Nation's Best Visit Eugene For Pac-10 Softball Opener
COMING UP - PAC-10 OPENER
The Ducks open conference play this weekend hosting the Arizona schools. After falling to No. 2 in last week’s ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll, Arizona is back at No. 1, securing 15 of the 20 first-place votes this week. With three wins over No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette last week, Arizona, who has now been ranked No. 1 four of the last five weeks, is 29-3 overall heading into this weekend. Arizona State (36-3) added two more wins to its record Wednesday, defeating UTEP 5-4 and 12-0.
RECENTLY
Prior to sweep over UAB on Tuesday, the Ducks hosted a trio of teams in the Wilson Cascade Clash at Howe Field. Unfortunately, rain limited tournament play and Oregon played BYU in a single game Friday, winning 2-1 before being rained out on Saturday. On Sunday, the Ducks won by forfeit vs. then-No. 22 DePaul and then lost 4-3 to Akron in nine innings to conclude tournament play. Pitcher Alicia Cook returned to action and went 1-1 while senior Amy Harris also returned. Harris threw six hitless innings vs. Akron and struck out three batters. Harris and Cook each picked up a win vs. UAB.
HEAD COACH KATHY ARENDSEN (504-350 career, 132-75 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
ARIZONA STATE: The Sun Devils have won eight straight games after sweeping UTEP Wednesday. They have lost only three games this season and all three were by just one run. Two of ASU’s losses were in extra innings. Against UTEP, sophomore, Mindy Cowles entered the NCAA record books in the second game with three home runs and ten RBI, which ties her for second in NCAA history in both. Cowles leads the team with 13 home runs while Kaitlin Cochran leads the way in average (.505) and RBI (45). Pitcher Desiree is 15-2 with 159 strikeouts and a 1.23 ERA.
ARIZONA: The Wildcats are back atop the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and are ranked No. 3 in the USA Today/NFCA poll this week after sweep then-No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette last week. The Wildcats are dealing with injuries to star pitcher Alicia Hollowell, who was struck in the head with a line drive vs. Texas Mar. 19. All-American Caitlin Lowe is also out indefinitely after injuring her hand in the same game. Sophomore pitcher Taryne Mowatt has helped ease the absence of Hollowell, as she is 15-2 in 17 appearances and has a 0.55 ERA and 183 strikeouts.
OREGON ROSTER INTACT FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON
All of Oregon’s pitchers are now available and injury free for the first time this season. Freshman catcher Courtney Shlee, who was expected to miss the entire season with a thumb injury, has also been cleared to play. Shlee, a native of Phoenix, Ariz., made her first start in the Ducks’ opening game vs. UAB Tuesday. She went 0-1 with two sacrifice bunts in her first game.
HARRIS' RETURN IMPRESSIVE
Amy Harris returned to the mound vs. BYU Mar. 24 and in three appearances (14 innings pitched) she has allowed no earned runs, four hits and struck out seven batters. In Oregon’s game vs. Akron Mar. 26, Harris threw six innings and did not allow a hit.
MAKING A RUN FOR FOUR STRAIGHT
Oregon has made it to the postseason in three consecutive seasons just one time in school history (1998, 1999, 2000) and will be looking to make its fourth-straight regional appearance in 2006. Prior to head coach Kathy Arendsens’s arrival, the Duck program was 14-17 (.451) in their nine postseason (one CWS appearance) appearances. Under Arendsen, the Ducks are 11-6 (.647) in three postseason appearances. In the two regional appearances in 2003 and 2004, Oregon had eight all-regional tournament honorees. In the prior nine appearances, the Ducks had just five players make the team (4, 1998; 1, 1999).
PLAYER NOTES
Breanne Sabol: Second on the team in average (.368), first in runs scored (24), hits (28), triples (3), HR (3) and RBI (21)...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 24 runs this season is a career-best, surpassing her previous best of 19 runs scored (2004 and 2005)...Sixth all-time with 40 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 leading the team in average (.369), second in RBI (14) and T1st in home runs (3)...Her 14 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 10-game hit streak...Went 9-for-19 (.473) with five RBI and six runs scored in the Ducks’ last six games...Had an RBI in five consecutive games before breaking the streak in game two of a doubleheader vs. UAB Mar. 28...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 seven games as she went 7-for-19 with four runs scored...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 115 consecutive games...Had a hit in six consecutive games before being held hitless against Portland State Mar. 15...Is currently hitting .323...Hit in the No. 9 spot of the lineup in Oregon’s first 25 games before hitting leadoff vs. UAB Mar. 28...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 12 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 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...Had her 10-game hitting streak snapped vs. UAB Mar. 28......During that stretch, Jenkins hit .433 with seven RBI and four runs scored...Has played in all 27 games this season and has started 26 games (all in center field) with just one error...Hit leadoff in all 24 starts before moving to the No. 2 spot vs. UAB Mar. 28.
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, but moved to the No. 6 spot vs. UAB...After hitting a team-high 10 doubles as a freshman in 2005, Chaput currently has a team-high six doubles this season...Also has two triples and 12 RBI...Hit a three-run walk off home run in a victory over Oklahoma State Feb. 25...Missed her first start of the season vs. UAB Mar. 28 because of illness.
Amie Morris: Started just one game last season and has started all 26 of 27 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: Hold the all-time school record in strikeouts (557) and is tied for fifth all-time with 48 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.
