Softball Wraps Up Regular Season at Portland State; Hosts No. 24 Washington, No. 3 UCLA
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LOOKING AHEAD — The Oregon State softball team (26-29, 4-14 Pac-10) wraps up the regular season heading to Portland on Tuesday to face Portland State (30-27, 13-7 PCSC) before heading back to the OSU Softball Complex for the final Pac-10 series. The Beavers host No. 24 Washington (26-21-1, 5-12 Pac-10) on Thursday at 3:00 p.m. before a pair of games against No. 3 UCLA on Friday and Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m.
Saturday is Senior Day, where lone senior Cambria Miranda will be honored for her record-setting four years at Oregon State. The celebration will take place after the game ends.
TRACKING THE BEAVS — Full results from this week’s games can be found through the newly redesigned www.OSUBeavers.com. Live stats are available for all four games through Gamewatcher. Gamewatcher can be found by clicking on the link found under "Live" on the main athletic website page or by accessing the 2008 Oregon State softball schedule.
GAME 56: PORTLAND STATE — Tuesday, May 6 (6:00 p.m.): Oregon State holds a 2-1 edge over the Vikings this season after winning the first two meetings, but dropping the third, 3-1. The Beavers hold a 74-30-1 advantage all-time, 35-8 under head coach Kirk Walker.
Portland State swept Santa Clara last weekend in Pacific Coast Softball Conference play, racking up 21 total runs in the four-game series and giving up only two runs. Three batters are hitting above .300 for the Vikings, led by junior Jana Rae Slayton’s .339 average with five doubles, one triple and five home runs with 58 total hits on the season and a team-leading 32 RBI. In the circle, senior Mandy Hill boasts a 2.67 ERA with a 17-15 record to lead all pitchers. The right-handed pitcher has five complete-game shutouts and 169 strikeouts on 215.1 innings pitched. Portland State wraps up its season against Oregon State.
GAME 57: NO. 24 WASHINGTON — Thursday, May 8 (3:00 p.m.): Oregon State is 14-40 all-time against the Huskies after splitting the two-game meeting earlier this season.
Washington is currently on a four-game losing streak after falling in 3-0 decisions to Arizona State and Arizona twice last weekend at home. Freshman Jace Williams and junior Alicia Blake are a couple of the Huskies’ top hitters each with 10 doubles and 48 total hits. Williams boasts 32 RBI and 27 runs, while Blake has a team-high six home runs. As a pitching staff, Washington holds a 2.21 ERA led by freshman Aleah Macon with a 1.89 ERA and 15-13 overall record. The right-handed pitcher has 229 strikeouts with 115 coming in conference play.
GAMES 58 & 59: NO. 3 UCLA — Friday and Saturday, May 9 and 10 (3:00 and 12:00 p.m.): Oregon State 9-74 all-time against the Bruins after dropping a 3-0 decision earlier this season on the road.
The Bruins dropped their final home game to Arizona State last Sunday, snapping a five-game winning streak, but the team moved up in the polls to No. 3 with junior Amanda Kamekona receiving not only Pac-10 Player of the Week honors but NFCA and USA Softball Player of the Week honors as well after batting .600 with three home runs and five RBI last weekend. On the season, freshman Samantha Camuso leads UCLA at the plate with a .382 average with 15 doubles and a pair of triples and home runs with 55 total hits. Senior Anjelica Selden and freshman Donna Kerr share the majority of the work in the circle with Selden boasting a 22-3 overall record and Kerr with a 14-2 record. Both pitchers have under a 1.00 ERA. Selden has six complete-game shutouts and three combined with 249 strikeouts, while Kerr has five complete-game and combined shutouts and 132 strikeouts.
LOOKING BACK AT LAST WEEK — Oregon State was unable to capture a win in week 13, despite playing three close games against Oregon and Stanford.
Freshman Erin Guzy went a perfect 3-for-3 against Stanford on Sunday, reaching on all four plate appearances, earning her first three-hit game, 10th multi-hit game of the season. She extended her hitting streak to six, two games shy of her career-long.
Junior Paige Lowe and freshman Audrey Roderfeld both had a game each where they went 2-for-3. Roderfeld added a home run in Sunday’s game to force it into extra innings, despite an injury from a collision at the plate in Friday’s game that kept her out of Saturday’s game.
Sophomore Dani Chisholm earned a pair of hits in Sunday’s game as well, going 2-for-4. Chisholm recorded a new career-high six putouts in center field with her previous best being four, which she tallied twice.
DODGE CIVIL WAR SERIES — Oregon State took not only the 2008 softball series but the overall Dodge Civil War Series, 8-7, on Apr. 18, with a 3-1 win over the Ducks. The Beavers won in Eugene earlier this season in a 7-4 decision. Visit www.oregonlive.com/sites/civilwar to see the full results of this year’s series.
PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK — After her .538 average performance, 1.154 slugging percentage, freshman Audrey Roderfeld was named the Pac-10 Player of the Week for the week of Mar. 11-17. The honor was Roderfeld’s first, first Oregon State honoree of the season and 33rd all-time.
RPI RANKING — Oregon State currently is ranked 75th in the latest RPI release on Tuesday, May 6. The Beavers continue to inch their way up the rankings after initially receiving a 80th place ranking in the initial release and being ranked as high as 68th.
POINTS IN THE POLL — Oregon State received top 25 rankings in both the USA Today/NFCA Division I Preseason Top 25 Poll and the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Preseason Poll. The Beavers were ranked 18th in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, while sitting in the No. 19 spot in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll. After going 4-6 to start the season, the Beavers received votes in the USA Today/NFCA Poll, while dropping out of the ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll.
LOW STRIKEOUT STEFANIE EWING — With 93 at bats recorded thus far on the season, junior Stefanie Ewing has chalked up a low seven strikeouts and hadn’t recorded a single strikeout through the first 46 games. Starting 36 games, the catcher/designated player has 20 hits, five doubles, one home run and 15 RBI. The right-handed batter has also drawn 13 walks. Ewing’s strikeout number helps the Beavers boast the second lowest amount of strikeouts in the conference with 225 thus far on the season.
MARK ON MIRANDA — Senior Cambria Miranda was named to the 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Top 50 Watch List, announced Jan. 30 by the Amateur Softball Association. Miranda is a two-time All-American, three-time All-Pacific Region First Team selection and three-time All-Pacific-10 Conference First Team honoree. The 2008 Pre-Season Watch List is comprised of 50 players representing 34 schools and 14 different NCAA Division I Conferences.
DRAPER GETS ANOTHER YEAR — Pitcher Stefanie Draper was awarded her true freshman season back by the NCAA after battling injury during the 2007 season. She appeared in three games last season for four innings of pitching, facing 15 batters, and played in one game as the designated player. Draper is considered a redshirt freshman eligibility-wise for the 2008 season.
HOLLADAY HANGS OUT FOR A SEASON — Freshman pitcher Karmen Holladay will redshirt her true freshman season. Holladay is scheduled for surgery and will rehab for the rest of the 2008 season. She was the 2007 Oregon Pitcher of the Year at Corvallis High School.
CHASING RECORDS — Senior Cambria Miranda set a new school record for runs scored on Saturday, Mar. 22, tallying a new best of 151 during the 2008 season and is knocking on the door of breaking more career offensive records. Miranda is 26 RBI, 27 hits, 12 doubles, 10 triples and 12 home runs away from breaking school records in all five categories. She already holds the school records for most runs scored (52) and most home runs (16) scored in a single season.
PAC-10 PREVIEW — Two-time defending NCAA National Champion, Arizona, barely edged out Arizona State in the Pac-10 Preseason Coaches Poll. The Wildcats and Sun Devils both received four first-place votes with Arizona receiving 45 total votes to Arizona State’s 44. Oregon State was picked to finish seventh with a five-vote edge over in-state rival, Oregon. Seven Pac-10 teams were voted into the two top 25 preseason polls with Cal being the only team not receiving top status.
TICKET INFORMATION — Tickets are available for home softball games by walk-up purchase only at the OSU Softball Complex. Ticket prices are $6 for adults and $4 for seniors and children. Admission is free for Oregon State students with valid ID card.
2007 RECAP — In Oregon State head coach Kirk Walker’s 13th season with the Beavers, the program continued to flourish. The Beavers made their ninth straight postseason appearance in 2007 advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament, ending the season 41-23 overall, 10-11 in Pac-10 play. They finished the season ranked 15th in the nation, having been ranked as high as 13th during the season. Seniors Natalie Johnson, Mia Longfellow, Sherina Galvan, Ta’Tyana McElroy and Brianne McGowan helped Oregon State to the first Women’s College World Series appearance in school history, one NCAA Super Regional appearance, four trips to the NCAA Regional Tournament and a Pac-10 title. Shortstop Longfellow and pitcher McGowan helped further establish the senior class’ accomplishments by breaking a combined nine records in 2007. Longfellow now holds the career records for at bats (775), runs scored (141), hits (242), singles (192) and stolen bases (57). McGowan finished her career at Oregon State breaking records for the most shutouts (36), wins (100), saves (13) and strikeouts (862).
OSU SOFTBALL COMPLEX — The Oregon State softball complex opened in April of 2001. The $1.5 million dollar complex features 750 bleacher backed seats, a concession and restroom facility, as well as one of the top playing surfaces in the nation. The sunken dugouts each contain a restroom for players as well as large storage areas. The press box facility, one of the best in the Pac-10, allows ample seating for six scorers in the main booth with two smaller television/radio booths located on both sides. A state-of-the-art sound and public address system are housed in the press box. Oregon State has hosted six fall tournaments since the OSU Softball Complex opened in 2001. The facility was home of the 2006 NCAA Regional and Super Regional Tournaments - with Oregon State winning both, and earning its first ever trip to the NCAA Women’s College World Series. Additional bleacher seating was added for the NCAA postseason games and a plan is in the works to add lights to the facility for the 2008 season.
