Softball To Play Five Games Over Spring Break
March 21, 2005
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Despite four rain outs last weekend in Sacramento, Calif., Kansas softball (15-9) hopes for more pleasant weather in the Midwest this week as it plays five games over spring break. The Jayhawks begin the series against Indiana State at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Arrocha Ballpark, continue Wednesday with a doubleheader at SMS beginning at 2 p.m. and conclude with their Big 12 Conference opener at No. 5 Texas Friday (6:30 p.m.) and Saturday (1 p.m.).
All games can be followed via Gametracker by logging on to the Softball Schedule/Results page. Tuesday’s game against Indiana State at Arrocha Ballpark will be broadcast live on 1320 AM (Brian Hanni) throughout the Lawrence and Topeka areas.
About Kansas
The Jayhawks are 15-9 overall after a 1-1 showing at the Capital Classic in Sacramento, Calif. KU fell to Minnesota, 2-1, and defeated Rhode Island, 8-0, Friday in the Classic before rains cancelled the rest of the tournament.
The KU defense remains solid behind junior infielders Destiny Frankenstein, Nettie Fierros and Jessica Moppin, and ranks fourth in the Big 12 with a .972 fielding percentage. Frankenstein leads the KU offense with 26 hits and six home runs for a .400 batting average.
Junior Ashley Goodrich has been a leader as of late and is hitting at a .355 clip after starting six games as the designated hitter. Rounding out the .300 hitters is junior Nettie Fierros, who hit two doubles against Rhode Island and is batting .305 on the season.
KU uses three starters in its pitching rotation. Junior right-hander Serena Settlemier (7-4) has emerged as the Jayhawks’ No. 1 after an injury kept her from pitching most of last season. Freshman lefty Christina Ross (5-3) has been impressive, pitching 53.2 innings and posting a team-best 1.57 ERA and 46 strikeouts. Sophomore righty Kassie Humphreys (3-2) pitched a shutout against Rhode Island on March 18 and has also started three games at first base.
About Indiana State
The Sycamores (5-10, 0-3) are coming off three losses at the hands of Wichita State in their Missouri Valley Conference opening series last week.
Ashley Trover (.375) and Lacey Frankland (.261) lead ISU with 12 hits apiece on the season. Jessica McGivney has a .367 batting and .700 slugging percentage with two home runs and six RBI on the season. Darcy Wood (4-5) leads the Sycamore pitching staff with a 2.96 ERA and an impressive 77 strikeouts in 71.0 innings pitched.
About SMS
Kansas and SMS meet for the third and fourth time this season for a doubleheader in Springfield. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears, 7-1, and 6-5, in eight innings, March 11 and 12 in the Holiday Inn/Jayhawk Classic in Lawrence.
SMS has lost eight of its last nine but picked up a 4-1 victory over Northern Iowa on March 19 for its first Missouri Valley win of the season. Senior Jessica Leathers leads the Bears’ offense with 19 hits and a .365 batting average and has added a team-high eight stolen bases. Junior pitcher Shannon Buslepp (.320) and junior outfielder Sara Cole (.311, 19 hits) have also continued to boost the SMS lineup.
Buslepp (3-4) leads the SMS pitching staff with a 2.79 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 57.2 innings of work. Also look for Samantha Fleeman (1-4) and Melissa Porsche (2-4) to start game two of the doubleheader.
About Texas
Kansas opens up Big 12 play Friday and Saturday with one of the toughest teams in the nation. The No. 5 Longhorns (23-4) are coming off a 7-0 loss, its worst of the season, to No. 4 Michigan on Sunday.
Olympic gold medalist Cat Osterman (11-2) leads a UT pitching staff of five with a league-best 0.21 ERA and 231 strikeouts in 98.0 innings of work. Freshman Meagan Denny (4-0) and senior Amy Bradford (7-1) have also combined for more than 73 innings and under a 0.68 ERA. J
unior Chez Sievers leads the offense with a .378 batting average in 15 starts while freshmen Desiree Williams (.319) and MicKayla Padilla (.317) have combined for 35 hits in their rookie seasons. UT leads the league with a 0.48 ERA but ranks ninth in team offense with a .251 batting average.
The Longhorns host North Texas in a doubleheader Wednesday beginning at 5 p.m. at McCombs Field.
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