UMKC Visits Missouri State, Hosts Dakota's Round Robin Tournament This Week
4/11/2011 3:08:00 PM | Softball
This Week
The UMKC softball team (23-12) will step away from Summit League play this week when it visits Springfield, Mo., for a doubleheader with Missouri State (15-17) before hosting North Dakota (10-24) and South Dakota (12-25) this weekend in the Dakota's Round Robin Tournament. The 'Roos and the Bears will get the doubleheader underway on Tuesday starting a 3 p.m. In the tournament, UMKC will host the Coyotes on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and on Sunday 4 p.m. and the Fighting Sioux on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
THE OPPONENTS
» UMKC at Missouri State » Apr. 12, 2011 » 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Missouri State enters the doubleheader with a 15-17 record overall with their last two wins coming over Creighton and Arkansas. Offensively, the Bears are led by Kirstin Cutter, as the sophomore is the only player on the roster hitting over .300 at .360. On the mound, MSU has a team ERA of 3.51 and is led by junior Natalie Rose's 2.60 ERA, 10 wins and 144 strikeouts.
» UMKC vs. South Dakota » Apr. 16-17, 2011 » 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
South Dakota enters the week with a 12-25 record overall and losers of six straight. At the plate, Mel Johnson is the only Coyote topping the .300 mark, as the senior is hitting .313 on the season, while Johnson (six) and freshman Lindsey Boyd (five) are the team's top two home run hitters. The Coyote pitching staff features four pitchers who have tossed between 39 -70 inninings, including Erica Denney (4-8, 4.04 ERA, 36 K), Paige Policky (4-3, 4.79 ERA, 30 K), Johnson (4-8, 5.00, 53 K) and Missy Blackburn (0-6, 6.00 ERA, 14 K).
» UMKC vs. North Dakota » Apr. 16-17, 2011 » 5 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
North Dakota comes into the week with a 10-24 record overall, including a pair of wins earlier this season overa South Dakota. Offensively, Kaylee Schoeny (.407) and Kenna Olsen (.404) are each hitting over .400, while Brittany Baker (six), Caralyn Chewning (five) and Amanda Johnson (five) lead the team in home runs. On the mound, Michelle Frank leads the team with a 4.21 ERA, five wins and 73 strike outs.
DAKOTA'S ROUND ROBIN SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 16
South Dakota vs. North Dakota 12 p.m.
UMKC vs. South Dakota 2:30 p.m.
UMKC vs. North Dakota 5 p.m.
Sunday, April 17
North Dakota vs. South Dakota 11 a.m.
UMKC vs. North Dakota 1:30 p.m.
UMKC vs. South Dakota 4 p.m.
* - All Games Played at the College Blvd. Activities Center (Olathe, Kan.)
LAST SEASON AT THE DAKOTA'S ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENT
The 'Roos picked up a pair of wins on Apr. 10, the opening day of the 2010 Dakota's Round Robin Tournament, downing South Dakota, 7-5 before beating North Dakota in the second game, 3-2. Deanna Friese led the squad, as the freshman hurler registered a career-high 16 strikeouts against the Fighting Sioux. South Dakota, meanwhile, beat North Dakota 10-0 in six innings in the early game.
On Apr. 11, day two of the tournament, Friese notched a pair of wins, downing North Dakota, 10-4, in the first game and South Dakota, 2-0, in game two for the squad's fourth and fifth consecutive wins. On the day, the freshman tossed 11.1 innings, allowing only three hits and no runs, while striking 23, including a one-hit, 16-strikeout performance against the Coyotes. In the first game of the day, North Dakota beat South Dakota 3-2 in eight innings.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the 'Roos swept Centenary in a three-game series in Shreveport, La., On Saturday, UMKC opened the series with an 8-2 win before taking game two 6-2. In Sunday's series finale, the Kangaroos won 8-2. On the weekend, five 'Roos collected four hits, with junior Anna Sokolik leading the way with four RBIs and four runs scored. Sophomore Deanna Friese, meanwhile, led the 'Roo pitching staff, going 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts. Of her 10 innings pitched, nine were perfect 1-2-3 innings.
SPEED 'ROOS
With their 2.53 mark, the 'Roos rank fourth in nation in steals per game, trailing only Akron (2.80), Marshall (2.80) and Radford (2.55). The squad also ranks in the top-100 in fielding percentage (15th-.975), double plays per game (28th-.41), triples per game (64th-.22), batting (62nd-.292) and ERA (98th-2.84), while sitting 101st doubles per game (1.22)
CURRY'S HIT STREAK
Junior Kaelene Curry is currently in the middle of a 20 game hit streak that started on Mar. 6 at Saint Louis. During the stretch, the Downers Grove, Ill., nativeis hitting .381 but has record multiple hits in just three games; Mar. 18 at IPFW (2), Apr. 2 vs. Western Illinois (3) and Apr. 10 at Centenary (2).
HOLDING THE LEAD
This season, the 'Roos have played impressively when holding a lead. When leading after one inning, the squad is 12-1, after two 14-2 and after three 16-3. This fact becomes even more apparent late in games as the 'Roos are a perfect 19-0 when leading after both five and six innings of play and 20-1 when leading after four innings.
UMKC TOP WIN TOTALS
31 wins (once) - 2002
26 wins (once) - 2000
23 wins (once) - 2011
22 wins (twice) - 1999, 2010
20 wins (once) - 2009
HOME SWEET HOME
Despite having its home games scheduled at five different parks, over the past two seasons the 'Roos have posted a 24-6 record at home. Last season the squad posted a 12-3 record at Rockhurst's Loyola Park, while going 2-0 at Avila's park. This season, the 'Roos are 10-3 overall at home after posting a 5-2 record at Loyola Park and a 5-1 record at Kansas' Arrocha Ballpark.
ONE-RUN GAMES
Thus far this season, the 'Roos have played in 10 one-run games, posting a 6-4 record in those contests, but winning their last six. In the 10 games, UMKC is out-hitting its opponents .322 to .215 and out-pitching them with an ERA of 2.31 to 2.76.
TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Through the first seven weeks of the season, UMKC's .297 team batting average and .368 on-base percentage are each tops among Summit League teams, while their 2.73 ERA, .227 opponent batting average and 219 strikeouts are tops in the league. The 'Roos also hold the highest fielding percentage in the league (.975) and lead the league in runs (163), hits (268), triples (7), stolen bases (93) and wins (23).
Individually, Kaelene Curry leads the league with 31 runs scored, while Anna Sokolik leads the league in batting (.413), Emily Ott is tops in triples (2) and Deanna Friese in ERA (1.99), opponent batting average (.175), innings pitched (147.2), strikeouts (170) and wins (16).
NEW RECORD HOLDER
With her 31 runs this season, Junior Kaelene Curry has moved into top spot on the career runs list with 94 total runs and second on the career on-base percentage chart with a .447 mark, while sitting third on the career stolen base list with 35 and in walks with 49, fourth in batting at .357, and seventh in hits at 139. Sophomore Emily Ott, meanwhile, sits third in on-base percentage (.428), fourth in batting (.359, fifth in RBIs (61) and tied for ninth in doubles (19), while junior Kelly Fischer ranks second in stolen bases (41), tied for third in runs scored (80), sixth in hits (140), eighth in batting (.331) and tied for ninth in doubles (19) and RBIs (45), junior Anna Sokolik is tied for second in batting (.367), sixth in triples (six) and OBP (.407) and tied for ninth in RBIs (45), and Ashley Whiteside is eighth in stolen bases (25).
INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKS
Individually, the 'Roos have littered their names throughout the NCAA statistical ranking, as seven players rank in the top-250 in at least one category. Deanna Friese heads the list, as her 15 wins and 149 strikeouts rank 22nd and 37th, respectively, while the sophomore sits 36th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.52), 78th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.6), 77th in shutouts (3) and 106th in ERA (2.03). Emily Ott, meanwhile, is 91st in triples (2), 75th in doubles per game (.28) and 228th in batting average (.370), while Katie Franks is 134th in shutouts (2), Kaelene Curry is 45th toughest to strikeout (20.2), 83rd in runs per game (.91), 116th in stolen bases (.38), 216th in on-base percentage (.456) and 151st in batting average (.386), Anna Sokolik is 81st in batting average (.414) and 208th in OBP (.458), Kelly Fischer is 89th in stolen bases (.43) and 181th in runs per game (.77) and Megan Ussary is 75th in doubles per game (.28).
EARLY LEAGUE SCHEDULE
The first four series on the 'Roos' Summit League schedule were against the teams picked to finish first through fourth according to the preseason poll. UMKC opened the stretch by sweeping preseason co-favorite North Dakota State before dropping all three at IPFW the following weekend. In the third series, the 'Roos took 2-out-of-3 from South Dakota State before taking the series from Western Illinois 2-1.
FRIESE NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 28 Friese her third career honor and second of the season after helping the 'Roos to a 2-1 record against Summit League foe South Dakota State.
Kennesaw, Ga., native, Friese garners the award after posting a 2-0 record in the series, including a complete-game shutout. The right-handed hurler opened the three-game series by blanking the Jackrabbits with a one-hit performance, while striking out nine batters in seven innings. She picked up her second win of the weekend in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, fanning another nine batters, while yielding four hits and one run. On the weekend, Friese recorded a 0.81 ERA with 20 strikeouts, allowing seven hits and two runs, while holding SDSU to .125 batting average in 17.1 innings of work. She currently leads the league in strikeouts (122), wins (12) and ERA (2.22 overall and a 1.72 in league play).
OTT NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Emily Ott recorded four multiple hit games, including opening the weekend with back-to-back 3-for-3 games against Belmont and Austin Peay on Feb. 19. In the Kangaroos' 7-6 win over Cleveland State, the right fielder went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored. To end the weekend, she went 2-for-3 at the plate with her third double of the tournament. For the weekend, Ott hit at a .769 clip (10-for-13) and 1.154 slugging percentage with three doubles, a triple, four RBI, two stolen bases and one run scored. Her career batting average of .380 is the best all-time in UMKC history.
USSARY NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Agency, Mo., native, Megan Ussary was named The Summit League Player of the Week on Feb. 14 after finishing the 2011 Lion Classic with multiple-hit performances in four out of five games, while hitting safely in all five. The third baseman was productive in clutch situations driving home the winning run for UMKC against Southern and Southeastern Louisiana and scoring the tying run against Nicholls State in a game that went into extra innings. On the weekend, Ussary hit a .526 clip (10-19) and a .842 slugging percentage with four extra-base hits, including three doubles and a home run, eight RBI, six runs scored and was a perfect two-for-two in stolen bases.
FRIESE NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kennesaw, Ga., native, Deanna Friese was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 14 after posting a 3-1 record with three complete games in the 2011 Lion Classic. The right-handed hurler opened the season tying a career-high with 16 strikeouts in the Kangaroos' 10-4 victory over Jackson State. Friese picked up an extra-inning victory in relief holding Nicholls State hitless and fanning three batters in 1.2 innings of work. She ended the weekend with a 5-3 win over Southeastern Louisiana. For the weekend, Friese tallied 35 strikeouts averaging 10.5 per seven innings and gave up 14 hits, while holding her opponents to a combined .173 average. She recorded a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched.
TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
On Feb. 13, the 'Roos defeated Southeastern Louisiana 5-3, to capture the 2011 Lion Classic Tournament Title. The title marks the first time in school history that they have won a tournament, while the 4-1 record in the event matches the 2000 squad's record in the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Tournament.
HOT START
The 'Roos reached the 10 win mark this season in their 16th game, the fastest in school history. The 16 games tops the 21 games it took both the 1999 and 2001 squads.
VS. THE NPF ALL-STARS
On Sept. 30, the 'Roos dropped a 2-0 decision to the NPF All-Stars at Community America Ballpark 'Roo pitchers led the squad in the game as Deanna Friese, Megan Smith and Katie Franks combined for seven innings pitched, allowing five hits, while striking out four. At the plate, Kaelene Curry, Emily Ott and Brooke Whiteside each recorded a hit for the 'Roos.On the mound, Cat Osterman picked up the win for Team NPF, allowing two hits with 12 strikeout. For UMKC, Friese took the loss, pitching four innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
The All-Star squad, which included Olympic Gold medalist Cat Osterman, made 15 stops on college campuses around the United States on the 2010 NPF “Back To School” Tour. Team NPF was a decorated group of professionals with well seasoned 9d impressive resumes including Olympic Gold Medalists and NPF champions and award winners. UMKC though, played the squad toughed than any other opponent, including former national champion Arizona and Big 12 foe Nebraska, who were each no-hit.
A TRIO OF SENIORS
This year's squad will feature three seniors, including catcher Lauren Rodrigues, outfielder Amanda Kinn and outfielder Rashonda Stanley. Last year, the trio combined for 18 runs and 11 stolen bases.
UNDEFEATED FALL
UMKC wrapped up its 2010 fall season undefeated against collegiate competition, including wins over William Jewell, Rockhurst, Seminole State and Labette CC.
ACES RETURN
The UMKC pitching staff will feature the return of three of its four members, including its two aces, sophomore Deanna Friese (12-12, .396 ERA, 208 K) and junior Anna Sokolik (10-8, 3.40 ERA, 74 K). Last season, Friese set the UMKC record for strikeout per game at 9.93. Sophomore Emily Ott and freshman Katie Franks, meanwhile, round out the pitching staff.
ALL-LEAGUE PERFORMERS
UMKC placed three players on the all-Summit League team, including junior second baseman Kelly Fischer (.394 BA, 17 R, 53 H, 15 SB), junior outfielder and pitcher Anna Sokolik (5 3B, 9 2B, .344 BA) and sophomore designated player Emily Ott (.346 BA, 35 RBI, .420 OBP) all garnered first team recognition.
WHITESIDE EXCELS IN THE CLASSROOM
Ashley Whiteside was named the Outstanding Clinical Student of the Year for the sophomore class by the UMKC School of Nursing at its annual Clinical Recognition Ceremony.
In her academic career, the St. Peter's, Mo., native has been named to The Summit League Winter/Spring Academic all-League team the past three seasons, while earning a spot on the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, Whiteside was also honored as a UMKC Scholar Athlete, while being named a Distinguished Scholar this past year.
FRESH FACES
The 'Roos added four players to the program for the upcoming season. Joining the program will be sophomores Kendall Patterson (C/IF- McLouth, Kan. (Kansas)) and Brooke Whiteside (C/OF-St. Peters, Mo.), as well as freshmen Katie Franks (P/OF-Cypress, Texas) and Katie Henning (C/OF-Olathe, Kan.).
'ROOS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The UMKC softball team was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League Preseason Poll according to a vote of league head coaches. Last season, the 'Roos finished tied for fourth place in the league standings with South Dakota State, but missed out on an appearance in the league tournament by .005 win percentage points.
UMKC tied the Jackrabbits with 39 points each, to fill the fourth spot in the poll. The Kangaroos welcome back eight defensive starters and three starting pitchers, including three first team All-League selections in juniors Kelly Fischer and Anna Sokolik and sophomore Emily Ott. Fischer (.363, 53 H), Sokolik (.344, .516 SLG%) and Ott (.346, 35 RBI) make up three of the four top hitters returning for UMKC, last year's second-best hitting team with a .281 batting average and .353 on-base percentage.
RETURNEES GALORE
This season, the 'Roos return eight of their nine defensive starts and 14 letterwinners from last year's squad. In addition, three of the squad's four pitchers return, including the top two.
LAST SEASON
UMKC finished the regular season, with a 22-26 overall record and a 12-10 mark in Summit League play, placing them in a tie for fourth place in the standings with South Dakota State, but losing out to the Jacks for the final spot in The Summit League Tournament by .005 percentage points.
As a team, the 'Roos hit .281, while belting 16 home runs. Juniors Kaelene Curry (.390), Kelly Fischer (.363) and Anna Sokolik (.344), along with sophomore Emily Ott (.346) all hit over .340 for UMKC, while Ott (35 RBIs) and Curry (42 R) each set individual single season records for the squad.
HEAD COACH MEREDITH SMITH
Meredith Smith is entering her fifth season as the head coach of the UMKC softball program. Smith was hired to lead the Kangaroos in July 2006.
During the 2010 season, Smith improved UMKC's win total for the third consecutive season, leading the squad to a 22-26 overall record and a 12-10 mark in Summit League play. The 'Roos finished in a tie for fourth place in the regular season standings and narrowly missed out on advancing to The Summit League Tournament by percentage points. The team's 22 victories were tied for the third most in a single season in the program's 23 seasons of competition on the diamond.
Smith's squad picked up its play late in the 2010 campaign, as the squad posted a 14-4 record over the final 18 games. One of the victories was a 6-5 triumph at UNLV, which is one of the signature wins during Smith's tenure in Blue and Gold.
Under her direction, a trio of Kangaroos - Kelly Fischer, Anna Sokolik and Emily Ott - garnered First Team all-Summit League honors. The 'Roos also had a total of three student-athletes earn Summit League Player/Pitcher of the Week honors during the regular season.
'ROOS IN THE CLASSROOM
Last season, 11 'Roos were named to The Summit League Academic all-Conference team, including current 'Roos Danielle Bennefeld, Kaelene Curry, Lindsey Davis, Chelsea Hartwig, Emily Ott, Lauren Rodrigues and Anna Sokolik. In order to be named to academic all-League team, each student-athlete must post a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the semester in which they compete. Additionally, Curry, Davis, Hartwig, Rodrigues and Sokolik were named a Distinguished Scholars for posting a GPA above 3.6.
Meanwhile, five current player and eight total were named to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, including Curry, Hartwig, Rodrigues, Sokolik and Whiteside, for posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
The UMKC softball team (23-12) will step away from Summit League play this week when it visits Springfield, Mo., for a doubleheader with Missouri State (15-17) before hosting North Dakota (10-24) and South Dakota (12-25) this weekend in the Dakota's Round Robin Tournament. The 'Roos and the Bears will get the doubleheader underway on Tuesday starting a 3 p.m. In the tournament, UMKC will host the Coyotes on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and on Sunday 4 p.m. and the Fighting Sioux on Saturday at 5 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
THE OPPONENTS
» UMKC at Missouri State » Apr. 12, 2011 » 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Missouri State enters the doubleheader with a 15-17 record overall with their last two wins coming over Creighton and Arkansas. Offensively, the Bears are led by Kirstin Cutter, as the sophomore is the only player on the roster hitting over .300 at .360. On the mound, MSU has a team ERA of 3.51 and is led by junior Natalie Rose's 2.60 ERA, 10 wins and 144 strikeouts.
» UMKC vs. South Dakota » Apr. 16-17, 2011 » 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
South Dakota enters the week with a 12-25 record overall and losers of six straight. At the plate, Mel Johnson is the only Coyote topping the .300 mark, as the senior is hitting .313 on the season, while Johnson (six) and freshman Lindsey Boyd (five) are the team's top two home run hitters. The Coyote pitching staff features four pitchers who have tossed between 39 -70 inninings, including Erica Denney (4-8, 4.04 ERA, 36 K), Paige Policky (4-3, 4.79 ERA, 30 K), Johnson (4-8, 5.00, 53 K) and Missy Blackburn (0-6, 6.00 ERA, 14 K).
» UMKC vs. North Dakota » Apr. 16-17, 2011 » 5 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
North Dakota comes into the week with a 10-24 record overall, including a pair of wins earlier this season overa South Dakota. Offensively, Kaylee Schoeny (.407) and Kenna Olsen (.404) are each hitting over .400, while Brittany Baker (six), Caralyn Chewning (five) and Amanda Johnson (five) lead the team in home runs. On the mound, Michelle Frank leads the team with a 4.21 ERA, five wins and 73 strike outs.
DAKOTA'S ROUND ROBIN SCHEDULE
Saturday, April 16
South Dakota vs. North Dakota 12 p.m.
UMKC vs. South Dakota 2:30 p.m.
UMKC vs. North Dakota 5 p.m.
Sunday, April 17
North Dakota vs. South Dakota 11 a.m.
UMKC vs. North Dakota 1:30 p.m.
UMKC vs. South Dakota 4 p.m.
* - All Games Played at the College Blvd. Activities Center (Olathe, Kan.)
LAST SEASON AT THE DAKOTA'S ROUND ROBIN TOURNAMENT
The 'Roos picked up a pair of wins on Apr. 10, the opening day of the 2010 Dakota's Round Robin Tournament, downing South Dakota, 7-5 before beating North Dakota in the second game, 3-2. Deanna Friese led the squad, as the freshman hurler registered a career-high 16 strikeouts against the Fighting Sioux. South Dakota, meanwhile, beat North Dakota 10-0 in six innings in the early game.
On Apr. 11, day two of the tournament, Friese notched a pair of wins, downing North Dakota, 10-4, in the first game and South Dakota, 2-0, in game two for the squad's fourth and fifth consecutive wins. On the day, the freshman tossed 11.1 innings, allowing only three hits and no runs, while striking 23, including a one-hit, 16-strikeout performance against the Coyotes. In the first game of the day, North Dakota beat South Dakota 3-2 in eight innings.
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the 'Roos swept Centenary in a three-game series in Shreveport, La., On Saturday, UMKC opened the series with an 8-2 win before taking game two 6-2. In Sunday's series finale, the Kangaroos won 8-2. On the weekend, five 'Roos collected four hits, with junior Anna Sokolik leading the way with four RBIs and four runs scored. Sophomore Deanna Friese, meanwhile, led the 'Roo pitching staff, going 1-0 with a 1.40 ERA and 21 strikeouts. Of her 10 innings pitched, nine were perfect 1-2-3 innings.
SPEED 'ROOS
With their 2.53 mark, the 'Roos rank fourth in nation in steals per game, trailing only Akron (2.80), Marshall (2.80) and Radford (2.55). The squad also ranks in the top-100 in fielding percentage (15th-.975), double plays per game (28th-.41), triples per game (64th-.22), batting (62nd-.292) and ERA (98th-2.84), while sitting 101st doubles per game (1.22)
CURRY'S HIT STREAK
Junior Kaelene Curry is currently in the middle of a 20 game hit streak that started on Mar. 6 at Saint Louis. During the stretch, the Downers Grove, Ill., nativeis hitting .381 but has record multiple hits in just three games; Mar. 18 at IPFW (2), Apr. 2 vs. Western Illinois (3) and Apr. 10 at Centenary (2).
HOLDING THE LEAD
This season, the 'Roos have played impressively when holding a lead. When leading after one inning, the squad is 12-1, after two 14-2 and after three 16-3. This fact becomes even more apparent late in games as the 'Roos are a perfect 19-0 when leading after both five and six innings of play and 20-1 when leading after four innings.
UMKC TOP WIN TOTALS
31 wins (once) - 2002
26 wins (once) - 2000
23 wins (once) - 2011
22 wins (twice) - 1999, 2010
20 wins (once) - 2009
HOME SWEET HOME
Despite having its home games scheduled at five different parks, over the past two seasons the 'Roos have posted a 24-6 record at home. Last season the squad posted a 12-3 record at Rockhurst's Loyola Park, while going 2-0 at Avila's park. This season, the 'Roos are 10-3 overall at home after posting a 5-2 record at Loyola Park and a 5-1 record at Kansas' Arrocha Ballpark.
ONE-RUN GAMES
Thus far this season, the 'Roos have played in 10 one-run games, posting a 6-4 record in those contests, but winning their last six. In the 10 games, UMKC is out-hitting its opponents .322 to .215 and out-pitching them with an ERA of 2.31 to 2.76.
TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Through the first seven weeks of the season, UMKC's .297 team batting average and .368 on-base percentage are each tops among Summit League teams, while their 2.73 ERA, .227 opponent batting average and 219 strikeouts are tops in the league. The 'Roos also hold the highest fielding percentage in the league (.975) and lead the league in runs (163), hits (268), triples (7), stolen bases (93) and wins (23).
Individually, Kaelene Curry leads the league with 31 runs scored, while Anna Sokolik leads the league in batting (.413), Emily Ott is tops in triples (2) and Deanna Friese in ERA (1.99), opponent batting average (.175), innings pitched (147.2), strikeouts (170) and wins (16).
NEW RECORD HOLDER
With her 31 runs this season, Junior Kaelene Curry has moved into top spot on the career runs list with 94 total runs and second on the career on-base percentage chart with a .447 mark, while sitting third on the career stolen base list with 35 and in walks with 49, fourth in batting at .357, and seventh in hits at 139. Sophomore Emily Ott, meanwhile, sits third in on-base percentage (.428), fourth in batting (.359, fifth in RBIs (61) and tied for ninth in doubles (19), while junior Kelly Fischer ranks second in stolen bases (41), tied for third in runs scored (80), sixth in hits (140), eighth in batting (.331) and tied for ninth in doubles (19) and RBIs (45), junior Anna Sokolik is tied for second in batting (.367), sixth in triples (six) and OBP (.407) and tied for ninth in RBIs (45), and Ashley Whiteside is eighth in stolen bases (25).
INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKS
Individually, the 'Roos have littered their names throughout the NCAA statistical ranking, as seven players rank in the top-250 in at least one category. Deanna Friese heads the list, as her 15 wins and 149 strikeouts rank 22nd and 37th, respectively, while the sophomore sits 36th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.52), 78th in strikeouts per seven innings (7.6), 77th in shutouts (3) and 106th in ERA (2.03). Emily Ott, meanwhile, is 91st in triples (2), 75th in doubles per game (.28) and 228th in batting average (.370), while Katie Franks is 134th in shutouts (2), Kaelene Curry is 45th toughest to strikeout (20.2), 83rd in runs per game (.91), 116th in stolen bases (.38), 216th in on-base percentage (.456) and 151st in batting average (.386), Anna Sokolik is 81st in batting average (.414) and 208th in OBP (.458), Kelly Fischer is 89th in stolen bases (.43) and 181th in runs per game (.77) and Megan Ussary is 75th in doubles per game (.28).
EARLY LEAGUE SCHEDULE
The first four series on the 'Roos' Summit League schedule were against the teams picked to finish first through fourth according to the preseason poll. UMKC opened the stretch by sweeping preseason co-favorite North Dakota State before dropping all three at IPFW the following weekend. In the third series, the 'Roos took 2-out-of-3 from South Dakota State before taking the series from Western Illinois 2-1.
FRIESE NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 28 Friese her third career honor and second of the season after helping the 'Roos to a 2-1 record against Summit League foe South Dakota State.
Kennesaw, Ga., native, Friese garners the award after posting a 2-0 record in the series, including a complete-game shutout. The right-handed hurler opened the three-game series by blanking the Jackrabbits with a one-hit performance, while striking out nine batters in seven innings. She picked up her second win of the weekend in game one of Sunday's doubleheader, fanning another nine batters, while yielding four hits and one run. On the weekend, Friese recorded a 0.81 ERA with 20 strikeouts, allowing seven hits and two runs, while holding SDSU to .125 batting average in 17.1 innings of work. She currently leads the league in strikeouts (122), wins (12) and ERA (2.22 overall and a 1.72 in league play).
OTT NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore Emily Ott recorded four multiple hit games, including opening the weekend with back-to-back 3-for-3 games against Belmont and Austin Peay on Feb. 19. In the Kangaroos' 7-6 win over Cleveland State, the right fielder went 2-for-4 with a double, one RBI and one run scored. To end the weekend, she went 2-for-3 at the plate with her third double of the tournament. For the weekend, Ott hit at a .769 clip (10-for-13) and 1.154 slugging percentage with three doubles, a triple, four RBI, two stolen bases and one run scored. Her career batting average of .380 is the best all-time in UMKC history.
USSARY NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Agency, Mo., native, Megan Ussary was named The Summit League Player of the Week on Feb. 14 after finishing the 2011 Lion Classic with multiple-hit performances in four out of five games, while hitting safely in all five. The third baseman was productive in clutch situations driving home the winning run for UMKC against Southern and Southeastern Louisiana and scoring the tying run against Nicholls State in a game that went into extra innings. On the weekend, Ussary hit a .526 clip (10-19) and a .842 slugging percentage with four extra-base hits, including three doubles and a home run, eight RBI, six runs scored and was a perfect two-for-two in stolen bases.
FRIESE NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kennesaw, Ga., native, Deanna Friese was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Week on Feb. 14 after posting a 3-1 record with three complete games in the 2011 Lion Classic. The right-handed hurler opened the season tying a career-high with 16 strikeouts in the Kangaroos' 10-4 victory over Jackson State. Friese picked up an extra-inning victory in relief holding Nicholls State hitless and fanning three batters in 1.2 innings of work. She ended the weekend with a 5-3 win over Southeastern Louisiana. For the weekend, Friese tallied 35 strikeouts averaging 10.5 per seven innings and gave up 14 hits, while holding her opponents to a combined .173 average. She recorded a 2.70 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched.
TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
On Feb. 13, the 'Roos defeated Southeastern Louisiana 5-3, to capture the 2011 Lion Classic Tournament Title. The title marks the first time in school history that they have won a tournament, while the 4-1 record in the event matches the 2000 squad's record in the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Tournament.
HOT START
The 'Roos reached the 10 win mark this season in their 16th game, the fastest in school history. The 16 games tops the 21 games it took both the 1999 and 2001 squads.
VS. THE NPF ALL-STARS
On Sept. 30, the 'Roos dropped a 2-0 decision to the NPF All-Stars at Community America Ballpark 'Roo pitchers led the squad in the game as Deanna Friese, Megan Smith and Katie Franks combined for seven innings pitched, allowing five hits, while striking out four. At the plate, Kaelene Curry, Emily Ott and Brooke Whiteside each recorded a hit for the 'Roos.On the mound, Cat Osterman picked up the win for Team NPF, allowing two hits with 12 strikeout. For UMKC, Friese took the loss, pitching four innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
The All-Star squad, which included Olympic Gold medalist Cat Osterman, made 15 stops on college campuses around the United States on the 2010 NPF “Back To School” Tour. Team NPF was a decorated group of professionals with well seasoned 9d impressive resumes including Olympic Gold Medalists and NPF champions and award winners. UMKC though, played the squad toughed than any other opponent, including former national champion Arizona and Big 12 foe Nebraska, who were each no-hit.
A TRIO OF SENIORS
This year's squad will feature three seniors, including catcher Lauren Rodrigues, outfielder Amanda Kinn and outfielder Rashonda Stanley. Last year, the trio combined for 18 runs and 11 stolen bases.
UNDEFEATED FALL
UMKC wrapped up its 2010 fall season undefeated against collegiate competition, including wins over William Jewell, Rockhurst, Seminole State and Labette CC.
ACES RETURN
The UMKC pitching staff will feature the return of three of its four members, including its two aces, sophomore Deanna Friese (12-12, .396 ERA, 208 K) and junior Anna Sokolik (10-8, 3.40 ERA, 74 K). Last season, Friese set the UMKC record for strikeout per game at 9.93. Sophomore Emily Ott and freshman Katie Franks, meanwhile, round out the pitching staff.
ALL-LEAGUE PERFORMERS
UMKC placed three players on the all-Summit League team, including junior second baseman Kelly Fischer (.394 BA, 17 R, 53 H, 15 SB), junior outfielder and pitcher Anna Sokolik (5 3B, 9 2B, .344 BA) and sophomore designated player Emily Ott (.346 BA, 35 RBI, .420 OBP) all garnered first team recognition.
WHITESIDE EXCELS IN THE CLASSROOM
Ashley Whiteside was named the Outstanding Clinical Student of the Year for the sophomore class by the UMKC School of Nursing at its annual Clinical Recognition Ceremony.
In her academic career, the St. Peter's, Mo., native has been named to The Summit League Winter/Spring Academic all-League team the past three seasons, while earning a spot on the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, Whiteside was also honored as a UMKC Scholar Athlete, while being named a Distinguished Scholar this past year.
FRESH FACES
The 'Roos added four players to the program for the upcoming season. Joining the program will be sophomores Kendall Patterson (C/IF- McLouth, Kan. (Kansas)) and Brooke Whiteside (C/OF-St. Peters, Mo.), as well as freshmen Katie Franks (P/OF-Cypress, Texas) and Katie Henning (C/OF-Olathe, Kan.).
'ROOS PICKED FOURTH IN PRESEASON POLL
The UMKC softball team was picked to finish fourth in The Summit League Preseason Poll according to a vote of league head coaches. Last season, the 'Roos finished tied for fourth place in the league standings with South Dakota State, but missed out on an appearance in the league tournament by .005 win percentage points.
UMKC tied the Jackrabbits with 39 points each, to fill the fourth spot in the poll. The Kangaroos welcome back eight defensive starters and three starting pitchers, including three first team All-League selections in juniors Kelly Fischer and Anna Sokolik and sophomore Emily Ott. Fischer (.363, 53 H), Sokolik (.344, .516 SLG%) and Ott (.346, 35 RBI) make up three of the four top hitters returning for UMKC, last year's second-best hitting team with a .281 batting average and .353 on-base percentage.
RETURNEES GALORE
This season, the 'Roos return eight of their nine defensive starts and 14 letterwinners from last year's squad. In addition, three of the squad's four pitchers return, including the top two.
LAST SEASON
UMKC finished the regular season, with a 22-26 overall record and a 12-10 mark in Summit League play, placing them in a tie for fourth place in the standings with South Dakota State, but losing out to the Jacks for the final spot in The Summit League Tournament by .005 percentage points.
As a team, the 'Roos hit .281, while belting 16 home runs. Juniors Kaelene Curry (.390), Kelly Fischer (.363) and Anna Sokolik (.344), along with sophomore Emily Ott (.346) all hit over .340 for UMKC, while Ott (35 RBIs) and Curry (42 R) each set individual single season records for the squad.
HEAD COACH MEREDITH SMITH
Meredith Smith is entering her fifth season as the head coach of the UMKC softball program. Smith was hired to lead the Kangaroos in July 2006.
During the 2010 season, Smith improved UMKC's win total for the third consecutive season, leading the squad to a 22-26 overall record and a 12-10 mark in Summit League play. The 'Roos finished in a tie for fourth place in the regular season standings and narrowly missed out on advancing to The Summit League Tournament by percentage points. The team's 22 victories were tied for the third most in a single season in the program's 23 seasons of competition on the diamond.
Smith's squad picked up its play late in the 2010 campaign, as the squad posted a 14-4 record over the final 18 games. One of the victories was a 6-5 triumph at UNLV, which is one of the signature wins during Smith's tenure in Blue and Gold.
Under her direction, a trio of Kangaroos - Kelly Fischer, Anna Sokolik and Emily Ott - garnered First Team all-Summit League honors. The 'Roos also had a total of three student-athletes earn Summit League Player/Pitcher of the Week honors during the regular season.
'ROOS IN THE CLASSROOM
Last season, 11 'Roos were named to The Summit League Academic all-Conference team, including current 'Roos Danielle Bennefeld, Kaelene Curry, Lindsey Davis, Chelsea Hartwig, Emily Ott, Lauren Rodrigues and Anna Sokolik. In order to be named to academic all-League team, each student-athlete must post a GPA of 3.0 or higher in the semester in which they compete. Additionally, Curry, Davis, Hartwig, Rodrigues and Sokolik were named a Distinguished Scholars for posting a GPA above 3.6.
Meanwhile, five current player and eight total were named to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, including Curry, Hartwig, Rodrigues, Sokolik and Whiteside, for posting a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
Players Mentioned
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/ SoftballSB Highlights vs. #3 South Dakota
Wednesday, May 07
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game Three)
Saturday, May 03
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game Two)
Friday, May 02
SB Highlights @ South Dakota (Game One)
Friday, May 02