UMKC Heads To Summit League Championships As No. 1 Seed
5/11/2011 5:49:00 PM | Softball
This Week
The UMKC softball team (36-14, 18-5) will make its first trip to The Summit League Championships since 2003 on Thursday through Saturday. The 'Roos enter the tournament as the top seed and will face No. 4 seed Southern Utah (24-31, 14-10) at 12 p.m. on the campus of Western Illinois. On Friday, the 'Roos will then square-off with either No. 2 seed North Dakota State (27-25, 17-7) or No. 3 seed IPFW (28-13-1, 16-8) in the double elimination tournament.
THE OPPONENTS
» UMKC vs. Southern Utah » May 13, 2011 » 12 p.m.
Southern Utah enters the tournament with a 24-31 record overall and a 14-10 mark in Summit League play after being swept by the 'Roos last weekend. At the plate, Heather Richardson leads the Thunderbirds, as the junior is hitting a team-high .305 with five home runs and 19 RBIs, while senior Darleen Fernandez has a Summit League-high 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. On the mound, Heather Black serves as the ace of the staff, as the junior is 17-17 with a 3.43 ERA and 177 strikeouts.
» UMKC at No. 2 North Dakota State »
North Dakota State enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed after posting a 17-7 Summit League record and a 27-25 mark overall. Currently four Bison are hitting over .300, including junior Taylor Mortensen who has team-highs of 10 home runs and 34 RBI. On the mound, sophomore Whitney Johnson leads the squad with a 20-11 record, a 2.34 ERA and 206 strikeouts.
» UMKC at No. 3 IPFW »
IPFW comes into the tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing the regular season with a 28-13-1 record overall and a 16-8 mark in Summit League play. At the plate, freshman Ashley Bousquet leads the team with a .392 average, while junior Cassie Wolfe (eight) and senior Rachel Staschuk (seven) are the squad's top two home run hitters. Reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Year, Courtney Cronin leads the Mastodon's pitching staff, as the junior has posted an 18-8 record with a 1.95 ERA and 135 strikeouts on the year.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Live Stats: www.umkckangaroos.com
Live Audio and Video: www.goleathernecks.com
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 13
Game 1: No. 1 UMKC vs. No. 4 Southern Utah - 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 North Dakota State vs. No. 3 IPFW - 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 14
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 11 a.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 - 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 15
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 - 12 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 - 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the 'Roos clinched the Summit League title with a three-game sweep of Southern Utah after downing SEC foe Arkansas earlier in the week, 2-1. In the opening game with the Thunderbirds, the Kangaroos picked up a 7-2 win behind a grand slam from sophomore Emily Ott and a two-run shot from junior Anna Sokolik. On Saturday, UMKC opened the day with a 4-1 win, as Sokolik hit the game winning three-run home run. The 'Roos closed out the series with a 5-1 win with the help of a two-run single by senior Lauren Rodrigues.
SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
With their three-game sweep of Southern Utah last weekend, the 'Roos registered their second Summit League regular season title in school history and their first since 2002. That year, the 'Roos finished as the runner-up in the league tournament to eventual champion Oakland. The last time the 'Roos made the tournament was a year later in 2003 when they also finished as the runner-up to Oakland.
FRIESE NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK FOR FOURTH TIME
UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese earned her fourth Summit League Pitcher of the Week honor and fifth of her career after leading the 'Roos to their second Summit League regular season title in school history. The Kennesaw, Ga., native finished the week going undefeated (3-0) against Arkansas and Southern Utah. The right-handed hurler started the week with a complete game win against SEC opponent Arkansas, UMKC's second win over an SEC opponent in school-history, fanning 11 batters and surrendering five hits and only one earned run. She opened the three-game series against the Thunderbirds with her second complete-game victory of the week striking out 14. Friese came back the next day to record her third complete-game win of the week retiring another 10 on strikes. For the week, Friese struck out 35 batters, while yielding 12 hits, seven walks and four earned runs in 21.0 innings. She posted a 1.33 ERA and held her opponents to a combined .162 batting average. She has won her last eight starts and set the school-record for strikeouts (281), wins (26) and winning percentage (.788) in a season. Previously, Friese won the award on Feb. 14, Mar. 28, and Apr. 18, giving her an honor in each of the four months of the season.
SOKOLIK NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sokolik finished the week helping her team go undefeated (4-0) with two multi-hit games, while also setting the UMKC RBI record with her 36th of the season. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native scored one run in the Kangaroos victory over SEC opponent Arkansas, UMKC's second win over an SEC team in school history. The left fielder opened the three-game series against Southern Utah 1-for-2 with a homer run, two RBI and two runs scored. To close the series she posted two multi-hit games, a perfect 3-for-3 in game one of the doubleheader, including a game-winning three run home run and 2-for-3 in game two. For the week, Sokolik recorded a .600 batting average (6-for-10) and a 1.200 slugging percentage with two home runs, five RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base.
13 AND COUNTING
After sweeping its last three Summit League series and finishing the Dakota's Round Robin Tournament undefeated, the 'Roos are currently riding a 13 game winning streak heading into the 2011 Summit League Championships. The current win streak is the longest in school history, surpassing the 10 game mark by the 2002 squad.
UMKC NO. 1 IN THE NATION IN STEALS
With their 2.60 mark, the 'Roos are tops in nation in steals per game, leading by .04 over second place Marshall. The squad also ranks in the top-100 in fielding percentage (35th-.970), double plays per game (31st-.38), triples per game (81st-.18), batting (60th-.294), ERA (69th-2.51) and scoring (91st-4.76).
UMKC TOP WIN TOTALS
36 wins (once)- 2011
31 wins (once) - 2002
26 wins (once) - 2000
22 wins (twice) - 1999, 2010
20 wins (once) - 2009
UMKC TOP SUMMIT LEAGUE WIN TOTALS
18 wins (once) - 2011
16 wins (once) - 2002
14 wins (once) - 2000
13 wins (once) - 1999
12 wins (twice) - 2001, 2010
10 wins (three times) - 2003, 2009
SWEEPS
This season, the 'Roos have swept five of their eight Summit League series, while winning all but one. The squad's first sweep of the season came at home against NDSU before the squad took all three games from Centenary in Shreveport. UMKC then closed out Summit League play by taking three games at Oakland, two at IUPUI and three in Kansas City from Southern Utah.
HOLDING THE LEAD
This season, the 'Roos have played impressively when holding a lead. When leading after one inning, the squad is 18-1, after two 23-2 and after three 26-3. This fact becomes even more apparent late in games as the 'Roos are a perfect 29-0 when leading after five and six innings of play and 31-2 when leading after four innings.
FRIESE'S KEEPS WINNING
With her three wins last weekend, UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese moved into the top spot on the UMKC career wins list and now has 38 in just under two full seasons, while her 26 wins this season are the most all-time in school history. Her 489 career strikeouts, 281 season strikeouts, .667 (38-19) career winning percentage and .788 (26-7) season win percentage, meanwhile, also rank as the best in UMKC history.
RBI RACE
The race for the team lead in RBIs is a close battle, as three 'Roos are separated by just one RBI for the top spot. Junior Anna Sokolik currently holds the lead with a school-record 36 RBIs, one more than sophomore Emily Ott, last seasons RBI leader. Junior Megan Ussary, meanwhile, is four back with 32 RBIs, while Katie Henning (28) could each sneak back into the race with a big tournament.
HOME SWEET HOME
Despite having its home games scheduled at five different parks, over the past two seasons the 'Roos have posted a 29-6 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 17-3 overall at home after posting a 8-2 record at Loyola Park, a 5-1 record at Kansas' Arrocha Ballpark and a 4-0 record at College Boulevard Activities Center in Olathe, Kan.
ONE-RUN GAMES
Thus far this season, the 'Roos have played in 14 one-run games, posting an 9-5 record in those contests, but winning nine of their last 10. In the 14 games, UMKC is out-hitting its opponents .302 to .228 and out-pitching them with an ERA of 2.32 to 2.94.
TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Currently, UMKC's .294 team batting average is tops in The Summit League, while their 2.51 ERA, .228 opponent batting average and 357 strikeouts are tops in the league. The 'Roos also hold the highest fielding percentage in the league (.970) and lead the league in triples (9), stolen bases (130) and wins (36).
Individually, Kaelene Curry leads the league with 44 runs scored and 63 hits, while Megan Ussary is tops in triples (3), Kelly Fischer in sacrifice bunts (11) and Deanna Friese in ERA (1.75), opponent batting average (.174), strikeouts (281), innings (216.0) and wins (26).
CURRY AND FISHER MOVE INTO TOP SPOTS IN UMKC RECORD BOOKS
With her 44 runs this season, junior Kaelene Curry has moved into top spot on the career runs list with 107 total runs and on the career on-base percentage chart with a .454 mark, while sitting third on the career stolen base list with 41, walks with 52 and batting at .365, sixth in hits at 159 and ninth in triples (5). Sophomore Emily Ott, meanwhile, is tied for second in RBIs (70), fifth in batting (.352) and on-base percentage (.413), ninth in stolen bases (26) and tied for 10th in doubles (19), while junior Kelly Fischer holds the top spot on the stolen base list (48), is second in runs scored (89), seventh in hits (152) and ninth in batting (.322) and doubles (19) and 10th in RBIs (46), junior Anna Sokolik is fourth in batting (.355), sixth in triples (6), one-base percentage (.401) and RBIs (58) and 10th in hits (105), junior Danielle Bennefeld is tied for second in home runs (10), seventh in runs (65) and tied for 10th in doubles (19) and Ashley Whiteside is tied for seventh in stolen bases (28).
INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKS
The 'Roos have littered their names throughout the NCAA statistical rankings, as \four players rank in the top-100 in at least one category. Deanna Friese heads the list, as her 26 wins and 281 strikeouts rank 13th and 18th, respectively, while the sophomore sits 19th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.31), 24th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.1), 54th in shutouts (6) and 60th in ERA (1.75). Kaelene Curry, meanwhile, is 40th toughest to strikeout (19.9), 67th in runs per game (.88) and 85th in batting average (.396) and Megan Ussary is 83rd in triples (3) and Kelly Fischer is 67th in stolen bases (.46).
FRIESE RECOGNIZED BY NFCA
After tossing her first career no-hitter in the 4-0 win over North Dakota on Apr. 17 and her fourth career one-hitter a day earlier against South Dakota, UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese was recognized as one of five Top Performers of the week by the NFCA. The Kennesaw, Ga., native joined Missouri's Chelsea Thomas, New Mexico State's Tiare Jennings, Indiana's Morgan Melloh and Georgia Tech's Caitlin Jordan on the list, while Cal's Jolene Henderson garnered Player of the Week honors.
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.
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.
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.
ALL-LEAGUE PERFORMERS
UMKC placed three players on the 2010 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.
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 (36-14, 18-5) will make its first trip to The Summit League Championships since 2003 on Thursday through Saturday. The 'Roos enter the tournament as the top seed and will face No. 4 seed Southern Utah (24-31, 14-10) at 12 p.m. on the campus of Western Illinois. On Friday, the 'Roos will then square-off with either No. 2 seed North Dakota State (27-25, 17-7) or No. 3 seed IPFW (28-13-1, 16-8) in the double elimination tournament.
THE OPPONENTS
» UMKC vs. Southern Utah » May 13, 2011 » 12 p.m.
Southern Utah enters the tournament with a 24-31 record overall and a 14-10 mark in Summit League play after being swept by the 'Roos last weekend. At the plate, Heather Richardson leads the Thunderbirds, as the junior is hitting a team-high .305 with five home runs and 19 RBIs, while senior Darleen Fernandez has a Summit League-high 11 home runs and 39 RBIs. On the mound, Heather Black serves as the ace of the staff, as the junior is 17-17 with a 3.43 ERA and 177 strikeouts.
» UMKC at No. 2 North Dakota State »
North Dakota State enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed after posting a 17-7 Summit League record and a 27-25 mark overall. Currently four Bison are hitting over .300, including junior Taylor Mortensen who has team-highs of 10 home runs and 34 RBI. On the mound, sophomore Whitney Johnson leads the squad with a 20-11 record, a 2.34 ERA and 206 strikeouts.
» UMKC at No. 3 IPFW »
IPFW comes into the tournament as the No. 3 seed after finishing the regular season with a 28-13-1 record overall and a 16-8 mark in Summit League play. At the plate, freshman Ashley Bousquet leads the team with a .392 average, while junior Cassie Wolfe (eight) and senior Rachel Staschuk (seven) are the squad's top two home run hitters. Reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Year, Courtney Cronin leads the Mastodon's pitching staff, as the junior has posted an 18-8 record with a 1.95 ERA and 135 strikeouts on the year.
MEDIA COVERAGE
Live Stats: www.umkckangaroos.com
Live Audio and Video: www.goleathernecks.com
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday, May 13
Game 1: No. 1 UMKC vs. No. 4 Southern Utah - 12 p.m.
Game 2: No. 2 North Dakota State vs. No. 3 IPFW - 2:30 p.m.
Friday, May 14
Game 3: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 11 a.m.
Game 4: Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 1:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4 - 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 15
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5 - 12 p.m.
Game 7: Winner Game 6 vs. Loser Game 6 - 2:30 p.m. (if necessary)
LAST TIME OUT
Last weekend, the 'Roos clinched the Summit League title with a three-game sweep of Southern Utah after downing SEC foe Arkansas earlier in the week, 2-1. In the opening game with the Thunderbirds, the Kangaroos picked up a 7-2 win behind a grand slam from sophomore Emily Ott and a two-run shot from junior Anna Sokolik. On Saturday, UMKC opened the day with a 4-1 win, as Sokolik hit the game winning three-run home run. The 'Roos closed out the series with a 5-1 win with the help of a two-run single by senior Lauren Rodrigues.
SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
With their three-game sweep of Southern Utah last weekend, the 'Roos registered their second Summit League regular season title in school history and their first since 2002. That year, the 'Roos finished as the runner-up in the league tournament to eventual champion Oakland. The last time the 'Roos made the tournament was a year later in 2003 when they also finished as the runner-up to Oakland.
FRIESE NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE WEEK FOR FOURTH TIME
UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese earned her fourth Summit League Pitcher of the Week honor and fifth of her career after leading the 'Roos to their second Summit League regular season title in school history. The Kennesaw, Ga., native finished the week going undefeated (3-0) against Arkansas and Southern Utah. The right-handed hurler started the week with a complete game win against SEC opponent Arkansas, UMKC's second win over an SEC opponent in school-history, fanning 11 batters and surrendering five hits and only one earned run. She opened the three-game series against the Thunderbirds with her second complete-game victory of the week striking out 14. Friese came back the next day to record her third complete-game win of the week retiring another 10 on strikes. For the week, Friese struck out 35 batters, while yielding 12 hits, seven walks and four earned runs in 21.0 innings. She posted a 1.33 ERA and held her opponents to a combined .162 batting average. She has won her last eight starts and set the school-record for strikeouts (281), wins (26) and winning percentage (.788) in a season. Previously, Friese won the award on Feb. 14, Mar. 28, and Apr. 18, giving her an honor in each of the four months of the season.
SOKOLIK NAMED SUMMIT LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sokolik finished the week helping her team go undefeated (4-0) with two multi-hit games, while also setting the UMKC RBI record with her 36th of the season. The Bettendorf, Iowa, native scored one run in the Kangaroos victory over SEC opponent Arkansas, UMKC's second win over an SEC team in school history. The left fielder opened the three-game series against Southern Utah 1-for-2 with a homer run, two RBI and two runs scored. To close the series she posted two multi-hit games, a perfect 3-for-3 in game one of the doubleheader, including a game-winning three run home run and 2-for-3 in game two. For the week, Sokolik recorded a .600 batting average (6-for-10) and a 1.200 slugging percentage with two home runs, five RBI, four runs scored and one stolen base.
13 AND COUNTING
After sweeping its last three Summit League series and finishing the Dakota's Round Robin Tournament undefeated, the 'Roos are currently riding a 13 game winning streak heading into the 2011 Summit League Championships. The current win streak is the longest in school history, surpassing the 10 game mark by the 2002 squad.
UMKC NO. 1 IN THE NATION IN STEALS
With their 2.60 mark, the 'Roos are tops in nation in steals per game, leading by .04 over second place Marshall. The squad also ranks in the top-100 in fielding percentage (35th-.970), double plays per game (31st-.38), triples per game (81st-.18), batting (60th-.294), ERA (69th-2.51) and scoring (91st-4.76).
UMKC TOP WIN TOTALS
36 wins (once)- 2011
31 wins (once) - 2002
26 wins (once) - 2000
22 wins (twice) - 1999, 2010
20 wins (once) - 2009
UMKC TOP SUMMIT LEAGUE WIN TOTALS
18 wins (once) - 2011
16 wins (once) - 2002
14 wins (once) - 2000
13 wins (once) - 1999
12 wins (twice) - 2001, 2010
10 wins (three times) - 2003, 2009
SWEEPS
This season, the 'Roos have swept five of their eight Summit League series, while winning all but one. The squad's first sweep of the season came at home against NDSU before the squad took all three games from Centenary in Shreveport. UMKC then closed out Summit League play by taking three games at Oakland, two at IUPUI and three in Kansas City from Southern Utah.
HOLDING THE LEAD
This season, the 'Roos have played impressively when holding a lead. When leading after one inning, the squad is 18-1, after two 23-2 and after three 26-3. This fact becomes even more apparent late in games as the 'Roos are a perfect 29-0 when leading after five and six innings of play and 31-2 when leading after four innings.
FRIESE'S KEEPS WINNING
With her three wins last weekend, UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese moved into the top spot on the UMKC career wins list and now has 38 in just under two full seasons, while her 26 wins this season are the most all-time in school history. Her 489 career strikeouts, 281 season strikeouts, .667 (38-19) career winning percentage and .788 (26-7) season win percentage, meanwhile, also rank as the best in UMKC history.
RBI RACE
The race for the team lead in RBIs is a close battle, as three 'Roos are separated by just one RBI for the top spot. Junior Anna Sokolik currently holds the lead with a school-record 36 RBIs, one more than sophomore Emily Ott, last seasons RBI leader. Junior Megan Ussary, meanwhile, is four back with 32 RBIs, while Katie Henning (28) could each sneak back into the race with a big tournament.
HOME SWEET HOME
Despite having its home games scheduled at five different parks, over the past two seasons the 'Roos have posted a 29-6 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 17-3 overall at home after posting a 8-2 record at Loyola Park, a 5-1 record at Kansas' Arrocha Ballpark and a 4-0 record at College Boulevard Activities Center in Olathe, Kan.
ONE-RUN GAMES
Thus far this season, the 'Roos have played in 14 one-run games, posting an 9-5 record in those contests, but winning nine of their last 10. In the 14 games, UMKC is out-hitting its opponents .302 to .228 and out-pitching them with an ERA of 2.32 to 2.94.
TOPS IN THE LEAGUE
Currently, UMKC's .294 team batting average is tops in The Summit League, while their 2.51 ERA, .228 opponent batting average and 357 strikeouts are tops in the league. The 'Roos also hold the highest fielding percentage in the league (.970) and lead the league in triples (9), stolen bases (130) and wins (36).
Individually, Kaelene Curry leads the league with 44 runs scored and 63 hits, while Megan Ussary is tops in triples (3), Kelly Fischer in sacrifice bunts (11) and Deanna Friese in ERA (1.75), opponent batting average (.174), strikeouts (281), innings (216.0) and wins (26).
CURRY AND FISHER MOVE INTO TOP SPOTS IN UMKC RECORD BOOKS
With her 44 runs this season, junior Kaelene Curry has moved into top spot on the career runs list with 107 total runs and on the career on-base percentage chart with a .454 mark, while sitting third on the career stolen base list with 41, walks with 52 and batting at .365, sixth in hits at 159 and ninth in triples (5). Sophomore Emily Ott, meanwhile, is tied for second in RBIs (70), fifth in batting (.352) and on-base percentage (.413), ninth in stolen bases (26) and tied for 10th in doubles (19), while junior Kelly Fischer holds the top spot on the stolen base list (48), is second in runs scored (89), seventh in hits (152) and ninth in batting (.322) and doubles (19) and 10th in RBIs (46), junior Anna Sokolik is fourth in batting (.355), sixth in triples (6), one-base percentage (.401) and RBIs (58) and 10th in hits (105), junior Danielle Bennefeld is tied for second in home runs (10), seventh in runs (65) and tied for 10th in doubles (19) and Ashley Whiteside is tied for seventh in stolen bases (28).
INDIVIDUAL NATIONAL RANKS
The 'Roos have littered their names throughout the NCAA statistical rankings, as \four players rank in the top-100 in at least one category. Deanna Friese heads the list, as her 26 wins and 281 strikeouts rank 13th and 18th, respectively, while the sophomore sits 19th in hits allowed per seven innings (4.31), 24th in strikeouts per seven innings (9.1), 54th in shutouts (6) and 60th in ERA (1.75). Kaelene Curry, meanwhile, is 40th toughest to strikeout (19.9), 67th in runs per game (.88) and 85th in batting average (.396) and Megan Ussary is 83rd in triples (3) and Kelly Fischer is 67th in stolen bases (.46).
FRIESE RECOGNIZED BY NFCA
After tossing her first career no-hitter in the 4-0 win over North Dakota on Apr. 17 and her fourth career one-hitter a day earlier against South Dakota, UMKC sophomore Deanna Friese was recognized as one of five Top Performers of the week by the NFCA. The Kennesaw, Ga., native joined Missouri's Chelsea Thomas, New Mexico State's Tiare Jennings, Indiana's Morgan Melloh and Georgia Tech's Caitlin Jordan on the list, while Cal's Jolene Henderson garnered Player of the Week honors.
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.
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.
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.
ALL-LEAGUE PERFORMERS
UMKC placed three players on the 2010 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.
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
C/IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
C/IF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ 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