University of Massachusets Athletics
Underdog UMass Faces Test
May 26, 2006 | Softball
May 26, 2006
AMHERST - A Northeast school is rare in the NCAA Softball Tournament super regionals. So is an unseeded team.
But don't tell Kristi Stefanoni that the University of Massachusetts softball team is a Cinderella story.
She's not buying it.
'I've heard it. A lot of people have said you guys are the Cinderella team and asked about trying on the glass slipper,' she said. 'We don't feel like the Cinderella team. It's how people perceive us because we're a team in the Northeast. You don't always hear about UMass, but here we are, Cinderella team or not.'
Fairy-tale labels aside, the Minutewomen (40-14) will be the underdog at 4 p.m. today against No. 4 seed Northwestern in the first game of the best-of-three super regional at Drysdale Field in Evanston, Ill.
The teams will play the second game at 2 p.m. Saturday and if necessary a deciding game at approximately 4:30 Saturday.
The Wildcats are 45-12 and have been particularly dominant at Drysdale Field where they went 15-1.
Northwestern boasts a pair of pitchers who have had dominant seasons. Junior Eileen Canney is 23-4 with a 1.06 earned run average and 339 strikeouts, while senior Courtnay Foster is 22-6 with a 1.62 ERA and 217 strikeouts.
'Canney is going to be a first-team All American and if she's not, she's going to be the first second-team All American pitcher,' UMass coach Elaine Sortino said. 'She's flat out awesome. We have to have a real sound game plan.'
Freshman Brandice Balschmiter will counter Canney and Foster and she will likely need a pretty sound game plan of her own against a strong Wildcat lineup.
Freshman shortstop Tammy Williams leads the team with 13 home runs, and 37 RBIs to go with her .374 batting average. Junior first baseman Garland Cooper is hitting .375 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs.
Northwestern enters today's game winners of nine of its last 10, with the lone loss coming to defending national champion Michigan.
The Minutewomen and Wildcats met at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Georgia Feb. 24. Northwestern took advantage of four unearned runs and beat UMass 7-2. The Minutewomen had barely practiced outside at that point. Stefanoni said both teams have come a long way since that day.
'I think we're all mature enough and smart enough to know that in the beginning of the season, that was our time to see what we had and work out our kinks,' Stefanoni said. 'Northwestern is going to be a better team than they were in February when we played them. For us to know we've seen them before is good.'
The Minutewomen head to the super regional coming off an Atlantic 10 Tournament and an NCAA regional in Amherst when UMass made big play after big play in the field and at the plate.
Senior catcher KJ Kelley said the Minutewomen are confident that they'll come through in big situations.
'In postseason you're always looking to make that big play,' Kelley said. 'You're not going to get 50 chances. You have to get it done that one time. Great athletes and great teams come out in postseason.'
Stefanoni agreed. 'To see the team perform the way we did in the A-10 Tournament and then in the regional, we're in a good place,' she said.
Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. For more UMass coverage including a frequently updated UMass sports blog, go to www.dailyhampshiregazette.com/umsports.