MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois softball team heads to Minnesota to participate in
the Metrodome Tournament on Feb. 12-14 for the 10th time since 1998 to face
Minnesota, Northern Iowa, Green Bay, Arkansas and Drake.
The Tournament
Who: Western Illinois (2-2) vs Minnesota (3-2)
Date: February 12, 2009
Game time: 4 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Facility: Metrodome
Who: Western Illinois (2-2) vs Northern Iowa (3-1)
Date: February 13, 2009
Game time: Noon
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Facility: Metrodome
Who: Western Illinois (2-2) vs Green Bay (0-0)
Date: February 13, 2009
Game time: 2 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Facility: Metrodome
Who: Western Illinois (2-2) vs Arkansas (3-1)
Date: February 14, 2009
Game time: 2 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Facility: Metrodome
Who: Western Illinois (2-2) vs Drake (0-0)
Date: February 14, 2009
Game time: 4 p.m.
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Facility: Metrodome
The Western Sports Network Broadcast
Radio: WIUS (88.3 FM Macomb)
N/A
Web: wiuathletics.com
Live stats (free)
Game Notes
Metrodome Tournament
The 2009 season marks the 10th time the Westerwinds have participated in the Metrodome Tournament since 1998.
The Westerwinds struggled last season in the tournament, losing all five games, but have had success in the tournament finishing the tournament with a 3-2 record in 2005 and a 5-3 record in 2001.
Scouting Minnesota
The Golden Gophers (3-2) competed in the Louisville Slugger Tournament in Tampa, Fla., last weekend and won two of their last three games in the tournament.
Senior Bethany Wolvington has recorded six hits and four RBI, leading the Golden Gopher offense that has out scored its opponents 21-10. Junior Tina Watts has a team-high five RBI, collecting three RBI in the 6-5 loss to North Florida.
The pitching staff has thrown two shutouts on the year in wins over Florida Gulf Coast, 10-0, and Illinois State, 2-0.
Senior Briana Hassett (3-0) has thrown 29 strikeouts and only allowed three runs in a total of 22 innings of work. Freshman Alissa Koch (0-2) has a 2.45 ERA with nine strikeouts in two starts.
The last time the two teams met was on Feb. 14, 2008 as the Westerwinds were defeated, 8-2. Then-freshman Nikki Marinec recorded two RBI and then-sophomore Julie DePolo scored a run in the loss.
Scouting Green Bay
The 2009 Phoenix (0-0) open their season against Drake in the Metrodome Tournament. The Phoenix finished the 2008 campaign with a 13-25 record with a 4-9 Horizon League record.
Missy Schleicher returns for her senior year after recording a team-high 15 RBI with a .283 batting average. Also returning to the Phoenix offense is senior Mollie Kaebisch who had 27 hits and 13 RBI last year.
Returning to the pitching circle are junior Katie Cooney and senior Amanda Margelofsky who have big shoes to fill with the graduation of Anna Bluemel who had pitched a team-high 144 innings and a team-high 73 strikeouts in 2008.
Cooney pitched the third most innings (24) and threw 15 strikeouts with team-best 1.75 ERA.
Margelofsky was second on the pitching staff last season in innings pitcher (61) and threw 26 stikeouts with a 5.39 ERA.
The last meeting between the two teams came in the Bradley Tournament on Feb. 18, 2007 as the Westerwinds shutout the Phoenix, 8-0. Then-freshman Lauren Furgala went 2-for-2 at the plate and scored two runs in the victory.
Scouting Northern Iowa
The Panthers (3-1) started the year by winning their first three games in the Ramada UNI-Dome Classic on Feb. 7-8.
Offensively, the Panthers are averaging 7.75 runs per game, posting 14 runs and 11 runs in wins over Dayton and North Dakota.
Junior Jen Larsen leads the team in RBI (8) and has six hits with a .462 batting average. Senior Crystal Keiper has chipped into the offensive attack with five hits and five RBI.
Larsen (2-0) has not only helped her team from the plate, but also from the pitching circle. The Moline, Ill., native leads the team in innings pitched (15.1), striking out 14 batters and only allowing two earned runs.
The last meeting between the two teams came in the Metrodome Tournament last season on Feb. 14, 2008, as the Panthers used a four-run sixth inning performance to defeat the Westerwinds, 4-3. Marinec picked up two RBI as she went 1-for-2 from the plate in the loss.
Scouting Arkansas
The Razorbacks (3-1) participated in the Southern Mississippi Invitational on Feb. 6-8, getting wins over Western Kentucky, Samford and splitting a pair of games with Southern Mississippi.
Junior Jessica Bachkora and senior Whitney Cloer lead the Razorback offense, combining for 15 hits and 10 RBI. Cloer has also scored a team-high seven runs and has recorded a home run.
Defensively, junior Miranda Dixon (2-0) has a team-low 1.50 ERA in 18.2 innings of work, throwing 12 strikeouts and allowing four earned runs. The Edmond, Okla. native, has also assisted the offensive by registering four hits and four RBI.
The last time the two teams met was last year in the Metrodome Tournament on Feb. 16, 2008, as the Razorbacks defeated the Westerwinds, 4-3.
Scouting Drake
The Bulldogs (0-0) opened the 2008 season in the Metrodome Tournament and do so again on Feb. 13 against Green Bay.
The Bulldogs (0-0) look for another great start to the 2009 season after beginning the 2008 campaign with an 8-2 start and finishing the year 29-26 after losing to the Westerwinds in the NCAA Tournament.
Three of the top-four offensive leaders from last year's team graduated, leaving junior Elena Leon as the top offensive returner.
The West Des Moines, Iowa native, started in every game last season and recorded 17 RBI and 40 hits with a .255 ERA.
The Bulldogs return their top pitcher from last season in Brynne Dorde. The Chanhassen, Minn., native struke out 222 batters in 207.2 innings of work with a 1.96 ERA.
Last season the two teams met twice, with Drake winning the first game, 6-1, on Feb. 15, 2008, and the Westerwinds winning the second meeting in historic fashion as they won their first NCAA Tournament game, 3-1, on May 17, 2008.
In the win, then-freshman Michelle Neubauer hit her first-career home run, collecting two RBI in the win. From the pitching circle, then-sophomore Lori Pankratz pitched a complete game, only allowing four hits and striking out two batters.
Last time out
The Westerwinds started the 2009 campaign with a 2-2 record at the Country Inn Suites Softball Invitational.
In day one, the Westerwinds used a six-run second inning to defeat Wright State, 11-0, but lost to Iowa State, 11-2, in their second game of the day.
Day two was started by an 8-3 win over IUPUI, but ended with a 5-1 loss to host Bradley.
One hitter season debut
Senior Kamren Ferguson (1-1) started the year on the right foot after missing most of last season with an injury, throwing a one-hitter and striking out four batters in her 2009 debut against Wright State.
In her second game against Bradley, the senior co-captain threw six strikeouts and allowed one earned run in six innings of work.
Campbell contributing right away
It has not taken long for freshman Ashley Campbell to contribute to the team in only her first year with the team as she has started all-four games this season.
Campbell has collected three hits, one being a double and another being a triple, so far this year. The newcomer has scored a team-high four runs and has an RBI as well.
Not only has the Indianapolis, Ind., native got it done at the plate, she has also helped as a member of the pitching rotation. Campbell (1-0) made her first appearance in the loss to Iowa State, allowing four hits in three innings of work.
She picked up her first-career win against IUPUI as she pitched the entire game, throwing one strikeout and allowing seven hits.
Goss gets offense going
Like her freshman counterpart, Jamie Goss has started all-four games and has been an instant contributor on offense.
In her first game against Wright State, she went 2-for-4 at the plate, driving in two base runners and scoring a run of her own.
The Indianapolis, Ind., native has five hits and three RBI with a .357 batting average on they year.
The first baseman is also helping out on defense, recording 43 putouts and committing zero errors so far this year.
Bouncing back from injury
After missing last season to an injury, sophomore Erin Schlotfeldt has not missed a beat offensivley, going 3-for-3 at the plate and hitting two RBI in her first game back with the purple and gold against Wright State.
The catcher has a team-high four RBI and has a .462 batting average on the year.
Stealing as much as they can
This season the Westerwinds have been successful in 10-of-12 stolen base attempts. Five different players have stolen at least one base including junior Lauren Furgala who has stolen three.
The Westerwinds stole 93 bases last season, setting the Western Illinois record in team stolen bases.
Summit leaders
With the season only two weeks under way, the Westerwinds are leading in some statistically categories. Six of the conference's nine teams have started their 2009 season.
As a team, the Westerwinds have the best batting average (.354), in large part to sophomore Michelle Prieto going 8-for-11 at the plate last weekend, and the best on base percentage (.407).
Defensively, the pitching staff has the second-best ERA (3.08) and is the only team in the conference that has not allowed a home run.
Closing in on 1,000 wins
The Western Illinois softball program is only six wins shy of getting its 1,000th win. The softball program was started in 1953 and has accumulated an overall record of 994-1079-3 (.491).
2009 Schedule
The Westerwinds face three teams from the Big Ten and Big 12, and a team from both the Big East and Southeastern conferences in 2009 during non-conference action.
The Westerwinds face two USA Today/NFCA Division I ranked opponents in No. 17 Missouri (0-0) on March 18 and No. 24 Southern Illinois (4-0) on March 8 in the Coach B Classic.
Three other Westerwinds opponents received top-25 votes in Kansas (31), Louisville (8) and Iowa (7).
Summit League preseason poll
The Western Illinois softball team was picked to finish second in The Summit League's preseason poll of the league's nine head coaches.
North Dakota State received seven first-place votes and 63 total points to take the top spot in the poll. The Bison finished the 2008 season in first place with a 14-2 league record.
The Westerwinds received the other two first-place votes and 56 total points to finish second in the poll.
Post-season success
The 2008 squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in eight years, winning their first-ever NCAA Tournament game, 3-1, over the Drake Bulldogs.
The Westerwinds advanced to the NCAA Tournament by winning their fourth Summit League Tournament in historic fashion, defeating IPFW, 17-2, the largest margin of victory in Summit League Championship history.
Getting it done in the classroom
The Westerwinds got it done in the classroom during the fall of 2008, boasting the highest team grade point average (3.42) in the Western Illinois athletic department.
The softball team is not new to the classroom success as it was recognized at the end of last season by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for having a 3.38 team GPA, the 15th highest GPA in the nation among softball teams.
Van Vlymen awarded extension
Western Illinois University Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine recently announced that Holly Van Vlymen has signed a three-year contract extension to continue her tenure as the head coach of the softball program through the 2012 season.
In only her fourth season, Van Vlymen has already earned Summit League Coach of the Year honors, coached a Mid-Con Pitcher of the Year and Freshman of the Year in 2007, and led the Westerwinds to their first NCAA tournament win in 2008.
Up Next
The Westerwinds have a week off before they travel to Kentucky to play Louisville and Miami (Ohio) University in the Louisville Red and Black Tournament on Feb. 28-March 1.
