'Roos Set To Take Part In Missouri Breast Cancer Tournament
3/4/2010 11:02:00 AM | Softball
This Week
The UMKC softball team will finish its preseason tournament schedule this weekend when it heads to Columbia to take part in the 2010 Missouri Breast Cancer Tournament. The 'Roos will open the tournament on Friday with Southeast Missouri State at 1:30 p.m before battling Saint Louis on Saturday morning at 11:30 a.m. The squad will then round out play on Sunday UMKC against host Missouri at 1:30 p.m. before closing out the tournament against Missouri State at 3:30 p.m.
2010 Missouri Breast Cancer Tournament
Columbia, Mo.
Friday, March 5-Sunday, March 7
Opponent Preview
» UMKC vs. Southeast Missouri State »March 5, 2010 » 1:30 p.m.
Southeast Missouri State enters play this weekend with a 4-3 record on the season, which includes a 6-4 win over UMKC in the ULM Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La. Infielder Renee Kertz leads the Redhawks, as the sophomore is tops on the team with a .421 batting average, two doubles and five RBIs. Meanwhile, Whitney Dupuis and Stefanie Barnes have split time on the mound, as each has picked up two wins for SEMO. The Redhawks lead the all-time series between the two schools, 4-1, including the victory earlier this season.
» UMKC vs. Saint Louis » March 6, 2010 » 11:30 a.m.
Saint Louis comes into the tournament with a 4-5 record, picking up wins over Mississippi Valley, Southeastern Louisiana, Grambling and Jackson State. The Billikens are led at the plate by Alyson Brand (.533), Kelly Flanagan (.471) and Brittney Schmidt (.400), who are all hitting .400 or better. Meanwhile, the squad has six players with one home run. On the mound, Hannah Huebbe's 4.44 ERA and three wins are tops on the team, while Kelcie Matesa leads the team in appearances (7), innings pitched (24.1), strikeouts (34) and opponent batting average (.260). SLU leads the all-time series between the two schools, 21-18, including last year's 7-1 win.
» UMKC at Missouri » March 7, 2010 » 1:30 p.m.
Mizzou enters the weekend as the No. 3/4 team in the country with an 8-2 record, picking up wins over No. 2/2 Arizona, No. 6/8 Alabama, No. 7/7 Michigan, No. 22/19 Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 29/24 Massachusetts. The Tigers two losses on the season have come on the road against Alabama and Arizona. Chelsea Thomas leads the squad, as the sophomore is coming off a weekend where she was named the 2010 NFCA Leadoff Classic Most Valuable Pitcher, where she posted a 3-0 record and a 2.67 ERA. On the season, Thomas is 6-1 with a 3.08 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 38.2 innings. Missouri leads the all-time series between the two schools, 46-1, including a 9-0 win last year.
» UMKC vs. Missouri State » March 7, 2010 » 3:30 p.m.
Missouri State enters the tournament with an 0-7 record on the season, including four one-run losses and losses to major conference foes, Michigan State and Arkansas. Ashley Knehans leads the team at the plate as the junior is hitting a team-high .368 with one home run and two doubles. On the mound, the Bears feature a pair of top pitchers in Lauren McGinley and Natalie Rose. McGinley, a senior, leads the team with a 2.49 ERA in 19.2 innings with six strikeouts and 19 hits allowed, while the sophomore Rose has a 3.15 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 20 innings of work. Missouri State leads the all-time series between the two schools, 27-6, including a 2-1 victory last season over the 'Roos.
LAST WEEK
The UMKC softball team went 0-4 last weekend at the Tulsa Embassy Suites Invitational. In the event, the 'Roos dropped games to Texas State, Tulsa, Creighton and Eastern Illinois. Kaelene Curry led the squad in the tournament with a .455 batting average, three walks, two runs, two RBIs and a double in the five games, while Lauren Rodrigues finished with a .400 batting average, two runs, one home run and one RBI.
CURRY LEADING THE 'ROOS
Kaelene Curry is off to a monster start in her sophomore campaign, as the Downer's Gorve, Ill., native currently leads the 'Roos in batting average (.419), slugging (.548), OBP (.561), runs (9), hits (13), RBIs (9), doubles (4), total bases (17), walks (7), HBPs (3) and is second on the team in stolen bases (4). At her current pace, Curry would eclipse a her totals from the 2009 season in all of those categories.
COMING OUT SWINGING
The top three hitters in the Kangaroo lineup have come out hot through the first 12 games of the 2010 season, as all three players are hitting over .300. Lead-off batter Kaelene Curry's .419 average leads the way, while two and three hitters Kelly Fischer (.324) and Emily Ott (.348) have also topped the .300 mark. Overall, the trio has combined for a .363 average, .463 OBP, 15 runs, 33 hits, 8 doubles, 16 RBIs, 11 walks and 10 steals.
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 17 bases in 20 attempts, led by Kelly Fischer's five steals. Kaelene Curry and Ashley Whiteside, meanwhile, have each stolen four bases. At their current pace, the team would steal over 69 bases, eclipsing last season total by more than 16 steals.
SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADERS
Several 'Roos sit on top of The Summit League statistical standings, led by Kaelene Curry, Anna Sokolik and Kelly Fischer. Curry has the league's highest OBP at .561 and is tied for the league lead in walks with seven, while also sitting second in RBIs (9), fourth in runs (9), fifth in doubles (4), sixth in batting average (.419) and seventh in hits (13) and stolen bases (4). Sokolik is tied for the league lead with two triples, while Hartwig is fifth in walks with six. Fischer's five steals are third in the league, while Ashley Whiteside is tied for fourth with three.
Freshman Deanna Friese, meanwhile, is second in the league in strikeouts (45) and appearances (10), third in games started (7), while sitting fourth in complete games (5) and innings pitched (42.2) and eighth in wins (2) and innings pitched (30.2). Sokolik, meanwhile, is 10th in opponent batting average with a .263 mark.
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 one of the teams two home runs, while slugging .417.
'ROOS ON THE MOUND
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 2-6 record with a 6.12 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 42.2 innings of work.
Sophomore Anna Sokolik, meanwhile, has emerged as the 'Roos most consistent pitcher in the early part of the season. Thus far, the Bettendorf, Iowa, native has compiled a team-low 3.63 ERA in 17.1 innings, while striking out 11.
Rounding out the pitching staff for the 'Roos are junior Taya Upkes and freshman Emily Ott. On the season, Upkes has thrown 7.1 innings, while Ott has gone 10.0 innings in her debut campaign.
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).
'ROOS 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.
Meanwhile, the squad will also be without Ashley Whiteside, as the junior injured her ankle against Eastern Illinois in a collision at first base. On the season, Whiteside had amassed a .286 batting average with seven runs, and four stolen bases, while providing the squad with a strong defensive presence in center field.
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 34-121 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.
