13.
2007 lows: Innings in a start: 3.0; Hits in 5 inn.: 0; Hits in 6 inn.: 7; Hits in 7 inn.: 0; Hits in +7 inn.: 4 (7.2 IP).
Career statistics: 75-41, 1.95 ERA, 731 K, 733.2 IP, 66 CG … 5-for-6 in save opps.
Career highlights: OSU MVP last two years … OSU’s all-time leader in IP, W, K, ShO … set OSU single-season wins record as soph. (25) … has been involved in 6 career 1-0 games (3-3).
2006 Recap: 17-11, 2.48 ERA, 196 SO, 189.1 IP … 2nd-team All-Big Ten … threw 10-inning shutout of Auburn in NCAA tournament (2nd of career) … 10th in Big Ten in IP, 7th in K and 10th in wins (tied with OSU’s Reeder) … threw 1st career no-hitter 3/24 at Long Beach State.
Kim Reeder, so., RHP (16-7, 2 s, 2.57 ERA, 131 K, 155.0 IP)
In 2007: started Big Ten tourney title game vs. Northwestern (4.0 IP, 1 UR, 1 H, 3 K) … 2 no-hitters this season (3/3 at UAB, 3/18 vs. Oakland) … Big Ten POW 3/13 … among Big Ten leaders (see below) … had win in relief 5/6 vs. PSU in Big Ten champ.-clinching win (2.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 K) … won at #7 Northwestern 4/13 (8 IP, 6 H, 3 ER) … threw 9 K, 7 hit complete-game win vs. Wisconsin 4/1 … shut out No. 26 VaTech 3/10 (7 IP, 3 H) … suffered loss at Akron 5/2 (7.1 IP, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB) … L at Akron marked her 1st stint of more than 1 inn. this season with 0 BB … threw 2-hitter in 3-1 win over BSC March 4 … went 25.1 straight innings without allowing an earned run 3/3 thru 3/9 … threw 11-strikeout cg in win vs. BYU 2/23 … had win vs. Cal 2/24 with 4.2 innings of 1-run relief … had win in season-opener vs. New Mexico (5.2 IP, 6 K) … UAB Magic City Classic all-tourn. team. Reeder in the Big Ten (all games): 7th opp. avg. (.216), t-9th wins.
2007 highs: Innings: 8.0; Hits: 8; Runs: 7; Earned runs: 6; Walks: 8; Strikeouts: 11.
2007 lows: Innings in a start: 2.2; Hits in 5 inn.: 3; Hits in 6 inn.: 4; Hits in 7 inn.: 0.
Career statistics: 32-18, 2.22 ERA, 289 K, 334.2 IP … 4-for-4 in save opps.
2006 Recap: 16-11, 1.91 ERA, 158 SO, 179.2 IP … tied OSU freshman wins record … allowed 1 earned run in 15.2 innings vs. Top 10 opponents … threw 4 3-hit shutouts in April … led staff in ERA … among OSU frosh pitchers all-time, 179.2 innings pitched is 3rd, 158 strikeouts 2nd, 1.91 ERA 10th, 4 shutouts tied-3rd, 15 complete games tied-third … 5-3 in Big Ten, 1.56 ERA … Crimson Classic All-Tourn. Team 3/5, including a 3-1 win at #6 Alabama 3/3.
Buckeyes at the Plate…
#27 Cortney Cannon, soph., c, R/R (2 AB):
2007: started game 1 vs. IUPUI 4/18 at DP in 1st game back after missing 1st 36 games because of injury … Career: Saw action in 9 games last season … batted .300 (3-for-10) … started game 2 vs. Toledo 4/11 at DP (1-for-4, 2 RBI) … had a pinch-hit single vs. Wright St. 4/26.
#33 Liz Caputo, jr., cf, L/R (.272, 0 HR, 8 RBI):
2007: batting .375 at Buckeye Field (18-48) … batted .375 (3-8) in Big Ten tourney … has started in CF all but 2 games and hit in the No. 9 spot in all but 3 games … went 3-for-5 in WSU DH May 1 … went 3-for-5 in 2 games vs. IUPUI 4/18 … batted .391 in 1st 10 games of season … hit 6th inning game-winning RBI in 4-2 win over Minnesota 3/30 … went 4-for-7 in 2 games Feb. 24 (vs. Texas, vs. Cal) … went 2-for-2 in the season-opening win over New Mexico.
Career: .319 career hitter … career .413 hitter at Buckeye Field (33-80) … was hit by a pitch in her first collegiate plate app., but not in 255 AB since … 2nd-team all-region and All-Big Ten selection as a freshman … missed 51 games as a soph. because of broken tibia 2/19/06 … went 4-for-4 in the 2006 season-opener at New Mexico St. … had pinch-hit single vs. Michigan 4/22/06 in first at bat after the injury … as a freshman, batted .367 with 4 homers, 19 RBI, team-best .516 in league games … OSU’s 2005 Rookie of the Year … as a freshman, .710 slugging percentage and .516 on-base percentage in Big Ten games were best on the team … 7 RBI vs. Long Island 2/27/05 set OSU freshman record.
#21 Whitney Cooper, fr., ss, R/R (.182, 1 HR, 3 RBI):
2007: started at SS 1st 16 games … has singled in 2 of her last 3 AB (4/18, 5/1) … hit in the No. 8 spot 14 times when she started … homered against then-No. 1 Arizona’s Taryne Mowatt Feb. 10 in Tempe … played in both games vs. IUPUI 4/18 and went 1-for-1 at the plate … 40 defensive assists 3rd on team … 3 of 6 hits this season have come against ranked teams … had 5 assists in win over #22 Fresno State Feb. 23 … had 5 putouts in two different games.
#8 Lauren Daykin, sr., c/dp, R/R (.257, 0 HR, 14 RBI):
2007: 3rd-team All-Big Ten (DP) … batting .375 (9-24) in last 10 games … went 5-for-5 May 1 vs. Indiana … leads team in pct. reaching as leadoff batter (.560, 14-25) … batting .292 at Buckeye Field … had career-best 5 gm hit streak through 4/22 … caught Jamee Juarez’s perfect game 4/18 vs. IUPUI (has caught 13 of Juarez’s last 18 starts) … has started 38 games (22 C, 16 DP) and played in 39 games overall … had game-winning RBI in 1-0 win at Iowa 4/22 (sac fly) … had game-tying and game-winning RBIs in wins over Minnesota and Wisconsin (both doubles off the wall).
Career: Career .251 hitter … native of Australia and a member of junior national team … 2006 2nd-team Academic All-Region and Academic All-Big Ten … homered off Arizona All-American Alicia Hollowell in 2006 NCAA tournament … hit .275 in Big Ten games as a junior … upped avg. to .303 with runners in scoring position and led team in that dept. in Big Ten games (.556) … hit .636 (7-for-11) with a runner on third and less than two outs … started all 18 Big Ten games at catcher in 2006 … played junior college softball in Florida two years and hit 30 home runs.
#31 Christina Douglas, sr., 1b, L/L (.309, 2 HR, 26 RBI):
2007: 3rd-team All-Big Ten … OSU captain and having best season batting avg. of career … All-Big Ten Tournament team (batted .444, 4-9, 5 RBI) … batted .395 average in Big Ten games, 2nd on team (Pruner .415) … batting .435 (20-46) at Buckeye Field, including team-best .462 in Big Ten home games … owned career-best 10 game hit streak thru 4/22, during which time she is hit .419 (13-31) … overall avg. ranks 4th on team … has committed only one error in last 226 chances … has started all but 3 games at 1B and played in all but one … went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI in win over #17 Cal 2/24 … homers came against CS-Northridge 2/10 & Indiana 4/29 (g2).
Career: .273 career hitter with 10 HR, 75 RBI and 27 2B … has homered off 2 All-American pitchers – 4/22/06 vs. Michigan’s Jennie Ritter and 3/3/06 vs. Alabama’s Stephanie Van Brakle … hit .397 at Buckeye Field in `06 … led team with 10 sacrifice bunts as a junior … 2006 Buckeye Invitational all-tournament team … hit .293 as a soph. and .320 in Big Ten games … OSU’s 2005 Most Improved Player when she led team in doubles (12), was No. 2 in RBI and runs scored … played RF as freshman.
#1 Arlynda Flores, fr., UT, R/R (1 AB):
2007: caught final out of Jamee Juarez’s perfect game vs. IUPUI 4/18 … has played in 7 games (pinch-ran in 6 of those games).
#44 Tory Haddad, fr., 3b/c, R/R (.160, 0 HR, 3 RBI):
2007: has team-high 6 pinch-hit at bats … had pinch-hit RBI single in 10-1 win over Purdue in Big Ten tourney semifinal … has started 10 games (8 at 3B, 2 at DP) and played in 18 overall … started both games at Northwestern 4/13-14 … played in all 4 games in Birmingham March 3-4 and in 4 of 8 games in Clearwater 3/8-11.
#22 Jamee Juarez, sr., RHP/3b, R/R (.289, 5 HR, 31 RBI):
2007: (owns 4 OSU career pitching records, pitching notes above) … named most outstanding player of Big Ten tournament … 1st-team All-Big Ten, 2nd-team all-region (utility) … batting .396 (21-53) at Buckeye Field … 3rd on team in RBI … hit game-winning HR at Illinois 4/21has started all 54 games (26 P, 28 3B) … hit walk-off HR in 3-2 win over Fordham March 8 … had 6-game hit streak 4/14-4/22 (.473, 9-19) … collected 100th career RBI Feb. 24 in win over #17 Cal … went 2-for-4 vs. #17 Cal to extend 5-game hit streak.
Career: OSU’s 2005 and 2006 MVP … 4th player in OSU history to earn All-Big Ten honors all 4 years … .301 career hitter with 14 HR … owns career .404 average at Buckeye Field (84-208) … ranks 3rd in OSU history with 127 RBI and fifth in 2B (38) … 2005 and 2006 2nd-team All-Big Ten … has played in 219 games in career (all but 3) … tied OSU and Big Ten record with 3 HR vs. #22 Oregon 2/25/06 … led 2006 team in multiple RBI games (10), bases loaded hits (5-12), 2-out RBI (14), average with runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs (.706) and was 2nd in doubles (11) … hit .397 at Buckeye Field in `05 … Buckeye Invitational all-tournament team … Big Ten Player of the Week twice in 2005 (2/22, 3/1) and Pitcher of the Week four times (5/9/05, 3 times in 2007).
#00 Nycole Koyano, sr., ss/2b, L/L (.308, 1 HR, 15 RBI):
2007: batting .440 (11-25) in last 9 games … All-Big Ten Tournament team (.375, 3-8, 5 R) … in Big Ten games, led team in average with runners in scoring position (.438, 7-16) … is toughest Buckeye to strike out (1 K per 9.4 AB) … has stolen 18-consec. bases … OSU’s lead-off hitter in all 54 games (reaches base as leadoff hitter at .435 rate) … leads team in multiple-hit games (18), stolen bases (18-for-20), runs (40), triples (5) and 2nd defensively in assists (73) … went 3-for-3 with HR in loss at UAB 3/4 … batted team-best .429 in Tempe to begin season.
Koyano in the Big Ten (all games): t-2nd triples (5) … t-4th SB (18)
Career: .318 career hitter with 8 HR, 13 triples … aiming to be first Buckeye to lead team in runs 4 consecutive years … ranks 2nd in walks (113) and stolen bases (76-for-88) all-time at OSU and ranks 2nd in runs scored (156) … 2nd-team All-Big Ten and all-region as junior … 3rd-team All-Big Ten as soph. … co-captain as junior … led Big Ten in stolen bases in `06 (26-for-32) … went 3-for-9 in `06 NCAA tourn. … hit .373 (28-75) in last 23 games of `06 with 4 HR … Crimson Classic all-tourn. team 3/5/06 after batting .333 in 5 games … grand slam in `06 season-opener … set OSU then-frosh. record for walks (27) and stolen bases (16) in 2004.
#4 Leah Ledford, fr., of, R/R (.063, 0 HR, 2 RBI):
2007: has started 4 games and played in 19 … started in RF for injured Courtney Pruner 4/20 at Illinois … drove in 2 runs in win over Oakland (gm2) March 18 … made 1st collegiate start March 9 vs. Hofstra (RF) … saw action in LF at No. 5 Arizona St. Feb. 11 when Megan Schwab left with an injury … has 4 pinch-hit at bats.
#13 Sam Marder, fr., c, R/R (.378, 10 HR, 48 RBI):
2007: 1st-team All-Big Ten, 1st team all-region … batting .440 (22-50) in last 16 games … already owns OSU freshman RBI (48) and walks record (42, school record) and tied HR record … All-Big Ten Tournament team (.250, 2-8, 2 RBI) … 1st-team All-Big Ten … batting .420 (21-50) at Buckeye Field (3rd on team) and leads team in avg. in road games (.342) … Big Ten Player of the Week March 13 … featured in a Q&A on the Big Ten Web site March 14 … had career-best 10 gm hit streak through 4/22 … bats 3rd in line-up, has started all 54 games (32 C, 21 DP, 1 3B) … leads team in avg., avg. with runners in scoring position (.412), HR, RBI, total bases (98), on-base percentage (.536), slugging percentage (.685), 2-out RBI (tied, 16), walks (leads Big Ten) and multiple-RBI games (18) … 1st 7 HR came in her 1st 48 AB of season, has 3 more HR in last 5 weeks … was walked school-record 5 times vs. Hofstra March 9 … UAB Magic City All-Tourn. Team 3/4 … 2 HR vs. #9 Oklahoma 2/25 … 1st OSU freshman to hit grand slam in 1st collegiate game (led OSU to 4-3 win over New Mexico 2/9).
Marder in the Big Ten (all games): 1st on base pct. (.536), 1st BB (42) … 9th avg. (.378) … 5th slg. pct. (.685) … t-5th RBI (46).
#55 Megan Miller, fr., p, R/R (0 AB):
2007: (Pitching notes on page 7).
#12 Michelle Reynolds-Parra, so., UT, L/R (0 AB, 18 R):
2007: OSU’s top pinch-runner … has pinch-run in 39 games and scored 18 runs … scored game-tying run in Big Ten tourney win over Northwestern … scored in 5-3 win at #7 Northwestern 4/13 … scored game-winner vs. LIU 3/10 … scored in 4-0 win over No. 26 Virginia Tech 3/10.
#20 Courtney Pruner, soph., RF/LHP, L/L (.346, 6 HR, 35 RBI):
2007: (Pitching notes on page 7) … 1st-team All-Big Ten … owns OSU’s hottest bat – batting .529 (27-51) in last 20 games … batting team-best .511 (24-47) at Buckeye Field … All-Big Ten tournament team (.444, 4-9, 3 RBI) … led team in avg. in Big Ten games (.415, 17-41) … in league games only, ranked 5th in Big Ten in avg. and 2nd in on base pct. (.529) … had career-best 9 game hitting streak 4/21-5/1 … 2nd on team in RBI and on base pct. (.463) … has started all but 5 games and played in all but 2 … 2 HR at #7 Northwestern (off Eileen Canney) in 5-3 win 4/13 … hit team-best .444 in Palm Springs Feb. 23-25 with HR, 5 RBI, 5 R.
Career: Career .290 hitter with 13 homers and 68 RBI … career .408 batter at Buckeye Field (40-98) … all-time HR leader in Ohio high school softball history … 7 HR in 2006 3rd-most ever by an OSU freshman, 4 triples tied for most … homered off Arizona All-American Alicia Hollowell 2/25/06 (her 1st run allowed in 51 innings) … 2nd in Big Ten in triples (4) as frosh. … 33 RBI 3rd-most by an OSU frosh and 29 runs ranked 5th … 2 HR at Miami 4/19/06 … 1st collegiate hit was HR (2/11 vs. Portland St.).
#9 Rebecca Schultz, fr., 3b, R/R (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI):
2007: starts at 3B when Juarez pitches … has started 20 games (18 3B, 2 DP) … has 23 putouts, 21 assists and 1 error … OSU is 15-3 when she starts at third base … has seen action in 27 games overall (10 AB).
#11 Megan Schwab, jr., lf, L/L (.262, 4 HR, 26 RBI):
2007: 3rd-team All-Big Ten … batting .352 at Buckeye Field (19-54) … batted .333 in Big Ten regular-season games … leads team in 2-out hits (20) and tied for lead in 2-out RBI (16, Marder) … has started all 54 games in LF … 2nd on team in doubles (11) … scored game-winning run in Big Ten tourney title game vs. Northwestern (singled, stole second) … went 3-for-4 in 9-2 win vs. Wisconsin 4/1, including 2 hits (hr, 1b) in 4th inning … hit 3-run HR in near comeback vs. #10 Texas Feb. 24.
Career: .312 career hitter … 18 career homers (4th at OSU), 47 doubles (3rd) and 115 RBI (4th) … twice has hit 2 HR in a game (3/6/05 vs. Miss. St., 3/23/05 at Fullerton) … 2nd-team All-Big Ten/all-region as junior … led 2006 team in on-base pct. (.415), slugging pct. (.492), hits (61), doubles (12), total bases (89), avg. with 2 out (.375), pct. advancing runners (.620) … went 3-for-10 in `06 NCAA tournament … Big Ten Player of Week 4/10/06 … hit team-best .417 at Buckeye Field as junior … Buckeye Invite all-tourn. team 3/19/06 … hit .362 as soph. (7 HR, 33 RBI) … 2005 1st-team all-region and OSU’s co-Offensive MVP … led `05 Buckeyes in HR (7), RBI (33), total bases (81), multiple-hit games (14) and multiple-RBI games (11).
#17 Brittany Vanderink, jr., rf, L/R (.346, 1 HR, 18 RBI):
2007: 1st-team All-Big Ten, 2nd-team all-region … All-Big Ten Tournament team (.333, 3-9) … has been held hitless only 4 times in last 32 games … batting .413 at Buckeye Field (26-63) … batted .373 in Big Ten regular-season games … doubled and scored game-winning run in 7th inn. vs. Penn St. May 6 … had 9 game hitting streak snapped 5/5 vs. PSU, but is still batting .422 (19-45) in last 14 games … bats 2nd for the Buckeyes … leads team in hits (62), at bats (179), sac bunts (14) and No. 2 in stolen bases (15-16) … has stolen 15-consec. bases … has started all 54 games, including last 38 at 2B (played RF last year) … 3rd on team in overall avg. and 2nd in avg. with runners on base (.354) … OSU’s best 2-out batter (.354) … owned team-best 12 game hit streak 3/18-4/1, during that time hitting .356 (16-45) … drove in go-ahead runs in 10-7 win over #17 Cal 2/24.
Vanderink in the Big Ten (all games): t-8th SB (15) … 5th sac bunts (13) … t-9th hits (62)
Career: .344 career hitter … 2006 1st-team All-Big Ten and all-region … 45-for-48 in career stolen bases … was hit by pitches in back-to-back plate appearances vs. EMU 3/18/05, but not before nor in 369 at bats since … led `06 team in average (.359) overall and in Big Ten games (.459) … led `06 team in average with runners on base (.367) and with runners in scoring position (.391) … had career-best 13-game hitting streak in `06 (4th-best streak at OSU since 1998) … went 4-for-8 in `06 NCAA tournament, including 3-for-4 effort vs. Auburn May 18 which stands as OSU’s only 3-hit performance in NCAA tourn. … Big Ten Player of the Week 5/1/06 … was the toughest Buckeye to strike out last year (once every 7.8 at bats) … went 4-for-4 at Iowa 4/28/06 … batted .311 as a freshman, upped that to .364 in Big Ten games … tied OSU single-season record for triples by a frosh (4).
### GO BUCKS! ###
