Fresno State Athletics
No. 11 Softball Steps Out of Conference Action
4/1/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 1, 2002
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Fresno State Steps Out of Conference Action
Fresno State continues non-conference action this week when the Bulldogs travel to No. 3 Stanford, Tue., April 2, for a 5:00 p.m. showdown. Fresno State, which dropped a non-conference doubleheader at No. 1 UCLA a week ago, will look to snap a two-game losing streak. The Bulldogs, who will play their 13th ranked road opponent, is 7-8 versus the Top 25 this season. Of the eight losses suffered to the Top 25, all have come on the road and five have come via two runs or less. Fresno State has played nine Top 10 teams and owns a 4-7 record, which includes a 1-0, 8-inning loss to No. 2 Stanford on Feb. 24 a the NFCA Leadoff Classic.
Bulldogs Resume WAC Play at Home
Having played its last 13 games on the road, Fresno State will return home later this week and host Tulsa on Thur., April 4, 6:00 p.m. and Louisiana Tech on Sat., April 6, 1:00 p.m. in Western Athletic Conference action at Bulldog Diamond. The Bulldogs, who are 3-1 in WAC play, sit one-game back behind league-leading Hawai'i, which is 4-0 in league action. Tulsa is in second place with a 2-0 WAC mark.
'Dogs Enjoy a Weekend of Rest
Fresno State took a weekend off from competition. The Bulldogs, who are half way through their regular-season schedule, have eight non-conference games left on the slate, including their trip to Stanford, while the remaining 20 games are WAC contests.
No Soft Schedule Here
Down the road, Fresno State will participate in the first West Coast-Midwest Challenge, April 16-17, in Oklahoma City, Okla., at the Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium, site of the 2002 NCAA Women's College World Series. There, the Bulldogs will tangle with No. 9 Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (votes) to round out Top 25 competition. Of the Dogs' 28 games remaining on the regular-season, 14 will be played on the road and 14 at Bulldog Diamond. After all is said and done, Fresno State will have played 41 road games and just 27 home games to round out a 68-game regular-season schedule.
Bulldog Celebrations
Fresno State will honor head coach Margie Wright on Thur., April 4, in a pre-game ceremony commemorating her historic milestone reached last time out at home. On March 12, Wright became the first NCAA Division I softball coach and the 24th NCAA Division I coach overall, regardless of sport per records kept by the NCAA, to record 1,000 NCAA Division I wins. The NCAA's all-time winningest coach in softball, is 41 wins shy of recording 900 wins at Fresno State. In addition, Fresno State will celebrate 25 years of Bulldog Softball on Sat., April 6, in a pre-game ceremony and post-game bar-b-que for its alumni. To date, there are more than 40 alumni who are planning to attend.
Head Coach Margie Wright
In her 17th season as head coach of the Fresno State softball program, Margie Wright (Illinois State, 1974) has directed the Bulldogs to a national title (1998) while guiding the program to the NCAA Women's College World Series 10 times in the last 15 years. As only the second NCAA Division I coach to amass 900 or more Division I career wins entering the year, she owns an impressive 859-254-1 (.773) mark with the Bulldogs and a 23-year career record of 1,006-334-3 (.751). Becoming the NCAA's all-time career win leader on March 23, 2000 with a 2-1 victory over CS Northridge, Wright became the first NCAA Division I coach to accumulate 1,000 Division I wins on March 12, 2002 when the Bulldogs swept Tennessee Tech (4-0, 2-1). The eight-time conference coach of the year has collected 12 outright or shared conference titles, a WAC tournament championship, 10 regional championship crowns and has led Fresno State to 16 straight NCAA postseason appearances. With a NCAA title and three national runner-up trophies to her credit, Wright is the only coach in program 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 (1998). Boasting a 415-73 (.850) all-time home field record and a 186-26 (.877) mark at the "new" Bulldog Diamond since 1996, Wright has averaged 52 wins a year and has coached 44 All-Americans and 12 Verizon Academic All-Americans. An assistant coach for the 1996 USA Olympic softball gold medal team, Wright also helped the USA Softball National Team to a gold medal at the 1998 ISF World Championships.
Wright Joins 1,000 Win Club
Wright has reached momentous milestones since becoming the program's third head coach in 1986. Recording career victories No. 200 through No. 1,000 at Fresno State, Wright became the NCAA's all-time winningest Division I coach with win No. 914 on March 23, 2000 (2-1 vs. CS Northridge). The 1998 National Coach of the Year entered the 2002 season 22 wins shy of being the first-ever NCAA Division I head coach to record 1,000 NCAA Division I victories. She became the first softball coach and just the 24th head coach on the Division I level, regardless of sport and per records kept by the NCAA, to post 1,000 Division I victories on March 12 with a 2-1 victory over Tennessee Tech. Overall, only three head coaches, regardless of Division, have posted at least 900 fastpitch wins entering the 2002 season: Wright (978-323-3), Sandy Jerstad of Augustana (918-320-2) and Judi Garman of CS Fullerton (913-374-4).
Fresno State Softball Celebrates Silver Anniversary
Celebrating 25 years of winning tradition will ring throughout the 2002 season for the Fresno State softball program. Recognized as a cornerstone of softball excellence since their inception, the Bulldogs boast a heritage that is hard pressed to be found elsewhere. A tradition that is held in high esteem, Fresno State softball demand for excellence has not only delivered the first national title to the university but has produced unparalleled success both on the field and in the classroom.
#3 Stanford Notebook (28-5)
Stanford is coming off a 1-2 worksheet after opening Pac-10 play with No. 8 California (2-3, 6-0, 6-7) last weekend. Going 1-3 in their last four after winning the previous 16 The Cardinal have played just seven games at home and own a 5-2 record at the Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium. Stanford, which has ranked either No. 2 or No. 3 during the season, is without the services of All-America junior right-hander/utility player Dana Sorenson, who suffered a season-ending arm injury at the beginning of the year. However, junior right-hander Tori Nyberg has filled the void nicely as she is 17-3 on the season with six shutouts and 117 strikeouts in 125.2 innings for a 1.23 ERA. Nyberg, who defeated Fresno State 1-0 in eight innings on Feb. 24, had won 11 straight dating back to Feb. 24 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic before losing the first game to Cal. Batting .296 with a 1.48 ERA as a team, Stanford is led offensively by All-America senior first baseman Sarah Beeson and All-America senior center fielder Jessica Mendoza. Beeson is batting .436 (44-101) with 22 runs, eight doubles, four home runs and 31 RBI. Mendoza is hitting a team-best .444 (44-99) with 39 runs, nine doubles, three triples, 10 home runs, 16 stolen bases and 29 RBI. In the all-time series, Fresno State owns an 11-3 advantage since 1992, however, in the last six meetings, the series is tied at 3-3.
Tulsa Notebook (32-4, 5-1 WAC)
Tulsa has jumped out of the gate since the season opened for the Golden Hurricane on Feb. 9. Tulsa rattled off 19 straight victories before losing 14-6 to No. 9 Oklahoma at home last week. Tulsa, which won its first eight before going 10-2 in its first 12 and stringing together 19 victories, is coming off a 3-2 worksheet at home after dropping a game to the Sooners before sweeping Loyola Marymount (1-0, 6-5 in 8 inn.) and splitting with Portland State (3-1, 9-1 in 5 inn.), The Golden Hurricane, who is batting .289 with a 1.15 ERA as a team, is threatening to break the school's single-season record in home runs with 20 to date. The school record is 21 by the 1996 squad. Leading the way is junior infielder Crissy Strimple and senior outfielder Jessie Smith. Strimple, a junior college transfer from NE Oklahoma A&M, is batting a team-best .366 (37-101) with 20 runs, eight doubles, five home runs, 17 walks and 21 RBI. Smith, a 2000 all-WAC selection who missed a majority of last season with a broken hand, is batting .356 (32-90) with 21 runs, four doubles, four home runs, 11 walks and 16 RBI. In addition, junior infielder Danielle Olsen (.336, 39-116) leads the team in RBI (29) and hits while adding 21 runs, seven doubles, a triple and four home runs. Fresno State and Tulsa did not meet last season as all four games were rained out in Oklahoma. In the all-time series, Fresno State owns a 15-0 advantage since 1997.
Louisiana Tech Notebook (13-10, 1-4 WAC)
Louisiana Tech, which is participating in the WAC for the first time this season, has had six games rained out and between the washouts the Lady Techsters manage to sandwich a maximum of five games in between. Louisiana Tech, a program deep in softball excellence in the 1980's that saw three trips to the NCAA Women's College World Series, is under the direction of head coach Bill Galloway. Nineteen wins shy of becoming the fifth NCAA Division I coach to record 900 or more Division I career wins (881-384-2 in 24 years), Galloway was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame last fall. The Lady Techsters are coming off WAC play at home after splitting with Portland State (2-1, 0-4) and losing one to Loyola Marymount (3-0, game two called due to inclement weather). Before coming to Fresno on Saturday, Louisiana Tech will host Jackson State in a non-conference doubleheader today before traveling to San Jose State for WAC action on Thur., April 4. Louisiana Tech was a member of the Sun Belt Conference last season and posted a 4-18 league mark. With 18 winning seasons and eight postseason appearances, the Lady Techsters return six starters and 10 letterwinners from a 20-31 team. This is the first meeting between Fresno State and Louisiana Tech.
National Rankings
Fresno State softball has been no stranger to the national polls. Nationally ranked every week for 169 consecutive weeks since the NCAA's first Top 15 poll in 1983, the Bulldogs have been in the nation's Top 20 for 20 straight years. In addition, they have been in the Top 10 for 151 weeks. On March 14, 1989, the Bulldogs achieved their first-ever No. 1 national ranking and 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 Fresno State softball program's five No. 1 rankings is the most ever by a Bulldog athletic team.
Fresno State in Openers
In the 25-year history of the Fresno State softball program, the Bulldogs have compiled a 17-8 mark in season openers. Under Wright, the Bulldogs have tallied a 13-4 record. In home openers, the program is 21-4 while the 'Dogs are 14-3 under Wright. In conference openers, the program also is 21-4 and 15-2 under Wright. Finally, in conference home openers, Fresno State is 23-1 and 16-0 under the NCAA's all-time winningest coach.
Pacheco Swingin'
Freshman shortstop Leticia Pacheco (Bloomington) played a pivotal role in the Bulldogs' opening weekend of WAC play. As the No. 9 batter, Pacheco made defensive saves, turned a double play and keyed go-ahead and potential go-ahead runs for the 'Dogs. In the doubleheader versus Portland State, Pacheco had the game-winning hit with a two-out three RBI double over the left fielder's head in the sixth to give the Bulldogs' a 3-0 win, Pacheco went 1-1 with a walk after connecting for her third double on the year. In the night cap, Pacheco went 1-4 and keyed a double play, In the doubleheader against Loyola Marymount, Pacheco went 2-4 and was one of two Bulldogs to have a multiple-hit game in the 1-0, nine-inning loss to the Lions. Pacheco started the eighth inning off with a hit and advanced to third before being stranded in the Bulldogs' best threat in the extra-inning loss.
JSo is SO ...
With a 19-5 record on the year that includes 30 appearances with 24 starts and 23 complete games, freshman right-hander Jamie Southern (Clovis) has thrown 12 shutouts, a perfect game, two no-hitters, set a single-game school record in strikeouts, has two saves and broke the school's freshman record in strikeouts while opponents are batting .128 against her for a 0.29 ERA. Tallying 13 ten-plus strikeout games, Southern has totaled 229 strikeouts in 192.2 innings (8.34 strikeouts 7/IP). Against the Top 25 in her career, Southern is 4-3 with a save, four shutouts and 84 strikeouts in 69.1 innings (8.51 strikeouts 7/IP). In her career, she owns a 21-5 mark that includes two saves, 13 shutouts with 24 complete games in 26 starts and 33 appearances. Southern has pitched 203.1 innings and has yielded 88 hits, 17 runs (eight earned), 40 walks and 243 strikeouts (8.38 strikeouts 7/IP) for a 0.28 ERA. She owns a career-best 28.0 scoreless and 11.2 hitless innings along with a streak of 92.2 innings without an earned run.
Take 5
Southern has garnered Western Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors five times this season. As the first pitcher in WAC history to garner four consecutive pitcher of the week accolades, Southern pitched a pair of no-hitters with a nine-day separation. Against Tennessee Tech on March 12, she recorded the program's 53rd no-hitter. Southern threw a perfect game (10th in school history -- second known perfect game in college softball at the time) against UC Riverside on March 3. Southern already has set a single-game school record in strikeouts as she threw all 15 innings and struck out 19 in the Bulldogs' 2-1 victory. The 19 strikeouts recorded broke a 20-year old record held by All-American Wende Ward (17 in 14 inn. versus Cal Poly, 1983). She also broke the school's rookie record for most strikeouts in a season with 226 against Loyola Marymount on March 23. Overall, Southern is 7-2 with a no-decision in her last 10 starts. In addition, Southern has won 10 of her last 14 starts with a no-decision and 10 of her last 16 starts with a no-decision (the five starting losses are one-run games and four of those are extra-inning games) after opening the year at 8-0.
Rookie Lineage
As the eighth freshman pitcher to collect 10 victories, Southern is one win shy of becoming just the fourth rookie pitcher to notch 20 wins. Southern, who broke Kristen Hunter's record for most strikeouts in a rookie season (216), is chasing the likes of Terry Carpenter and Marcie Green. Carpenter holds three rookie marks while Green holds two while Carpenter, Hunter and Lindsay Parker were 20-game winners as rookies. Southern already has 229 strikeouts, 12 shutouts and is 19-5 on the year. She owns a season-best highs of four consecutive shutout wins, eight consecutive wins, 92.2 innings without an earned run, a streak of 28.0 scoreless innings and an 11.2 hitless innings pitched streak.
Earning Your Top 25 Keep
Fresno State is 28-11 on the season with a starting line up that features as many as seven underclassmen. Of the first 17 games played, 10 were against Top 25 teams with eight against the Top 10 alone and three versus the Top Five. Nine of the 11 losses have come via two runs or less with seven of those being one-run losses.
Century Mark
Senior third baseman Lindsay Fossatti (Tustin) has broken the WAC's record in career walks and is three shy of setting a new school career mark. Having been walked 104 times in 234 career games, Fossatti broke the WAC walk record held by former Bulldog All-American Angela Cervantez (97, 1997-2000). At Fresno State, Fossatti is three shy of surpassing another Bulldog All-American Gina LoPiccolo (106, 1988-91).
Who's That
Senior center fielder Tiffany Whipple (Fresno) leads the team with 11 multiple hit games ... Southern leads the team with five multiple RBI games ... Fossatti has had the longest hit streak on the season at 13 ... Fresno State has outscored its opponents 10-0 in the second inning and has outscored the opponents 65-19 in innings two through five ... What's in a number: .333 ... The batting average by Fossatti (4-12) with a run, a RBI and two walks in her last four games, by sophomore second baseman Pam Perez (Fresno) who has recorded three multiple-hit games and has gone 11-33 with four runs, a RBI, four walks and a sacrifice in her last 11 games, and by Southern in her last three games after going 3-9 with a run, a double and three RBI ... Southern has given up a total of eight earned runs this season ... She opened the year with a streak of 54.1 innings before giving up four earned runs in 14 innings then went on a tear with a streak of 92.2 innings without an earned run ... She has since given up four earned runs in her last 32.1 innings.
Jenny Eller Challenge
Fresno State, in cooperation with the Central California Blood Center, is giving fans a break at the gates with a $2 off coupon good for any regular-season home game.
Lunch with Margie
There are two dates left to have "Lunch with Margie" at the Silver Dollar Hofbrau. Beginning at 12:00 p.m., Wright will share her thoughts and do a question and answer session with fans once a month during the season. The remaining dates are April 8 and May 6.
2002 Fresno State Softball Notebook
Sr., 1B/2B, Vanessa Czarnecki
Has four multiple-hit games ... has turned five double plays ... in career, ranks No. 2 in career sacrifices (61) at FS & in WAC history ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 7x Deans List ... 3x WAC all-Academic, WAC Scholar-Athlete &Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2001 NFCA Scholar-Athlete.
Sr., 3B, Lindsay Fossatti
Has seven multiple-hit games & one multiple-RBI ... had a season-best 13-game hit streak (ranks No. 8 all-time in FS history) & batted .475 (19-40, 4 R, 2 doubles, triple, 2 HR, 8 BB, 7 RBI, 29 TB, .725 slug pct.) ... has two home runs on year & ranks seventh all-time at FS (11) ... tied career high in hits with 4 vs. Texas Tech (4-4, R, 4 RBI, double, home run) ... has turned three of team's seven double plays ... has been walked 2 or more times in nine different games ... in career, ranks No. 1 in walks in WAC history & No. 2 in FS history (104) ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 2001 NCAA Tournament all-regional ... 2001 Verizon Academic All-American ... 2001 Harold Haak Scholarship ... 2001 NFCA Scholar-Athlete ... 3x first team all-WAC ... 3x WAC all-academic, WAC Scholar-Athlete & Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ...7x time Deans List ... 4x Presidential List (4.0 GPA) ... Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society ... 3x WAC Player of the Week ...1999 all-West Region.
So., DP/LHP, Lori Hoffman
Has seven multiple-hit games & one multiple RBI game ... has a season-best & career-best seven-game hit streak & batted .423 (9-21) with a double, five RBI, sac fly & 10 total bases ... in the circle, has made four appearances with two starts & two relief (0-2, lost at #8 Arizona State & #9 CS Fullerton) ...in career, has 15 appearances vs. Top 25 teams with eight starts ... owns Top 25 wins over #11 DePaul, #15 Oregon State, #8 CS Fullerton ... first collegiate start vs. #11 DePaul (W 2-1) ... career-best streaks of 25.0 scoreless IP & without an earned run.
So., 2B/OF, Pam Perez
Has seven multiple-hit games & two multiple RBI ... has a season-best five-game hit streak & batted .333 (5-15) with four runs, two RBI, two doubles, two walks, one sacrifice, seven total bases ... also notched a four-game hit streak (.700, 7-10, R, 2 RBI, SH) ... has turned four double plays ... second on team in batting, hits, runs & sacrifice hits while third in walks.
Jr., RHP, Leslie Poole
Is 8-2 on year in nine starts & a 2.41 ERA ... has a win in relief vs. Penn State, Indiana & Portland State ... is 2-2 vs. Top 25 ... tied career-high six strikeouts vs. Boston University ... is 4-1 in her last seven starts with two no-decisions ... has a season-best streak of 22.1 scoreless innings ... in career, has 47.2 scoreless innings streak ... has two one-hitters, three two-hitters & two three-hitters in career... 3x WAC Pitcher of the Week ... 2001 Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2001 second team all-WAC.
Fr., RHP/1B/OF, Jamie Southern
In the circle, is 19-5 in 24 starts with 12 shutouts & 229 strikeouts in 192.2 IP for a 0.29 ERA ... has 13 ten-strikeout games & is averaging 8.34 strikeouts a game ... threw a perfect game vs. UC Riverside (March 3 -- 10th perfect game & 52nd no-hitter in FS history) ... threw second no-hitter nine days later vs. Tenn. Tech (March 12) for program's 53rd no-hitter ... is 4-3 vs. Top 25 teams with a save while recording four shutouts & 84 strikeouts in 69.1 IP (8.51 strikeouts 7/IP) -- (W 1-0 vs. #5 Cal, W 2-0 vs. #6 Washington, W 2-1 vs. #10 Pacific, W vs. #18 La.-Lafayette, L 1-0 vs. #5 LSU, L 1-0 vs. #2 Stanford) ... has a season-best streak of 92.2 innings without an earned run ... had a streak of three consecutive games with 10+ strikeouts & averaged 13.0 strikeouts a game in that span (39 in 21.0 IP) ... set single-game school record 19 strikeouts vs. #10 Pacific ... has yielded 17 total runs (seven via fielding errors) ... has six multiple-hit games & five multiple RBI ... had a season-high six-game hi streak & batted .300 (6-20) with a double, three RBI & a walk ... earlier had a six-game hit streak & batted .348 (8-23, 5 R, triple, HR, 2 BB, SF, 2 RBI & 13 TB) ... five-time WAC Pitcher of the Week (Feb. 11 & 18 & 25, March 4 & 18) ... Louisville Slugger/NFCA Player of the Week (March 7) ... has turned four double plays ... in career is 21-5 career mark with two saves & 13 shutouts with 24 complete games in 26 starts & 33 appearances ... In 203.1 career innings pitched, she has yielded 88 hits, 17 runs, eight earned runs, 40 walks while striking out 243 (8.38 strikeouts 7/IP) for a 0.28 ERA ... has career-best 11.2 hitless IP streak, a career-best 28.0 scoreless IP & a career-best 92.2 innings without an earned run ... 2002 NFCA Leadoff & Hedrick's Hallowell Chevrolet all-tourney ... 2002 preseason all-WAC & WAC Pitcher of the Year.
Jr., C, Pam West
Has nine multiple-hit games & one multiple RBI ... recorded GWH vs. No. 10 Pacific ... has thrown out 11 would-be basestealers in 23 tries ... in last two seasons, has thrown out 31 for a 63% accuracy (18-49) ... last year, led nation in percentage of runners thrown out (74%, 7-27) by catching 20 ... in career, has thrown out 44 would-be basestealers (46-90) for a 51% accuracy ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... 2x Fresno State Scholar-Athlete ... 2000 WAC all-Academic.
Sr., CF, Tiffany Whipple
Has 11 multiple-hit games ... had a six-game hit streak & batted .429 (9-21, 5 runs, 3 walks, SF, 2-2 SB, 2 RBI, 9 TB) ... 2002 preseason all-WAC ... WAC Player of the Week ... 2002 Deans List ... 2000 Fresno State Scholar-Athlete & WAC all-Academic... 2001 NFCA Scholar-Athlete ... 2001 second team all-WAC.
