Softball Hosts Trio Of Teams For Cascade Clash
COMING UP
2006 CASCADE CLASH
The Ducks wrap up preseason play over the next week and, in conjunction with Oregon State, will host three teams in a tournament this weekend. Games will be played at Howe Field in Eugene and at the OSU Softball Complex in Corvallis. Tournament play opens in Eugene on Thursday when BYU takes on DePaul at 2 p.m. Oregon will then play BYU in a doubleheader Friday before facing DePaul Saturday and Akron Sunday. It will be Oregon’s first meeting with DePaul and only the second overall between the Ducks and Akron. Oregon has faced BYU three times in school history and hosted the Cougars at Howe Field last season.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Sari-Jane Jenkins hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Ducks to a 6-5 win over Portland State last Wednesday. Freshman pitcher Melissa Rice improved to 4-3 with the win. Rice struck out four batters and allowed just one walk. Oregon hit three home runs in the game (Kayleen Hudson, Dani Baird and Joanna Gail) and had six RBI. Baird finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Four of the Ducks’ six runs came off of home runs. The win was Head Coach Kathy Arendsen’s 500th career victory.
HEAD COACH KATHY ARENDSEN (500-349 Career, 128-74 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.
A LOOK AT THE OPPONENTS
BYU: The Cougars are 17-6 overall heading into the weekend. They are receiving votes in both polls. Prior to an 8-0 loss to Stanford at the Stanford Classic last weekend, BYU had won seven straight games. In a 20-0 win over Texas Southern Mar. 4, pitcher Summer Tobias threw a five-inning no-hitter in the program’s most lopsided victory. Tobias is currently 8-4 overall with a 2.39 ERA and 58 strikeouts while fellow pitcher Daniella Urincho is 5-2 overall with a 1.41 ERA. Oregon last faced BYU in 2005, defeating the Cougars 8-0 and 4-0 in a doubleheader at Howe Field.
DePAUL: The Blue Demons are 9-5 overall and ranked No. 22 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll and No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA poll. After dropping three straight games by a combined score of 22-5 at the Fresno State tournament last weekend, DePaul defeated Ball State 11-0 and Central Florida 3-1 to finish the weekend on a high note. The three losses were to ranked teams, including Pac-10 foes Washington and Oregon State. Pitcher Traci Adix is 5-1 overall with a 1.02 ERA and 29 strikeouts. Offensively, Amber Patton leads the way, hitting .371 with five runs scored and four RBI.
AKRON: The Zips are in the midst of a four-game losing streak with their last win coming Mar. 5 vs. Wright State. Most recently, they dropped a 10-2 decision to then-No. 16 Nebraska. They are 6-9 overall heading into this weekend’s games with pitchers Megan MacKenzie and Julie Boyes accounting for three wins each. Amy Pedro leads the offense, hitting .300 with one home run and three runs scored. MacKenzie has a team-high eight RBI.
ARENDSEN REACHES MILESTONE
Oregon head coach Kathy Arendsen got her 500th career victory when the Ducks defeated Portland State 6-5 at Howe Field on Wed., Mar. 15, 2006 at Howe Field.
GETTING BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS
Oregon has played just one game (vs. Portland State, 3/15/06) in the last 18 days. Prior to the Ducks’ win over the Vikings last Weds., they had not played since Mar. 5. Oregon had to withdraw from the NIST, which was the weekend of Mar. 10 because of an injury to pitcher Amy Harris as well as the absence of pitchers Elise Orange (personal reasons) and Alicia Cook (academics).
PLAYER NOTES
Breanne Sabol: Leads the team in average (.382), 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 15 games and at least two runs in nine...In a three-game stretch (Mar. 4-5), she went 5-for-11 with eight RBI and six runs scored...Scored two runs in three consecutive games (Northridge, Fresno State, San Diego State).
Kayleen Hudson: Is having her best offensive season since arriving at Oregon...Currently second on the team in average (.345), T2 in RBI (13) and T1st in home runs (3)...Her 13 RBI surpasses her total from all of 2005 (10)...Most recently hit a home run in the Ducks’ 6-5 win over Portland State...Had a hit in Oregon’s first three games of the season and is currently in the midst of a four-game hit streak...Went 6-for-15 (.400) with four RBI and three runs scored in the Ducks’ last four games...Has had an RBI in four 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.
Beth Boskovich: Her offense has picked up in the Ducks’ last five games as she went 6-for-16 with four runs scored in Oregon’s last five-games...Currently 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.
Suzie Barnes: Has started 113 consecutive games...Had a hit in six consecutive games before being held hitless against Portland State last week...Is currently hitting .309...After starting in center field as a freshman and sophomore, Barnes has moved to the infield and is the Ducks’ starting second baseman...Is tied for second on the team in runs scored and has scored at least one run in 11 games and has twice scored two runs....Holds the Oregon record for runs scored in a game with four (vs. Riverside, 2/12/05).
Joanna Gail: Has returned to a starting role in 2006 (3B) after missing most of her freshman season with a dislocated elbow...Hit her first home run of the season in the Ducks’ second game of the year...Added her second in a 5-0 win over then-No. 25 Florida State and her third came last week vs. Portland State...Also scored two runs in the game.
Sari-Jane Jenkins: Hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead the Ducks to a 6-5 win over Portland State on Mar. 15...Is in the midst of a 10-game hitting streak. dating back to Feb. 24...During that stretch, Jenkins is hitting .433 with seven RBI and four runs scored...Has played in all 22 games this season and has started 21 games (all in center field) with just one error...Has hit leadoff in all 21 starts.
Melissa Rice: Had her best performance vs. then-No. 25 Fresno State, pitching her first career complete game shutout...Is 2-1 in her last three starts...Picked up her first win at Howe Field vs. Portland State on Mar. 15, 2006.
Lovena Chaput: Has moved from the Ducks’ leadoff hitter to No. 3 in the order...After hitting a team-high 10 doubles as a freshman in 2005, Chaput currently has a team-high five doubles this season...Also has two triples and two RBI...Hit a three-run walk off home run in a victory over Oklahoma State Feb. 25...One of just four players to have started all 22 games this season (all in left field).
Amie Morris: Started just one game last season and has started all 22 games behind the plate this season...Walked three times vs. Northridge on Mar. 4 and scored three runs in the game, which is the second-highest single-game run total in school history.
Amy Harris: Holds the all-time school record in strikeouts (550) and is tied for fifth all-time with 47 wins...Was sidelined with a shoulder injury following the Aztec Classic in San Diego...Pitched a complete-game no-hitter vs. Santa Barbara...Had a season-high 11 strikeouts vs. Oklahoma State Feb. 25.
IT'S GOOD TO LEAD EARLY
Oregon is outscoring opponents 15-7 in the first inning of play and is 5-2 overall when scoring in the first inning and 8-1 when it scores first. The Ducks are 8-0 when leading after five innings, but when trailing after five, are just 1-7.
TOP OF THE LINE UP
Sari-Jane Jenkins, Breanne Sabol, Lovena Chaput and Beth Boskovich are at the top of Oregon’s lineup, respectively. Jenkins has hit in the leadoff spot in 21 of 22 games while Chaput and Boskovich have hit in the No. 3 and No. 4 spot in all 22 games. Sabol has hit No. 2 in 21 of 22 games. The foursome is hitting .312 so far this season and has accounted for 59 of the Ducks’ 103 runs, 16 of the team’s 27 doubles, eight of 11 triples, seven of 14 home runs and 53 of 93 RBI.
DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
The Duck defense is picking up where it left off last season. Oregon led the Pac-10 in double plays turned in both 2004 and 2005. The 2004 team had the most double plays in school history (32) and in its season-opening weekend, Oregon turned a league-leading four double plays. The Ducks currently lead the Pac-10 with 10 double plays turned in 2006.
TRIPLE THREAT
Oregon had three triples (one each by Suzie Barnes, Beth Boskovich and Lovena Chaput) in its 5-4 loss at San Diego State on Mar. 5 to break the UO single-game record for triples in a game. The previous best was two set vs. California in 2005. Oregon has 11 triples this season after posting just five total in all of 2005.
THE NATION'S BEST
Pac-10 teams are currently 187-32 (.854) this season and 43-17 (.717) vs. ranked teams. Breanne Sabol’s 12 stolen bases is currently fifth in the Pac-10 and her three triples is tied for fifth. As a team, Oregon leads the conference with 11 triples and is sixth with 26 stolen bases.
FOR STARTERS
Heading into the 2006 season, Oregon seniors Breanne Sabol (SS), Beth Boskovich (IF), Dani Baird (OF) and Amy Harris (P) have started 445 games combined. With 21 starts this season, Sabol has started 220 of 203 career games as she started in every game in 2003 and 2004 before missing one start in 2005. Boskovich has started 216 of 223 career games, missing four starts her freshman season and three last season. Boskovich started all 63 games as a sophomore in 2004 and has started 89 consecutive games. Baird has started 105 games while pitcher Amy Harris has started 94 games on the mound. Junior Suzie Barnes started all 61 games last season after starting 52 of 63 games as a freshman in 2004 while sophomore Lovena Chaput started 58 of 61 games last season. Barnes, Chaput and Boskovich have both started all 22 games this season.
