Softball Heads To Palm Springs Classic
COMING UP
PALM SPRINGS CLASSIC
The 22nd-ranked University of Oregon softball team has a tough week ahead as it faces three ranked teams in this weekend’s Palm Springs Classic, Feb. 23-26 in Palm Springs, Calif. The 23-team tournament includes some of the most dominant softball programs in the country, including six of the eight teams to have won the NCAA National Championship. Nine of the participating teams are currently ranked in the top 25, including No. 8 Texas A&M, No. 10 Oklahoma and No. 19 Baylor -- all teams Oregon will face.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Ducks were picked to finish eighth in the Pac-10 in a poll voted on by the league’s coaches. In the preseason USA Today/NFCA poll, the Ducks earned a No. 22 ranking and find themselves there again in week three. The Ducks were unranked in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, but debuted at No. 24 last week before dropping out this week.
THE OPPONENTS
OKLAHOMA: The Sooners played six games last week and recorded a 5-0-1 record on the week. They opened the week with a doubleheader sweep of Central Arkansas on Wednesday night, including an 8-1 victory in game one and a 9-0 run rule win in five innings. Next, Oklahoma hosted North Dakota State in the first part of the OU/Nike Classic at the OU Softball Complex. The Sooners earned two more wins with another 9-0 victory and a 7-2 win the second game of day.
TEXAS A&M: The 9th-ranked Aggies (7-2) host the Houston Cougars (10-1) Wednesday at the Aggie Softball Complex. A freshman shortstop is leading the way for the Aggie bats. After this past week of play, Holly Ridley leads the team in batting average (.364) and on base percentage (.440). Ridley has gone 6 for 9 in the Aggies’ last four games
BAYLOR: Baylor stands at 6-3 overall this season and is led offensively by Reagan Brette, who is hitting .571 with 13 RBI and nine runs scored. Defensively, pitcher Sarah Hausner is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in 10 innings of work.
OHIO STATE: Ohio State went 4-1 at its season opening tournament in New Mexico two weeks ago but dropped three of four games at the Stetson Tournament last weekend. Junior Jamee Juarez (3-3) won her first three games of the season and leads the OSU pitching staff with 28 strikeouts in 32.1 innings of work. Freshman Kim Reeder (2-1) is coming off a seven-strikeout effort in OSU’s 5-2 win over Stetson last Sunday.
OKLAHOMA STATE: The Cowgirls are off to a rough 2-4 start. Offensively, Oklahoma State is led by Lauren Kitchens and Kim Kaye, who are hitting .375 and .350, respectively. Pitcher Chelsey Barclay is 1-1 with a 1.79 ERA in 15.2 innings of work.
SANTA BARBARA: Posting a 5-2 mark through 2006, the Gauchos own a three-game winning streak entering the tournament Center fielder Kendra Singley leads the Gaucho offense that is hitting .266 as she owns an impressive .500 batting average with 12 hits, one home run and six RBI on the year. In the circle, Jennifer Davis posts a 2.12 ERA with a 4-1 record while the entire staff posts a 2.83 ERA.
