Softball Set for NCAA Regional
May 13, 2009 | Softball
May 13, 2009
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
The University of Louisville softball will open NCAA tournament play against Purdue Friday at 6 p.m. No. 7/6 Arizona and UT Martin will kick off the Louisville regional at 4 p.m. Friday.
Louisville Regional Schedule
Friday, May 15
Game 1 - Arizona vs. UT-Martin - 4 p.m.
Game 2 - Louisville vs. Purdue - 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 17
Game 3 - Winners Game 1/Game 2 - 10 a.m.
Game 4 - Losers Game 1/Game 2 - Noon
Game 5 - Loser Game 3/Winner Game 4 - 3 p.m
Sunday, May 18
Game 6 - Winners Game 3/Game 5 2 p.m. ET
Game 7 - If necessary - Rematch of Game 6 - 4 p.m.
Ticket prices
Berm
$7 - Single Session
$20 - All Tournament
Reserved
$10 - single session
$25 All-Tournament Pass
Students with ID
$5 single session
$15 - All-Tournament Pass
About Louisville
The Cards (47-9, 19-5 BIG EAST) earned their sixth consecutive NCAA berth with an at-large bid after finishing third in the BIG EAST Conference and reaching the league semifinals. U of L has set a school record for wins (47) and runs (308). With an NCAA RPI of 15, the Cardinals were awarded the NCAA regional for the first time in program history.
Louisville stands in at No. 19 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association and No. 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, marking the 13th consecutive week in the top 25. The Cards are hitting a healthy.318 as a team with seven starters above the .300 mark. Junior catcher Melissa Roth leads the pack with a .431 batting average. The leadoff hitter also has a team and conference-best 62 runs and 16 homers.Sophomore third baseman Chelsea Bemis follows with a.382 average and 16 doubles. Sophomore shortstop Colby Wherry rounds out the top three at .362 with 27 runs and 31 RBI.
Junior RHP Kristen Wadwell has been a workhorse for the Cardinals, posting nation-leading 40-8 record and a 1.39 ERA in 298 0 innings of work. She also has 244 strikeouts and is limiting opponents to a .207 batting average. Wadwell owns the single season (40) and career (74) records for wins.
Louisville Against the Field
Purdue Boilermakers (#3 Seed in the Louisville Region)
Series Record: Louisville leads 2-1
Last Meeting: February 14, 2004, Louisville won 5-0 in the North Carolina Triangle Classic. Audrey Rendon went 3 for 3 and Kady Garrick tossed her first career shutout for the Cards.
Scouting the Boilermakers: Purdue is making its second consecutive NCAA tournament appearance after earning the program's first bid in 2008. The Boilermakers enter the regional with a 29-18 record, including a 12-8 Big Ten mark, good for sixth in the Big Ten standings and the program's best league record since 1997. The Boilermakers defeated four top teams in the 2009 season including No. 4 UCLA, No. 18 Texas A&M, No 10 Northwestern and No. 14 Ohio State. The Boilermakers have won nine of their last 13 games, including victories over the Wildcats and Buckeyes.
Purdue is led offensively by Liane Horiuchi who is batting .348 with 39 runs and ranks fourth in the nation with 38 stolen bases. Candace Curtis follows with a .305 avearage and a team-leading 27 RBI. Katie Mitchell has belted out 10 home runs on the season. Suzie Rzegocki (23-11) carries a 1.40 ERA with 184 strikeouts in 224.2 Notes: Louisville Associate Head Coach Carol Bruggeman joined the Cardinal coaching staff after serving as the Boilermakers' head coach from the start of the program in 1994 until 2005. During that time, she led Purdue to 380 wins.
• The Cards are 3-2 against Big Ten teams this year. The Cards have wins over Michigan (3-2/8; Minnesota (3-2/8); and Indiana (6-1). Louisville lost to Michigan (2-3/8) and Ohio State (2-3).
UT Martin Skyhawks (#4 Seed in the Louisville Region)
Series Record: Louisville leads 2-0
Last Meeting: March 3, 2001 - Louisville won 8-0 and 3-2 in a doubleheader at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Skyhawks: UT Martin (38-22) is making its first NCAA tournament appearance after compiling a 13-10 record in the in the Ohio Valley Conference and capturing their first-ever OVC championship in last week's OVC Tournament. The conference tournament win earned them the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament field of 64. Joining the Skyhawks in the tournament will be OVC regular-season champion Jacksonville State, marking the first time that the league has gotten multiple bids into the tournament.
The Skyhawks are led offensively by Megan Williams, who is batting .340 with 37 runs and 34 RBI. Jenny Bain follows at .325 with a team-best 14 homers, 42 runs and 34 RBI. Kara Harper (20-8) carries a 1.70 ERA with 98 Ks in 193.2 innings. Paij Lintz (11-7) has a 1.91 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 128.1 innings of work. She is holding opponents to a .220 batting average.
• The Cards are 4-0 against OVC teams this season with wins over Jacksonville State (6-0), Tennessee Tech 12-1 and 7-2), and Eastern Kentucky (7-0).
#6/7 Arizona Wildcats (#1 Seed in the Louisville Region/Overall #9 Seed)
Series Record: Arizona leads 6-2
Last Meeting: Feb. 15, 2002 - Arizona won 6-2 in the Arizona Pepsi Challenge. Lovieanne Jung went 2 for 2 with a double and Leneah Manuma had a three-run homer as the host, and then-top ranked Wildcats, beat the Cards 6-2. Louisville's Melissa Jacobo belted out a two-run home run in the game.
Scouting the Wildcats Arizona, eight-time NCAA champion, is appearing in its 23rd consecutive NCAA tournament. No strangers to postseason play, the Wildcats have won eight national titles and have 20 WCWS appearances under their belts.
Arizona (41-14) went 13-7 in Pac-10 play and finished third third behind champion UCLA and Washington. The Wildcats were ranked No. 6 in the USA Today/NFCA poll and No. 7 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll last week. The Wildcats have one of the most potent offenses in the nation, ranking second with a .339 batting average, first in scoring with 8.23 runs per game and leads the nation with 126 home runs. Four Wildcats rank in the top 25 in homers including: Stacie Chambers (1st - 38), Jenae Leles (2nd - 22), Brittany Lastrapes (6th - 17) and Samantha Bannister (25h - 14).
Brittany Lastrapes leads the team offensively with a .458 average, 18 double and 71 runs. Lauren Schutzler follows at .420 with 40 runs and 21 RBI. Stacie Chambers has belted out 28 homers and 86 RBI. Sarah Akamine (19-6) carries a 2.37 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 153.1 inning of work. Notes: Arizona is the overall ninth seed in the nation and the top seed in the Louisville region. Head coach Mike Candrea recently retire as head coach of USA Softball after leading the United States to a gold medal in 2004 and, most recently a silver medal in Beijing.
Louisville in the NCAA Tournament
The Cardinals have earned six consecutive NCAA tournament bids, but this is the first time Louisville has been selected as a regional host site. U of L has compiled a 6-9 record in regional action and is 2-3 in first round games.
Cards in the NCAA (6-9)
2008 - at Knoxville (1-2)
#16 Virginia Tech 1 - Louisville 0 (10 inn.)
Louisville 4 - Winthrop 1
#13 Tennessee 8 - Louisville 1
* Virginia Tech dvanced to the WCWS
2007 - at Michigan (1-2)
Louisville 8 - #15 Oregon State 0 (5 inn.)
#10 Michigan 6 - Louisville 3
#15 Oregon State 11 - Louisville 4
2006 - at Tennessee (2-2)
Virginia Tech 1 - Louisville 0 (12 inn.)
#19 Louisville 3 - Tennessee Tech 0
#19 Louisville 10 - Virginia Tech 1 (5 inn.)
#5 Tennessee 8 -#18 Louisville 1
* Tennessee advanced to the WCWS
2005 - At Notre Dame (1-2)
Notre Dame 3 - Louisville 2
Louisville 5 - Albany 4
#18 Northwestern 8 - Louisville 2
2004 - At UCLA (1-2) -
Cards earn first at-large bid in program history
Louisville 1 - Missouri 0 (8 innings)
#4 *UCLA 2 - Louisville 0
#17 Long Beach State 3 - Louisville 2
* UCLA was the 2004 NCAA champion
Roth Selected for USA Softball National Team Selection Camp
Melissa Roth has been selected to participate in the 2009 USA Softball National Team Selection Camp. The junior from Long Beach, Calif., becomes the first Louisville player to receive the invitation in the 10 year history of the program.
The selection camp will take place June 8-12 at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. The 2009 National Team will be selected from participants at this camp. Over the summer, USA Softball will compete in the Canada Cup (July 3-12 - Surrey, B.C., Canada), World Cup IV (July 13-20 - Oklahoma City, Okla.), Japan Cup (July 28-Aug. 3 - Sendai City, Japan) and the Pan Am Games Qualifier (July 29-August 10 - Maracay, Venezuela).
Barlow, Wadwell Selected to All-BIG EAST Tournament Team
Designated player Patrika Barlow and pitcher Kristen Wadwell were selected to the BIG EAST All-Tournament team. Barlow started both games and helped lead the Cardinals offensively with a .400 batting average (2 for 5) and scored a run. Wadwell posted a 0.54 ERA and went 1-1 in the tournament, pitching every inning for the Cardinals and striking out 13.
Cards Fall to Notre Dame in BIG EAST Semifinals
Notre Dame scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and handed No. 17/18 Louisville its first shutout of the season as the Irish picked up a 3-0 win in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Softball Championship at Ulmer Stadium. Brittney Bargar stymied the Cardinal offense, holding them scoreless for the first time this season while scattering three hits and fanning three in seven innings.
Kristen Wadwell (40-8) suffered the loss, giving up three runs, only one earned, on eight hits and striking out seven in six innings.
• Prior to Friday's game, the last time the Cards were shut out was on April 20, 2008 - when DePaul beat them 1-0 at Ulmer Stadium.
Cards Open BIG EAST Tournament with 4-0 win over Connecticut
Junior Kristen Wadwell went the distance to notch her 11th shutout of the season while giving up eight hits and fanning six. She also became the first pitcher in the NCAA to reach the 40-win mark this year. Connecticut's Rachael Crossin took the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on six hits with seven strikeouts.
Cardinal senior Patrika Barlow highlighted Louisville's offense, going 2-for-2 with a walk while scoring a run. Louisville junior Melissa Roth drove in two RBI during her 1-for-2 showing at the plate.
Roth Named BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year
Seven Cards earn league honors
Catcher Melissa Roth was named BIG EAST Player of the Year. She joins Chelsea Bemis, Kristen Wadwell on the all-league first team, while Kristin Austin, Kristi Cunningham, Vanessa James, and Colby Wherry were selected to the second team.
The regular season awards and 37 All-BIG EAST selections were announced at the conference's annual championship banquet at the Marriott Louisville Downtown on May 6.
Roth becomes the first Louisville player in program history to be named the BIG EAST Player of the Year. The junior led the Cardinals in virtually every offensive category this season including team-high numbers in batting average (.436), home runs (16), RBI (49), runs scored (62), slugging percentage (.878) and on-base percentage (.564). Roth's 1.174 slugging percentage in league play was the conference's best. She was most recently named BIG EAST Player of the Week on May 4, giving her four of the weekly honors on the season. Roth hit .545 during the last week of the season, scoring six runs on six hits with two RBI and two home runs. She is a two-time All-BIG EAST Conference selection.
Card Notes
• U of L is making its sixth consecutive NCAA regional appearance in the 10 year history of the program. This will be the first time Louisville has served as a regional host site.
• Louisville has a 12-5 record against teams in the 2009 NCAA tournament field. The Cards have wins over Auburn, Bradley, BYU, DePaul, Florida A&M, Jacksonville State, Kentucky (twice), Miami (OH), Nevada, North Carolina, Notre Dame. The Cards' losses have come against DePaul, Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame (twice).
• Melissa Roth holds the single season record with 62 runs, surpassing Audrey Rendon's mark set in 2005.
• Kristen Wadwell now owns the school records for single season wins (40) and career wins (75).
• The Cardinals are an impressive 26-2 at Ulmer Stadium this season. The 3-0 loss to Notre Dame on May 8, snapped a 19 game win streak, dating back to March 14.
• U of L is in its 13th consecutive week in the national rankings. The Cards rejoined the top 25 on Feb. 17, after a two-year absence and reached as high as No. 14 - a program-best.
• The Cardinals have outscored their opponents 308-126
• Louisville set a new record for single season runs with 308, surpassing the 2005 total of 300
• U of L has a 5-0 record in extra inning games
• Kristen Wadwell leads the nation with 40 wins and now owns Louisville's single season and career marks for victories.
• Louisville leads the BIG EAST in team batting average (.322), hits (483), runs scored (308), doubles (81), triples (17), ERA (1.81) and and wins (47)
•Melissa Roth leads the conference in runs scored (62). Roth also leads the league in slugging percentage (.873) and home runs (16).
• Junior Vanessa James tied a school record with two triples against Albany (2/21). She has seen time at second base, in the outfield and at designated player. She now has a conference-best five triples on the season.
• Kristen Wadwell (40-7) has shouldered the majority of the pitching duties, logging 298.0 innings and posting a 1.39 ERA with 244 strikeouts. Freshman Tori Collins (7-1) has a 3.44 ERA with 18 starts in 77.1 innings of work.
• Senior centerfielder Kristi Cunningham is second on the school's all-time home runs list with 31. Courtney Moore holds the record with 42.
• Senior Kassie Stanfill snapped a 14 game hitting streak in the March 29, 6-1 win over Seton Hall. Prior to that, Stanfill had been tied for third for the longest hitting streak in Louisville program history. The longest hitting streak was 16 and was held by Coleen Coughlin in 2001.
Cardinals Among Nation's Best
U of L is tied for second with Alabama for the most wins in Division I softball at 47. Top-ranked Florida leads the pack with 55, while Florida Gulf Coast is third with 46 and North Carolina is fifth with 45.
Wadwell, Cunningham Earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Honors
Kristi Cunningham and Kristen Wadwell earned ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District IV honors. Cunningham was named to the first team, while Wadwell was a second-team honoree.
To be eligible for All-District status, players must have at least a 3.30 GPA with at least sophomore standing, both academically and athletically, and completed at least two semesters at current institution. They also must have played in at least 50 percent of the team's games. All first-team selections have the opportunity to be selected as a national Academic All-American.
Cunningham, a senior outfielder from Gallatin, Tenn. Carries a 3.83 GPA in Exercise Science/Pre-Nursing. She is now a three-time All-District IV selection after being named to the second team as a sophomore and a junior. The two-time team captain carries a .308 batting average with 12 home runs and 42 RBI. The four-year starter has 31 career homers placing her second on the school's all-time list. She is also ranked among the top five in career runs scored (112) and RBI (118). Cunningham is a two-time All-BIG EAST selection.
Wadwell, a junior pitcher from Sydney, Australia, boasts a 3.82 GPA in Psychology and Exercise Science. This season, she has compiled a nation-leading 40 wins. She also carries a 1.39 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 11 shutouts. Wadwell owns several school records including career wins (74) and single season wins (40) and strikeouts in a game (16). She earned BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week honors three times this year is a three-time all-league selection.
Cardinals Set New Record for Wins - Now with 47
U of L's 6-5 victory over Notre Dame gave the Cards a school record 46th win. They surpassed the previous record of 45, set in 2006 when the Cards went 45-11 and advanced to the NCAA regional finals.
• The 7-0 victory over Eastern Kentucky on April 29 tied the school record.
•The 8-2 decision over Syracuse on April 19 gave Louisville its 40th victory of the season, marking the fourth 40 win campaign in the 10 year history of the program.
Stanfill and Cunningham - Been There Done That
Seniors Kassie Stanfill and Kristi Cunningham were freshmen on the 2006 Louisville team that set the record for wins with 45. That team cracked the top 25 for the first time, achieved the highest school ranking at 17, won the BIG EAST regular season championship and advanced to the NCAA regional finals for the best finish in school history.
As seniors, they have led the Cards to 47 wins, have been a mainstay in the top 25 for 13 straight weeks, peaking at a new program-high 14 on March 24 and are poised to make the school's sixth straight NCAA appearance.
Wadwell Owns Career Wins Record
Kristen Wadwell tossed a two-hitter to get the complete game win in Louisville's 8-2 win over Syracuse on April 19. The win gave her the career wins record, surpassing Catherine Bishop's mark of 67 (2004-07). She now has 40 wins.
Roth on the Run
With 62 runs on the season, Melissa Roth now holds the single season record for runs. In the April 19, 8-2 win over Syracuse, Roth scored two runs to surpass Audrey Rendon's mark of 50 set in 2005. She is currently third on the career list with 139 runs.
Wadwell Sets Single Season Wins Record
In the April 14, 9-4 win over Middle Tennessee, Kristen Wadwell picked up the win in four innings of relief to set a new record for single season wins with 31. She surpassed Catherine Bishop's record set in the 2005 season.
In the 6-5 win over Pittsburgh, junior Kristen Wadwell tied the school record for single season wins with 30.
Wherry Tough to Strike Out
Colby Wherry is currently the toughest players in the nation to strike out according to the NCAA statistical rankings on May 10. She went the first 35 games of the season without striking out... until the April 3 game against Villanova when she fanned twice, once against VU starter Caitlyn Delahaba and then reliever Megan Hord.
After fanning against UConn's Rachael Crossin in the BIG EAST quarterfinals, Wherry now has three Ks in 163 at bats.
Louisville on the National Scene As of May 12, the Cardinals are ranked among the nation's leaders in several categories. As a team, Louisville is tied for second in winning percentage (0.839), 13th in batting average (.318), 23rd with a 1.81 ERA , 22nd in scoring (5.50 runs per game) and 18th in slugging percentage (0.484). Kristen Wadwell leads the nation with 40 wins, is 12th with 11 shutouts. Colby Wherry leads the `toughest to strike out' category with three strikeouts in 163 at bats. Melissa Roth is 7th in runs per game (1.11) and 6th in on-base percentage (0.558). Vanessa James is 17th in the nation with five triples.
Bombs Away
The Cardinals have hit 46 home runs this season, more than doubling last year's total of 21. In fact, Louisville has now belted out the second most home runs in a season. The school record is 57, set in 2005. Melissa Roth leads the team with 16 home runs,Kristi Cunningham has 12 and is second on the school's all-time list with 31.
There's No Place Like Home
The Cardinals have been tough at home this season posting a 26-2 record at Ulmer Stadium. Louisville's first home loss came at the hands of No. 14/16 Ohio State on March 14. They strung together 19 more wins before fall 3-0 to Notre Dame on May 8 in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Tournament. The loss also marked the only time the Cards have been shut out all season and the first time they have been held scoreless at home since April 20, 2008.
Austin Named U of L Freshman of the Year
Kristin Austin was named University of Louisville Female Freshman Athlete of the Year at the Cardinal Athletics All-Sport Banquet Monday, April 27.
Austin earned a starting role as an outfielder early in the season and has played in 52 of Louisville's 56 games with 48 starts. She leads the team with 17 stolen bases, is second with 39 runs and fourth on the team with a .352 batting average.
Cards Earn NCAA Academic Performance Program Recognition
The University of Louisville's softball team, along with the men's indoor track program earned special recognition with the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program (APP) public recognition awards released on Wednesday April 22.
The NCAA is honoring NCAA Division I sports teams that posted multiyear Academic Progress Rates in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport.
Working Overtime
The Cardinals are 5-0 in extra inning games this season. Below is a list of the extra inning game results.
Feb. 15 UL 6 - Virginia 5, 8 innings @UNLV Desert Classic
March 7 UL 3 - Michigan 2, 8 innings @ Ulmer Stadium
March 14 UL 3 - Minnesota 2, 8 innings @ Ulmer Stadium
March 20 UL 5 - USF 4, 9 innings @ Ulmer Stadium
April 25 UL 4 - Georgetown 2, 8 innings @ Ulmer Stadium
Roth's Grand Slam in the Books
In the April 10, 5-2 win over Pittsburgh, Melissa Roth recorded her first career grand slam and the ninth in program history. The only other active player on the roster with a grand slam is Brittany York, how registered one on March 30,2007 against Villanova.
Cards Earn Highest Rankings in Program History
On March 24, the Cardinals moved to No. 14 in the USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and were at No. 16 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and coaches polls released on Tuesday, March 23. The Cards were also No. 14 in the Ultimate College Softball rankings.
The rankings marked the highest in program history in each of the polls. The Cards matched their highest rankings on March 17, when they were No. 15 in the NFCA poll and No. 16 in the USA Softball rankings. They were also No. 17 and 18 respectively in the 2006 season. This is their first year in the UCS poll.
Pearsall Reaches 600 Wins
On March 22, 2009, the University of Louisville defeated Rutgers 9-0 in game two of a BIG EAST Conference doubleheader. With the win, U of L head coach Sandy Pearsall reached 600th career victory Pearsall is in her 23rd year as a head coach, and her tenth season since starting the program at U of L where the Cards have compiled a 369-213 record.
Wadwell Sets School Record for Strikeouts in a Game
In the March 16, 3-2 win over Eastern Michigan, Kristen Wadwell set a new school record with 16 strikeouts in the game, breaking Aja Sherman's mark set on March 25, 2005 against Western Kentucky.
Roth Sets New Home Run Record
Melissa Roth set a school record with three home runs in Louisville's 12-3 win over Albany. She also tied a school record with four runs. Her six RBI fell one short of tying a school record.
Bruggeman Gets 500th Career Win On Feb. 14, the Cards defeated No. 18/21 Nevada 3-2 in the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. With the victory, Associate head coach Carol Bruggeman reached her 500th career win. She has been Louisville's Associate Head coach since 2006 and spent 12 years as the head coach at Purdue, where she started the program and amassed 380 wins.
