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'Roos Head To Oklahoma For Tulsa Embassy Suites Invitational
2/25/2010 7:58:00 AM | Softball
This Week
The UMKC softball team will hit the road this weekend to take part in the Tulsa Embassy Suites Invitational in Tulsa Okla. The 'Roos will open the tournament on Friday with Texas State at 2 p.m. On Saturday, the squad will battle Creighton at 9 a.m. UMKC will close out the tournament on Sunday at 10 a.m. against host Tulsa at 2 p.m.
Tulsa Embassy Suites Invitational
Tulsa, Okla.
Friday, Feb. 26 - Sunday, Feb. 28
Opponent Preview
» UMKC vs. Texas State » Feb. 26, 2010 » 2 p.m.
Texas State, which is coming off a 2009 Southland Conference Tournament title and an NCAA Tournament berth, enters the tournament with a 2-7 record on the year. The Bobcats two victories came over Big East opponent Rutgers and MAC foe Northern Illinois. Freshman Haley Lemons leads the squad with a .400 average, while freshman Anna Hernandez is tops on the team in home runs (2), doubles (3) and RBIs (4). Chandler Hall paces the TSU pitching staff, leading the team in innings (34.2), ERA (4.64) and strikeouts (42). Texas State leads the all-time series between the two schools, 1-0.
» UMKC vs. Creighton » Feb. 27, 2010 » 9 a.m.
Creighton enters the weekend with a 3-3 record, picking up wins over No. 15 Northwestern, Wisconsin and Oregon State. Senior Renae Sinkler leads the Bluejays in average (.385), home runs (4), RBIs (6) and slugging (1.308). On the mound, senior Tara Oltman's 1.93 ERA, 25.1 innings pitched and 30 strikeouts are tops on the team. Creighton leads the all-time series between the two schools 45-1.
» UMKC at Tulsa » Feb. 28, 2010 » 2 p.m.
Tulsa enters their tournament with a 3-7 record on the season, defeating Idaho State, Utah State and Wichita State thus far. Tulsa is led at the plate by senior Lauren Lindsay, as the senior leads the team with a .419 average, three home runs, two doubles and is second with eight RBIs. Jordan Kinard is the ace of the staff, as the junior has compiled a team-leading 2.13 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 23 innings. The Golden Hurricanes lead the all-time series between the two schools 12-0.
CHANGE OF SCHEDULE
Coming into the week, the 'Roos were slated to take part in five games at the Tulsa Embassy Suites Invitational, however, two of those games were cancelled due to the expectation of inclement weather. The squad was scheduled to take on Texas State in a second game on Saturday, as well as Eastern Illinois on Sunday.
LAST WEEK
The UMKC softball team went 1-4 last weekend at the Texas Tech Tournament. In the event, the 'Roos went 1-1 against Maine, picking up a 7-6 victory over the Black Bears, and 0-3 against the Red Raiders, including a closely contested 2-1 loss on Saturday. Kaelene Curry led the squad in the tournament with seven runs, five RBIs and three doubles in the five games. Ashley Whiteside and Kelly Fischer also had impressive performances in Lubbock, as the duo combined for a .464 average on 13 hits, six runs and five stolen bases.
CURRY'S BIG WEEKEND
Last weekend, during the Texas Tech Tournament, sophomore Kaelene Curry had a weekend to remember for the Blue and Gold. In the tournament, the shortstop hit .385 with seven runs scored and five RBIs. The Downers Grove, Ill., native notched three doubles, while adding three walks and three hit-by-pitches to her on-base totals. In all, Curry reached base 11 times in the five games, giving her a .579 OBP and a .615 slugging percentage for an OPS of 1.194.
COMING OUT SWINGING
The Kangaroos bats have come out hot through the first eight games of the 2010 season, as six players in the squad's lineup are hitting over .300. Kaelene Curry's .400 average leads the way, while Kelly Fischer (.391), Amanda Kinn (.375), Emily Ott (.364), Ashley Whiteside (.350) and Anna Sokolik (.313) have also topped the .300 mark. As a team, the 'Roos are hitting .263, good for second in The Summit League.
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 two weeks, the 'Roos have already swiped 14 bases in 16 attempts, led by Kelly Fischer's five steals. Kaelene Curry and Ashley Whiteside, meanwhile, have each stolen three bases. At their current pace, the team would steal over 84 bases, eclipsing last season total by more than 31 steals.
SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADERS
Several 'Roos sit on top of The Summit League statistical standings, led by Anna Sokolik, Chelsea Hartwig, Kaelene Curry and Kelly Fischer. Sokolik leads the league with two triples, while Hartwig is tops in walks with five. Fischer's five steals are first in the league, while Curry and Ashley Whiteside are tied for fourth with three. Curry has the league's highest OBP at .556, while also sitting third in runs (7) and walks (4), fourth in doubles (3) and RBIs (7) and seventh in slugging percentage (.550).
Freshman Deanna Friese, meanwhile, is second in the league in strikeouts (37), appearances (7) and games started (5), while sitting third in complete games, fourth in wins (2) and innings pitched (30.2) and 10th in opponent batting average (.263).
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 second all-time in UMKC history with nine 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. This season, Slagle has mashed the teams lone home run, while slugging .571.
FRESHMAN ACE
This season, the UMKC softball team will count on a first-year player to handle the bulk of the duties on the mound, as freshmen Deanna Friese will be the 'Roos number one pitcher. 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 six games as a Kangaroo, Friese has compiled a 2-4 record with a 4.70 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 30 innings of work.
Rounding out the pitching staff for the 'Roos are junior Taya Upkes, sophomore Anna Sokolik and freshman Emily Ott. On the season, Upkes has thrown 3.2 innings, while Ott has gone 6.2 innings in her debut campaign. Sokolik, meanwhile leads the team with a 4.35 ERA in 10.1 innings of work.
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.
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.
HEAD COACH MEREDITH SMITH
Meredith Smith is entering her fourth season at the helm of the UMKC softball program with a 34-117 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.
