'Roos Set To Take Part In Texas Tech Tournament
2/18/2010 7:01:00 AM | Softball
This Week
The UMKC softball team will make its second road trip of the season this weekend to take part in the Texas Tech Tournament in Lubbock, Texas. The 'Roos will take on the host Red Raiders in three games; Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m. The squad will also face Maine twice in the tournament, first on Friday at 11 a.m., then again on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Texas Tech Tournament
Lubbock, Texas
Friday, Feb. 19 - Sunday, Feb. 21
Opponent Preview
» UMKC vs. Maine » Feb. 19 & 20, 2010 » 11 a.m.
Maine enters the weekend with an 0-5 record on the season, dropping all five of its contests in the Red Desert Classic last weekend in St. George, Utah. Whitney Spangler leads the team with a .357 average and a .500 slugging percentage. Maine was picked to finish fifth in the American East in the conferences preseason poll. These will be the first meetings between the two schools.
» UMKC at Texas Tech » Feb. 19, 20 & 21, 2010 » 3 p.m., 1 p.m. & 12 p.m.
Texas Tech enters the weekend with a 4-1 record, marking its best start since the 1998 season. In the opening weekend of play at the ASU Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., the Red Raiders defeated Wisconsin, Southern Utah, Oregon, and San Diego State, while falling to Auburn. Offensively, Ashley Hamada leads the team with a .567 average, while Mikey Kenney, Raven Richardson and Emily Bledsoe have added three, two and two home runs, respectively. On the mound, Ashley Brokeshoulder has compiled a 1.16 ERA, while Ashly Jacobs has an ERA of 2.10. The all-time series between the two schools is tied 1-1.
LAST WEEK
The Kangaroos went 1-2 last week at the ULM Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La., falling to Southeast Missouri State (6-4) and Northwestern State (13-2) before defeating Jackson State (3-2).
Megan Vicino led the way for the 'Roos in the 6-4 loss to SEMO, finishing the day 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBIs. In the 13-2 loss to NWST, Ashley Whiteside paced the squad with a hit, a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Freshman Deanna Friese, meanwhile, led the team to the 3-2 win over Jackson State, as the pitcher picked up her first collegiate win, allowing three hits and one earned run, while striking out nine in a complete game effort.
SOKOLIK, FRIESE NAMED TO ULM MARDI GRAS CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Sophomore Anna Sokolik and freshman Deanna Friese were named to the ULM Mardi Gras all-Tournament team. Sokolik finished the tournament with an .833 batting average, as the sophomore collected five hits, including two triples, scored two runs, drove in one run and slugged 1.667 in three games. On the mound, the Bettendorf, Iowa, native pitched two hitless innings. Friese, meanwhile, finished the tournament with a 1-1 record and a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings of work, while striking out 17 in two complete game efforts.
'ROOS PICKED FIFTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The UMKC softball team was picked to finish fifth in The Summit League Preseason Poll in a vote of the league's nine head coaches. The 'Roos received 30 points in the polls, trailing fourth place Oakland by only four points. Western illinois was picked as the preseason favorite, finishing with 5 first place votes for a total of 61 points.
RETURNEES GALORE
UMKC returns eight starters, including a pair of Second Team all-Summit League honorees in Kelly Fischer and Chelsea Hartwig, from a squad that finished 20-34 and 10-14 in The Summit League last season.
COMING OUT SWINGING
The Kangaroos bats have come out hot through the first three games of the 2010 season, as five players in the squad's lineup are hitting over .400. Anna Sokolik's .833 average leads the way, while Amanda Kinn (.500), Chelsea Hartwig (.500), Kaelene Curry (.429) and Megan Vicino (.429) have aslo topped the .400 mark.
TEARING UP THE BASE PATHS
The Kangaroos have come out with aggression on the base paths to open the season. Through the season's opening week, the 'Roos have already swiped four bases, led by Kelly Fischer's two steals. At their current pace, the team would steal over 65 bases, eclipsing last season total by more than 12 steals.
THE LONE SENIOR
Carli Slagle returns to the 'Roos for her fourth season in the Blue and Gold, making her the only senior on this year's team. Slagle, who is tied for second all-time in UMKC history with eight career home runs, will be counted on to by Head Coach Meredith Smith to provide leadership to a team that features five freshmen, 10 sophomores and six juniors. Last season, the outfielder finished with a .267 batting average, while finishing second on the team with 23 RBI's and third in home runs with four.
FRESHMEN ON THE MOUND
This season, the UMKC softball team will count on a pair of first-year players to handle the bulk of the duties on the mound, as freshmen Deanna Friese and Emily Ott will be the 'Roos number one and number two pitchers. Friese joins the squad from Kennesaw, Ga., where she was named Kennesaw Mountain team MVP following a sophomore campaign where she went 8-1 with a 0.76 ERA. In her first two starts as a Kangaroo, Friese has compiled a 1-1 record with a 3.46 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
Ott, meanwhile, comes to Kansas City from Des Plaines, Ill., where she was named all-state her senior year at Maine West, as well as being named all-conference three times and team MVP all four years. In her only start of the season thus far against Northwestern State, Ott took the loss after allowing five earned runs in three innings.
RICE INDUCTED INTO UMKC HALL OF FAME
Three-time First Team all-Mid-Con selection (1999-01) Amanda Rice was inducted into the UMKC Hall of Fame on Jan. 22. Rice, who was a Mid-Con all-Tournament team honoree in 1999, is the UMKC career record holder in hits (201), doubles (47) runs batted in (97) and home runs (14). She also finished her career ranked second in putouts (219), fourth in games played (218), sixth in batting average (.309) and fifth in walks (40).
HANLEY ON THE MEND
Sophomore Betsy Hanley will miss the beginning of the season after suffering a knee injury earlier this year. Last season Hanley finished with a team-high .342 average, which was good for the eighth highest total in school history.
HEAD COACH MEREDITH SMITH
Meredith Smith is entering her fourth season at the helm of the UMKC softball program with a 33-113 overall record and a 17-44 mark in Summit League play through her first three years. After inheriting a program that had finished with a winning season once in the previous 18 years of existence, Coach Smith has at least doubled her win total in each of her three seasons. Last season, Smith led the squad to 20 wins, the most since the 2002 season.
LAST SEASON
The UMKC softball team finished the 2009 campaign with a 20-34 overall record, while going 10-14 in Summit League play to finish sixth. The 20 wins mark only the fourth time in school history that the team has reached the total. The squad was led on the year by Second Team all-Summit League selections Kelly Fischer and Chelsea Hartwig. Fischer finished with a .313 average, while notching a team-high 28 runs and 57 hits. Hartwig, meanwhile, recorded team-highs of eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 15 walks and a .486 slugging percentage in 2009. The eight home runs for Hartwig were a UMKC single season record.
The UMKC softball team will make its second road trip of the season this weekend to take part in the Texas Tech Tournament in Lubbock, Texas. The 'Roos will take on the host Red Raiders in three games; Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m. The squad will also face Maine twice in the tournament, first on Friday at 11 a.m., then again on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Texas Tech Tournament
Lubbock, Texas
Friday, Feb. 19 - Sunday, Feb. 21
Opponent Preview
» UMKC vs. Maine » Feb. 19 & 20, 2010 » 11 a.m.
Maine enters the weekend with an 0-5 record on the season, dropping all five of its contests in the Red Desert Classic last weekend in St. George, Utah. Whitney Spangler leads the team with a .357 average and a .500 slugging percentage. Maine was picked to finish fifth in the American East in the conferences preseason poll. These will be the first meetings between the two schools.
» UMKC at Texas Tech » Feb. 19, 20 & 21, 2010 » 3 p.m., 1 p.m. & 12 p.m.
Texas Tech enters the weekend with a 4-1 record, marking its best start since the 1998 season. In the opening weekend of play at the ASU Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., the Red Raiders defeated Wisconsin, Southern Utah, Oregon, and San Diego State, while falling to Auburn. Offensively, Ashley Hamada leads the team with a .567 average, while Mikey Kenney, Raven Richardson and Emily Bledsoe have added three, two and two home runs, respectively. On the mound, Ashley Brokeshoulder has compiled a 1.16 ERA, while Ashly Jacobs has an ERA of 2.10. The all-time series between the two schools is tied 1-1.
LAST WEEK
The Kangaroos went 1-2 last week at the ULM Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La., falling to Southeast Missouri State (6-4) and Northwestern State (13-2) before defeating Jackson State (3-2).
Megan Vicino led the way for the 'Roos in the 6-4 loss to SEMO, finishing the day 3-for-3 at the plate with two runs and two RBIs. In the 13-2 loss to NWST, Ashley Whiteside paced the squad with a hit, a run, an RBI and a stolen base. Freshman Deanna Friese, meanwhile, led the team to the 3-2 win over Jackson State, as the pitcher picked up her first collegiate win, allowing three hits and one earned run, while striking out nine in a complete game effort.
SOKOLIK, FRIESE NAMED TO ULM MARDI GRAS CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Sophomore Anna Sokolik and freshman Deanna Friese were named to the ULM Mardi Gras all-Tournament team. Sokolik finished the tournament with an .833 batting average, as the sophomore collected five hits, including two triples, scored two runs, drove in one run and slugged 1.667 in three games. On the mound, the Bettendorf, Iowa, native pitched two hitless innings. Friese, meanwhile, finished the tournament with a 1-1 record and a 3.46 ERA in 13 innings of work, while striking out 17 in two complete game efforts.
'ROOS PICKED FIFTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The UMKC softball team was picked to finish fifth in The Summit League Preseason Poll in a vote of the league's nine head coaches. The 'Roos received 30 points in the polls, trailing fourth place Oakland by only four points. Western illinois was picked as the preseason favorite, finishing with 5 first place votes for a total of 61 points.
RETURNEES GALORE
UMKC returns eight starters, including a pair of Second Team all-Summit League honorees in Kelly Fischer and Chelsea Hartwig, from a squad that finished 20-34 and 10-14 in The Summit League last season.
COMING OUT SWINGING
The Kangaroos bats have come out hot through the first three games of the 2010 season, as five players in the squad's lineup are hitting over .400. Anna Sokolik's .833 average leads the way, while Amanda Kinn (.500), Chelsea Hartwig (.500), Kaelene Curry (.429) and Megan Vicino (.429) have aslo topped the .400 mark.
TEARING UP THE BASE PATHS
The Kangaroos have come out with aggression on the base paths to open the season. Through the season's opening week, the 'Roos have already swiped four bases, led by Kelly Fischer's two steals. At their current pace, the team would steal over 65 bases, eclipsing last season total by more than 12 steals.
THE LONE SENIOR
Carli Slagle returns to the 'Roos for her fourth season in the Blue and Gold, making her the only senior on this year's team. Slagle, who is tied for second all-time in UMKC history with eight career home runs, will be counted on to by Head Coach Meredith Smith to provide leadership to a team that features five freshmen, 10 sophomores and six juniors. Last season, the outfielder finished with a .267 batting average, while finishing second on the team with 23 RBI's and third in home runs with four.
FRESHMEN ON THE MOUND
This season, the UMKC softball team will count on a pair of first-year players to handle the bulk of the duties on the mound, as freshmen Deanna Friese and Emily Ott will be the 'Roos number one and number two pitchers. Friese joins the squad from Kennesaw, Ga., where she was named Kennesaw Mountain team MVP following a sophomore campaign where she went 8-1 with a 0.76 ERA. In her first two starts as a Kangaroo, Friese has compiled a 1-1 record with a 3.46 ERA and 17 strikeouts.
Ott, meanwhile, comes to Kansas City from Des Plaines, Ill., where she was named all-state her senior year at Maine West, as well as being named all-conference three times and team MVP all four years. In her only start of the season thus far against Northwestern State, Ott took the loss after allowing five earned runs in three innings.
RICE INDUCTED INTO UMKC HALL OF FAME
Three-time First Team all-Mid-Con selection (1999-01) Amanda Rice was inducted into the UMKC Hall of Fame on Jan. 22. Rice, who was a Mid-Con all-Tournament team honoree in 1999, is the UMKC career record holder in hits (201), doubles (47) runs batted in (97) and home runs (14). She also finished her career ranked second in putouts (219), fourth in games played (218), sixth in batting average (.309) and fifth in walks (40).
HANLEY ON THE MEND
Sophomore Betsy Hanley will miss the beginning of the season after suffering a knee injury earlier this year. Last season Hanley finished with a team-high .342 average, which was good for the eighth highest total in school history.
HEAD COACH MEREDITH SMITH
Meredith Smith is entering her fourth season at the helm of the UMKC softball program with a 33-113 overall record and a 17-44 mark in Summit League play through her first three years. After inheriting a program that had finished with a winning season once in the previous 18 years of existence, Coach Smith has at least doubled her win total in each of her three seasons. Last season, Smith led the squad to 20 wins, the most since the 2002 season.
LAST SEASON
The UMKC softball team finished the 2009 campaign with a 20-34 overall record, while going 10-14 in Summit League play to finish sixth. The 20 wins mark only the fourth time in school history that the team has reached the total. The squad was led on the year by Second Team all-Summit League selections Kelly Fischer and Chelsea Hartwig. Fischer finished with a .313 average, while notching a team-high 28 runs and 57 hits. Hartwig, meanwhile, recorded team-highs of eight home runs, 25 RBIs, 15 walks and a .486 slugging percentage in 2009. The eight home runs for Hartwig were a UMKC single season record.
Players Mentioned
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OF
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