Softball Set to Open 2011 Season at Texas Invitational
February 09, 2011 | Softball
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
Feb. 9, 2011
The University of Louisville softball team will open the 2011 season Feb. 10 at the Texas Invitational. The Cards will face a tough test to start the season against No. 15 host Texas on Thursday. The Cards will play Northern Illinois Friday and Tulsa Saturday.
Louisville at Texas Invitational Schedule
Thursday, Feb 10
Louisville vs Texas 7:30 pm
Friday, Feb 11
Louisville vs Northern Illinois 5:00pm
Saturday, Feb 12
Louisville vs Tulsa Noon
Semi Final #2 vs Semi Final #3 5:00pm
Semi Final #1 vs Semi Final #4 7:30pm
Sunday, Feb 13
Consolation 11:00am
Championship 1 p.m. All times Eastern
About Louisville: The Cards are coming off of a sucessful 2010 campaign. U of L posted a 41-19 record, finished runner-up in the BIG EAST Conference tournament and earned their seventh consecutive NCAA tournament bid. Back from last year's team are 14 letterwinners including reigning BIG EAST Conference Player of the Year, senior Chelsea Bemis along, with all-conference team members Tori Collins, Kristin Austin, Colby Wherry and Alicja Wolny. The returning players will be joined by five talented freshmen. Louisville is receiving votes in both preseason national coaches polls.
Sophomore Jordan Trimble leads the returners with a .309 batting average in 2010. In her rookie campaign, Trimble belted out 15 doubles, four home runs and 38 RBI. Fellow sophomore Alicja Wolny followed at .308 with a team-best 20 doubles and 28 RBI. Senior Chelsea Bemis closed out last season with a .299 average, 13 homers and 46 RBI while fellow senior Colby Wherry was close behind, batting .298 with nine doubles and 32 RBI.
In the circle, the Cardinals will look to junior Tori Collins who is coming off of a solid sophomore season in which she posted an 18-6 record, 2.24 ERA and struck out 163 batters.
Cards Against the Field
Texas
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: March 21, 2010- U of L won 3-1 at CS-Fullerton
Scouting the Longhorns: Texas is No. 15 in both preseason coaches' polls. The Longhorns are coming off of a 43-15 campaign in which they won the Big12 conference title and hosted an NCAA regional.
Sophomore pitcher Blaire Luna was the Big 12 Pitcher and Freshman of the Year after posting a 30-10 record and a 1.39 ERA (second in the Big 12) in 46 appearances and 242.1 innings of work. Luna is on the 2011 USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award by the Amateur Softball Association of America.
Taylor Hoagland also returns after leading the team with a .382 average and 17 stolen bases and scoring 41 runs, 11 home runs and 29 RBI. Nadia Taylor finished with a .368 average, 33 RBI and 39 runs.
Northern Illinois
Series Record: Louisville leads 2-0
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2010 - U of L won 5-3 at Ulmer Stadium
Scouting the Huskies: Northern Illinois registered a 25-34 overall record in 2010. Back from last year's team are pitcher Morgan Bittner, who posted a 19-16 record and a 2.82 ERA with 182 strikeouts and Zoe Sinner who led the team with a .336 batting average, 11 home runs and 34 runs. Adriana Sanchez also returns after batting .305 with eight homers and 29 RBI.
Tulsa
Series Record: First meeting
Scouting the Golden Hurricane: Tulsa is coming off of a 31-21 campaign in 2010 in which the Golden Hurricane posted a second place finish in Conference USA. All-C-USA team members Samantha Cobb and Caitlin Everett return to lead Tulsa after batting .328 and .353 respectively. Kalynn Schrock looks to lead in the circle after registering a 10-5 record and a 2.60 ERA.
Louisville Picked to Finish Third in BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
The University of Louisville softball team was picked to finish third in the 2011 BIG EAST Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll. Notre Dame was the preseason favorite and DePaul was picked to finish second.
Louisville garnered 123 points to earn the No. 3 spot in the preseason coaches' poll. The Cardinals went 41-19 in 2010 and were 16-6 in league play. Louisville, the 2010 BIG EAST Championship runner-up, returns five All-BIG EAST selections, including 2010 BIG EAST Player of the Year Chelsea Bemis. The senior third baseman led all players in BIG EAST games in slugging percentage (1.032), home runs (11) and total bases (65). She hit .413 in conference play with 26 hits and 29 RBI. Along with Bemis, The Cards also return all-conference team members Tori Collins, Kristin Austin, Colby Wherry and Alicja Wolny.
This season's BIG EAST Championship returns to Louisville, Ky., for the fourth straight season. The three- day tournament begins on May 12 with four quarterfinal games. The championship game on May 14 at 5 p.m. will be televised live on ESPN2.
2011 Season Outlook
Pitchers
The Cardinals enter the 2011 season with a rotation of three pitchers: junior Tori Collins, sophomore Chelsea Leonard and freshman Caralisa Connell.
Collins brings experience and leadership to the circle after posting an 18-6 record and earning All-BIG EAST Conference honors. Sophomore Chelsea Leonard also returns after an injury-shortened freshman campaign in which she posted a 4-2 record in 16 appearances before suffering a season-ending injury.
The Cards welcome freshman Caralisa Connell to the rotation. Pearsall has high expectations for the rookie from Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Catchers
The Cardinals will have a void to fill with the graduation of two-time All-America selection Melissa Roth. Senior Chelsea Bemis has seen some time at catcher, serving as Roth's backup in 2010 and could be called upon to suit up behind the plate. Sophomore Sarah Anderson spent her freshman year as a back-up for All-American Melissa Roth and could also fill in at catcher if needed.
Freshman Maggie Ruckenbrod will likely see a great deal of time at catcher after a strong performance in the fall. Freshman Taner Fowler could also see time at catcher as well as number of other positions.
First base
Louisville returns its starting first baseman sophomore All-BIG EAST selection Alicja Wolny who is coming off of a solid freshman year in which she batted .308 with a team-leading 20 doubles. Bemis could also serve as a backup at first.
Second base Second base could feature a platoon of players as the Cards settle into the season. Sophomore Katelyn Mann saw some time at second last season and could resume the role this year as well.
Freshman Katie Keller could also see time at second and has impressed the coaching staff with her early performance. Freshman Hannah Kiyohara is another option the Cards can look to play second base.
Third base
Louisville welcomes the return of 2010 BIG EAST Player of the Year third baseman Chelsea Bemis. The senior finished last season with 13 home runs, 46 RBI and a .299 batting average and Pearsall expects her to pick up where she left off last year. Katelyn Mann has proven to be a capable third baseman and could also see time there. Freshmen Taner Fowler and Katie Keller could also fill in at third base.
Shortstop
Rounding out the infield is senior Colby Wherry. The three-year starter and two-time All-BIG EAST selection drove in 32 runs while batting .298 as a junior. Freshmen Hannah Kiyohara and Katie Keller could also step in at shortstop if needed.
Left field
Senior Christina Roesel will also make the transition from infield to left field where Pearsall expects her to flourish. Sophomore Jennifer Esteban earned a starting position in left field last season. She led the team with 18 stolen bases and scored 36 runs while batting .288. Mann may also try her hand in left field after serving as an infielder her freshman year.
Center field
The Cards are likely to see a new centerfielder this season. Sophomore Jordan Trimble was the team's starting second baseman last year and posted solid offensive numbers, batting .309 with 38 RBI and 28 runs. The coaches have tabbed her to anchor the outfielders this season. Junior Tesha Paysen has gained experience as an outfielder over the past two seasons and has impressed the coaching staff with her defensive skills.
Right field
Junior Kristin Austin will move back to right field where she played as a freshman. The two-time All-BIG East selection led the team with five triples and scored 30 runs last season. The Cards can also look to sophomore Chelsea Jordan to play right field. Sophomore Chrisanna Roberts also gained outfield experience in the fall and could see time in right field.
The Road Ahead
The Cardinals will match up against four teams which finished last season ranked in the top 25 as well as nine 2010 NCAA tournament participants.
"This is a challenging schedule against some top-level teams," said Pearsall. "We have our work cut out for us, but I am confident in our returning players and look forward to the contribution of our newcomers."
For the fourth year in a row, Ulmer Stadium has been chosen as the site of the BIG EAST championship. The league's top eight teams will compete for the BIG EAST crown May 12-14, 2011.
