March 9, 2010

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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Boilermaker softball team kicks off its 10-day spring break swing through California at the Long Beach Invitational this weekend. Purdue will face No. 1 Washington and No. 8 Arizona State at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton next weekend to wrap up the trip.

The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: Purdue made its second straight NCAA Regional appearance in 2009 after posting its best conference mark since 1997 (12-8) and finishing sixth in Big Ten play. The Boilermaker squad advanced to the Regional Championship game, recorded five wins over Top 25 foes and faced off against 12 members of the NCAA field en route to a 31-20 record. The 2010 Purdue roster includes eight returning players, including three All-Big Ten selections, and eight newcomers. The Boilermakers are coached by Kim Maher, who is her fifth year with the team.

Last Time Out: The Boilermakers posted a 3-1 mark at the Cardinal Classic in Louisville, Ky., Feb. 26-28. Purdue was edged by No. 15 Louisville in the tournament opener, but rebounded with a 12-11 win over Saint Louis and a pair of wins (9-1 and 2-1) over Northern Illinois.

Statistically Speaking: Shortstop Liane Horiuchi leads a group of four Boilermakers batting over .300 for the season. Horiuchi boasts a .382 average and has scored a team-best 15 runs and swiped 13 bases. Third baseman Molly Garst (.375), outfielder Liz Allum (.33) and catcher/first baseman Jenna Alexander (.308) follow. Garst has added a team-best four doubles, eight runs and eight stolen bases, while Allum has lifted a team-high three home runs. Alexander has driven in eight RBI. Five other Boilermakers are batting over .200 and have impacted the Boilermaker offense in a variety of ways. Pitcher/outfielder Erika Petruzzi (.231) and catcher/first baseman Shelby Krammer (.227) each have added two home runs. Outfielder Maia Monchek (.227) has driven in a team-leading 10 RBI and added seven runs and home run. Outfielder Ashley Barr (.211) and pitcher Suzie Rzegocki (.208) also have contributed to the offense.

In the circle, Rzegocki (4-5) has struck out 53 batters in 64 innings of work, while tossing seven complete games and picking up two saves. Petruzzi (1-2) has issued eight Ks in 17 innings. Rookie Julia Rice (1-1) has struck out five in 10.2 innings, while sophomore Katie Hackney has tossed 3.1 innings for the Boilermakers.

Series Information
UNLV (Purdue leads the series 2-0): The Boilermakers have won both previous meetings with the Rebels in the series which began on Feb. 17, 1996 at the Coca-Cola Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. Purdue took the first contest 7-3, then topped the Rebels 10-1 in the most recent meeting on Feb. 14, 2003 at the UNLV Invitational.

Long Beach State (The series is tied 1-1): The 49ers took the initial meeting in the series with Purdue which began on Feb. 14, 1998 at the Coca-Cola Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. The Boilermakers evened the series with a 2-1 victory on March 10, 2001, at the N.I.S.T. tournament in San Jose, Calif.

San Diego: This is the first meeting between the Boilermakers and the Toreros.

Buffalo: This is the first meeting between the Boilermakers and the Bulls.

Notre Dame (Notre Dame leads the series 12-9): Purdue took the first five meetings in the series with the Fighting Irish, which began on April 3, 1997. Notre Dame won nine of the next 10 contests from March 23, 1999 to April 6, 2004. The Boilermakers ended the streak with an extra-inning win in the night cap of a doubleheader in South Bend on that date. The Irish won the next two, then Purdue countered with a pair of wins. Notre Dame took the last meeting, the night cap of the April 22, 2008, doubleheader in West Lafayette. This will mark the first neutral site meeting between the teams.

Understanding UNLV
At First Glance: The UNLV Rebels (12-8) will play a Wednesday doubleheader with Southern Utah in Las Vegas before heading to Long Beach for the Long Beach State Invitational. The Rebels are looking to better a 31-21 record, which included a third place Mountain West finish and NCAA Regional appearance in 2009. The UNLV roster included 17 returning players, including 12 starters. The Rebels are coached by Pete Manarino, who is in his second year with the team.

Last Time Out: The Rebels posted a 3-2 record at their own Eller Media Stadium Classic last weekend. Losses to Portland State and No. 13 California book ended the weekend, which also featured a pair of mercy rule wins over Weber State and Portland State and a victory over New Mexico State.

Statistically Speaking: Six Rebel starters are batting .300 or better, led by outfielder Paige Emerson's .455 average. Outfielder Tara Bendt (.415), shortstop Jaci Hull (.410), outfielder Marissa Nichols (.393), second baseman Ashli Holland (.341) and catcher Laura Briones (.306) round out the group. Nichols paces the team with 17 RBI, 20 runs and 15 extra-base hits, including five home runs. Eight other UNLV players have tallied home runs, including Hull, who has launched three and accounted for 18 runs and 16 RBI. Bendt has chipped in 17 runs. Third baseman Tayler Aleman (.273) and first baseman Kendall Fearn (.228) have helped the team score with 13 and 15 RBI respectively. As a team, the Rebels are batting .321 with 19 home runs, 10 triples and four stolen bases.

Four Rebels have split the pitching duties for the team. Lefty Kylie Wagner (5-1) has tossed 19 strikeouts in 45 innings, while lefty Traci Odegard (3-4) has issued 29 Ks in 34 innings. Jessica O'Connor (3-2) boasts a team-best 2.75 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 28 innings of work, while Stephanie Bregante (1-1) has struck out nine batters in 14 innings.

A Look At Long Beach State
At First Glance: The Long Beach State 49ers (6-11) return 13 players, including five starters from the 2009 team which posted a 34-21 record and finished third in Big West play en route to an NCAA Regional appearance. Kim Sowder is in her fourth year as head coach at LBSU and 15th overall with the 49ers.

Last Time Out: The 49ers posted a 1-2 record at the San Diego Classic last weekend, before the final two days of the tournament were cancelled due to weather. Long Beach State fell to UTEP in eight innings to start the event, then dropped a 1-0 contest to Oregon, but rebounded with a 6-2 win over Buffalo.

Statistically Speaking: Designated player Caitrin DeBaun (.321) paces the LBSU offense alongside second baseman Nalani St. Germain (.309) and outfielder Casey Burba (.308). St. Germain has registered a team-leading 17 runs, 13 RBI and seven home runs. DeBaun is one of four other 49ers with a home run to her credit. Catcher Brandy Reyes (.298), third baseman Liz Javier (.259) and first baseman Christina Schallig (.250) also are batting better than .250. As a team, Long Beach State is batting .239 with 11 home runs and 14 stolen bases.

In the circle, sophomore Taylor Petty (2-7) has seen the bulk of the action, striking out 45 batters in 57 innings, while tossing six complete games and earning a save. Junior Brooke Turner (3-3) has issued 35 Ks in 31 innings of work, including three complete games, while senior Bridgette Pagano (1-1) has struck out 17 batter in 23 innings and earned a save.

Scouting San Diego
At First Glance: The San Diego Toreros (3-8) look to snap an eight-game losing streak when they take on Northern Illinois in a Wednesday doubleheader. USD went 21-33 in 2009, including an 11-9 third-place finish in Pacific Coast Softball Conference play. Twelve players, including six starters, return from that squad. San Diego is coached by Melissa McElvain, who is her ninth year with the team.

Last Time Out: The Roadrunners opened the 2010 season with an 0-5 showing at the CenturyLink Classic in San Marcos, Texas, two weeks ago. The Huskies dropped an extra-inning contest to Oklahoma State, then fell to UT Arlington twice as well as Texas State and New Mexico.

Statistically Speaking: Pitcher/designated player Jennifer Ellenbeck (.464) and first baseman Megan Walsh (.400) lead the Toreros at the plate. Third baseman Celeste Soto (.353), catcher Taylor Hensley (.310) and outfielder Kristen Gensler (.297) follow. Walsh has scored a team-best eight runs, while Hensley has driven in a team-high nine RBI. Ellenbeck, Soto, Hensley and Gensler each have tallied a home run. Gensler has accounted for three of the team's four stolen bases. As a team, San Diego is batting .259 with four home runs and four stolen bases.

In the circle, Ellenbeck (2-3) has tossed 21 strikeouts in 34 innings of work, including two complete games. Senior Alyssa Luna (1-1), freshman Chelsea Velovich (0-0), senior lefty Jessi Waers (0-1) and sophomore Kaitlin Healy (0-2) have combined to pitch the other 31 innings and issued 28 strikeouts. As a staff, the group has allowed opponents to hit at a .378 clip.

A Bit About Buffalo
At First Glance: The Buffalo Bulls (5-6) have three more games on their slate before competing in the Long Beach State Invitational, facing UC Riverside in a Tuesday double header and San Diego State in a Wednesday contest. The Bulls are looking to better a 25-27 record from the 2009 season, which included a sixth-place finish in Mid-American Conference play. Buffalo is coached by Jennifer Teague, who is in her second year with the team. Purdue alumna Jesse Jones is an assistant coach with the Bulls.

Last Time Out: The Bulls posted a 2-2 record at the San Diego Classic last weekend, topping San Diego and Wisconsin and falling to Cal Poly and Long Beach State.

Statistically Speaking: Catcher Kristin Waldron (.395) tops the Buffalo offense in nearly every offensive category, including nine RBI, seven runs, two doubles and two triples. Outfielder Kristen Gallipani (.333), outfielder Ashley Bertot (.292), pitcher Terese Diaz (.286), outfielder Taylor Franich (.250) and outfielder Candice Sheehan (.250) also are batting .250 or better. Bertot is 5-for-5 on the basepaths, while Franich has stolen three bases. As a team, Buffalo is batting .253 with two home runs and 15 stolen bases.

Senior Sharon Barr (4-3) and Diaz (1-3) have split time in the circle. Barr has struck out 37 batters in 45 innings of work including three complete games. Diaz owns a 2.67 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 27 innings. Senior Katie Ivancich (0-0) has seen two innings of action.

Notes About Notre Dame
At First Glance: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish (11-4) take a 10-game win streak into their Wednesday game with Cal State Northridge. The Irish are coming off a 43-17 season, which saw them finish second in the Big East and advance to the NCAA Regionals. Thirteen letterwinners, including seven starters return from that team. Notre Dame is coached by Deanna Gumpf, who is in her ninth year with the team.

Last Time Out: The Irish posted a 3-0 record at the UC Riverside Alten Construction tournament last weekend. ND downed Ohio State 12-5, East Tennessee State 6-1 and run-ruled UC Riverside 10-0 in five innings.

Statistically Speaking: Second baseman Erin Marrone paces the team with a .500 average, including 12 runs and nine RBI. First baseman Christine Lux (.381), catcher Amy Butin (.364), outfielder Dani Miller (.360), shortstop Katie Fleury (.357), outfielder Sara Pitzenberger (.333), designated player Alexia Clay (.326) and outfielder Alex Maldonado (.310) also boost the team average with marks of .300 or better. Lux has accounted for 17 RBI, 12 runs and a team-best five home runs, while Fleury has scored a team-leading 16 runs and added five doubles and three home runs. Maldonado has added three triples to the team's tally. Nine different players have launched a home run for the Irish, which boast a team batting average of .332 with 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases.

Junior Jody Valdivia (7-2) has done the bulk of the pitching for the Irish, striking out 72 batters in 59 innings, with a 2.46 ERA, three shutouts and a save. Freshman Brittany O'Donnell (4-0) owns a 1.64 ERA with 21 Ks in 21 innings of work, including a complete game. Freshman Jackie Bowe (0-2) has issued 12 strikeouts in 13 innings. As a staff, Notre Dame is holding opponents to a .207 average.

What a Difference a Win Makes ...

If the Boilermakers top UNLV on Friday ...

• They will move to 7-8 on the season and extend their current win streak to four games.

• They will move to 3-0 all-time against the Rebels and 8-9 all-time against Mountain West opponents.

• They will move to 213-130-2 all-time when playing in the month of March, including an 8-6 mark when playing on March 12.

Record-Tying Efforts
With two home runs against North Dakota State on Feb. 14, freshman pitcher/outfielder Erika Petruzzi became the 11th player in Purdue history to achieve the feat. Boilermaker players, including current catcher/first baseman Jenna Alexander, have tied the school game record 15 times.

With a trio of stolen bases against Houston on Feb. 20, senior shortstop Liane Horiuchi tied the school record for steals in a game. The Wahiawá, Hawaii, native also achieved the feat against Saint Louis on Feb. 26. These occurrences mark the third and fourth times in Horiuchi's career she has tied the mark and the 12th and 13th times in Purdue lore a player has swiped three bases in a contest. Former third baseman Ashley Hall also achieved the feat four times. Four other players, including sophomore third baseman Molly Garst, also are on the records listing.

Horiuchi drew a game-record tying three walks against Northern Illinois on Feb. 27, marking the 16th time in program history a Boilermaker player has recorded three free passes in a game. Horiuchi sit the 12th individual to appear on the records list for walks.

Upcoming Milestones
Pitcher Suzie Rzegocki entered the Purdue career top five for strikeouts in 2009. In just over two seasons, the Lemont, Ill., native has issued 365 Ks, taking over the fifth-place slot, previously held by Nicole Crouse (1999-2002), who racked up 310 strikeouts. Rzegocki sits 83 Ks behind Sheryl Scheve's fourth-place mark of 448 recorded from 1996-1998.

Outfielder Ashley Barr is within striking distance of the career listing for sacrifice bunts with 36. She needs just seven in 2010 to enter the top five.

A Tough Slate
Purdue is slated to face eight foes ranked in the NFCA preseason poll in 2010, including defending national champion and top ranked Washington. The Boilermakers have taken on three ranked foes thus far this season in No. 6 Arizona, No. 16 Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 20 Texas.

Preseason No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Arizona State, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 15 Northwestern and No. 22 Louisville also made the Boilermaker slate. Six other Purdue foes received votes in the preseason poll: Notre Dame, Cal State Fullerton, San Diego State, Iowa, Cal State Northridge and Houston.

A Smooth Criminal
With two steals against Penn State on April 25, Liane Horiuchi snapped the single-season stolen base record of 36 set by third baseman Ashley Hall in 2007. Horiuchi was a perfect 42-for-42 on the basepaths, a mark which led Purdue and the Big Ten and ranked fifth nationally. The Wahiawá, Hawaii, native needs just 11 stolen bases to enter the Purdue career top five. She currently ranks sixth on the NCAA list for consecutive stolen bases with 55 in a row.

In A CLASS of Her Own
Shortstop Liane Horiuchi has been selected as one of just 30 softball candidates from across the nation for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, the corporation announced on Feb. 10.

To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School," the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.

The Wahiawá, Hawaii native led the Boilermakers with a .348 batting average, 43 runs and a perfect 42-for-42 season record setting effort on the base paths, which earned her second team All-Big Ten honors at third base. She ranked among the nation's top five in hit by pitches per game (4th with 0.41), stolen bases per game (5th with 0.82), as well as 33rd in on-base percentage (.500), 44th in triples (4) and 51st in runs per game (0.84). She also was the Big Ten's best in stolen bases, hit by pitch, triples and defensive assists. Behind her efforts, the Boilermakers made their second straight NCAA Regional appearance and advanced to the regional championship game.

Horiuchi, a movement and sport sciences major, also excelled in the classroom garnering Academic All-Big Ten and Academic All-District V selection in 2009, her first awards eligible season after transferring.

The list of candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists in late March, with those names comprising the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist who best exemplifies the award's criteria.

New Faces
The Boilermaker roster features eight newcomers. Sophomore Kayla Yates and junior Aimee Gingerich as well as six freshmen make up the group. With just eight returning players, the newbies will be counted on to round out the Boilermaker lineup. "Our new athletes are going to have to contribute and will dictate what happens this season," head coach Kim Maher said before the season.

Assistant coach Monica Tantlinger joined the coaching staff this summer after Linda Garza departed to become the head coach at Wright State.

Racking Up The Mileage
As is typical for northern based softball teams, the Boilermakers will head south and west to get in some early season games. With trips to Tempe, Ariz., Houston and Louisville, Ky., as well as Long Beach and Fullerton, Calif., the team will log more than 10,000 miles, clocking in at 10,160 miles of distance traveled during five non-conference tournament stops.

Among The Nation's Best
In 2009, two Boilermakers players earned spots among the nation's top 50 in several statistical categories. Third baseman Liane Horiuchi ranked fourth nationally in hit by pitch per game (0.41) and fifth in stolen bases per game (0.82). Pitcher Suzie Rzegocki ranked 36th in ERA (1.48).

As a team, the Boilermakers rank 13th in stolen bases per game (1.96). Purdue also ranked among the national Top 50 in defensive double plays per game (29th with 0.41) and fielding percentage (50th with .967). The team also sat 51st in earned run average (2.34).

A Banner Year
After earning its first NCAA Regional berth in 2008, the Boilermaker softball team set its sights set on a return trip to the postseason. Purdue did just that, finishing sixth in the Big Ten standings after posting a double-digit conference win tally for the fifth time in program history.

The Boilermakers put together a nice resume in 2009, knocking off four Top 25 ranked teams and posting eight wins over the RPI Top 50. Purdue, which faced 11 NCAA Regional competitors, knocked off No. 4 UCLA to start the 2009 season, then added wins over No. 18 Texas A&M, No 10 Northwestern and No. 14 Ohio State. The Boilermakers won seven of their last 11 games, including victories over the Wildcats and Buckeyes.

Purdue took on 12 teams which advanced to the NCAA Regionals, all of which were listed in the RPI top 50: UCLA (4), Michigan (8), Northwestern (11), Ohio State (12), Florida State (14), Georgia Tech (19), Iowa (24), Illinois (29), Auburn (30), Texas A&M (32), Jacksonville State (34) and Mississippi State (39). The Boilermakers faced off with six teams currently ranked in the NFCA Top 25: No. 3 UCLA, No. 8 Michigan, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 13 Northwestern, No. 16 Florida State and No. 21 Georgia Tech.

In the postseason, Purdue knocked off No. 19 Louisville to boost its tally of ranked wins to five on the season. The Boilermakers recorded two NCAA Regional wins, marking a program first. The team's season ended at 31-20 after a loss to No. 6 Arizona in the final game of the Louisville, Ky., Regional.

In the Record Books
In addition to setting the school record for team hit by pitch with 45, the 2009 Boilermakers earned spots on the single-season top five lists for stolen bases (2nd with 100), sacrifice flies (3rd with 13), fielding percentage (3rd with .967), home runs (5th with 29), ERA (5th with 2.34) and winning percentage (3rd with .607).

Individually, pitcher Suzie Rzegocki made the greatest impact on the single-season lists, ranking among the top five in six categories. Rzegocki ranks third in wins (24), innings pitched (237.0), strikeouts (187) and complete games (24), fourth in ERA (1.48), winning percentage (.667) and starts (36), and fifth in shutouts (6). Infielder Liane Horiuchi set the stolen base record (42) and also ranks third in on-base percentage (.500), fourth in slugging percentage (.624) and fifth in triples (4). Infielder Candace Curtis tallied 14 doubles, ranking fifth on the career list. First baseman Katie Mitchell launched 12 home runs, good for second on the single-season list, behind her own record mark of 14. Outfielder Molly Garst swiped 25 bases, tying her for third in that category.

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