No. 1 Seed Ohio State Set to Host Big Ten Tournament – Ohio State Buckeyes
5/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 8, 2007
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2007 BIG TEN SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday
5 p.m. – Game 1: No. 2 seed Northwestern vs. No . 7 seed Michigan State
7:30 p.m. – Game 2: No. 1 seed Ohio State vs. No. 8 seed Penn State
Friday
Noon – Game 3: No. seed 3 Michigan vs. No. 6 seed Illinois
2:30 p.m. – Game 4: No. 4 seed Iowa vs. No. 5 seed Purdue
5 p.m. – Game 5: First Semifinal – Winners of Games 1 and 3
7:30 p.m. – Game 6: Second Semifinal – Winners of Games 2 and 4
Saturday
1 p.m. – Game 7: Championship Game (CSTV)
KEEPING SCORE:
– GameTracker: www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com
– Live Audio: www.OhioStateSports.com
– Tickets: Available at the gate, from www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com or 1-800-GoBucks
– For More Information: Check www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com for the All-Big Ten Team, All-Tournament Team, schedule updates, etc.
FIVE WARM-UP PITCHES
1. Ohio State is the fourth team to host the Big Ten tournament, joining Michigan (nine times), Iowa (1997, 2000, 2003) and Northwestern (2006).
2. Ohio State is 16-0 at Buckeye Field this season, marking its first undefeated regular season at home.
3. In June, a $5.1 million renovation project will begin at Buckeye Field, which opened in 1988. OSU is 312-121 (.721) all-time at Buckeye Field.
4. Senior Jamee Juarez was named the Big Ten pitcher of the week Monday for the third-consecutive week. She is the first Buckeye to earn three-consecutive weekly honors and is just the third player in Big Ten history to do so, joining Michigan’s Lorilyn Wilson and Northwestern’s Eileen Canney.
5. The Buckeyes are 29-5 when they score first.
SETTING THE SCENE
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Big Ten champion Ohio State softball team hosts the Big Ten tournament this week at Buckeye Field, which gets underway Thursday evening and concludes with the championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Top 8 teams in the league standings qualify for the single-elimination tournament, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the 64-team field of the NCAA tournament.
Ohio State (35-16) is 16-0 at Buckeye Field, where the Buckeyes swept Penn State last weekend that brought the Big Ten title back to Columbus for the first time since 1990. Ohio State is just the fourth team in league history to host the conference tournament since it became an annual event in 1995, joining Michigan (nine times), Iowa (1997, 2000, 2003) and Northwestern (2006).
“Playing in front of our fans, who were great all season and especially this past weekend, is a motivating factor for our team,” Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. “I think whoever wins the Big Ten and hosts the tournament is considered the team to beat, so now we are the team to beat. We’re going to try to keep that edge. I sense the girls playing with a lot of confidence and they’re proud of what they’ve done. We just need to keep them hungry, tuned up and feeling good for this weekend.”
In the quarterfinals, the Buckeyes will face the Nittany Lions at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in a rematch of last week’s regular-season finale. If the Buckeyes win, they will take on the winner of the quarterfinal game Friday afternoon between fourth-seeded Iowa and fifth-seeded Illinois. Ohio State faced both teams on the road this season, sweeping the Illini in Urbana and splitting with the Hawkeyes in Iowa City. The Big Ten tournament championship game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday and will be televised live nationally by CSTV.
Ohio State remains just outside the national Top 25 this week, receiving 32 votes in the USA Softball/USA Today poll to rank 28th overall.
TOURNAMENT LIVE ON THE WEB, TV
Ohio State’s student radio station will broadcast all seven games of the Big Ten tournament 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 all games live at www.OhioStateBuckeyes.com. Links are found on the tournament central page. Click on the Big Ten tournament logo on the softball homepage.
Sunday’s championship game will be televised live nationally by College Sports Television (CSTV). Jonathan Coachman will call the play-by-play and Ann Schatz will have the commentary.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
Ohio State is making its sixth appearance in the Big Ten tournament and first as host of the event. The Buckeyes are 4-7 at the conference tournament and have advanced to the championship game once (2002 at Michigan, lost to Michigan).
ABOUT THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
The Big Ten tournament was first played in 1982 at Michigan, then became an annual event in 1995 when four teams qualified. The tournament expanded to five teams in 1999, six teams in 2000 and to the current eight-team format in 2004 when it also became a single-elimination event. That year, eighth-seeded Michigan State knocked off top-seeded and host Michigan and went on to become the lowest-seeded team ever to win the league tournament.
Michigan has hosted the Big Ten tournament nine times and is 22-7 as host. Iowa has hosted three times (1997, 2000, 2003) and is 7-3 as host and Northwestern hosted last year and went 2-1. Michigan has won eight tournament titles, Iowa two and one each for Minnesota and Michigan State.
LET THE POSTSEASON BEGIN
The Buckeyes ended the regular season with a 35-16 overall record and now enter the postseason. Ohio State is playing in its sixth Big Ten tournament and is aiming for its fifth NCAA tournament appearance and what could be the first back-to-back appearances in program history. The Buckeyes also went to three AIAW postseason tournaments and went to the 1982 AIAW world series.
The NCAA tournament selection show will air Sunday at 3 p.m. live on ESPNews.
HOW THE WEST WAS WON
Going into last weekend’s two-game series with Penn State, 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 Saturday and 4-0 Sunday. 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).
OHIO STATE AT A GLANCE
The Buckeyes have won 21 of their last 25 games and own wins over ranked teams including at then-No. 7 Northwestern and on neutral fields over then-No. 22 Fresno State, then-No. 17 Cal and then-No. 26 Virginia Tech.
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). The Buckeyes are hitting .294 as a team overall, compared to .225 by their opponents. The team batting average dipped to a season-low .247 as of March 11, but OSU is batting .334 since then. The pitching staff owns a 2.38 ERA, which is more than a run and a half lower than the opposition (4.08).
At the plate, the Buckeyes are led by freshman Sam Marder (.385, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 40 BB). Three other Buckeyes are batting over .300, including junior Brittany Vanderink (.347, 34 R, 15 SB), sophomore Courtney Pruner (.339, 6 HR) and senior Nycole Koyano (.304, 35 R, 17 SB), while senior Christina Douglas is batting .299.
In the circle, senior Jamee Juarez (18-8, 1.55 ERA) and sophomore Kim Reeder (15-7, 2.68 ERA) have combined to start 48 of Ohio State’s 51 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 have led the Big Ten in batting the last two years.
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 295-162 for a .645 winning percentage, which ranks third in the Big Ten during that time.
SUNDAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME
Last Sunday 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.
JUST LIKE `02, BUT WITH A HAPPY ENDING
When Ohio State took on Penn State last weekend for the Big Ten title, it marked the same situation to how the 2002 regular season came to an end. The 2002 Buckeyes were in first place in the final week, as well, but split two games at Penn State (0-1, 4-1), giving the Big Ten championship to Michigan.
OHIO STATE AT BUCKEYE FIELD
Ohio State has been dominating at home this season with a perfect 16-0 record, a .396 team batting average and a 1.25 staff earned run average. Two wins over Penn State last weekend gave the Buckeyes their first ever undefeated season at home since Buckeye Field opened in 1988. Last year at home, Ohio State went 21-2, batted .350 as a team and owned a 1.58 staff earned run average.
Ohio State is 102-10 (.911) in non-conference games at Buckeye Field since 11th-year head coach Linda Kalafatis took over the program in 1997. The Buckeyes have won 27-consecutive home non-conference games in a streak that dates back to April 21, 2004 when Kentucky nipped Ohio State, 4-3. With two wins over Wright State Tuesday, the Buckeyes wrapped up their third-consecutive undefeated non-conference home schedule.
Ohio State is 312-121 (.719) all-time at Buckeye Field since the facility opened in 1988. That mark includes a 126-97 (.561) record in Big Ten games and a 186-24 (.886) record in non-league games.
ARE THESE BUCKEYES VAMPIRES?
Ohio State is 6-2 at night this season, going 1-0 at home (vs. IUPUI, Jamee Juarez perfect game), 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 this week considering the Big Ten tournament bracket is set up such that Ohio State will play its quarterfinal game at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and, if the Buckeyes win, they will play their semifinal game at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
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.
BUCKEYES IN THE BIG TEN
In Big Ten games only, Ohio State led the Big Ten 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). Statistical rankings for all games are available on the Big Ten website at www.BigTen.org and will be printed and available in the press box.
ALSO AVAILABLE IN THE PRESS BOX
All-time series scores, Ohio State and opponent connections, box scores of previous meetings, etc., will all be available for the media in the press box.
BIG TEN NAIL BITERS ARE THE NORM
Of Ohio State’s 16 Big Ten regular-season games, only four were decided early. Other than those four, the Buckeyes were tied, trailed or led by only one run after five innings in 10 of 12 league games. And those two games turned out to be nail biters anyway. Other than four blowout wins, the only two games Ohio State led by more than one run late was a game that eventually went into extra-innings (at then-No. 7 Northwestern April 13, OSU led 3-0 after five innings, won 5-3 in nine innings) and last Saturday vs. Penn State (OSU led 4-0 after five innings, won 4-2).
CAN O’ CORN…
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 29 consecutive games, which is a program record. The previous record of 28 consecutive games without being shut out was set last season.
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.
How good is the top of Ohio State’s lineup? The Buckeyes have outscored their opponents 43-18 in the first inning this season and 57-18 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.
Ohio State is 23-2 when leading after five innings. OSU is 29-5 when scoring first. OSU is 16-4 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 to close out the regular season. During the last three weeks, Juarez has gone 9-0 with 87 strikeouts, four walks and 0.66 ERA in 53.0 innings pitched. During those three weeks, Juarez has thrown six complete games in eight starts, pitched a perfect game and set OSU all-time pitching records for wins (73), shutouts (27), innings pitched (723.2) and strikeouts (713).
Juarez, who is 18-8 on the season with a 1.55 ERA, currently leads the Big Ten in strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.2-to-1) and fewest walks (25). She wrapped up the regular season with a 9-1 record in Big Ten games and a career-best single-season mark of 208 strikeouts, which rank third in the league. Opponents have hit only .216 against Juarez this season, the best mark of her career.
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 124, sixth in doubles with 37 and tied for sixth in home runs with 14.
JUAREZ NAMED THIRD STRAIGHT BTPOW
Senior Jamee Juarez has been named the Big Ten pitcher of the week the last three weeks, 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 17 bases in a row, while Vanderink has stolen 15 in a row. Koyano is 75-for-87 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 a season-high .347. In her last 29 games, she has gone hitless only three times and tied a season high with three hits in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Penn State 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 17 games, she is batting .548 (23-42) with eight doubles, three homers and 14 RBI.
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 111 walks, which rank second in OSU history and are seven shy of the school record. She ranks second all-time in stolen bases (75) and third all-time in runs scored (151). 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 113 RBI are fourth and her 118 runs scored are sixth. She has started 114 consecutive games for the Buckeyes, the longest streak on the team.
Sam Marder’s 40 walks and 46 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, tied for third in home runs and second in walks (record is 41).
Five Buckeyes rank among the Top 15 in career batting average at Ohio State, including Brittany Vanderink (.344), Liz Caputo (.317), Nycole Koyano (.317), Megan Schwab (.312) and Jamee Juarez (.302).
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 last week 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. An all-district team will be announced in about two weeks, with first-team selections moving on to the national ballot. 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…
Buckeyes in the Circle
OSU Pitchers: In Big Ten games only, ranked third in the league in ERA (2.50) and first in fewest walks (24) … overall, tied for Big Ten lead in saves (7) … rank 5th in Big Ten in ERA (2.38), 4th in strikeouts per game (6.8) and 3rd in fewest walks per game (2.2) … own 27 complete games, 12 shutouts and 4 no-hitters in 51 outings this season … have thrown 25 cg in last 40 g … no-hitters have come from Reeder (2) and Juarez (2, including a perfect game 4/18 vs. IUPUI).
Jamee Juarez, sr., RHP (18-8, 4 s, 1.55 ERA, 208 K, 163.0 IP)
In 2007: Big Ten pitcher of the week last 3 weeks (3rd in Big Ten history to have 3-straight honors) … leads Big Ten fewest BB allowed (25) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (8.2-to-1) and tied for 1st in saves … 9-1 in Big Ten with 1.46 ERA, 85 SO, 8 BB … has won 15 of last 16 decisions (started season 3-7) … last 3 weeks went gone 9-0 with 1 save, 87 strikeouts, 4 BB, 0.66 ERA in 53.0 IP (6 cg in 8 starts) … already owns 4 OSU career records (W 73, IP 723.2, K 713, ShO 27) … threw 1st career perfect game 4/18 vs. IUPUI (5 IP, 12 K) … leads staff in K (#3 in Big Ten), opp. batting avg. (.216) … 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.
In the Big Ten (final reg. season, all games): t-1st saves, 2nd in ERA, 3rd in K, 1st in K-looking (68), t-5th wins, 1st in fewest BB (25), 6th in opp. avg. (.216), 8th 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: 73-41, 1.96 ERA, 713 K, 723.2 IP, 65 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 her 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 (15-7, 2 s, 2.68 ERA, 125 K, 146.0 IP)
In 2007: 2 no-hitters this season (3/3 at UAB, 3/18 vs. Oakland) … Big Ten Pitcher of the Week March 13 … among Big Ten leaders (see below) … had win in relief Sun. vs. PSU in Big Ten championship-clinching 4-0 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 last Wed. (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.
In the Big Ten (final reg. season, 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: 31-18, 2.26 ERA, 283 K, 325.2 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.
Megan Miller, fr., RHP (2-1, 1 S, 4.87 ERA, 14 K, 27.1 IP)
In 2007: Pitched shutout over IUPUI 4/18 in 1st career home start (7 IP, 3 H, 4 K) … threw 0.2 inn. of no-hit relief at #7 Northwestern 4/14 … threw 1 inn. vs. Minnesota 3/31 (2 earned runs) … of OSU’s 2 wins at season-opening ASU Kajikawa Classic, Miller had the win in one and the save in the other … became 3rd OSU freshman ever to pitch in 5-straight games … got win in 9-3 over Northridge Feb. 10 with 4 innings of one-run relief … made 1st collegiate start Feb. 24 vs. Cal (2.1 IP, no decision) … had save in 4-3 season-opening win over New Mexico (1.1 IP, 0 R) … tossed 2 innings of scoreless relief at No. 5 Arizona State Feb. 11.
2007 highs: Innings: 7.0; Hits: 5; Runs: 6; Earned runs: 5; Walks: 2; Strikeouts: 4.
2007 lows: Innings in a start: 2.1; Hits in 5 inn.: N/A; Hits in 6 inn.: N/A; Hits in 7 inn.: 3.
Courtney Pruner, so., LHP (0-0, 12.00 ERA, 2 K, 2.1 IP)
In 2007: Threw 1.1 innings of no-hit relief at #7 Northwestern 4/14 … pitched 2/9 vs. #1 Arizona (0.0 IP, 4 ER), 2/25 vs. #9 Oklahoma (0.2 IP) and vs. Wisconsin Apr. 1 (0.1 IP).
2007 highs: Innings: 1.1; Hits: 3; Runs: 4; Earned runs: 4; Walks: 1; Strikeouts: 1.
2007 lows: Innings in a start: N/A; Hits in 5 inn.: N/A; Hits in 6 inn.: N/A; Hits in 7 inn.: N/A.
Career statistics: 6-1, 3.43 ERA, 50 SO, 53 IP.
2006 Recap: 6-1, 2.96 ERA, 49 SO, 52.0 IP … got 1st two collegiate wins on April 9 vs. #15 Northwestern, 1st in relief (1 IP, 3 K w/ bases loaded), then in 1st start (7 IP, 6 H, 7 K) … with runners on base, batters hit just .186 against her, best on the OSU staff (lowered to .143 in league games) … went 3-0 in Big Ten with 1.53 ERA … one of only 2 left-handed pitchers in the Big Ten (Wisconsin freshman Leah Vanevenhoven was the other).
Buckeyes in the Field
#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 (.265, 0 HR, 6 RBI): 2007: batting .375 in home games (15-40) … 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: .317 career hitter … was hit by a pitch in her first collegiate plate app., but not in 247 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 her last two 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 (.261, 0 HR, 13 RBI): 2007: batting .467 (7-15) in last 7 games … went 5-for-5 May 1 vs. Indiana … leads team in pct. reaching as leadoff batter (.591, 13-22) … batting .308 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 35 games (21 C, 14 DP) and played in 36 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 .255 hitter … native of Australia and a member of the 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 (.299, 2 HR, 21 RBI): 2007: OSU captain and having best season of career … batted .395 average in Big Ten games, 2nd on team (Pruner .415) … batting .432 in home games, 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 5th on team … has committed only one error in last 213 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 … HR came against CS-Northridge 2/10 & Indiana 4/29 (g2).
Career: .268 career hitter with 10 HR, 75 RBI and 27 2B … has homered off two 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 5 games (pinch-run in 1st 4 career games).
#44 Tory Haddad, fr., 3b/c, R/R (.125, 0 HR, 2 RBI): 2007: has started 10 games (8 at 3B, 2 at DP) and played in 17 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 … has team-high 4 pinch-hit at bats.
#22 Jamee Juarez, sr., RHP/3b, R/R (.292, 5 HR, 29 RBI): 2007: (owns 4 OSU career pitching records, pitching notes above) … 3 triples in last 8 games … 3rd on team in RBI … hit game-winning HR at Illinois 4/21 … batting .422 (19-45) at Buckeye Field … has started all 51 games (25 P, 26 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 … .302 career hitter with 14 HR … ranks 3rd in OSU history with 125 RBI and fifth in 2B (38) … 2005 and 2006 2nd-team All-Big Ten … has played in 216 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 (.304, 1 HR, 15 RBI): 2007: batting .471 (8-17) in last 6 games … OSU’s lead-off hitter in all 51 games (reaches base as leadoff hitter at .430 rate) … in Big Ten games, leads team in average with runners in scoring position (.438, 7-16) … is toughest Buckeye to strike out (1 K per 9.5 AB) … has stolen 17-consec. bases … leads team in multiple-hit games (17), stolen bases (17-for-19), runs (35), triples (5) and defensively in assists (72) … 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 (final reg. season): t-2nd triples (5) … t-5th SB (17)
Career: .317 career hitter with 8 HR, 13 triples … aiming to be first Buckeye to lead team in runs 4 consecutive years … ranks 2nd in walks (111) and stolen bases (75-for-87) all-time at OSU and ranks 2nd in runs scored (151) … 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 (.071, 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 (.385, 10 HR, 46 RBI): 2007: batting .476 (20-42) in last 13 games … already owns OSU freshman RBI (46) and walks record (40) and tied HR record … 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 51 games (30 C, 20 DP, 1 3B) … leads team in avg., avg. with runners in scoring position (.413), HR, RBI, total bases (95), on-base percentage (.541), slugging percentage (.704), 2-out RBI (16), walks (leads Big Ten) and multiple-RBI games (13, next Buckeyes has only 6) … batting .452 (19-42) at Buckeye Field and leads team in avg. in road games (.342) … 1st 7 HR came in her 1st 48 AB of season, has 3 more HR in last 4 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 (final reg. season): 1st on base pct. (.541), 1st BB (40) … 6th avg. (.385) … 5th slg. pct. (.704) … 8th RBI (46).
#55 Megan Miller, fr., p, R/R (0 AB): 2007: (Pitching notes above).
#12 Michelle Reynolds-Parra, so., UT, L/R (0 AB): 2007: OSU’s top pinch-runner … has pinch-run in 36 games and scored 16 runs … has scored in 3 of last 6 games … 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/DP/LHP, L/L (.339, 6 HR, 32 RBI): 2007: (Pitching notes on page 7) … owns OSU’s hottest bat – batting .535 (23-43) in last 17 games … led team in avg. in Big Ten games (.415, 17-41) … batted team-best .526 (20-38) at Buckeye Field … in Big Ten games only, ranked 5th 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. (.460) … current avg. is best of her career … 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 … went 3-for-6 in split at NU … hit team-best .444 in Palm Springs Feb. 23-25 with HR, 5 RBI, 5 R … scored career high 3 runs in win over #17 Cal 2/24.
Career: Career .285 hitter with 13 homers and 65 RBI … 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 first 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.).
#7 Kim Reeder, soph., RHP, R/R (0 AB): 2007: (Pitching notes above).
Career: Batted in 5 games (9 AB) in 2006 … had RBI single at Wisconsin April 30.
#9 Rebecca Schultz, fr., 3b, R/R (.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI): 2007: has started 19 games (17 3B, 2 DP) … has 20 putouts, 21 assists and 1 error … OSU is 14-3 when she starts at third base (she starts at 3B when Juarez pitches) … has seen action in 27 games overall (10 AB).
#11 Megan Schwab, jr., lf, L/L (.260, 4 HR, 24 RBI): 2007: batted .333 in Big Ten games … had more 2-out hits (19) than anyone on team and ranked 2nd in 2-out RBI (14) … has started all 51 games in LF … batting .364 at Buckeye Field … shares team-lead in doubles (11) … went 3-for-4 in 9-2 win vs. Wisconsin 4/1, including 2 hits (hr, 1b) in 4th inning … drove in 100th career run March 11 in win over UMass … 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 113 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 … started all 62 games in `06 and led 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 (.347, 1 HR, 16 RBI): 2007: has been held hitless only 3 times in last 29 games … batting .373 in Big Ten games and .426 at Buckeye Field … doubled and scored game-winning run in 7th inn. vs. PSU last Sun. … had 9 game hitting streak snapped Sat. vs. PSU, but is still batting .464 (16-36) in last 11 games … bats 2nd for the Buckeyes … leads team in hits (59), at bats (170), sac bunts (13) and No. 2 in stolen bases (15-16) … has stolen 15-consec. bases … has started all 51 games, including last 35 at 2B … 2nd on team in avg. and avg. with runners on base (.356) … OSU’s best 2-out batter (.362) … 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 (final reg. season): t-8th SB (15) … t-5th sac bunts (13).
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! ###
