University of Massachusets Athletics
25th-Ranked Softball Kicks Off Season In Arizona
February 06, 2003 | Softball
Feb. 6, 2003
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What's On Tap ... The 25th-ranked Massachusetts softball team kicks off the 2003 season by participating in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament, hosted by Arizona State University. UMass will play five games in the Grand Canyon State. On Friday, the Minutewomen will battle No. 14 Stanford at 1:00 p.m. EST and No. 10 Cal State Fullerton at 3:30 p.m. EST. Then, on Saturday, Massachusetts will play No. 4 Nebraska at 11:00 a.m. and Texas Tech at 1:00 p.m. The tournament concludes on Sunday with a single-game against 13th-ranked and host school Arizona State. This is the eighth consecutive season that the Minutewomen have made the trip west for Arizona State's tournament. They are 14-29 (.325) all-time in the tournament, including a 3-2 mark in 2002.
Inside the Fiesta Bowl Tournament ... The Fiesta Bowl is one of the premier tournaments in the country with 10 of the 17 teams ranked in the top 25, seven of which are in the top 15 ... three teams from last year's College World Series will be competing (Arizona, Arizona State and Nebraska) ... 46 games will be played during the three-day tournament ... the Fiesta Bowl is a chance for many of the teams to play a lot of games as there is no champion crowned, no pool play and no bracket play ... two sites will be utilized during the tournament, the Rose Mofford Sports Complex in Phoenix and ASU's Farrington Stadium in Tempe ... eight different conference's are represented this weekend.
Scouting the Cardinal ... No. 14 Stanford is 1-1 overall to start the season after splitting a doubleheader with No. 21 Pacific. The Cardinal return 11 letterwinners and six starters from last year's team which went 44-20 overall and 7-14 in the Pac-10 Conference, good for 6th-place. They advanced to the NCAA Regional in Fresno, Calif., and went 1-2.
Last Game vs. Stanford ... A two-run seventh inning gave Massachusetts a 3-1 upset over No. 2 Stanford on Feb. 23, 2002, in the NFCA Lead-off Classic. Scooter Wheeler was hit with the bases loaded to force in the winning run. Pitcher Kaila Holtz followed with a single to provide some insurance for herself. She retired the side in order in the bottom of the inning to give the Minutewomen one of their biggest wins of the season.
Scouting the Titans ... No. 10 Cal State Fullerton is 2-1 this season after finishing second at last weekend's UCLA Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament. The Titans return 11 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's team which went 53-13 overall and 22-2 in the Big West Conference, en route to a first-place finish. At the NCAA Regional in Fresno, Calif., the Titans went 3-2, dropping a 1-0 game to eventual national champion California to close out its season. UMass has never defeated Cal State Fullerton in five prior meetings.
Last Game vs. Cal State Fullerton ... UMass dropped a 6-0 decision to No. 14 Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 22, 2002, the first day of the NFCA Lead-off Classic. The Titans' Jodie Cox no-hit the Minutewomen for her third career no-no. Pinch-hitter KC Budrewicz walked in the sixth inning, the only baserunner on the day for Massachusetts.
Scouting the Huskers ... Like UMass, No. 4 Nebraska will open up its 2003 season in Arizona. The Huskers return 10 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's team which went 50-14 overall and finished third in the Big 12 Conference at 11-5. They have been tabbed as the team to beat in conference this year after sweeping through regionals a year ago (4-0) and earning a trip to the College World Series.
Last Game vs. Nebraska ... In its only game against the Cornhuskers, UMass came away with a 4-0 win on Feb. 28, 1999, in the NFCA Lead-Off Classic. UMass scored three runs in the top of the third inning and that would be all they needed as current assistant coach Danielle Henderson tossed a one-hit shutout. She struck out 13 batters and walked two.
Scouting the Red Raiders ... Unranked-Texas Tech comes to Arizona with a 2-3 record. The Red Raiders return 10 letterwinners and six starters from last year's team which went 13-39 overall and 2-17 in Big 12 play, good for last place.
Last Game vs. Texas Tech ... Pitcher Kelli Arnold made her collegiate debut in style, posting a 7-1 victory over Texas Tech on Feb. 9, 2002, in the Fiesta Bowl Tournament. Arnold struck out six in the victory, while the offense was sparked by a sixth inning home run off the bat of short stop Emily Robustelli.
Scouting the Sun Devils ... 13th-ranked Arizona State will play host this weekend after sweeping a three-game series from Texas-San Antonio (6-5, 6-3, 9-1) last weekend at home. The Sun Devils return six letterwinners and five starters from last year's team which went 46-20 overall and 10-11 in the Pac-10 Conference, good for fifth-place. They went 6-2 in postseason play and were a semifinalist in the College World Series, while finishing the season ranked third.
Last Game vs. Arizona State ... UMass jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but five unanswered runs by Arizona State gave it a 5-1 win on Feb. 23, 2001, in the NFCA Lead-Off Classic. Jaime Cahalan drew a walk in the second inning and eventually scored on an error, but the Sun Devils scored two in the bottom of the inning against UMass hurler Kaila Holtz and never looked back. Holtz allowed nine hits and all five runs, while the Minutewomen could muster just three hits.
Nearing a Milestone (Again) ... UMass head coach Elaine Sortino is just 15 wins shy of becoming the 16th coach in NCAA history to reach the 800-win plateau. In 23 years at the helm of the Minutewomen, Sortino has compiled a 785-340-3 (.697) record. She is tenth among active NCAA coaches in wins and 11th in winning percentage. She has led UMass to 15 Atlantic 10 titles, 12 NCAA regional appearances and three trips to the College World Series. Sortino has been named the A-10 Coach of the Year seven times, the most of any coach in any sport in the conference.
2002: A Banner Year ... The 2002 edition of the Maroon & White finished with a school record 53 wins and only 13 losses, while capturing its eighth consecutive Atlantic 10 championship. The Minutewomen went 21-0 in regular season conference play for the second straight season and advanced to its 12th NCAA regional. Massachusetts boasted the nation's longest win streak of the year, winning 33 games in a row for the eighth-longest string in NCAA Division I history. The 2002 squad broke 18 individual and team records along the way.
Home Field Advantage... The Minutewomen have won 40 consecutive home games, including an unblemished 15-0 mark last season at the UMass Softball Complex. Massachusetts outscored its opposition, 98-7, in Amherst, and out-hit its foes, 122-51. The UMass pitching staff maintained a 0.44 ERA on its home turf, threw nine shutouts and allowed only three extra-base hits against 329 batters faced. The Minutewomen hit .341 (122-358) at home with 38 extra-base hits and 82 runs batted in. Since its opening in 2000, Massachusetts is 52-3 at the UMass Softball Complex. All three losses came in the 2000 season.
Regular-Season Championships... With a 21-0 record for the second consecutive year, Massachusetts claimed the 2002 Atlantic 10 regular-season championship. It marked the 15th crown for the Minutewomen in 17 seasons, including each of the last 12. UMass has now reeled off 46 straight A-10 regular season games. It's last loss was a 3-1 set-back at home to Dayton on April 30, 2000.
Atlantic 10 Tournament Championships... Massachusetts has now claimed 15 Atlantic 10 Tournament titles (14 outright, one shared with Temple in 1990). The Minutewomen have captured eight-straight A-10 Tournament titles, and 13 of the last 14 overall (Rutgers captured the 1994 event after UMass won the regular season crown). UMass had its streak of 20-straight conference tournament victories snapped by host-school Rhode Island in the first round of last year's event, May 9, but it bounced back to win four games in the next two days to win. UMass is 52-12 (.813) all-time in A-10 softball tournament action.
Stepping In ... Sophomore Kelli Arnold will step into the No. 2 slot in this year's pitching rotation. The Kalama, Wash., native went 5-0 in limited action as a freshman last year. She started and completed five games, while limiting opponents to eight earned runs in 43.1 innings for a 1.29 ERA. She fanned 36 batters, while walking just 14. Opponents hit .171 against Arnold. She tossed two shutouts on the year and limited the opposition to just one hit in two of her five starts.
The New Edition ... The 2003 edition of the Maroon & White features seven newcomers, including six freshmen. Barbara LaFogg transferred to UMass from Seton Hall and will sit out the 2003 season. Two months before the new season began, UMass head coach Elaine Sortino announced the freshman class of 2007. Candice Molinari (Glendora, Calif.), Amanda Acampora (Orange, Conn.), Jackie Teman (Downington, Pa.) and Amanda Morin (Worcester, Mass.) have all signed national letters of intent to play for the Minutewomen beginning in the 2004 season.
At the Fiesta Bowl Tournament ... Since 1995, Massachusetts has been a mainstay in Arizona State's annual tournament the first week of February. The Minutewomen are 14-29 (.325) all-time there. Last season, the Minutewomen went 3-2 in Arizona with wins over Kansas, Texas and Texas Tech. Their defeats were to UNLV and then-No. 1 Arizona, 1-0, in extra innings.
They're Battling It Out ...When the Minutewomen boarded their plane destined for Phoenix, even the coaching staff did not know who would be starting at all nine positions. Here is a breakdown off all the battles going on.
Second Base: Filling the void left by All-Conference member Ashley Bakken is no easy task, but that is what sophomore Hilary Puglia and freshman Kristi Stefanoni will try to accomplish. Both have the capability to start and will each see playing time this year. Puglia has a year under her belt and showed she can play by making two emergency starts last year. Stefanoni is a scrappy player whom Sortino refers to as "an elongated (by an inch) Anna Perey.
Third Base: With the graduation of Scooter Wheeler, Massachusetts' all-time home run and RBI queen, it opens up a three-way battle for the hot corner between junior Nicole Wilson, sophomore Pam Sulick and freshman Katie Jo (KJ) Kelley. All three are very powerful hitters.
Left Field: Since the graduation of 2002 A-10 Player of the Year Teri Rooney, there has been some shifting in the outfield. Sophomore Aisha Franke, who had a break-out season in 2002, will replace Rooney in center field. Senior Anna Perey will patrol right field for the Minutewomen, but left field is anyone's guess right now. The three potential candidates are junior KC Budrewicz, sophomore Denise Denis and freshman Lesley Ferrara. Budrewicz has been a solid role player the past two seasons, while Denis showed signs of being able to be an everyday starter in fall ball. Ferrara is a feisty freshman who swings a good bat and has a cannon-like arm, according to her coach.
Reliable Battery ... The tandem of ace pitcher Kaila Holtz and junior catcher Jamie Cahalan were selected as 2003 co-captains. Cahalan demonstrated her defensive skills as a freshman in 2001, but came alive at the plate last year. The Mesa, Ariz., native raised her average 1.03 points and has now belted seven career home runs while driving in 40 runs. She has started in each game the past two years. Holtz, the 2002 A-10 Pitcher of the Year, will make a strong case for All-American in 2003. Last year, the North Vancouver, British Columbia, native went 23-7 with a 0.90 ERA.
Any Team, Any Place, Any Time ... Once again this season, the Massachusetts softball team has taken on a difficult schedule. In fact, according to head coach Elaine Sortino, this year's schedule is the most difficult that she has put together in her 23 years in Amherst. Before even stepping foot on its home field for a regular season game, the Minutewomen will have played at least 10 teams who are currently ranked in the USA Today/National Fast Pitch Coaches Association top 25 poll, including three participants from the 2002 College World Series. UMass has the potential to play several other ranked teams in bracket play of its four preseason tournaments.
The Road Goes Through Amherst ... UMass will be playing for its unprecedented ninth-consecutive A-10 Tournament title this year on its home field. The UMass Softball Complex will be the site of the 2003 Atlantic 10 Softball Championship, May 8-10. This marks the fifth time that the A-10's have come to Amherst and second since the UMass Softball Complex opened. Overall, Massachusetts is 10-0 (1.000) in tournament games played in Amherst. The last time that UMass hosted the championship was in 2000. That year, the Minutewomen scored three victories over Temple and Virginia Tech (2).
From Here ... After a weekend off, the Minutewomen return to action Feb. 21-23, at the NFCA Lead-Off Classic in Columbus, Ga. This is the premier tournament in collegiate softball featuring the majority of the USA Today/NFCA top 25 poll. In early round play, the Minutewomen will face No. 9 Florida State, No. 21 Pacific and No. 9 Florida State before heading into bracket play. The Minutewomen will not make their 2003 debut at the UMass Softball Complex until Wednesday, April 2, when it hosts Maine for a doubleheader beginning at 2:00 p.m.
