Fresno State Athletics
No. 19/17 Softball Opens Season This Week
2/7/2005 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 7, 2005
FRESNO, Calif. -
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Bulldogs Open at the Kajikawa Classic
The Fresno State softball team opens the 2005 season this week on the road at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. Playing at the Tempe Sports Complex, the Bulldogs have five games on tap. Fresno State opens the year with Syracuse (1:15 p.m., PST) and CS Northridge (3:30 p.m., PST) on Fri., Feb. 11. The following day, the Bulldogs meet Wisconsin (2:45 p.m., PST) and Buffalo (5:00 p.m., PST) before closing out with No. 1 California (9:15 a.m., PST) on Sun., Feb. 13. Hosted by Arizona State, the Kajikawa Classic, which formerly was known as the Fiesta Bowl Tournament, is a three day 19-team tournament field that will showcase the three top ranked teams in the country: No. 1 California, No. 2 UCLA and No. 3 Arizona.
Fresno State in Season Openers
With the Fresno State softball program about to open its 28th season as a varsity sport, the Bulldogs own an 18-9 record in season openers. Head coach Margie Wright, the NCAA's all-time winningest softball coach who enters her 20th season at the helm of the Bulldog softball program, has directed the 'Dogs to a 14-5 mark in season openers.
Halftime Appearance
The Fresno State softball team will make its halftime appearance at the men's basketball game on Mon., Feb. 21, 7:00 p.m. Signing posters on the main concourse level before tip off, the Bulldogs will be introduced and conduct a demonstration at half time.
In the Polls
In the two softball collegiate preseason polls released last month, Fresno State appeared in both polls as it checked in at No. 19 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25 and No. 17 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25. With the preseason ranking by the coaches' poll, Fresno State now has been nationally ranked for 23 consecutive years since the NCAA released its first poll in 1983. Beginning its weekly poll on Feb. 16, the NFCA poll is voted on by 30 coaches across the country representing all conferences. Starting its weekly poll on Feb. 8, the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll is voted on by coaches representing 15 different ASA regions and 11 conferences as well as media members.
Softball Season Tickets On Sale
Season tickets for the 2005 Fresno State softball season are currently on sale. Fans can order on-line (www.gobulldogs.com), by phone (278-DOGS) or by visiting the Bulldog Ticket Office (Mon.-Fri., 9:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.). Season ticket prices are as follows: Reserved seating ($182), GA-Adult ($75), GA- Youth (ages 6-18: $52) and GA-Senior (ages 65+: $52).
Opponent History
Nostalgia will be showcased in 2005 as Fresno State will be playing eight of its 10 oldest opponents. In the opening weekend alone the Bulldogs will play two of them in CS Northridge (10th oldest) and California (oldest). Fresno State and CSUN will meet for the 49th time since 1979 on the first day of tournament action and Cal for the 99th time on the final day of tourney play at the Kajikawa Classic. In the series, Fresno State holds a 30-18 advantage over the Matadors while being 60-38 against the Golden Bears.
First Time Opponents
Fresno State will battle five first time opponents in 2005: Buffalo, Seton Hall, Kent State, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Buffalo (Kajikawa Classic), Seton Hall (NFCA Leadoff Classic) and Kent State (Bulldog Classic) are all tournament opponents while the Bulldogs will play UConn and Rhode Island at home in March in doubleheader non-conference action.
Kajikawa Classic Opponents
Syracuse (0-0): Syracuse opens its season this weekend ... Junior shortstop Alexis Switenko returns as SU's top hitter after batting .327 (53-162) with 27 runs, 10 doubles, two triples and team-highs of nine home runs and 40 RBI ... Also back is senior outfielder Tanya Rose, who hit .318 (55-173) with a team-best 41 runs and 10 of 12 in stolen bases to go along with 11 doubles and eight home runs ... In the circle, the Orange also returns its top hurler in sophomore right-hander Courtney Mosch ... Mosch posted a 17-15 record with five shutouts, one save and 126 strikeouts in 197.2 innings for a 1.81 ERA ... Last year, Syracuse went 25-29 overall and posted a 9-11 Big East mark ... The Bulldogs first met the Orange last year at the Arizona State Fiesta Bowl Tournament and came away with a 6-3 win.
CS Northridge (4-1): CS Northridge opened its season last week at the UNLV Alexis Resort Classic ... The Matadors went 4-1 after defeating UTEP (4-1), Indiana (1-0), Marshall (5-2), and Utah State (6-0) before dropping the finale to host UNLV (6-1) ... Sophomore right fielder Laura Hovestreydt leads the team with a .389 (7-18) batting average with two runs, two doubles, a triple and four RBI ... In the circle, sophomore right-hander Erin Sigala and senior right-hander Kia Fennell both have a pair of wins and a shutout ... Sigala is 2-0 with 29 strikeouts in 18.1 innings for a 0.76 ERA ... Fennell is 2-1 with 16 strikeouts in 15.2 innings for a 3.13 ERA ... Fresno State and CSUN last met in 2003 in Fresno, Calif. as the Bulldogs recorded a sweep (3-2, 5-0) ... While this is the 10th oldest series for Fresno State, the Bulldogs opened by winning 15 of the first 20 games ... In the last 12, the 'Dogs have won eight while being 11-4 in the last 15 contests against the Matadors ... Last year, CS Northridge went 35-19 overall and tied for second in the Big West with a 14-7 mark ... Advancing to postseason play for the 12th time, CSUN went 2-2 in NCAA Region 4 play at Tallahassee, Fla... CSUN returns 11 letterwinners, including five starters.
Wisconsin (0-0): Wisconsin opens its season this weekend and will meet Texas A&M, CS Northridge and Utah State before playing Fresno State ... Senior all-region shortstop Kristin Zacher returns as the team's top batter after hitting .350 (63-180) with team-highs of 35 runs and 13 of 14 in stolen bases to go along with 10 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 31 RBI ... In the circle, sophomore right-hander Eden Brock returns as the Badgers' top pitcher after going 12-13 with six shutouts, one save and 77 strikeouts in 155.1 innings for a 1.71 ERA ... Fresno State last played Wisconsin at the 2003 Arizona State Fiesta Bowl and the Badgers won 8-4 ... With two of the three meetings happening as the ASU Fiesta Bowl, the Badgers lead the series 2-1 ... Last year, Wisconsin went 29-28 overall and finished 10th in the Big Ten with a 6-14 mark ... the Badgers return 16 letterwinners, including nine starters.
Buffalo (0-0): Buffalo also opens its season this weekend as the Bulldogs will play New Mexico, Arizona State and No. 15 Texas before playing Fresno State ... Sophomore outfielder Mary Russell returns as the team's top hitter after batting .314 (33-105) with 17 runs, four doubles, five RBI and a team-high 15 of 18 in stolen bases ... In the circle, senior right-hander Stacey Evans is UB's top pitcher back after going 13-11 overall with nine shutouts, one save and 178 strikeouts in 182.1 innings for a 1.38 ERA ... Last year, Buffalo went 25-23 overall and 6-7 in Mid-American Conference play ... This is the first meeting with Fresno State.
#1 California (1-0): With its first No. 1 preseason ranking in school history, California opened its season at home with a 6-0 victory over San Jose State ... Senior right-hander Kelly Anderson, a 20-game winner a year ago, allowed no hits and struck out five in three innings of work while Kristina Thorson, also a 20-game winner a year ago, tossed the final 3.0 innings and allowed one hit and fanned six ... The top three Golden Bear batters went a combined 7-12 with three RBI ... Prior to closing out Kajikawa Classic tournament play with Fresno State, the Golden Bears will play Texas A&M, Massachusetts, Syracuse and No. 15 Texas ... Returning four All-Americans and eight starters, Cal has advanced to the WCWS title game the last three straight years while capturing the 2002 national title ... With six seniors to lead the way, Cal is coming off a 53-13 season after tying for second in the Pac-10 with a 13-8 mark ... Senior third baseman Vicky Galindo returns as Cal's top hitter after batting .374 (83-222) with team highs in runs (53), hits and doubles (18) to go along with two triples, seven home runs and 20 RBI ... In the circle last season, Thorson went 28-4 with 11 shutouts, four saves and 232 strikeouts in 226.1 innings for a 0.87 ERA ... Anderson went 25-9 with six shutouts, one save and 156 strikeouts in 210.0 innings for a 1.43 ERA ... California is the oldest series opponent for Fresno State ... The Bulldogs have played Cal in the postseason 20 times with a 14-5 region mark and a 0-1 WCWS record ... The two programs last met in 2002 and split as the 'Dogs won 1-0 at the ASU Tournament before losing 2-1 in region play at Fresno State.
2005 Schedule
With the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll out, Fresno State will be playing six of the top eight teams in the nation and a total of 12 programs that were ranked or received votes. Opening the season on the road at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz. (Feb. 11-13), the Bulldogs will square off against No. 1 California in their final game of the tournament. Also in tournament action, Fresno State will battle No. 2 UCLA in the Bulldog Classic presented by Bingham Toyota on March 6. In addition, No. 5 LSU awaits the Bulldogs at the NFCA Leadoff Classic (Feb. 26), No. 6 Stanford visits Bulldog Diamond (March 28), No. 7 Georgia will play the `Dogs at the Campbell/Cartier Tournament (Feb. 20) and No. 8 Michigan is in Fresno State's pool of the Kia Klassic (March 17).
Bulldogs Return Nation's ERA Leader
Southern, a three-time All-American and an Academic All-American, returns as the nation's top ERA leader, again. As the WAC's first three-time conference pitcher of the year, she posted a 0.54 ERA to lead the nation last spring after posting a national-best 0.44 as a freshman. In the circle in 2004, Southern also threw her third career perfect game (most by a Bulldog), tied the school's single-game strikeout record (twice) and posted a 30-win season for the second time in her career (seventh 30-win mark overall by a Bulldog pitcher).
NCAA Beckons Southern
In her final year Southern will look to keep company with Terry Carpenter (1989-92) and Amanda Scott (1997-00) in the NCAA record book. Southern enters the year with 90 career victories and is 10 shy of becoming the 37th NCAA Division I pitcher to collect 100 or more career wins. As the 23rd NCAA Division I pitcher to tally 1,000 or more career strikeouts last season, she enters the 2005 season ranked No. 23 in career strikeouts (1,039) and No. 27 in career strikeout ratio (8.3). Note: Only 17 NCAA Division I hurlers have eclipsed the 1,100 career strikeout plateau and only seven have posted 120 or more career wins.
Long Ball Fun
Hitting the second-highest number of home runs in the nation last spring, Clark set a new school and WAC season long ball mark en route to becoming Fresno State's all-time career home run holder. With 38 career home runs in just two seasons, the two-time All-American became the third Bulldog to be named WAC Player of the Year (fourth honor overall for Fresno State) as well as the first ever player in WAC history to go from being selected as freshman of the year to player of the year the very next season. As the first Bulldog and WAC player to hit 20 home runs in a season, Clark currently is tied for No. 2 all-time in the league's annals for home runs. With three grand slams to her credit, she enters the 2005 season needing nine home runs to become the WAC's all-time career home run leader (46, Scia Maumausolo of CS Northridge, 1993-96).
Magic Number is Three as Clark Crashes the Record Books
While posting a new single-season school record for total bases (178) a year ago and bringing a 12-game hit streak into 2005, Clark already ranks in three career Fresno State offensive marks: No. 1 home runs (38), No. 10 total bases (319) and No. 10 run (117). Entering this spring, she is three RBI, doubles and triples shy of ranking No. 10, respectively, in each category at Fresno State. As the first Bulldog to be a two-time All-American at shortstop as well as being the first Bulldog freshman to be an All-American at shortstop, Clark also sits just single digits out of the WAC's career Top 10 list in runs, doubles, home runs and triples and 13 shy of the tenth spot for career RBI.
Serving Notice at the Dish
Willis put together one of the top defensive seasons by a Bulldog catcher last spring. With 443 putouts and 484 total chances, she finished the year ranked No. 5 in both putouts and chances in a season by a Fresno State catcher. Throwing out 13 runners and having caught 64 of the 67 games started, she captured WAC Freshman of the Year honors last year to give the Bulldogs a clean sweep of the conference player awards. Willis became the second WAC catcher, first Bulldog catcher and seventh 'Dog overall to garner conference freshman of the year accolades.
Taking it for the Team
Pacheco is closing in on a school record as all the bruises over the years have testified to her fearlessness at the plate. In position to surpass three-time Olympic gold medalist Laura Berg's career hit by pitch mark (43, 1994-95, 97-98), Pacheco comes into her final year with 35 after being hit 12 times last spring, 10 times as a sophomore and 13 times as a freshman.
National Rankings
Fresno State softball has been no stranger to the national polls. Owning the longest streak for consecutive weeks (178) ranked in NCAA Division I softball history, the Bulldogs have been nationally ranked in the Top 25 for 193 of the 205 weeks since the NCAA's first Top 15 poll in 1983. In addition, Fresno State has been in the nation's official Top 25 polls for 23 straight years. Appearing in the Top 10 for 151 weeks, the `Dogs 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. The program's five No. 1 rankings is the most ever by a Bulldogs' athletic team.
2004 Team Notables
Fresno State clinched its seventh WAC title in nine years after posting a 20-4 league record ... The regular-season title is the program's 18th overall as Wright collected her seventh WAC championship and 14th overall at Fresno State ... Winning eight of its last 12 games and 23 of their last 31, the Bulldogs notched at least a 40-win season for the 19 times overall since 1982 and 16 times under Wright ... Fresno State posted a final 24-6 home field record in 2004, making it the 11th straight season in which the Bulldogs tallied at least 20 home game victories ... It also marked the 20th time overall in which the 'Dogs have totaled at least 20 or more wins at Bulldog Diamond since softball became a varsity sports in 1978 ... In attendance, Fresno State collected its 12th straight season in which it averaged 1,000 fans per date ... The Bulldogs also drew more than 10,000 fans for the 17th straight season ... On the national level, Fresno State led the country in both total and average attendance for the 10th time since the NCAA has officially kept attendance marks in 1991 ... As a team, the Bulldogs belted 50 home runs - breaking the old record (44) set by the 1998 national championship team ... The 'Dogs also hit 26 home runs in WAC -- a new conference mark ... The pitching staff struck out 435, the fourth-highest single-season total (just the sixth time in school history with 400 or more strikeouts recorded in a season) ... Fresno State made its 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and is 63-34 (.649) in NCAA Tournament action under Wright.
Grand Slam Leader
While three opponents have hit a grand slam at Bulldog Diamond, the Bulldogs' top grand slam leader is Clark. Dating back to 1991, 16 grand slams have been recorded in Bulldog softball history as Clark has three of them. However, only one has been hit at home and that was Clark, who connected against Louisiana Tech on May 10, 2003. Last season, Clark hit two and both came on the road as the two-time All-American hit one against No. 13 Pacific on March 20 at the Kia Klassic before recording her second of the year at UTEP on May 1. The most grand slams hit in a season has been three, twice (2004 and 1998).
NCAA Career Leaders
Entering the 2005 season, Southern ranks in two NCAA career pitching categories. She is the second active strikeout leader with 1,039 (No. 23 overall) and the fourth active strikeout ratio leader at 8.3 (No. 27 overall).
Making It Four In a Row
While Southern garnered All-America honors at utility for the second straight season after being named All-America at pitcher as a freshman, she became the eighth Bulldog to be a three-time All-American and the fourth Bulldog hurler to do so as she joined Terry Carpenter, Carie Dever and Amanda Scott. This season, Southern will look to be just the fourth Bulldog to be a four-time All-American as Berg, Robyn Yorke and Scott are the only 'Dogs on the elite list. In addition, Southern also will look to be the first WAC hurler to be selected as a four-time WAC Pitcher of the Year.
Southern's Milestones Reached in 2004
What's in a milestone for Southern, well, plenty and it seemed to come once a month against Top 25 teams as well last spring. Recording her 90th career victory against No. 12 Auburn in NCAA Regional play, she also made her 100th career start against No. 4 Florida State after making her 100th career appearance against No. 18 Arizona State. In addition, Southern collected her school-record third perfect game (fourth career no-hitter) against No. 18 Texas A&M. Other milestones that happened in 2004 for Southern was her 80th career victory against Louisiana Tech and her 70th career win versus Campbell. She posted her 60th career shutout against Nevada and her 50th shutout versus Long Beach State. Still further, Southern tied the school's single-game strikeout record with 15 versus No. 18 Texas A&M before tying the same mark later against Campbell.
Chasing Records
Both Clark and Southern are making their way up the school's and WAC's career record book. As the Bulldogs' top slugger, Clark established new single-season school records in home runs (23) and total bases (178). Her sophomore year also showcased her 100th career run, hit and RBI as she also became just the second Bulldog and seventh WAC player to slug .800 or better in a season. As the WAC's first three-time WAC Pitcher of the Year selection, Southern led the nation in ERA every week except one in 2004. She has pitched four no-hitters (three perfect games) to go along with 15 one-hitters and 17 two-hitters as a Bulldog. Southern also had a break out year at the plate by recording her first 100 total base season and posting a career-high 11-game hit streak. In two years of national stats (16 weeks), Clark has been ranked all 16 weeks in home runs per game, nine weeks in slugging percentage, seven weeks in runs per game and six in batting average. Over three years (24 weeks), Southern has been ranked all 24 weeks in ERA, 22 weeks in victories, nine in strikeouts per seven innings, four weeks in saves while leading the nation in ERA in 15 of the 24 weeks.
Fresno State Picked to Win WAC; Three Bulldogs Garner Preseason Honors
With seven WAC titles in the last nine years, Fresno State was selected to capture the league title for the ninth time in 10 years. While coaches can not vote for their own team, Fresno State received all possible six first-place votes as it tallied 36 points. Tulsa, which was the conference runner-up last season, placed second as it received one first place vote and five seconds for a total of 31 points. Hawai'i (25 pts.) and Nevada (22 pts.) round out the top four while Louisiana Tech (14 pts.), San Jose State (12 pts.) and UTEP (7 pts.) closed out the poll. Also announced was the Preseason All-WAC Team and the Bulldogs had three players named to the squad. Southern and Clark repeated as the WAC Preseason Pitcher and Player of the Year, respectively, while sophomore catcher Nichole Willis (Clovis, Calif.), who was named the 2004 WAC Freshman of the Year, also was selected. With preseason pitcher and player of the year awards first handed out by the WAC in 2002, Southern is the first WAC player to be honored as a four-time Preseason Pitcher of the Year while Clark is the first to be a multiple Preseason Player of the Year.
Bulldogs Return Five All-Conference Players
Returning for Fresno State is a pair of All-Americans and five all-conference players, including the 2004 WAC Pitcher, Player and Freshman of the Year. Spearheading the Bulldogs in 2005 will be Southern and senior infielder Leticia Pacheco (Bloomington, Calif.), Clark, Willis and sophomore outfielder/catcher Rachael Donaldson (Murrieta, Calif.).
WAC Adds Two in 2006
On Oct. 23, 2003, the WAC issued invitations to New Mexico State and Utah State effective July 1, 2005, the same date that Rice, SMU and Tulsa are moving to Conference USA. In 2006, Utah State and New Mexico State will play softball to make the conference an eight-team league field. In addition, the WAC will host a tournament for just the fourth time. The last conference tournament was in 1999 when Fresno State hosted all six teams at Bulldog Diamond and captured the tournament title after winning the regular-season crown.
Final 24 John Wooden Trophy Candidate
After more than 200 nominations were reviewed, Southern was one of 24 candidates selected for consideration of the inaugural John Wooden Trophy, announced last October. The John Wooden Trophy is presented to two distinguished athletes -- one intercollegiate and one professional -- that best displays character, teamwork and citizenship. The prestigious award singles out athletes of excellence on and off the field and spotlights these individuals as role models in performance and person. Southern, who led the nation in ERA for the second time of her career last spring, is a three-time All-American on the field and an Academic All-American in the classroom while overcoming a near career-ending injury as a freshman. Her community involvement has been equally recognized as she volunteers with Big Heroes-Little Heroes events, walks in causes such as Breast Cancer and Domestic Violence, participates in Special Olympics, serves as a guest speaker a various community organizations as well as work with young children in readings and sports.
She Can Coach!
Wright is a featured author in the book entitled She Can Coach! An author in various other books, magazines and videos, Wright is showcased for being a coaching legend. The book serves as an invaluable guide for current female coaches and a recruiting tool for the next generation of female mentors. Unlike any book before it, this collection speaks directly on the topics that determine success in coaching by using the words and experiences of 20 of the most successful female coaches in 13 different sports. Some other notable coaching legends include Pat Summitt, Mary Wise and Nell Fortner.
From Bulldog to Professional Manager
As the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) announced its second season of league play in January, the New York/New Jersey Juggernaut also announced a new head coach and general manager in former Fresno State softball All-American and 1996 USA Olympic Softball gold medalist Julie Smith. New York/New Jersey is coming off a world championship title after winning the inaugural Cowles Cup. Smith, who will oversee all business and fastpitch operations for the Juggernaut, also played professional softball. In the 1996 amateur draft, she was the No. 6 pick in the first round of the Women's Pro Softball League (WPSL). However, Smith went on to represent the United States in softball and captured gold at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. Four years later, she was again drafted by the WPSL and was the No. 2 pick in the 2000 Elite/Supplement Draft. Playing for the Ohio Pride, Smith was named the 2000 WPSL Defensive Player of the Year. On the international level, Smith was a two-time World Champion as the USA Women's National Team captured gold at the 1994 and 1998 International Softball Federation Women's World Championship. In addition, she was a two-time Pan Am gold medalist (1995, 1999) as well as helping the USA Women's Junior National Team to a world title (1987). In her two-year career at Fresno State, Smith garnered First Team All-America honors at second base in 1990 and 1991. With the Bulldogs being the NCAA runner up in 1990, Smith led the NCAA in hits (93), runs (55) and at bats (263). In the school's career record book, she still ranks among the top 10 in batting (.359), triples (10), slugging percentage (.438), stolen bases (26) and hitting streak (14).
De Ja Vu for Former Bulldog
It was just six years ago that Bulldog softball All-America pitcher Amanda Scott collected a collegiate national championship crown and garnered college world series MVP honors. After a hiatus, Scott stepped onto a softball field once again and added another national title and another MVP honor to her illustrious softball resume last August. In her first season as a professional for the New York/New Jersey, she pitched the Juggernaut to a world championship as the franchise captured the inaugural Cowles Cup as the 2004 National Pro Fastpitch champion. Going 3-0 in the circle, Scott allowed 13 hits, three runs (two earned), walked six and struck out 21 in 19.0 innings of work. With a 2-0, three-hit shutout victory over the Akron Racers, she came back in the deciding game and tossed a six-hitter while fanning eight in a 3-2 win over Akron. Like she did as a Bulldog, Scott faithfully took the team on her shoulders and pitched them to a 10-1 victory over the New England Riptide. Winning her last five starts, Scott finished the year at 18-7 with two saves, 24 starts (20 complete), 34 runs (22 earned), 107 hits, 51 walks and 160 strikeouts in 179.0 innings for a 0.86 ERA. New York/New Jersey posted an inaugural record of 44-22.
