Fresno State Athletics
Softball Prepares For Preseason Practice
12/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Dec. 30, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Bulldog Softball Starts Preseason Practice
The 2003 Fresno State softball team begins preseason practice this week at Bulldog Diamond starting today. The Bulldogs will field a 20-player squad that is underclassmen dominated. Fresno State returns 10 letterwinners and seven starters from a 50-20 squad that advanced to a national-record 21st NCAA Tournament appearance in softball.
Gain One, Lose One
Of the Bulldogs nine freshmen, rookie infielder Daisy Gaynor (Sun Valley, Nev.) will suit up after red-shirting last season. However, the 'Dogs will be without the services of sophomore outfielder Julie Selbicky (Pacific Grove, Calif.), who will utilize a medical redshirt.
Nine is Magic Number
Every year it seems that head coach Margie Wright, who is set to begin her 18th season at Fresno State, is approaching another milestone. With more than 1,000 Division I career wins, the NCAA's all-time winningest coach enters the 2003 season nine victories shy of collecting her 900th school win as she boasts an 881-263-1 (.770) school record in 17 years. Just two years ago on March 23, 2000, Wright became the NCAA's all-time winningest coach in Division I softball with 914 career victories. Last season she became the only NCAA Division I softball coach and the 24th NCAA Division I head coach overall, regardless of sport, to amass 1,000 career victories on March 12, 2002. Wright's 23-year career record stands at 1,028-343-3 (.750).
"Meet the Team" Activities Set
The latter part of the month features "Meet the Team" activities for the Fresno State softball team. On Thursday, Jan. 23, the Bulldogs will make their annual appearance at the men's basketball game at Selland Arena. Performing drills, Wright will introduce her squad during half time at the Fresno State vs. Hawai'i game. Two days later, the 'Dogs will be on hand at Sierra Vista Mall for the annual "Meet the Team." Posters, schedule cards, seat option purchases and meeting Time Out will available to those all in attendance. The 2003 squad will be available from 12:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. and will sign posters and memorabilia. In addition, members of the Diamond Club will be on hand to sign individuals, families and/or businesses up as a Diamond Club booster member. On Sunday, Jan. 26, the Diamond Club will host the 15th Annual Meet the Team Dinner and Silent Auction at 12:00 p.m. at TorNino's. Dinner reservations can be made by phoning (559) 278-6833.
Head Coach Margie Wright
As the NCAA's all-time winningest coach in Division I softball, head coach Margie Wright (Illinois State, 1974) begins her 18th season at the helm of the Fresno State softball program. Wright, who became the first Division I softball coach and 24th Division I head coach overall to record 1,000 Division I victories last year, is nine wins shy of tallying her 900th school victory with a 17-year Bulldog mark of 881-263-1 (.770). The 1998 NCAA National Coach of the Year boasts a 23-year career record of 1,028-343-3 (.750). With 10 NCAA Women's College World Series trips under her belt, the eight-time conference coach of the year has collected 13 outright or shared conference titles, a Western Athletic Conference tournament championship, 10 regional championship crowns and 17 straight NCAA postseason appearances at Fresno State. Wright is the only coach in the program's history to garner region coach of the year honors (seven times) and is the third head coach overall at Fresno State to garner National Coach of the Year accolades. Owning a 433-77 (.849) all-time mark at Bulldog Diamond, Wright has recorded 13 50-win campaigns and has averaged 52 wins a season while coaching 45 All-Americans, 13 Verizon Academic All-Americans, four NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners and one NCAA Top VIII awardee. In the postseason, Wright is 59-30 with a NCAA title, three national runner-up trophies, three third-place finishes and three fifth-place showings at the Women's College World Series. Having served on the national level as a USA assistant head coach that won gold in the 1996 Olympic Games and at the ISF World Championships as well as a head coach for the USA Junior Women's National Team that won gold in 1995, Wright's Midas touch has made Fresno State just one of three programs in Division I softball to make eight or more trips to the Women's College World Series.
A New Softball WAC
With the departure of Loyola Marymount and Portland State and the addition of softball by fellow league member Nevada, the 2003 Western Athletic Conference for softball will be a six team conference. The WAC will not be awarded an NCAA automatic bid.
Preseason Polls
The USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Coaches Preseason Poll will be released later this month. The Bulldogs have been nationally-ranked every week for 176 weeks in the Top 25 polls since the NCAA released its first softball poll in 1983. The WAC also will release its preseason poll later in the month. Fresno State notched its fifth straight Western Athletic Conference crown and sixth in the last seven years in 2002. Wrapping up 10 years of WAC play, the Bulldogs have posted a 199-47 (.809) mark with a WAC Championship Tournament title and have finished no lower than third since joining the league.
Bulldogs & Southern Are National Leaders
In the final 2002 statistics released by the NCAA, the Bulldogs finished the season as the top defensive-minded team in the nation with a .977 fielding percentage. Setting a new single-season school record along the way, the Bulldogs were ranked among the top five in fielding for seven weeks. The 'Dogs also were ranked in the Top 10 in ERA all seven weeks and finished fourth with a 0.90 ERA. Fresno State appeared in six of the seven weeks in win/lost percentage and finished 28th (.714, 50-20). Individually, right-handed pitcher Jamie Southern (Clovis, Calif.) made history as a rookie. She became just the second freshman in NCAA Division I history to be the ERA statistical champion with a 0.44 ERA after leading the nation in ERA all season long. Also leading the nation in innings pitched (351.2, No. 17 in NCAA single-season history), she was the third freshman in Division I history to tally 400 or more strikeouts in a season in her rookie debut. She had the fifth-most strikeouts by a Division I pitcher last season (400 , No. 16 in NCAA single-season history). Finishing the year ranked No. 4 in wins (33), Southern also was appeared in saves and strikeouts per 7/IP for two weeks.
Southern Named First Team All-American
Southern is the fifth Bulldog freshman to garner First Team All-America accolades and joins four other Bulldogs who were selected first team as a freshman (Terry Carpenter, Lindsay Parker, Amanda Scott and Robyn Yorke). Southern became the first player in Western Athletic Conference history to be named WAC Pitcher and Freshman of the Year in the same season. Recording 19 ten-strikeout games and throwing three no-hitters, including two perfect games, Southern went 33-10 with 22 shutouts and 400 strikeouts in 351.2 innings pitched. She completed her freshman campaign by ranking in 27 records in school, WAC and NCAA history combined.
Southern is National Player & Honda Award Finalist
Southern was selected as one of 25 collegiate softball players for the inaugural USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award. Extended an invitation to the USA World Championship Team camp last summer, she was one of three freshmen to be singled out by The Amateur Softball Association. On May 3, Southern became one of 10 finalists for the national honor. On May 27, Southern was one of four collegiate softball players to be nominated for the Honda Awards Program. This is the fifth time a Bulldog softball player has been a Honda Awards Program softball finalist as Southern joins Wende Ward (1982), Julie Smith (1991) and Amanda Scott (1999 and 2000).
JSo is SO ...
Finishing with a 33-10 record on the year that included 51 appearances with 41 starts and 40 complete games, Southern threw 22 shutouts (freshman record), three no-hitters (two perfect games), set a single-game school and WAC record in strikeouts twice, had three saves, broke the school's and WAC's single-season strikeout record (also freshman record), set a new season strikeout mark in WAC games only (137) as opponents batted .139 against her for a 0.44 ERA. Tallying 19 ten-strikeout games, she totaled 400 strikeouts in 351.2 innings (7.97 strikeouts 7/IP). Against the Top 25 in her career, Southern is 6-6 with a save, five shutouts and 114 strikeouts in 107.0 innings (7.46 strikeouts 7/IP). In her career, she is a 35-10 with four saves, 23 shutouts, 41 complete games, 43 starts and 55 appearances. The two-time NFCA National Player of the Week has pitched 363.2 innings and has yielded 170 hits, 33 runs (22 earned), 58 walks and has 418 strikeouts (8.06 7/IP) for a 0.42 ERA; she also owns a career 7:1 strikeout to walk ratio.
Rookie Lineage
Southern and former Bulldog pitcher Terry Carpenter are now the two most prolific freshmen hurlers in school history. As the second rookie Bulldog pitcher to post 30 or more wins and the fifth overall to reach the 30-win plateau in a season, Southern holds the sole distinction of posting the most wins (33), strikeouts (400), shutouts (22), innings pitched (351.2) and win/loss (33-10) by a freshman. Southern owns season-best highs of four consecutive shutout wins (twice), 11 consecutive victories, 92.2 innings without an earned run, 52.1 scoreless innings (20 hits, two walks, 61 strikeouts) and 11.2 hitless innings.
Bulldogs in the NCAA Tourney
With 12 NCAA Regional championship titles to its credit, Fresno State owns a 72-43 (.626) record in NCAA Tournament play and is the only program to participate in all 21 NCAA Division I Softball Championship Tournaments. In NCAA Regional action, the 'Dogs are 42-20 (.677). In the WCWS, Fresno State is 30-23 (.567) with a national title (1998), four runner-up trophies (1982, 1988, 1989, 1990), three third-place finishes (1991, 1992, 1997) and three fifth-place showings (1987, 1994, 1999). In postseason play under Wright, the Bulldogs are 59-30: 32-11 in regional play and 27-19 in WCWS action.
Miscellaneous Notes
Fresno State claimed its fifth straight WAC title outright and sixth in the last seven years ... Fresno State made NCAA record-setting 21st consecutive appearance in postseason play ... Fresno State wrapped up its home schedule with a 25-5 mark and has posted a 199-30 (.869) worksheet with an average of 2,228 fans in seven years at Bulldog Diamond ... In 10 years of WAC play, Fresno State has won six WAC titles and has finished second once and third three times while sporting a 199-47 (.809) record ... With 137 strikeouts in WAC play, Southern set a new conference single-season strikeout record in league play only ... She breaks the record of 131 that was set by Utah's Ali Andrus in 1994 ... Southern also set a new WAC single-season record in innings pitched with 327.0 (old record was 321.0 by Fresno State's Maureen Brady in 1994) ... Southern finished WAC play with an 11-3 record with eight shutouts and 137 strikeouts (46 looking) 125.2 innings for a 0.45 ERA as WAC opponents hit .138 against ... Her 33 victories overall ranked No. 2 in WAC single-season history ... Southern set five Bulldog rookie marks (wins, 33; w/l, 33-10; shutouts, 22; strikeouts, 400; and innings pitched, 352.1) en route to establishing a school and WAC record in strikeouts ... Southern became just the third freshman in NCAA Division I history to tally 400 or more strikeouts (struck out 125 looking) ... The Bulldogs ended the year by winning 22 of their last 29 games ... 'Dogs played 13 extra inning games and went 8-5 ... Fifteen of Fresno State's 20 losses on the year were by two or less runs (12 one-run losses with five via extra innings)... Fresno State went 9-12 versus the Top 25 ... The Bulldogs opened the year by playing 18 games against the Top 25 in their first 42 games with 14 coming against the Top 10 ... Fifteen of the losses occurred on the road and of those 15, 10 were against the Top 25 with nine coming against the Top 10 and six against the Top Five ... Clutch hitting was the Bulldogs' Achilles' heel ... The Bulldogs struggled in the first and sixth innings (51-48) but dominated in the second (18-0) and went a combined 135-42 in the remaining frames ... Fresno State, which outscored its opponents 186-90, batted .247 even though it compiled nearly twice the multiple-hits than its opponents (78-43) ... Fresno State was dangerous when it scored first, going 39-3, and was perfect when leading after five innings (38-0) ... One of four seniors, Lindsay Fossatti (Tustin, Calif.) batted consistently during the year as she finished as the team's top hitter (.314, 66-210) while leading the team in doubles (15), home runs (6), RBI (30), walks (34) and total bases (101) ... Posting a career year at the plate, Fossatti was the ninth Bulldog in school history to post 100 or more total bases in a season ... She also became the program's third player to be a four-time first team all-conference selection ... Freshman shortstop Leticia Pacheco (Bloomington, Calif.) led the team with 13 two-out RBI games ... Junior catcher Pam West (Corona, Calif.) threw out 20 would-be basestealers for the second consecutive year as she threw out 21 in 2002 ... In the last two seasons, West owns a 63% accuracy (24-65) while boasting a 51% career accuracy (52-105) ... Sophomore second baseman Pam Perez (Fresno, Calif.) posted a career year after another stellar defensive season ... She returns as the team's top hitter after finishing second in batting (.299, 64-214), runs (25) and sacrifices (19) while third in hits and total bases (70) ... The 'Dogs dropped a 2-1, 10-inning decision to eventual 2002 national champion California in their regional opener on May 16 .
National Rankings
Fresno State softball has been no stranger to the national polls. Nationally ranked every week for 176 consecutive weeks since the NCAA's first Top 15 poll in 1983, the Bulldogs have been in the nation's Top 25 polls for 20 straight years. Ranked in the Top 10 for 151 weeks, the Bulldogs achieved their first No. 1 national ranking on March 14, 1989. They were ranked No. 1 for two straight weeks in 1997 before finishing as the No. 1 team in the final 1998 USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. In 1999, Fresno State opened the year with a No. 1 preseason ranking after winning the national title in 1998. Since March 29, 1988, the 'Dogs have been the top-ranked team five times, ranked second 35 times, ranked third 32 times, and ranked fourth 20 times. The softball program's five No. 1 rankings is the most ever by a Bulldog athletic team.
