University of Massachusets Athletics
Minutewomen Travel To Clearwater For USF Under Armour Showcase
March 09, 2011 | Softball
March 9, 2011
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| Massachusetts (2-10) vs. St. John's (7-12) | |
| Date | Sunday, Mar. 13 at 9:30 p.m. (EST) |
| Location | Clearwater, Fla. | Eddie C. Moore Softball Comp |
| Tickets | GOUSFBULLS.com |
| Radio |  SportsJuice |
| Online Video |  None |
| Live Stats |  GameTracker |
| Social Media | |
AMHERST, Mass. -
The UMass softball team travels to the Tampa Bay Area this weekend to take part in the USF Under Armour Showcase. The Minutewomen's five-game slate begins on Friday at the USF Softball Field in Tampa with games against Toledo at 6 p.m. and host USF at 8 p.m. On Saturday, action shifts to the Eddie C. Moore Complex in Clearwater where UMass will face Colorado State at 3 p.m. and Green Bay at 5:30 p.m. Play concludes on Sunday in Clearwater with a 9:30 a.m. tilt against St. John's.
• Live audio of all five games will be available on UMassAthletics.com through SportsJuice. Just click on the listen link in the events section or on the softball schedule. Free live stats will also be available at UMassAthletics.com by clicking on the GameTracker links.
• UMass is looking to rebound from an 0-5 weekend at the Cathedral City Classic in which four of the five opponents were ranked in the top 20 nationally, and then an 0-2 weekend at the rain-shortened Buzz Classic in Woodstock, Ga. last weekend.
• UMass made the championship game of the season-opening FAU Kickoff Classic in Boca Raton, Fla., finishing with a 2-3 record.
• Head Coach Elaine Sortino is in her 32nd season leading UMass. She has won 1,102 games in her career after entering 2011 with exactly 1,100. The 2004 NFCA Hall of Fame inductee ranks fifth among active Division I head coaches in wins and has a career winning percentage of .705 (1,102-461-6).
• UMass is coming off a very successful 2010 campaign in which the Minutewomen finished with a 42-10-1 record, including an undefeated run through Atlantic 10 play at 17-0-1, on their way to winning their 22nd Atlantic 10 Championship and advancing to their 16th-straight NCAA Tournament and 20 overall. For the fifth year in a row, UMass hosted an NCAA Regional.
Last Weekend In Georgia:
• The Minutewomen hit the road down to Georgia for the Buzz Classic last weekend, hosting by Georgia Tech. UMass was slated to play five games over three days, but rain throughout the region shortened the Massachusetts schedule to just two games.
• In a doubleheader on Friday, the Minutewomen dropped a pair of 1-0 games at the hands of Penn State and UAB. Contrary to the 1-0 mercy rule victory over the Nittany Lions two weeks before at the FAU Kickoff Classic, UMass was held to four hits while Cassidy Bell's solo home run in the third inning was all Penn State needed. Sara Plourde gave up the one hit to Bell, struckout ten and walked five in six innings of work.
• UMass struggled to gets its offense going in the afternoon tilt with UAB as Meaghan Carta's fourth inning single was the only hit allowed by UAB pitcher Alisha Smith. Plourde continued to pitch will for Massachusetts, surrendering just one hit and fanning 15 in eight innings. With the International Speed-up Rule in use in extra innings, which places a runner at second base to start the inning, the Blazers used a sacrifice bunt to set up Caley Walden's sacrifice fly to right field that scored Lauren Webster.
• Rains hit the area on Friday night and continued throughout Saturday, forcing officials to postpone UMass' games with Kennesaw State, UNC Greensboro and Georgia Tech.
Scouting Toledo:
• Friday's meeting with Toledo will be the first ever contest between the two squads.
• The Rockets have gotten off to a slow start in 2011 with a 1-9 record. Toledo will play a doubleheader against Radford on Wednesday before squaring off with UMass on Wednesday. One of the Rockets' losses this season came at the hands of Atlantic 10 foe St. Joseph's, 6-5.
• Through the team's ten games, Toledo has been outscored 77-28. • The Rockets are led by Kattie Palmer and Becki Heimberger, who have begun the season with averages of .350 and .313, respectively. Heimberger leads the team in hits (10) and total bases (15), while Palmer has contributed seven hits and three RBI during the young season.
• In the circle, Toledo has split time between three pitchers. Jen Solanics has gotten the start in six of the team's ten games, and has posted a 10.34 earned run average. The trio has surrendered 77 runs so far this season, however 19 of those runs are unearned due to 23 fielding errors from the Rockets.
Scouting USF:
• UMass is an even 6-6 against USF all-time, with the last meeting coming last season at the Under Armour Showcase.
• In the 2010 meeting between the teams, Michelle Libby's two-run single in the sixth inning erased a one-run deficit and gave No. 24 UMass softball the lead as it went on to defeat USF, 6-5, in a back and forth contest. Sarah Reeves hit a three-run home run, while Kyllie Magill, Jessica Serio, and Carly Normandin all had two-hit games. Sara Plourde went the distance in the circle, striking out 14, while allowing three earned runs on seven hits.
• The Bulls are 11-9 in 2011, with notable games coming against fellow A-10 teams Fordham (L, 1-0) and Temple (L, 8-2). Leadoff batter Gina Kafalas leads the team with a .379 average through 20 games and an on base percentage of .446. She also leads the team with nine stolen bases in ten attempts. Also contributing offensively for USF early on is Janine Richardson (.357 average) and Stephanie Medina (.314 average), who each have gone deep twice this season.
• The Bulls have four pitchers who have started at least three games this season, led by Sara Nevins' 5-2 record in 17 appearances with a 1.30 ERA and 66 strikeouts.
Scouting Colorado State:
• UMass is 2-1 all-time against Colorado State, with all three meetings coming in the 1997 NCAA Regional at Totman Field in Amherst. The Minutewomen dropped a 2-0 game to the then-No. 10 Rams before tearing through the loser's bracket for another shot at Colorado State. In the Regional Finals, UMass won back-to-back games, 3-2 to advance to the College World Series.
• The Rams come into the weekend with a 4-15 record and have three players batting .300 or above, led by Brittany Palish (.407). Supplying the power this season for Colorado State is Alysa Greckel, who has six home runs and 16 RBI through 19 games.
• Colorado State has three pitchers on record for the 2011 season. Kelsey O'Brien has seen the most time in the circle for the Rams, posting a 3-8 record and 10.69 earned run average in 36.2 innings pitched.
Scouting Green Bay:
• Saturday will be the first ever meeting between UMass and Green Bay.
Scouting St. John's:
• Sunday will also be the first time that Massachusetts has faced St. John's.
• The Red Storm has gotten off to a 7-12 start to the season, led by Chelsea Durning's .403 batting average. Along with Durning, St. John's has three other players with double digit RBI in Chrissy Montez (20), Myriah Rodgers (13) and Kristi Cady (13).
Lots Of New Faces...
• In many ways, UMass is a new-look team in 2011 with seven freshmen joining the ranks, replacing a graduated senior class of seven from a season ago. The seven freshmen combine with three sophomores to UMass 10 underclassmen out of 18 total players.
• Sortino has brought in a pair of talented pitchers to join Sara Plourde. Caroline Raymond is a 6-0 right-hander from Downingtown, Pa. who compiled a career record of 45-6 in high school with 12 no-hitters. She amassed 672 strikeouts in 326 innings and was named All-State twice.
• Lindsey Webster is a 5-10 right-hander from Northridge, Calif. She went 85-27 in her career and posted a 0.44 ERA as a senior. The four-time All-Mission League and two-time Cal-Hi All-State performer could also see action in the outfield as she hit .550 with 25 RBIs as a senior.
• Webster allowed just one earned run in nine innings to take the tough-luck loss in her collegiate debut on Feb. 18, 3-1 to Tulsa. She struck out six and walked six in the game.
• The rest of the freshmen class is a very versatile and athletic group that will not only give Sortino depth, but also provide options as far as what positions they can play. Samantha Gray (Smithfield, Maine) and Paige Hansen (Concord, N.H.) are a pair of big right-handed bats that could provide pop to the lineup and see action at corner infield or outfield spots. Speaking of pop, Tiffany Meeks (Salinas, Calif.) provides perhaps the most power at the plate than any of the newcomers. Left field, third base, and DP are three spots you could see her in the lineup. In-state product Maggie Quealy (Plainville, Mass.) is a 5-7 right-handed batter that could see action at first base or DP. Candace Waldie (North Andover, Mass.), a field hockey, track & field, and softball star in high school, is an athletic player that could see action across the entire infield, outfield, and even caught at North Andover High.
...But Leaders Return
• Despite being a young team, UMass returns some of the most decorated and experienced veterans in the Atlantic 10.
• Leading the way is junior pitcher Sara Plourde. The Bristol, Conn. native rewrote the UMass record books in 2010, her first year as a full-time starter, setting school records in strikeouts (556) and wins (40), breaking the marks of UMass legends Danielle Henderson and Brandice Balschmiter.
• Plourde led the nation in strikeouts (556), strikeouts per seven innings (12.5), and tied Washington's Danielle Lawrie for the nation's lead in wins (40). Plourde's strikeout total was the ninth-highest single-season total in NCAA history.
• Plourde was named NFCA Third-Team All-American, in addition to Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year, ECAC Pitcher of the Year, A-10 All-Conference, ECAC All-Star, and NFCA First-Team All-Region.
• A-10 Co-Player of the Year Katie Bettencourt returns looking to have an even better junior campaign after the rightfielder burst on the scene in 2010, batting .333, slugging .542, with seven home runs, 31 RBIs, and 34 runs scored to join Fordham's Beckah Wiggins in taking the A-10's top honor.
• Behind the plate for her senior year is A-10 All-Conference First Team catcher Meghan Carta. Carta had a breakout year of her own in 2010, leading the team in runs batted in (43), and tying Sarah Reeves for the club lead in homers (13). She batted .308 while controlling the game with fine defense behind the plate.
• Continuing the theme of returning strength up the middle is junior second baseman Kyllie Magill. A full-time starter as a freshman and sophomore, she earned A-10 All-Conference honors both seasons. She enters 2011 with a .309 career batting average and a .956 fielding percentage. Look for her to become an even bigger offensive threat as her power numbers improved from two home runs and 18 RBIs as a freshman to seven homers and 24 RBIs as a sophomore.
Opening Weekend In Boca
• UMass opened the season on Feb. 18-20 at the FAU Kickoff Classic in Boca Raton, Fla. The Minutewomen finished the weekend 2-3 after advancing to the championship game, where they fell to No. 11 Michigan for the second time.
• On Friday, Katie Bettencourt hit a grand slam as she and Audrey Boutin hit back-to-back home runs to lead UMass to a 10-0 victory over Penn State in six innings before falling to Tulsa, 3-1 in nine innings on opening day. Sara Plourde struck out 15 to earn the shutout in game one, while freshman Lindsey Webster allowed just one run through eight innings before taking the loss in game two. Meghan Carta went 3-for-4 against Penn State with a double and two RBIs, while Kyllie Magill went 2-for-3 with a double, RBI, and two runs scored.
• On Saturday, Dorian Shaw and Caitlin Blanchard each hit solo home runs while Jordan Taylor pitched a one-hitter to lead No. 11 Michigan to a 3-0 victory over UMass. Sara Plourde allowed two earned runs on four hits and struck out 12 while Jordan Storro collected the lone hit for the Minutewomen. UMass went on to defeat the host FAU Owls, 6-1 that night to advance to the finals. Plourde struck out 12 more batters while Carta and Teea Rogers each had RBI doubles.
• On Sunday, a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and a pair of home runs in the sixth blew open a 1-1 game and gave No. 11 Michigan a 5-1 victory over UMass in the championship game on Sunday afternoon. Carta drove in the lone UMass run with a single in the first inning. Storro and Cyndil Matthew also had hits for the Minutewomen.
#1 In A-10 Preseason Poll
• UMass has been predicted to win the 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship in polling of the conference coaches. Head Coach Elaine Sortino's Minutewomen have won the last six A-10 titles, 15 of the last 16, and 22 overall. Fordham, the 2010 runner-up, was predicted second, and Charlotte came in third.
• Saint Joseph's was predicted fourth, followed by Saint Louis, Temple, Rhode Island, Dayton, St. Bonaventure, La Salle, and George Washington.
• The six-team, double-elimination A-10 Championship will be held May 11-14 at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte's 49ers Softball Diamond in Charlotte, N.C.
Plourde-ing It On
• Junior All-American pitcher Sara Plourde has continued her dominating form in 2011, striking out 103 batters in 64 2/3 innings pitched. She has a 2.16 ERA and opponents are hitting just .176 against her.
• Last weekend, Plourde fanned 25 batters in 14 innings, allowing just two hits and one earned run, but got pinned with a pair of 1-0 losses to Penn State and UAB. She was named to the Buzz Classic All-Tournament Team.
• Plourde established herself as one of the nation's top pitchers in 2010, posting a 40-8 record with a 1.30 ERA.
• Plourde led the country in strikeouts in 2010 with 556, the highest single-season total in UMass history and ninth-highest in NCAA history. She broke Danielle Henderson's old mark of 465 by 91 Ks.
• Plourde also led the country in strikeouts per seven innings (12.5) and tied National Player of the Year Danielle Lawrie of Washington for the nation's lead in wins (40). She broke Brandice Balschmiter's UMass single-season wins record of 35.
• Plourde garnered countless honors in 2010, including NFCA All-American, NFCA All-Region, A-10 Pitcher of the Year, ECAC Pitcher of the Year, A-10 All-Conference, ECAC All-Star, A-10 All-Championship Team, and was named A-10 Pitcher of the Week six times.
Facing The Nation's Best
• Massachusetts began the 2011 season with six of the team's first 10 games against nationally ranked opponents.
• In those six games, the Minutewomen have squared off four times against teams ranked in the top 11 or better. UMass dropped two games to No. 11 Michigan, 3-0 and 5-1 in the opening weekend at the FAU Kickoff Classic before dropping a 9-2 decision at the hands of No. 7 Washington and a 3-0 game to No. 11 Texas at the Cathedral City Classic on Feb. 25-27.
The Nation Is Watching:
• The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America has named UMass junior pitcher Sara Plourde to its initial "Watch List" for the 10th Annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. The 2010 All-American and A-10 Pitcher of the Year is one of 50 players nation-wide to be named to the list.
• This marks the fifth year in a row that a UMass player has been named to the Preseason Watch List. Plourde joins Carly Normandin (2010), Brandice Balschmiter (2007-09), and Whitney Mollica (2007) as Minutewomen that have earned the distinction.
• The 2011 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 36 schools and 15 different NCAA Division I Conferences with the Pac-10 Conference leading the way with seven schools represented. The list includes 23 seniors, 12 juniors and 15 sophomores.
• The ASA will announce the 25 finalists on April 13. A player does not have to appear on this initial watch list to be considered as a top 25 finalist. However, once the top 25 finalists are named the winner of the award will come from that list. Freshman qualify for the top 25 list once they have competed at the collegiate level.
Sortino Honored For 1,100th Win
• UMass Softball Head Coach Elaine Sortino was honored on Dec. 9 at the Easton Victory Club Luncheon at the 2010 NFCA National Convention at the San Diego Marriott & Marina in San Diego, Calif. The 31-year head coach of the Minutewomen achieved her 1,100th victory in the Atlantic 10 Championship last season and was one of several coaches to be recognized for reaching milestone victories.
• Sortino entered her 32nd season in 2011 with a career record of 1,100-451-6. She ranks fifth among active NCAA Div. I coaches in career victories.
• Sortino achieved her 1,100th win in dramatic fashion as it came in UMass' 8-3 victory over Fordham to win the 2010 A-10 Championship on May 15.
Follow UMass Softball:
• UMass Athletics offers several ways you can follow the Minutewomen. Your No. 1 source for information and news on the softball team is always UMassAthletics.com. Check in often for previews, recaps, news, box scores, and blog entries.
• You can now follow UMass softball on Facebook! Simply search UMass Softball and click the "Like" button to follow the Minutewomen and receive up-to-the-minute news.
• Follow UMass Athletics on Twitter at twitter.com/umassathletics. Receive the latest news on all UMass teams straight to your Twitter feed.
• All of the latest UMass videos: hightlights, interviews, features, etc., can be seen on UMass' YouTube channel. Just go to youtube.com/umassathletics.
Season Tickets On Sale
•2011 UMass Softball Season Tickets are on sale now! The 22-time Atlantic 10 Champions are primed for another successful season in 2011 and the Minutewomen look forward to you joining them at the UMass Softball Complex for their 18 home games on 12 dates. Tickets can be ordered by calling 866-UMASS-TIX or by visiting the ticket page at UMassAthletics.com.
• UMass softball season tickets are once again the best deal around, with plans ranging from $26 to $70 - that works out to between $1.44 and $3.89 per game! Purchasing softball season tickets also earns you Priority Points towards other UMass season tickets, including basketball, football, and hockey.
