Fresno State Athletics
Third-Ranked Bulldog Softball Opens Home Schedule This Week
2/22/2000 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 22, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - After opening the year with its first 10 games on the road, Fresno State will make its first home appearance this Wednesday, Feb. 23, 6:00 p.m., with a non-conference doubleheader against Pacific. The Bulldogs, who are coming off a second place showing at the SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic with a 4-1 mark, are 18-4 in home openers overall and 11-3 under head coach Margie Wright. One of Fresno State's oldest rivalries, Fresno State will be meeting Pacific for the 77th and 78th time since 1978. Having strung together a pair of four-game win streaks this season, the Bulldogs are playing 14 of their first 16 games on the road. Drawing more than 176,000 with an average of nearly 2,300 since 1996, Fresno State boast a 118-13 mark at Bulldog Diamond.
Western Athletic Conference Play Begins This Week
The 2000 Western Athletic Conference season begins this weekend with Fresno State at Loyola Marymount. The Bulldogs are bringing a 26 consecutive conference win streak and a 12 straight WAC road wins into this weekend's action. As the preseason favorite by the coaches' poll, Fresno State is vying to become the only program to capture three straight conference titles and the only one to win four league titles in WAC history. Fresno State was the first school in conference history to go undefeated with a 24-0 mark in 1999. Loyola Marymount and Portland State are two newcomers in WAC softball play.
Wright is NCAA's All-Time Winningest Active Coach
In her 15th season with the Bulldogs, Wright entered the 2000 season as the all-time winningest active coach by victories in NCAA history and owns a current mark of 895-292-3 (.753) slate in 21 years. Having directed the Bulldogs to a national title (1998) and three runners-up (1988-89-90), Wright has led Fresno State softball program to the NCAA Women's College World Series in 10 of the last 13 years. Five wins shy of 900 career victories, Wright also has directed her teams to 14 straight NCAA Regional appearances and has captured 10 outright or shared conference championship titles and 10 regional championship crowns. In addition, Wright is 19 wins shy of becoming the NCAA's all-time career win leader. Wright is on the heals of CS Fullerton's Judi Garman (913-374-4) who retired from active head coaching duties last December.
Head Coach Margie Wright
In her 15th season as head coach of the Fresno State softball program, Margie Wright (Illinois State '74) has directed the Bulldogs to a national title (1998) while guiding the program to the NCAA Women's College World Series in 10 of the last 13 years. She owns an impressive 746-212-1 (.779) mark with the Bulldogs and a 21-year career record of 895-292-3 (.753). As the all-time winningest active coach in NCAA Division 1 history, Wright captured her 700th win at Fresno State against San Diego State on March 20, 1999. Having directed the Bulldogs to the WCWS 10 times since 1986, Wright has collected 10 outright or shared conference titles, a WAC tournament championship, 10 regional championship crowns, and 14 straight NCAA postseason appearances. With a NCAA title and three national runners-up trophies to her credit, Wright is the only coach in school history to garner region coach of the year honors (seven times) and is the third head coach overall at Fresno State to capture National Coach of the Year honors (1998). An assistant coach for the 1996 USA Olympic softball gold medal team and leading the USA Softball National Team to a gold medal at the 1998 ISF World Championships, Wright has averaged 53 wins a year and has coached 42 All-Americans and eight GTE Academic All-Americans. Wright, who has posted 50 or more wins 12 times and has notched 60 or more wins twice with seven WCWS appearances in the 1990's, is five wins shy of her 900th career victory and 19 wins short of being the NCAA's all-time career win leader.
SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic in Review
Fresno State was one of two schools to suffer just one loss to go along with four wins at the SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic in San Diego last weekend ... The Bulldogs took second place to Stanford, which won the title on runs scored ... Fresno State recorded four shutout victories by the score of 1-0 (vs. CS Northridge, Arkansas, No. 15 Long Beach State and Sacramento State) before losing 5-2 to No. 1 UCLA ... Pitching duo of senior RHP Amanda Scott (Clovis) and sophomore LHP Kristen Hunter (Portland, Ore.) combined for four shutouts and a save while giving up a total of 12 hits, five runs, two earned run, two walks and posted a 0.36 ERA in 39.0 innings to earn all-tourney honors... With opponent's batting just .094 against them, they allowed no runs and struck out 31 in 37.2 innings before giving up a tournament run to the Bruins ... Fresno State had four different individuals notch game-winning hits in its four victories: So. 3B Lindsay Fossatti (Tustin) vs. CS Northridge, Hunter vs. Arkansas, Jr. SS Alicia Dowland (La Palma) vs. No. 15 Long Beach State, and Scott vs. Sacramento State ... Hunter led the Bulldogs at the plate after batting .385 (5-13) and had the game-winning hit against Arkansas ... Leading the team in hits (5), total bases (6) and slugging percentage (.462), she has a current four-game hitting streak (5-12) and is batting .417 with a run, RBI, double, walk, hit by pitch and a .500 slugging percentage ... In the circle, she went 2-0 with two shutouts while giving up four hits, one run and striking out 11 in 13.2 innings for a 0.00 ERA ... Hunter picked up a pair of 1-0 shutout victories over Arkansas and Sacramento State ... She tossed a one-hitter against the Hornets in her last start and struck out a season-high eight while pitching a two-hitter versus Arkansas ... Opponents only managed a .087 batting average against her in three appearances (two starts and one relief) ... Scott tossed the program's 48th no-hitter and the fourth of her career against CS Northridge ... She picked up her second save on the season and eighth in career against Arkansas ... Scott also had her second 10 strikeout game versus LBSU ... Junior centerfielder Becky Witt (Reseda) has a modest three-game hit streak and is batting .364 (4-11) with a run, double and stolen base ... Fresno State has recorded six wins via shutout, has been shutout once, and is 1-1 in extra inning games.
Fresno State's National Rankings
Fresno State has been no stranger to the national polls for the last 19 years. Nationally ranked every week since 1983, the Bulldogs have been in the nation's Top 20 for 19 straight years. The Bulldogs enter the 2000 season with a No. 3 ranking while receiving one first-place vote. In the national polls, the 'Dogs have been ranked No. 1 five times and No. 2 35 times.
Pacific (3-3): Rained out in the final day against Tennessee at the SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic, Pacific is coming off a 1-3 tournament mark with a 1-0 (8 inn.) win over sixth-ranked Michigan and a trio of losses to San Diego State (7-5), top-ranked UCLA (9-3) and Ohio State (7-6). The Tigers, who have advanced to the NCAA Regionals the last two years and six times overall, opened the season with a pair of wins on the road at Santa Clara (2-1, 10 inn. and 3-0, 9 inn.) before traveling to San Diego. In one of the oldest series meetings in Fresno State softball history, the Bulldogs and Pacific will be matching up for the 77th and 78th time since 1978. These two schools last met in 1999 with Fresno State and the Tigers each taking a game from the non-conference doubleheader on April 20 at Bulldog Diamond. Pacific, which participated in the 1999 NCAA Regional at Bulldog Diamond last May, won the nightcap of the doubleheader, 2-1, after being shutout 1-0 in the opening game. With the series featuring 46 shutouts (Fresno State leads 40-6), Fresno State had won the last straight 29 meetings before Pacific posted its shutout win and broke the Bulldogs' 20-game win home streak. Sophomore RHP Cindy Ball leads the team with a .421 batting average (8-19) with a run, double, home run, five walks and four RBI. In the circle, Ball is 1-1 with 19 strikeouts and a 2.86 ERA in 22.0 innings. Senior RHP Liz Niadna is 2-2 with two shutouts, eight strikeouts for a 1.35 ERA in 26.0 innings of work.
Bulldog Softball Bus Tour Set -- LMU & UCLA
A bus tour has been organized for fans to watch the Bulldog softball team this weekend. The bus will leave Fresno at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26 for the UCLA doubleheader. On Sunday, the bus will head for Loyola Marymount and will return to Fresno after the games. The tour includes round trip motor coach to Los Angeles, one night stay at the Radisson Valley Center and game tickets. Call (559) 225-3164 for details.
#1 UCLA(14-3): Coming off a 3-2 worksheet at the SDSU Campbell-Cartier Classic, top-ranked UCLA opened the year with an 11-game win streak and has gone 3-3 in its last six. However, the Bruins are batting .345 as a team with 114 runs, 100 RBI, 29-33 on the basepaths, and has 47 multiple hits. Leading the way is freshman shortstop Natasha Watley (.439, 25-57, 20 R, 2 doubles, 3 triples, HR, 4 RBI, 7-9 SB) and junior RHP/OF Courtney Dale (.429, 21-49, 6 R, double, 3 HR, 14 RBI). In the circle, Dale is 6-3 with two shutouts, 50 strikeouts and 19 walks in 54.2 innings for a 2.47 ERA. Sophomore RHP Amanda Freed is 7-0 with three shutouts, 52 strikeouts and 16 walks for a 1.04 ERA in 43.1 innings pitched. After a come-from-behind win against Fresno State last week, the Bruins open their home schedule against CS Northridge on Thursday, Feb. 24 before entertaining Fresno State on Saturday, Feb. 26.
Loyola Marymount (6-3): After opening the season with a four-game win streak, Loyola Marymount is coming off a 2-3 mark at the UNLV Tournament. The Lions had wins over Fordham (8-1) and Southern Utah (6-1) while dropping decisions to No. 12 California (5-0), Utah (6-1) and Central Michigan (1-0). LMU and Fresno State are meeting for the first time in WAC play but the Bulldogs hold a 3-0 series lead over the Lions since 1995 (10-0, 6-0, 7-0). Through the first four games Heather Hollis was batting .455 (5-11) with a run, three triples and four RBI. In the circle, Coriann Rogalsky was 3-0 with a shutout and 13 strikeouts in 13.1 innings for a 0.00 ERA.
Rallying Behind the Bulldogs
Fresno State will attempt to break its NCAA single-date attendance record not once but twice this season. With national powerhouses in UCLA and Arizona visiting Bulldog Diamond this year, Fresno State is offering two promotional deals. For the UCLA game on March 12, which is a participant in the 2000 Hallowell Chevrolet Classic, fans can get 2 for 1 general admission coupons at four major retail outlets in the area in Save Mart Supermarkets, Union 76, Edwards Theatres and Bank of America. For the Arizona doubleheader on March 14, fans will able to purchase general admission tickets ONLY at any Rally's Hamburgers or Jack's Car Wash locations.
In the WAC ... Great Scott!
Scott is 24-0 with six saves and 12 shutouts in WAC play since Feb. 27, 1998. Since her freshman year, she is 35-1, 231.0 IP, six saves, 19 shutouts, 136 hits, 31 runs, 16 earned runs, 11 multiple hits, 39 walks, 211 strikeouts, 0.48 ERA and a 6.39 strikeouts per seven innings. Her only loss was at then No. 25 Colorado State on April 28, 1997 (1-0). With a final ERA of 0.24 in 1999, Scott broke the WAC's single-season record in ERA held by Amy Windmiller of CS Northridge (0.36, 1994). With eight saves in her career, Scott is listed first on the WAC's career save chart.
Bulldogs In the WAC
Fresno State, which has led the conference in batting average the last five years and has had the WAC Freshman of the Year the last four straight, has finished among the top three since competing in the WAC since 1993 and has captured three WAC crowns. Four different programs which are or were members of the WAC have won the conference title and the league's NCAA automatic bid: (Utah, 1991-92), CS Northridge (1993-94-95), Colorado State (1997) and Fresno State.
Working It
Scott, who is looking to become the program's first and only four-time NCAA First Team All-America selection, picked up her second WAC Player of the Week accolades in as many weeks on Monday. At the Campbell-Cartier Classic she went 2-1 and appeared in four games after posting a 0.55 ERA in 25.1 innings. Scott notched her fourth career no-hitter against CS Northridge (1-0) in the tournament opener and collected her second save on the season against Arkansas in the following game. The three-time All-American followed those performances with another shutout victory over No. 15 Long Beach State (1-0, 10 inn.). Notching her second 10-strikeout performance this year, Scott also posted her fourth shutout win in five starts. Owning a 2-1 mark against Top 25 teams, Scott's first and only loss on the season came by the hands of No. 1 UCLA as she goes to 5-1 on the year. Last week, Scott appeared in all five games at the ASU Fiesta Bowl. She went 2-0 as a starter, recording shutout wins over Kansas and No. 18 South Carolina, and made three relief appearances and picked up a win against Mississippi State and a save against Nebraska. At the plate, Scott hit her third career grand slam against Kansas which moved her up to No. 2 all-time in the WAC's career RBI recordbook. With nine appearances to date, Scott is 4-1 with four complete games and four shutouts as a starter (36.1 IP, 12 hits, four runs, two earned runs, three walks, 36 strikeouts and 121 at bats for a .099 batting average against) and 1-0 with two saves in four relief appearances (8.0 IP, two hits, one run, no earned runs, one walk, 12 strikeouts and 24 at bats for a .083 batting average against).
Hit Production Has Not Slowed Down Performances
While Fresno State is experiencing a drought in its offensive power, the Bulldog pitching staff and key performances have not stopped the 'Dogs from jumping out to an 8-2 record. Fresno State has recorded six of its eight wins via shutout and have held their opponents to just 29 hits in 10 games (2.90 pg). The Bulldogs have also had five game-winning hit games (two for Fossatti, one for Dowland, Scott and Hunter). Despite stranding 64 runners on base and batting a season-low .213, Fresno State has outhit (53-29), outscored (28-13) and has knocked more in (27-10) while being walked more (26-5) and posting more multiple hits (14-6).
Bulldogs Are Top Draw
In 1999, Fresno State drew its largest single-season attendance with nearly 56,000 fans while resetting its own NCAA record for the second time in three years. With the NCAA officially keeping total and average attendance marks since 1991, the Bulldogs have led the country in both categories in seven of the last nine seasons (unofficially in 12 of last 14). Fresno State, which holds four NCAA attendance records including total (51,133) and average (2,557) in a season, has drawn more than 175,000 fans and has averaged nearly 2,300 per home date since the new diamond was built in 1996. Having set a new single-season record in ticket sales for the last five years straight, including sales surpassing the 1,000 plateau for the last four consecutive years, the Bulldogs are 118-13 at home in Bulldog Diamond since 1996.
Fresno State Softball Individual Notebook
Sr., 1B, Angela Cervantez
Has game-winning hit against No. 13 Nebraska with a three-run home run ... second on the team in RBI (6), fourth in runs (3) and total bases (10) and fifth in hits (6) ... has helped turn two double plays ... 1999 WAC Player of the Year ... 1999 First Team All-American & All-West Region ... Two-time WAC Player of the Week ...Florida State All-Tourney ... Two-time NCAA All-Regional ... 1998 All-College World Series.
So., OF, Vanessa Czarnecki
Leads team in sac hits (4) and walks (5) and second in runs (4) ... has appeared in all 10 games.
Jr., SS, Alicia Dowland
Has game-winning hit with a double against No. 15 Long Beach State ... second on team in walks (4) ... has helped turn two double plays ... 1999 Second Team All-WAC ... WAC Player of the Week.
So., 3B, Lindsay Fossatti
Has game-winning hit against Mississippi State with a two-run home run and versus CS Northridge ... tied for second on the team in total bases (11) , second in slugging pct. (.393) and fourth in RBI (4)... 1999 First Team All-WAC & All-West Region.
So., LHP, Kristen Hunter
Is 3-1 with two shutouts, 25 strikeouts and one walk in 27.2 innings ... has started five games with one complete ... opponents are batting .156 against her ... averaging 6.43 strikeouts per seven innings and has struck out six looking ... tossed a one-hitter and struck out a season-high eight against Sacramento State ... has a current four-game hit streak and is batting .417 (5-12, R, RBI, double, walk, HBP, six total bases, .500 slug pct.) ... leads team in total bases (14) and slugging pct. (.483), shares lead in hits (9) and doubles (2), second in batting average (.310), third in runs (3) and fifth in RBI (3) ... hit second career home run against Kansas ... had game-winning hit against Arkansas ... SDSU Campbell-Cartier All-Tournament ... 1999 Second Team All-American ... First Team All-West Region ... NCAA All-Regional & MVP ... WAC Freshman of the Year ... WAC Pitcher of the Week.
So., 2B, Lovieanne Jung
Posted a six-game hit streak dating back from last season (.647, 11-17, 3 R, HR, 4 BB, 3 RBI, 1-1 SB) ... opened the year batting .714 (5-7) with a run, sac fly, four RBI and five total bases (.714 slug pct.) in four games ... in season opener against Kansas, went 3-3 with a run, walk and three RBI ... leads team in batting average (.348), third in hits (8), RBI (5) and slugging pct. (.391) ... has helped two double plays ... 1999 Third Team All-American ... First Team All-West Region ... NCAA All-Regional ... All-College World Series ... Second Team All-WAC.
Sr., RHP/OF, Amanda Scott
Is 5-1 on the year with two saves for a 0.32 ERA in 44.1 innings ... has appeared in nine of 10 games and is 4-1 as a starter with four shutouts ... picked up a win in relief against Mississippi State ... had a save against #13 Nebraska and Arkansas ... hit third career grand slam against Kansas ... in the WAC's career recordbooks, moved up to No. 1 all-time in career saves (8) and second in RBI (186) ... had game-winning hit against Sacramento State ... tossed fourth career no-hitter against CS Northridge ... has two 10-strikeout games ... has two one-hitters (12 in career) ... opened season with 43.1 innings without a run and earned run... averaging 7.62 strikeouts per seven innings and has struck out seven batters looking ... Two-time WAC Pitcher of the Week ... SDSU Campbell-Cartier All-Tournament ... Three-time First Team All-American ... Three-time All-West Region& All-WAC ... WAC Freshman of the Year... 1999 WAC Championship MVP ... Two-time WAC Pitcher of the Year ... Three-time NFCA National Player of the Week ... 11-time WAC Pitcher of the Week ... Three-time NCAA All-Regional (MVP '98) ... Two-time All-College World Series ('98 MVP) ... Two-time GTE Academic All-District VIII ... '99 GTE Academic All-America Second Team.
Fr., C, Pam West
Starting catcher for the Bulldogs in all 10 games ... has a .987 fielding percentage in 78 total chances ... has thrown out two base stealers (4-6) ... made collegiate debut at the plate against No. 1 UCLA and stole a base.
Jr., CF, Becky Witt
Has three-game hit streak and is batting .364 (4-11) with a run, double and stolen base ... leads team in runs (8), shares lead in hits (9) and doubles (2), second in total bases (11) and third in batting average (.281) ... tied career-high three runs vs. Kansas ... Two-time All-American ... NCAA All-Regional ... Two-time All-West Region & All-WAC ... 1998 WAC Freshman of the Year ... 1999 GTE Academic All-District VIII.
