Feb. 23, 2006
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ORLANDO-The Golden Knights' softball team heads back to DeLand, Fla. for a second Stetson Tournament Feb. 24-26. At the tournament, UCF (6-5) is scheduled to play Western Michigan (0-0), Winthrop (4-6), Marist (0-0), Samford (2-8) and Stetson (5-2). The Golden Knights and the Broncos of Western Michigan are set for a 1 p.m. first pitch Friday afternoon with the UCF-Winthrop game scheduled for 3:30 p.m. UCF and Marist play Saturday afternoon at 5:30 followed by the UCF-Samford game at 7:30. On Sunday, the Golden Knights and the Hatters play at 2 p.m.
Scouting UCF...Cici Alvarez leads the Golden Knights' offense with a .364 batting average, 12 hits, eight runs and five walks. Amber Lamb, Kacie Feaster and Breanne Javier all are second on the team in hits with 11 each. In the field, Javier has 102 putouts, while Alvarez paces the squad in assists with 30. Allison Kime has made six appearances in the circle for UCF, giving up 12 runs on 30 hits with 31 strikeouts.
Last Time Out...The Golden Knights lost to Hofstra, 6-4, Tuesday afternoon at Merrill Park in Altamonte Springs, Fla. Breanne Javier was 2-for-4 at the plate with four RBI. Magon Paul was pegged with the loss after giving up six runs on 10 hits with two strikeouts.
Scouting Western Michigan...The Broncos begin the 2006 season at the Stetson Tournament this weekend. Western Michigan returns 15 letterwinners from the 2005 team, which finished 22-27 and 14-9 in the Mid-American Conference. Leading the way for the Broncos is Katie Niemi, who batted .320 a year ago with seven doubles, 20 runs and 16 RBI. Tricia Vanderslik returns for her final season in the circle after completing the 2005 campaign 11-17 with a 2.37 ERA.
Last Time Out...The Stetson Tournament will be the first games of the 2006 season for Western Michigan.
Series vs. Western Michigan...The Golden Knights and the Broncos have never met on the softball diamond.
Scouting Winthrop...The Eagles are lead by Tessa Thomas who has a .423 batting average on the season. Thomas has 11 hits, one double, one home run and five RBI. In the circle, Julie Harvey is 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA in five appearances. Harvey has given up 13 runs on 17 hits and 10 strikeouts in 21 innings of work. Opponents are hitting .243 off of Thomas.
Last Time Out...The Eagles split a doubleheader with Gardner-Webb Tuesday afternoon in Rock Hill, S.C. Tessa Thomas was 4-for-6 at the plate with three runs and two RBI. Shahna Ashard earned the win in game one after giving up four runs on nine hits and four strikeouts in seven innings of work. Julie Harvey was tagged with the loss in game two after giving up four runs on six hits in four innings.
Series vs. Winthrop...This weekend's game will mark the first meetings between the Golden Knights and the Eagles on the softball field.
Scouting Marist...The Red Foxes return 12 letterwinners from the 2005 team. Chrystine McHugh ended last season with a .382 batting average. McHugh paced the team in hits (55) and runs (39). Bridget Hurlman led the team a year ago in home runs with seven. Marist returns all three pitchers from the 2005 squad. Megan Rigos was 19-15 on the season with a 2.29 ERA. Rigos gave up 95 runs on 168 hits and 147 strikeouts in 214.1 innings of work.
Last Time Out...The Red Foxes open their 2006 season at the Stetson Tournament.
Series vs. Marist...The Golden Knights lead the all-time series, 1-0. The two teams last met in 2002 when UCF won, 4-2, at the Rebel Games in Kissimmee, Fla.
Scouting Samford...Shelley Stanley leads the Bulldogs at the plate with a .357 batting average in the first 10 games of the 2006 season. Stanley has 10 hits, three doubles, three home runs, five runs and eight RBI for a slugging percentage of .786. Stephanie Royall paces the pitching staff with a 1-2 record and a 3.17 ERA. Royall has given up 14 runs on 32 hits and 22 strikeouts in 28.2 innings of work.
Last Time Out...The Bulldogs participated in the Marriot Houston Hobby Invitational at the University of Houston last weekend. Samford went 1-4 on the weekend with the team's only win coming against Sam Houston State. Jessica Owens was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Bulldogs with two runs and two RBI. Emilee Lewis picked up the win in the circle for the Bulldogs with five runs on six hits and nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Series vs. Samford...Sunday's game between the Golden Knights and the Bulldogs will be the fifth meeting between the teams, with Samford leading the all-time series, 3-1. The two teams, both former Atlantic Sun Conference members, last met in 2003 when the Bulldogs won, 5-1, in Orlando.
Scouting Stetson...Andrea Migliori is batting .500 for the Hatters with 10 hits, two runs, three doubles and eight RBI, while Melissa Wiggins is a close second with a .455 batting average. Erica Demers is a perfect 4-0 in the circle for Stetson with an ERA of 1.12. Demers has given up four runs on 19 hits and 17 strikeouts in 25 innings of work.
Last Time Out...The Hatters hosted their second tournament of the season last weekend with Ohio State and UCF. Stetson went 2-2 on the weekend, picking up wins over Ohio State on Saturday and UCF on Sunday. In the 5-2 win over the Golden Knights, Melissa Wiggins was 3-for-4 at the plate with one run and three RBI. Erica Demers went the distance for Stetson in the circle, giving up two runs on eight hits and two strikeouts.
Series vs. Stetson...The Golden Knights lead the all-time series versus the Hatters, 8-4. The last meeting between UCF and Stetson was last Sunday when the Hatters won, 5-2. Cici Alvarez was 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI. Allison Kime was tagged with the loss in the circle after pitching 6.1 innings and giving up five runs on 10 hits and 10 strikeouts.
Shining Bright...Freshman Breanne Javier has made an instant impact in the Golden Knights' batting line-up. Through the first 11 games of the 2006 season, Javier has a batting average of .306 with 11 hits, one run, one double and eight RBI. In the field, she has been a solid first baseman, recording 102 putouts with five assists and one error for a fielding percentage of .991.
Movin' On Up...Cici Alvarez is now tied for second with Stephanie Best in career stolen bases at UCF with 47. She is 27 shy of Jania Shinhoster, who sits atop the list with 74.