OSU Softball Set for Test at Mary Nutter Classic
February 24, 2016 | Softball
Mary Nutter Classic
Cathedral City, Calif.
Big League Dreams
Multiple fields (see each game)
*All times below listed in Pacific Time
Thursday, Feb. 25
No. 12/11 Oklahoma (7-2) | 12:30 p.m. PT | Wrigley
Friday, Feb. 26
Northwestern (5-4) | 10:30 a.m. PT | Yankee
Loyola Marymount (6-4) | 3 p.m. PT | Pawtucket
Saturday, Feb. 21
Bethune-Cookman (3-8) | 10 a.m. PT | Pawtucket
New Mexico State (9-2) | 2:30 p.m. PT | Des Moines
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Following a 10-1 start to the season, the Oregon State softball team will be tested over the course of five games at the prestigious Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Calif.
Oregon State opens the weekend with possibly its biggest test to this point, a 12:30 p.m. PT matchup on Thursday with the No. 12/11 Oklahoma Sooners (7-2). On Saturday, the Beavers face Northwestern (5-4) at 10:30 a.m. PT and Loyola Marymount (6-4) at 3 p.m. PT, before closing the weekend with a 10 a.m. PT meeting with Bethune-Cookman (3-8) and a 2:30 p.m. PT matchup with New Mexico State (9-2) on Saturday.
The Beavers are off to their best start since the 2003 team, which had the same 10-1 record to this point. Notable starts through 10 games by the previous years' teams over that span include a pair of 7-3 starts under head coach Laura Berg (2013 and 2015), a 7-3 start in 2012, as well as 8-2 starts in 2004 and 2006. According to the NCAA, the Beavers' .909 (10-1) winning percentage is the nation's 12th best.
Oklahoma represents the second ranked opponent that Oregon State faces this year after the Beavers matchup with then-No. 18 Kentucky at the Kajikawa Classic. The Beavers defeated the Wildcats, 8-0, in six innings thanks to a two-hit shutout from freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson, two RBI from each of Natalie Hampton and McKenna Arriola, and the walk-off RBI double from Jessica Garcia.
Oregon State's opponents this weekend are a combined 30-20. New Mexico State represents Oregon State top opponent by wins (9) and winning percentage (.818). The Aggies and Oklahoma have previously met twice this season, with the Sooners getting the better of each matchup, 11-1 and 8-0.
For FloSoftball.com subscribers, the entirety of the Mary Nutter Classic will be available through live stream. Live stats will be also 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. As a team this season, Oregon State has hit .407, the fourth-highest team batting average in the nation.
- Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson has opened her career at Oregon State with authority, as she is undefeated through her first seven collegiate starts (7-0), tied for the nation's best record. She ranks third nationally in strikeouts (59), and leads the pitching staff in every statistical category, including ERA (1.80), strikeouts, innings pitched (41.1), batting average against (.164), appearances (9), starts (6) and complete games (6) with the team's lone shutout. Additionally, Nelson leads the Pac-12 in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched and appearances.
- Redshirt junior Natalie Hampton is the nation's leader in RBI (25) and ranks ninth in the country in home runs (4). Hampton hit .550 (11-for-20) with three home runs and 15 RBI last week, and leads the team in home runs (4), RBI (25), total bases (32) and slugging percentage (.865). Hampton also leads the Pac-12 in RBI and is tied for the league's home runs lead.
- Sophomore shortstop McKenna Arriola leads the team in batting average (.512) and hits (21, leads Pac-12) from the leadoff spot. Sophomore outfielder Lovie Lopez and junior third baseman Madison Anthony each pace the club in doubles (5, leads Pac-12), while Lopez also leads in HBP (4) and on-base percentage (.548). Freshman outfielder Jessica Garcia is tops on the squad in stolen bases (6, leads Pac-12) with one of two team triples. All three of Arriola, Lopez and Garcia are tied for the team lead in runs scored (13)
Student-Athlete Profile
No. 4 Michelle Sass
Freshman Utility Player
Hometown: St. Helens, Ore. (St. Helens HS)
- Plans to major in kinesiology
- Daughter of Mindy and David Sass
- Has one older sister, Susannah, and one younger brother, Richard
- Hobbies outside of softball are hiking, reading and exploring
- Began playing softball at the age of six; she wanted to play her older sister played
- On gamedays, is superstitious in that she doesn't like to step on the lines
- Favorite sport to attend outside of softball is basketball because of the fast pace
Caution: The Bats Are Hot
- According to the NCAA, Oregon State is one of the top offensive teams in the nation in terms of team statistical rankings through 11 games.
- As a team, Oregon State is ranked within the top-five nationally in batting average (fourth - .407), doubles per game (fourth – 2.55, 28 total) and on-base percentage (fifth - .492). The Beavers are also ranked 11th in the nation in slugging percentage (.600) and 26th in the country in stolen bases per game (2.09, 23 total).
- Redshirt junior first baseman/designated player Natalie Hampton is the nation's leader in RBI (25) and RBI per game (2.27). Additionally, Hampton is ranked ninth in the country and first in the Pac-12 in home runs (4).
- Junior third baseman Madison Anthony rounds out Beavers ranked among the nation's leader, as the Vancouver, Wash. native places 26th in the country in doubles per game (0.5, 5 total).
Full Nelson
- Freshman right-hander Meehra Nelson is off to a stellar start to her freshman career, currently sitting at 7-0 with a 1.52 ERA and 59 strikeouts.
- Through nine appearances and six starts this season, Nelson is the nation's leader in wins (7) and ranks third in the country in strikeouts (59). The Simi Valley, Calif. native leads the Pac-12 in each of those categories, as well as in innings pitched (41.1) and appearances.
- Following wins in all three of her starts to begin her collegiate career, Nelson was named Pac-12 Softball Freshman of the Week, the conference announced on Wednesday, Feb. 17.
- Following the Beavers' win over Kentucky in her first collegiate start, Nelson won helped her case for the first Pac-12 FOW award of the season with wins in starts against each of CSUN and New Mexico in respective complete-game outings. The freshman held CSUN to a pair of runs on four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts, and capped the weekend by limiting New Mexico to a single run on two hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts.
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)
What the Beavers Bring Back
- 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.
Looking Ahead
- Following this weekend's action at the Mary Nutter Classic, the Oregon State softball team continues its 2016 campaign with challenging and prestigious Judi Garman Classic.
- Oregon State begins tournament play on Friday, March 4 against Baylor at 5:30 p.m. PT. The Beavers continue with the impressive tournament slate for the remainder of the weekend, facing 2015 national runner-up Michigan and Wisconsin on Saturday, March 5, and wrap up the weekend with North Carolina and Fresno State on Sunday, March 6.
- After the Judi Garman Classic, the Beavers close out their non-conference slate with the Matador Classic from March 11-13.
About OSU Athletics
- The mission of the OSU Department of Athletics is to provide opportunities to young people and develop leaders through a tradition of academic and athletic achievement in a progressive, inclusive environment of mutual respect.
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.
