Softball Hosts Portland State In Home Opener
COMING UP
2006 HOME OPENER
After spending the first four weeks of the season on the road, the University of Oregon softball team comes home for the first time this season, hosting Portland State in a single game Wednesday afternoon at Howe Field. This will be the 151st meeting between the two schools with Oregon holding a 94-56 edge. The Vikings’ last victory over Oregon came last season when they won 6-5 in game two of a doubleheader at Howe Field. Prior to last season’s home loss, the Ducks hadn’t lost to PSU at home since 2001.
RECENTLY
Oregon was forced to pull out of the NIST last weekend. The Ducks were without pitchers Amy Harris (shoulder), Elise Orange (personal reasons) and Alicia Cook (academics). Prior to that, Oregon went 3-2 at the Aztec Classic in San Diego, Calif. Both of Oregon’s losses came to host San Diego State. Freshman pitcher Melissa Rice guided the Ducks to a 5-0 win over then-No. 25 Fresno State as well as a 15-8 win over Northridge. Breanne Sabol tied the school for RBI in a game with seven vs. Northridge.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Ducks were picked to finish eighth in the Pac-10 in a poll voted on by the league’s coaches. Oregon is currently unranked in both polls.
SCOUTING PORTLAND STATE: The Vikings are 11-8 overall under first year head coach Amy Hayes. Last weekend, Portland State went 3-1 with its only loss coming at Minnesota. Offensivley, they are led by Laura Segall, who is hitting .390 with 11 runs scored and thre RBI. Mandy Hill’s 20 RBI is a team-high and she is hitting .305 with four home runs and six runs scored. On the mound, Portland State is led by Hills’ 1.83 ERA and 73 strikeouts. Michelle Hext is 3-4 overall with a 3.82 ERA.
FAMILIAR FACE
Portland State Head Coach Amy Hayes is in her first season at Portland State. Last season, Hayes was the pitching coach at Oregon. Prior to her return to the state of Oregon, Hayes was the head coach at Boston University from 2001-2003.
APPROACHING A MILESTONE
Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen currently has 499 career victories. With another win, Arendsen will hit the half-century mark, which would also be her 128th win at Oregon.
HEAD COACH KATHY ARENDSEN (499-349 Career, 127-74 Oregon)
Now in her fourth season at the helm of the University of Oregon softball program, head coach Kathy Arendsen has steadily rebuilt the Duck softball program back to a contender at both the conference and national level. In her first season, the Ducks finished third in the Pac-10 conference with a 10-11 conference mark ? their highest league finish since 1990. Oregon returned to postseason play that year and last season, Arendsen guided the Ducks to their third consecutive NCAA Regional appearance. The Ducks’ third straight postseason appearance marked just the second time in school history that the program made three straight appearances and in 2006, Arendsen and the Ducks will be looking for an unprecedented fourth straight trip to the NCAA tournament. Arendsen led the Ducks to a 36-25 overall, 7-14 conference mark in 2005 and she has tripled Oregon’s conference win mark (27) in her first three seasons after the team won just nine Pac-10 games in the three seasons prior to her arrival. The memorable 2003 season ended with a 37-19 overall record and Arendsen guided the Ducks to their most Pac-10 wins since 1998, back-to-back home wins over a conference opponent for the first time since 1998 and a sweep of Washington for the first time since 1993. There was more to come in 2004 as the team defeated every Pac-10 team for the first time since 1998. Oregon’s 1-0 win over No. 1 Arizona marked the first time in school history that the Ducks defeated a top-ranked team and the squad won the series over Washington for the second straight year. It marked the first time in school history that Oregon won the series over the Huskies in back to back seasons. Following the 2004 season, several players were honored for their play. Pitcher Ani Nyhus earned first-team all-Pac-10 accolades while catcher Jenn Poore earned second-team all-conference honors. Beth Boskovich and Ashley Richards were honorable mention selections and the four were named to the NCAA regional all-tournament team while Poore also earned first-team Easton All-American honors. In November of 2004, Arendsen was the only American in the record class of 19 inductees to be elected into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame.
SABOL SETS THE STANDARD
Breanne Sabol leads the team in average (.400), runs (23), hits (26), triples (3), HR (3) and RBI (20)...Tied the school record for RBI in a single game with seven vs. Northridge (3/3/06)...Hit two home runs in the season-opener vs. Florida...Her 23 runs this season is a career-best, surpassing her previous best of 19 runs scored (2004 and 2005)...Sixth all-time with 39 career stolen bases...Tied for ninth all-time with six career triples...In Oregon’s first three games of the season, Sabol went 7-for-11 with six runs scored, five RBI and two home runs....Has had at least one RBI in 10 of the Ducks’ 21 games and has had at least two RBI in five games...Has scored at least one run in 14 games and at least two runs in nine...In the Ducks’ last three games (Mar. 4-5) played she went 5-for-11 with eight RBI and six runs scored...Has scored two runs in three consecutive games (Northridge, Fresno State, San Diego State).
A FINE START
Junior Kayleen Hudson is having her best offensive season since arriving at Oregon...Currently second on the team in average (.346), third in RBI (12) and tied for second in home runs (2)...Her 12 RBI surpasses her total from all of 2005 (10)...Had a hit in Oregon’s first three games of the season and is currently in the midst of a three game hit streak...Went 5-for-12 with three RBI and two runs scored in the Ducks’ last three games...Has had an RBI in three consecutive games...Tallied a career-best five RBI vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 24, 2006 after hitting her second career grand slam...Also scored three runs in the game.
CATCHING FIRE
Senior Beth Boskovich's offense has come alive in the Ducks’ last four games as she went 6-for13 with four runs scored in Oregon’s last four-games...Has had a hit in four consecutive games....Currenlty ninth all-time with 19 career home runs, but still awaiting her first of the 2006 season...Is 5-for-6 in stolen base attempts this season and now has 20 career stolen bases...Tied for 10th all-time with 85 career RBI.
