Softball Hosts Three Doubleheaders This Week
May 4, 1999
THIS WEEK'S ACTION: The No. 8 Oregon State softball team (40-19, 11-11 Pac-10) is home for the remainder of the regular season, including three doubleheaders at Ropes-Fetrow Field this week. The Beavers will host Portland State (11-36) in a non-conference doubleheader at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5 before hosting the Bay Area schools over the weekend. No. 16 California (36-10, 7-14) will be in Corvallis on Saturday, May 8, and No. 15 Stanford will play the Beavers on Sunday, May 9. Both Pac-10 doubleheaders will begin at noon.
BEAVERS TIE SCHOOL RECORD FOR WINS, LOOK TO BREAK MARK THIS WEEK: With a 40-19 record so far this season, Oregon State has guaranteed itself a winning record for the first time since 1984. The Beavers have tied the school record for single-season wins and will now shoot to break the record. Incidentally, the school record was set during OSUs last winning season, when the 84 team went 40-17 on the year. The 1999 Beavers have eight regular season games remaining and would play at least two more if they advance to the NCAA tournament. The 1999 OSU squad has also set a school record for Pac-10 victories with 11 league wins so far. OSU won a then-school record eight Pac-10 games last season.
OSU VS. PORTLAND STATE: The Beavers are 47-24-1 all-time against Portland State, including two wins on the road earlier this season. OSU defeated the Vikings, 9-0 and 7-1, on April 7 to start a 10-game winning streak. The Beavers combined for 24 hits, while PSU had just four hits in the doubleheader. Shawna Feldt had four hits, while Tarrah Beyster, Brooke Rutschman and Jenni Jodoin each had three hits for OSU. Rutschman also scored three times.
OSU VS. CALIFORNIA: Oregon State is just 16-48 against Cal, but two of those wins came in a doubleheader sweep in Berkeley on April 12. OSU shut out the Golden Bears, 1-0, in both games, including an 11-inning victory in the opener. Tarrah Beyster allowed just one hit in the 11-inning contest and earned the save in the other victory. Beyster also had the game-winning hit in the second game, when she lifted a home run over the center field fence in the sixth inning.
OSU VS. STANFORD: OSU is 17-11 lifetime against the Cardinal, including two shutout wins in Palo Alto on April 10. Courtney Stewart had the game-winning RBI in the top of the seventh inning the give the Beavers a 1-0 win in the opening game of the doubleheader, while Jenni Jodoin hit a two-run homer in the second game to help lead OSU to a 3-0 victory.
A LEAGUE OF HER OWN: Senior Jodi Chmielewski is the only Beaver to collect 60 hits in two different seasons, and she is also the only OSU player to have three seasons with 50 hits. She has 64 hits this season to go along with 51 as a junior and 63 as a sophomore. Her 51st hit this season (a single against California on April 12) was also her 200th career hit, making her the only Beaver to collect 200 hits for her career. She is OSUs all-time leader for hits with 213, and she is also the school record-holder for career doubles, with 37.
STREAKS AND SUCH: Oregon State is on a one-game losing streak after dropping the second game of a doubleheader to No. 1 UCLA on May 2. The Beavers defeated the Bruins in the first game of that doubleheader to snap a five-game losing streak, OSUs longest of the season. OSUs longest winning streak was 11 games, spanning from Feb. 19 to Feb. 28. Individually, Tarrah Beyster and Brooke Rutschman are riding three-game hitting streaks, the longest current streaks on the team. Jodi Chmielewski had the teams longest individual hitting streak of the season when she had a hit in 14 straight games, from Feb. 13 to Feb. 28.
NO WALK IN THE PARK FOR OPPONENTS: The OSU pitching staff is rarely giving up bases on balls. The Beavers are allowing just 1.3 walks per seven innings. OSU ranks second in the league in fewest total walks allowed, and OSUs pitchers lead the league in strikeouts. The Beavers have struck out a school record 352 batters (6.1 per seven innings). Crystal Draper is striking out 7.4 batters per game and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 5.3:1 (180 Ks, 34 BB). Her 180 Ks are second-best in school history for a single season (Lori Davis had 245 in 1980). Tarrah Beyster has a 4.4:1 ratio (166 Ks, 38 BB). Opposing pitchers, on the other hand, have walked OSU batters 168 times with 267 strikeouts, for a 1.6:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS STARTING TO FALL: The Beavers are shattering the single-season record books this year, with nine records being tied or broken so far and others waiting to be reset. Tarrah Beyster has broken her own school record for single-season wins (24), tied her own mark for home runs (12), and also has six saves this year, surpassing Joan Harveys four in 1982. Beyster also has been walked 52 times this season to break her old record of 49 set last year. Jodi Chmielewski has broken her own mark for doubles in a season with 15 (she had 11 in 1997). As far as the team records go, OSU has reset or tied four single-season marks. OSUs 40 wins this year ties the record for single-season wins set in 1984. In addition, the Beaver pitchers have shattered the previous record for strikeouts in a year. This years pitchers have struck out 352 batters, surpassing the previous best 276 Ks in 1997. The Beavers have also hit 25 home runs this year, three more than the former record of 22 set in 1997. Finally, OSU batters have combined for 178 RBI, which breaks the old mark of 173 from 1978. Several other single-season marks are on the verge of being broken. Chmielewski and Shawna Feldt are challenging for the school record for single-season hits. Both players have 64 hits this year, which ties for third on the single-season list. Alycia Stevens holds the record with 72 hits in 1997. Feldt is also three stolen bases away from breaking the single-season steals record; she has 11 thus far, with the record being 13. Two Beavers are also challenging for the single-season RBI mark as well. Jenni Jodoin leads the team with 31 RBI, and Beyster has 30 RBI; Beyster is the current record holder with 35 in 1997.
BEYSTER NEARING MORE RECORDS: Tarrah Beyster could possibly break or tie five more school pitching records this week. Beyster needs 10 more innings of work to tie the career record and 11.1 innings to tie the single-season mark. She has thrown 671.2 innings total and 226.0 this season. In addition, she is one complete game away from tying that career record, and two complete games shy of tying the single-season record. She has gone the distance in 75 games, including 25 this year. Beyster also needs just one more complete game shutout to lift her season total to 11, which would tie that single-season record as well. Beyster already holds 18 school records: seven career, six single-season and five single-game.
SUPER SOPHOMORE: Sophomore Shawna Feldt has been a key factor in OSUs success this year. The Mississippi State transfer is tied for the team lead with hits (which ranks third on the OSU single-season chart), and she leads the Beavers with 30 runs scored (which ties for fourth on the single-season charts). Her .302 average is third best on the squad, and she leads the team with seven triples (which also leads the Pac-10). Feldt has had a team-high 20 multiple-hit games, including three games with three hits apiece. She also leads the Beavers with 11 stolen bases and is three away from breaking the single-season school record.
AMONG THE LEAGUE LEADERS: Oregon State is among the league leaders in several statistical categories (Stats are through April 3). As a team, the Beaver pitchers are first with 352 strikeouts and are second for fewest walks allowed (75). Offensively, the Beavers are tied for first with 12 triples. Individually, Shawna Feldt leads the league with seven triples and is tied for seventh with 64 hits alongside Beaver teammate Jodi Chmielewski. Chmielewksi is also third in the league for doubles. Tarrah Beyster leads the league with 52 walks, is tied for third with 12 home runs and is third with an on-base percentage of .522. Beyster is also ranked in several pitching categories. She leads the league in four categories: saves (six), appearances (42), games started (30) and innings pitched (226.0). She is second in wins (24), seventh in ERA (1.30) and seventh in strikeouts (166). Crystal Draper is fourth in the Pac-10 with 180 strikeouts and eighth for innings pitched (170.1).
HEAD COACH KIRK WALKER: Kirk Walker is in his fifth season as head coach of the OSU softball program, and earlier this season he became just the second OSU coach to win 100 games when the Beavers defeated New Mexico, 3-2, in the championship game of the Troy Cox Classic on Feb. 28. His overall record at OSU stands at 124-159-1 (43.8 percent), but he is 96-81-1 (54.2 percent) from 1997-99. He has guided the Beavers to 40 wins this season, which ties the school record. He is the only coach in Oregon State history to lead the Beavers to three consecutive 27-win seasons; they had 27 wins in 1998 and 29 wins in 1997. Up until this season, his 1998 squad came closer to a winning record (27-28) than any other OSU team had since the 84 team finished 40-17. His 97 squad compiled a 29-34-1 record, and at the time, those 29 wins were third most in school history and the most since 1984. His 124 wins make him the second all-time winningest softball coach at OSU. Ellen Margolis led the Beavers to 145 wins from 1981-85. Walker came to OSU from UCLA, where he spent 11 years as a manager and assistant coach.
HOMER HAPPY BEAVERS: Oregon State has hit a school record 25 home runs this season, three more than previous record of 22 in 1997. Tarrah Beyster has hit 12 homers for the third straight season (a school record), and four other Beavers have at least one home run. Jenni Jodoin is second on the team with five home runs, including a three-run shot in the seventh inning of OSUs 5-3 win at No. 1 UCLA on May 2. Kim Herman has four homers, while Kelli Kranz has three and Jodi Chmielewski has one. Up until this season, Beyster was the only Oregon State player to hit more than three home runs in one season. Beyster is OSUs all-time leader for home runs with 36; Herman is second with 10, and Jodoin is fourth with seven.
JODOIN COMES UP BIG WHEN IT COUNTS: Sophomore Jenni Jodoin is hitting just .230 (37-161), but she leads the team with 31 RBI (which ranks second on the OSU single-season chart). She is hitting .310 with runners on base, but just .135 when the bases are empty. Of her 37 hits this season, 14 of them have been for extra bases. She has five home runs this year, making her just the second Beaver to hit five HRs in one season. She also has eight doubles and a triple. She leads OSU with 11 multiple-RBI games, including one game with four RBI and two games with three. She has had two hits in a game seven times this season.
BEYSTER DOMINATES IN APRIL, PUTS MARCH SLUMP BEHIND HER: Junior Tarrah Beyster hit .455 in April after struggling in March. She was 15-33 with five home runs and 13 RBI to go along with 22 walks, a complete turnaround after hitting just .170 in March. She also had a strong month pitching as well. She was 7-2 with three saves and a 1.53 ERA. She limited batters to a .143 average and picked up 50 strikeouts in 68.2 innings of work. She is batting .500 (3-6) in May.
PLANT PICKS UP PLAY IN RECENT WEEKS: Junior Parisa Plant has hit .333 in OSUs last 12 games, and that average is the best on the team during that span. As a result, Plant has become one of OSUs top hitters in Pac-10 play. She is hitting .273 in league games to rank second on the team in conference play. However, she is hitting just .182 against non-conference opponents for a .218 average for the year (which ranks last among OSUs batters who have at least one at-bat per game). During OSUs last 12 games, Plant has had eight hits; she had just 16 hits in the previous 47 games.
CHINN PUTTING UP CAREER NUMBERS AS A SENIOR: Senior Heather Chinn is having her most successful season at OSU this year. She has put up career marks in nearly every offensive category. She has 26 hits this season after a career-high 18 in 1997. She also has five doubles, more than she had in her first three years combined (four). Chinn has 11 RBI as well; her previous season-high was six as a freshman in 1995. The senior is batting .252 for the year, just off her average of .257 from 1997.
KRANZ SHOWING MAJOR TURNAROUND: Senior Kelli Kranz has made a complete turnaround offensively compared to last year. The catcher is hitting .271 (26-91) this year, for the teams fourth best average. Last year, she hit just .172 for the teams second lowest average. She has played in 41 games this season, has scored seven runs, and is fourth on the team with 19 RBI. She has three home runs and two doubles as well.
STEWART'S QUIET SUCCESS: Although senior Courtney Stewart does not make the lineup as often as some of the other players, she is having a career-best season. An honorable mention Pac-10 team selection last year, Stewart is hitting .278 (15-54) with six RBI this year primarily as a pinch hitter or designated player (She has yet to play in the field.). She has also been walked 10 times and has the teams second best on-base percentage at .400.
BEAVERS MOVE UP TO FOURTH IN REGIONAL RANKINGS: Oregon State is ranked fourth in its region in the April 28 NCAA regional rankings. The rankings are released every other week. The Beavers, who are in the Pacific region, are ranked fourth behind UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State. Washington is fifth, followed by California, Oregon, Stanford, CS Northridge and Sacramento State.
BEYSTER RANKED NATIONALLY: Tarrah Beyster's 24 wins this season is tied for 13th best in the nation. Additionally, Beyster is tied for third nationally with six saves, and she is 25th in home runs. Southern Mississippis Courtney Blades leads the nation with 39 wins, while South Carolinas Megan Matthews has a nation-best nine saves. UCLAs Stacey Nuveman has 26 home runs. Beysters 24 wins, 12 home runs and six saves are all OSU single-season records.
TOUGH SCHEDULE FOR BEAVERS: Oregon State has had a tough schedule this season, as all eight Pacific-10 teams are ranked in the latest USA Today Top 25 poll, with no conference team ranked lower than 18th. Oregon States 1999 schedule features five of the top six teams in the country and a total of 14 of the 25 teams that are ranked in this weeks poll. Oregon State will play at least 41 games against teams that are currently ranked or have been ranked in the top 25 at some point this season. OSU has already played 36 games against teams that are or have been ranked; the Beavers are 19-17 in those games. OSU was 13-24 against ranked teams last season.
BASE STEALING BEAVERS? Oregon State has stolen 48 bases in 72 tries this season, nearly three times as many as the team had a year ago. The 1998 Beavers stole just 18 bases in 24 attempts for the whole season. The school record for team stolen bases in a season is 61, set back in 1978. Earlier this year, OSU stole a single-game record of five bases against Loyola Marymount on Feb. 13, and sophomore Shawna Feldt set a school record with three steals against Loyola on Feb. 20. Feldt leads the Beavers with 11 stolen bases and is just three away from breaking the schools single-season record. Junior Parisa Plant and senior Jodi Chmielewski are second with eight stolen bases apiece. Fourteen Beavers have at least one stolen base. In addition to increasing the number of stolen bases, the Beavers have done a good job decreasing their opponents steals. OSUs opponents are 34-43 in stolen base attempts thus far; last years opponents were 57-67 in 55 games.
BEYSTER RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD: Junior Tarrah Beyster was named the NFCA National Player of the Week for the week of April 12-18. During that week, Beyster helped the Beavers to a 7-1 record. She batted .375 (6-16) with four home runs (including the game-winner in a 1-0 win over California) and 10 RBI. She was intentionally walked six times. In the circle, Beyster went 4-1 with two saves and a 1.73 ERA. She pitched complete game shutouts over Cal and Washington.
THREE BEAVERS EARN PAC-10 PITCHER/PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS: Three Oregon State players have combined for four Pac-10 Pitcher and Player of the Week honors this season. Freshman Crystal Draper has been named Pitcher of the Week twice, on April 19 and March 9. Junior Tarrah Beyster was Pitcher of the Week on April 13, and senior Jodi Chmielewski was Player of the Week on March 23. Beyster has earned a total of five Pitcher and Player of the Week honors for her career, while Chmielewski has been Pac-10 Player of the Week twice at OSU.
TOURNAMENT DOMINANCE: OSU finished first or second in four of its five tournaments this season. The Beavers went 6-0 to claim top honors at the Troy Cox Classic at New Mexico State and went 5-0 at the UNLVClassic, where the Beavers were co-champions with UCLA. In addition, the Beavers finished second (behind UCLA) at the Fresno State Classic and were also second at the Paradise Classic (host Hawaii was first). Four Beavers have been named to various All-Tournament Teams this season; Tarrah Beyster was the MVP of the Troy Cox Classic and she was an All-Tourney selection at the Paradise Classic as well. Shawna Feldt also was named to the Paradise Classic All-Tournament Team, and Jodi Chmielewski earned All-Tournament honors at the Troy Cox Classic. Crystal Draper was an All-Tournament Team selection at the Fresno State Classic.
THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: Selections for the 48-team NCAA Tournament will be announced on Sunday, May 16. A total of 24 conferences, including the Pacific-10, have automatic bids, and an additional 24 at-large berths will be awarded. The regional competitions will take place from May 20-23 on the campuses on participating institutions. The winners of each of the eight regional tournaments will advance to the Womens College World Series, set for May 27-31 at Don Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
OREGON STATE IN POSTSEASON PLAY: Oregon State has not advanced to postseason play since 1981, when the Beavers finished fifth at the AIAW Division II tournament. OSU made five straight post-season appearances from 1977-1981. The Beavers competed at the Division I level at the 77, 78 and 79 tournaments and competed at the Division II level in 1980 and 1981 competitions. The Beavers went back to Division I status in 1982.
