Feb. 26, 2009

NFCA Leadoff Classic

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina heads to Columbus, Ga., to compete in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Leadoff Classic at South Commons Stadium and Complex. The Gamecocks are scheduled to play five games at the site of the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic softball contests against some tough competition.

Play for the Gamecocks opens on Friday against defending Conference USA champion Houston at 11 a.m. at the stadium field before facing Illinois State at 1:30 p.m. Saturday’s schedule starts late for South Carolina, as the team faces Nebraska and Penn State starting at 4 p.m. on Field 2. On Sunday, it’s a rematch of the 2007 Evanston Super Regional as the Garnet and Black square off against nationally-ranked Northwestern on Field 4 at 10 a.m.

Nine-Game Winning Streak Puts Gamecocks in National Conversation
With an 11-1 record and a nine-game winning streak, the program’s longest since 2006, South Carolina has once again put itself in the picture nationally. The squad is in the receiving votes column for the USA Today/NFCA poll for the second-consecutive week, gaining points but falling a spot in that column. The team is also receiving votes in the Ultimate College Softball poll. The last time the Gamecocks were ranked was in the final poll of the 2007 after the squad advanced to Super Regionals for the first time.

Gamecocks Have Some History at South Commons
South Carolina is 36-16 (.692) in games played at the South Commons Complex. Both of the Gamecocks’ SEC Tournament championships came in Columbus, Ga., taking the 1997 title from Florida in the championship game, before coming through the loser’s bracket to take out LSU in the 2000 title tilt.

Stubblefield Has Strong Weekend in Gamecock Invitational
Freshman centerfielder Kristen Stubblefield was a leader in the lineup during the home tournament, hitting a team-best .417 in the Gamecock Invitational. The Corona, Calif., native also had an .833 slugging percentage after hitting her first career triple and home run during the weekend. Her four runs scored also topped the team, while her three RBI stood second. The freshman also had a sacrifice fly and a sac bunt as well during the tourney. For the season, Stubblefield has totaled six runs batted in and seven runs scored, both second most on the team.

Spreading Around the Love in Orlando
The Gamecocks went 5-0 in the UCF Early Bird Tournament, and they did it with a team approach. Only two starters on the weekend did not contribute a run, either by scoring or driving one in, during the event. Freshman Evan Childs scored three runs to lead the team, while another rookie, Lauren Lackey, had the most RBI on the team while in the land of Mickey Mouse.

Returners Reasserting Place on Top, At Least on a Few Lists
After letting the freshmen get all the publicity during the first weekend, the returning Gamecocks have come back to put themselves on top of many of the statistical lists through three weekends of play. Senior Ashton Payne leads the team in five major categories, including batting average, slugging percentage, hits, doubles and triples. But the freshmen still hold leads in numerous categories. Lauren Lackey tops the squad with a .412 on-base percentage and two steals, while Evan Childs holds down the top spot in runs, home runs and RBI. The freshmen pitchers continue to dominate their statistics, with Kierstyn White and Audrey Broyles leading in all positive categories.

What a Debut!
Freshman Audrey Broyles had a day for the ages in her first game donning the Garnet and Black. The Pembroke Pines, Fla., freshman tossed a complete game, allowing just one earned run while fanning 14 Cougars. That is currently the highest number of K’s recorded by a Gamecock in their debut, with the current records going back to 1996. What made Broyles’ first game even better was her day at the plate. She went 1-for-3 with a two-RBI single in the first to help put the Gamecocks on top, 4-0. Broyles continued her good work in the circle, going 3-0 during the UCF Early Bird Tournament. She tossed her first complete-game shutout while compiling 10 K’s in the win over Bowling Green. Broyles also got wins in relief against Bradley and Texas-Arlington.

Is the Second Game of the Year Still a Debut if It’s on the First Day?
Evan Childs came through with a big contest in just her second in a South Carolina jersey. The Conway, S.C., product hit two game-tying home runs in the Gamecocks’ 6-4 win in the second game of the doubleheader on Saturday against the College of Charleston. The first was a solo shot in the third to answer the Cougars run in the top half of the frame. The last one was a three-run blast that knotted the contest at four apiece in the fifth. That set the stage for Laura Mendes’ go-ahead sacrifice fly in the sixth that was the difference in the contest.

The Gamecocks Have Lots of Youth . . .
Head coach Joyce Compton has never had 10 newcomers to her program in one year until this year. Nine freshman (matching a record from 2005) and one transfer make up one of the youngest teams Compton has ever fielded. The most inexperience will be in the circle, as redshirt sophomore Krystle Robinson is the only pitcher back. She made 16 starts and 24 appearances overall. Three true freshmen and one transfer will vie to fill those over 220 innings or nearly 70 percent of the innings lost from last season.

. . . But They Also Bring Back Lots of Experience
But this is no green group as a whole. Out of 423 starts in the nine batting spots, over 67 percent of those starts return. The returning catchers started all but two games last season, most of any spot. Three returners started all but four games in left field, which stands second. At shortstop, junior Lindsay Walker started 41 of the 47 games, the third-highest percentage on the team. The position losing the most starts are right field (32), third base (30) and first base (24).

More Parts Mean More Lineups? Stay Tuned
Last season, the Gamecocks seemingly never ran out the same nine in the same order. Reality was not far from the truth, as head coach Joyce Compton used the same defensive alignment in back-to-back games just three times all season. In all, South Carolina utilized 38 different units around the pitcher. Lineup order was a different matter entirely, as 43 different orders were trotted out in the 47-game season. But even with the larger roster (by three), there is only one more position player on the roster compared to 2008. Four of the additions will take the place of two pitchers, while six freshman position players take over for five departed seniors who played the field last year.

Through the first 12 games, South Carolina has utilized 10 different defensive alignments and 11 different batting orders.

South Carolina Picked to Finish Fourth in SEC East
In what should be familiar to Gamecock fans, the Southeastern Conference coaches selected the squad to finish fourth in the SEC Eastern Division. This is the sixth-consecutive year that South Carolina has ranked fourth in the preseason polling of the league’s managers. Florida was chosen to win the East and the overall title, while Tennessee was picked second. Georgia was selected third, while Kentucky came in fifth. Alabama was the coaches’ choice to win the SEC West this season.

Early Look at Career List Possibilities in 2009
A few Gamecocks are looking to move onto or move up on some career charts as we start 2009. Senior Ashton Payne has already got spots in the top 10 in stolen bases and triples, and she’s close to adding hits and batting average to her list. She needs 21 hits in 2009 to tie for 10th all time with Debralee Troesh, while eight batting average points would push her ahead of Toinette Reed into 10th there. She needs one steal to tie for eighth with Dana Fulmer. Payne now has fourth place to herself on the triples list, but she would have to break the NCAA single-season record for triples to move any higher.

A couple of others are already eyeing positions in different charts. Senior Jacqueline Wetherbee needs three round-trippers to tie Jana Zimmerman and current assistant coach Adrianna Baggetta for ninth all-time on the home-run charts. And sophomore Jill Semento is close to landing on a painful list, as three more hit-by-pitches will put her in a tie for eighth with 10 in her short career.

South Carolina in the SEC Stat Rankings
The Gamecocks stand ninth in batting average at .254 as a team. They are also ninth in on-base percentage (.321) and 10th in slugging percentage (.350). The squad has laid down 13 sacrifices and connected for six sacrifice flies, both tied for third in the league. In the circle, things look much better. South Carolina’s team ERA is third in the league behind top-five teams Florida and Alabama. The three saves as a staff is tied for the most in the conference. And the team’s fielding percentage stands fifth, just behind the Crimson Tide’s. The Gamecocks have turned an SEC-best seven double plays.

The pitchers have many rankings in the top of the league. Audrey Broyles ranks sixth (in back of All-American Stacey Nelson) in ERA, while Kierstyn White ranks eighth. Broyles’ 52 strikeouts rank sixth as well. White’s two saves last weekend pushed her into second in the league. Offensively, only two Gamecocks have broken into the top 10. Ashton Payne’s two triples and Jill Semento’s two sacrifice flies are both tied for second.

Now There’s Some Competition
South Carolina plays a very challenging schedule at South Commons Stadium and Complex this weekend in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. Houston was picked as the favorite in Conference USA, while Illinois State was chosen to rank second in the Missouri Valley. Nebraska ranked fifth in the 10-team Big 12, ahead of national power Baylor and formerly ranked Kansas. The Big Ten Conference did not release a preseason poll.

Carolina in the Month of February Under Joyce Compton
In the 20-plus years of starting the season in the second month of the year, Carolina is 128-57-1 (.691) during February. Last year, the Gamecocks went 7-8 during the opening month of the year.

Carolina in the Month of March Under Joyce Compton
In the Joyce Compton era, Carolina is 458-143 (.762) during the third month of the year. In 2008, South Carolina owned a 9-7 mark in March.

Scouting the Houston Cougars
The Cougars, an NCAA Super Regional team a year ago, bring a 7-7 mark into Columbus, Ga., this weekend. Hitting has been the strength of Houston’s team this season, as they have compiled a .292 batting average, .382 on-base percentage and .445 slugging percentage. Senior catcher Elaina Nordstrom has been the best hitter, with a team-leading mark in all three “slash” stats. Her 11 RBI rank second behind senior Laurie Wagner, who has 14. She’s hit three home runs, one shy of squad leader senior Christa Raley. Her .605 slugging percentage ranks just behind Nordstrom’s. The Cougars aren’t all power, with 26 stolen bases on the season. Angela Splitter and Katy Beth Sherman lead the way with six steals each. Pitching has been an issue for the defending Conference USA champs, as the starters have a 3.94 ERA. The staff has allowed 12 home runs and 12 doubles in 96 innings of work.

Gamecocks All-Time vs. Houston
South Carolina and Houston have never played each other in softball before Friday’s scheduled game.

Scouting the Illinois State Redbirds
Illinois State comes to the Peach State with a 4-6 mark on the season. Two of the Redbirds’ wins have come over schools the Gamecocks have beaten: North Florida and Chattanooga. Nothing much has gone right for Illinois State in their games, with a .218 team batting average and a 4.16 team ERA. The squad does draw a lot of walks, with 45 free passes earned in 10 games. The trio of Casey Gorrell, Niki Stansell and Amber Smith lead the team in hitting with averages all above .350. Gorrell and Stansell are the power in the lineup, with both sporting slugging percentages over .700. Five Redbirds have on-base percentages north of .400 as well. But speed is not their game, with just one stolen base attempt on the year. In the circle, Jordan Birch leads the way with 35 strikeouts in 28.1 innings. Her 2.47 ERA also leads the staff, as well as her 2-3 record. Interestingly, she has yet to make a relief appearance this year.

The Last Time – South Carolina vs. Illinois State – May 18, 2001
The Redbirds of Illinois State eliminated the South Carolina Gamecocks, 1-0, in the Iowa City Regional. Abbie Scott drove in the run for Illinois State in the fourth, bringing home pinch runner Stephanie Beyer. Danielle Quinones went 3-for-3 for South Carolina in the loss.

Gamecocks All-Time vs. Illinois State
The Gamecocks and Redbirds have split the 10 previous meetings, with South Carolina holding a 5-3 advantage in neutral-site matchups.

Scouting the Nebraska Cornhuskers
A finalist in the Big 12 Tournament last season, Nebraska is 6-3 in the early going of 2009. The Husker offense has been stellar, hitting at a .323 clip early while getting on base at .428. Senior Crystal Carwile has been a leader, slugging .789 this season. Junior Whitney Barrett has a team-best .520 on-base percentage among starters. Senior Darcy Rutherford seems to be the offensive sparkplug, scoring 10 runs while getting on base at .452 clip. She also is tied for the team lead with three steals. Sophomore Heidi Foland has 11 RBI to lead the squad. Senior Molly Hill (4-1) leads the squad in the circle with a 0.80 ERA in eight appearances. She’s made five starts and completed four games, striking out 33 in 35 innings pitched. Ashley Hagemann has fanned 34 in 19 innings, but she’s given up eight earned runs as well.

The Last Time – South Carolina vs. Nebraska – Feb. 16, 2003
Nebraska scored seven runs in the top half of the fifth inning, defeating South Carolina, 9-1 in five innings at the UNLV Softball Classic. The Cornhuskers jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first inning, but the Gamecocks evened the score in the bottom of the second. Tia Rogers’ single drove in Melissa Sandel to make it 1-1. The Cornhuskers added another run in the top half of the fourth inning off USC starter Stacey Johnson. Johnson gave up two runs and five hits in 3 2/3 innings. Freshman Melanie Henkes relieved Johnson in the fourth inning but gave up seven runs on seven hits in the fifth inning.

Gamecocks All-Time vs. Nebraska
South Carolina is 2-5 in history against Nebraska, getting run-ruled in the last meeting in 2003 during the Las Vegas Invitational.

Scouting the Penn State Nittany Lions
Penn State has an even 4-4 record in 2009, with three of those losses coming against ranked teams. The undisputed leader of the team both at the plate and in the circle is freshman Lisa Adamine. She’s hitting .414 with a team-high seven RBI and five runs scored. As a pitcher, she holds a 3-1 record with a 0.64 ERA, tossing two complete games thus far. Shes struck out 23 batters in 22 innings pitched. Ashley Griffith and Jackie Hill both have .333 batting averages, whil Griffith leads the team with three stolen bases in three attempts. Jackie Hill also pitches, starting four games while going the distance in three of those. She has a 1.27 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 27.2 innings of work.

The Last Time – South Carolina vs. Penn State – March 10, 1995
South Carolina took home a 3-1 win over Penn State during the USF Tournament in Tampa, Fla. Darlene Gareis got the win during the first day of the event.

Gamecocks All-Time vs. Penn State
The Garnet and Black have won seven of the previous eight encounters with the Nittany Lions, including a 3-1 record at neutral sites.

Scouting the Northwestern Wildcats
The nationally-ranked Wildcats are 8-6 coming into the weekend. Northwestern is battling injuries on its pitching staff, as Lauren Delaney has tossed 85.2 of the team’s 96.2 innings this season. She has a 7-5 record with a 2.45 ERA, fanning 93 while walking 50. Opponents have hit just .195 against her. Adrienne Monka has five home runs, 15 RBI and a team-best .789 slugging percentage, while hitting .342. Erin Dyer has 17 RBI and a .674 slugging mark on the year. Tammy Williams leads the team in batting average at .469, while Robin Thompson has a team-best 16 runs scored. The Wildcats don’t run often, stealing 13 bases on 17 tries in 14 games.

The Last Time – South Carolina vs. Northwestern – May 26, 2007
The second-seeded Northwestern Wildcats belted three solo home runs, including two by Nicole Pauly, to establish a 3-0 win over the South Carolina Gamecocks at the Evanston NCAA Super Regional. With the win, the Wildcats advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City. Eileen Canney earned the victory, holding the Gamecocks to just two hits for the second straight game and striking out 10 batters in seven innings pitched. Melissa Hendon gave up the three runs on eight hits in seven innings pitched in the loss. Ashton Payne and McKenna Hughes posted the two hits for South Carolina. For Northwestern, Garland Cooper, Pauly and Darcy Sengewald each went 2-for-3 at the plate.

Gamecocks All-Time vs. Northwestern
The all-time series between South Carolina and Northwestern is even at 5-5, with the Wildcats winning the last three meetings, all in NCAA Tournament play during the 2000s.

Did You Know?
This will be for some miscellanous facts learned this season. First up, did you know the trip from Columbia to Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant, S.C., lasts exactly as long as the movie Major League?