OSU Softball Opens 2016 Season at Kajikawa Classic
February 11, 2016 | Softball
2016 Kajikawa Classic
Tempe Sports Complex
Tempe, Ariz.
Friday, Feb. 12
San Jose State | 3:30 p.m. PT
Kentucky | 8:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, Feb. 13
CSUN | 6:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, Feb. 14
Cal Poly | 10:15 a.m. PT
New Mexico | 12:30 p.m. PT
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State softball team will begin its 2016 campaign this weekend with a five-game tournament, as the Beavers travel to Tempe, Ariz. for its seventh-consecutive trip to the Kajikawa Classic.
Oregon State opens the season on Friday with a doubleheader, facing San Jose State at 3:30 p.m. PT before taking on SEC foe Kentucky in the 8:30 p.m. PT nightcap. The Beavers continue the weekend with a 6:30 p.m. PT tilt against CSUN on Saturday, and play Cal Poly at 10:15 a.m. PT and New Mexico at 12:30 p.m. PT on Sunday to close out the three-day tournament.
This weekend marks the beginning of a challenging and ambitious non-conference schedule for Oregon State, as the Beavers are set to play 11 games against teams that qualified for the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Included in that group are CSUN and Kentucky, whom the Beavers will face this weekend. Overall, Oregon State will play 32 games against 2015 NCAA Tournament qualifiers in 2016.
Four of the five teams that Oregon State will play this weekend finished with a winning record in 2015, with CSUN representing the Beavers' top foe by winning percentage (.707, 41-17). All five teams had a winning record in games played at neutral sites, highlighted by an 11-2 mark (.846) by Kentucky last season.
Live stats will be made available throughout the tournament. Links for live stats will be posted as they are available, and can be accessed through the 2016 softball schedule page on OSUBeavers.com.
Leading Off
- In each of the past three seasons under head coach Laura Berg, Oregon State has set a new record for team batting average, matching the 2006 mark with a .280 team batting average in 2013 before breaking the record in consecutive seasons, hitting .287 as a team in 2014 and .298 in 2015.
- The Beavers return six lineup regulars from the 2015 team, including senior infielder Mikela Manewa, who finished the season hitting .338, as well as redshirt junior infielder Natalie Hampton, who owns OSU's single-season RBI record (50 in 2013), and senior catcher Sammi Noland, who led the Beavers in RBI in 2015 (40) and is OSU's top returning leader in home runs (8).
- In the circle, ace right-hander Bev Miller returns for her senior season after posting a 15-13 record in 2015 with a 3.64 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 194.1 innings pitched.
- Providing depth behind Miller are junior south paw Taylor Cotton, who tossed 49.1 innings last season, as well as newcomer Meehra Nelson, who joins the Beavers after finishing high school with a 0.96 ERA.
Student-Athlete Profile
No. 1 Madison Anthony
Junior Infielder
Hometown: Vancouver, Wash. (Northern Idaho/Skyview HS)
- Majoring in human development & family sciences
- Daughter of Kim and Charles Anthony
- Has two younger sisters, Miah and Mikelle
- Began playing softball at age six, making the decision to start playing because her mother, Kim, played at UNLV
- Her father, Charles, played football at UNLV before a career in the NFL and CFL
- Outside of softball, enjoys music and dancing
- Favorite athlete is Stephen Curry
Return of a Record-Setting Offense
- The Beavers return six lineup regulars from a 2015 squad that lit up multiple lists in Oregon State's all-time school record books. As a team last season, Oregon State set the school record for batting average, had the second-most runs scored and RBI in program history, and the fourth-most doubles and walks.
- Oregon State returns many of the players chiefly responsible for those team, as Mikela Manewa placed second on the team in batting average (.338), RBI (37) and walks (26) last year, while McKenna Arriola finished second in runs scored (39) and Sammi Noland led the team in RBI (40) and placed second in doubles (9).
- Under head coach Laura Berg, Oregon State has made many other entries in the all-time record books in previous seasons, including in batting average twice (.287 in 2014 - 2nd all-time; 280 in 2013 – 3rd all-time), runs scored (227 in 2013 – 5th all-time), RBI (245 in 2013 – 5th all-time), walks (179 in 2013 – 5th all-time), home runs (52 in 2013 – 4th all-time) and triples (14 in 2014 – 5th all-time).
2015 Team in All-Time Program Records
1st – Batting Average (.298; broke record of .287 from 2014)
2nd – Runs Scored (300; record is 301 in 2012)
2nd – Runs Batted In (265; record is 269 in 2012)
4th – Doubles (74; record is 88 in 2003)
4th – Walks (182; record is 204 in 1999)
Looking Ahead
- Following this weekend's action at the Kajikawa Classic, the Oregon State softball team will continue its 2016 slate with a trip to Las Vegas, Nev. from Feb. 19-21 for the DeMarini Desert Classic. The Beavers' opponents that weekend include Robert Morris, Hawai'I, Wichita State, UC-Davis, Boise State and a rematch with San Jose State.
- After the DeMarini Desert Classic, the Beavers close out the non-conference slate with the Mary Nutter Classic from Feb. 25-27, the Judi Garman Classic from March 4-6 and the CSUN Tournament from March 11-13.
For more information on the Oregon State softball team, follow the club's official Twitter account at Twitter.com/OregonStateSB, by Facebook at Facebook.com/OregonStateSB or on Instagram at Instagram.com/OregonStateSB.
