Softball Set for NCAA Regional
May 18, 2011 | Softball
May 18, 2011
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -
Complete Game Notes in PDF Format 
Fans may follow the championship action at Louisville Regional Central
The University of Louisville softball team will host the NCAA softball regional May 20-22 at Ulmer Stadium. The Cards (36-18) will face Illinois-Chicago (25-22) Friday at 7:30 p.m., while California (39-10), the tournament's overall seventh seed, and Jacksonville State (39-19) will kick off Friday's action at 5 p.m. This marksU of L's eighth consecutive NCAA tournament bid and the second time it has hosted an NCAA regional.
The winner of the Louisville regional will advance to the Super Regional to play winner of the Ann Arbor Region which features the tournament's tenth overall seed Michigan who will face Western Michigan in their first round game with Notre Dame and Kentucky also in that bracket.
About Louisville
Louisville received an at-large bid after posting a 36-18 overall record and a runner-up finish in the BIG EAST Conference tournament. The Cards are led by sophomore Alicja Wolny who is batting .368 with 37 RBIs and 24 runs. Seniors Colby Wherry and Chelsea Bemiss are tied for second on the team with a .358 average. Wherry has six home runs with 25 RBIs and 21 runs, while Bemis has a team-best 10 homers and 45 RBIs.
Junior Tori Collins (16-10) carries a 2.27 ERA and is holding opponents to a .198 batting average with 168 strikeouts in 166.2 innings.
Cards in the NCAA
Louisville is making its eighth straight NCAA appearances and has a 9-14 overall record in the tournament - advancing to the finals in 2006 and 2010 - both times at the Knoxville Regional.
Cards Against the Field
Illinois-Chicago (25-22)
Series Record: Tied 1-1
Last Meeting: March 15, 2009 Louisville won 6-3 at Ulmer Stadium
About the Flames: UIC (25-22) is making its ninth appearance in the NCAA tournament and holds a 12-15 record in regional play. The Flames defeated Butler 5-3 to win the Horizon League title Sunday.
UIC is led at the plate by Carly Demarco who is hitting .358 with a team-best 30 runs and 11 stolen bases. Coryn Schmit has 10 home runs and 32 RBIs. Devin Miller (17-17) carries a 2.47 ERA with 222 strikeouts in 235.1 innings of work. Note: UIC pitching coach, Amanda Scott, is the older sister of Louisville pitching coach Courtney Scott. Amanda Scott led Fresno State to an NCAA title and was the World Series MVP in 1998 as a pitcher, while Courtney, a former catcher for California, helped lead the Bears to the 2002 title and a runner-up finish in 2003.
No. 5/7 California (39-10)
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: March 24, 2007 - Louisville won 12-2 at Ulmer Stadium
About the Bears: No. 5/7 California (39-10) earned the tournament's No. 7 overall seed. The Bears are playing in their 26th consecutive NCAA tournament, the second-longest streak in the nation. Cal has played in 10 NCAA Women's College World Series, making it last appearance in 2005. The Bears won the National Championship in 2002 and made three consecutive title game appearances from 2002-04.
Cal finished second in the Pac-10 Conference, behind the No. 1 national seed Arizona State. The Bears defeated No. 10 Arizona 6-3 in the final game of conference play to finish with 15-6 mark in league play. The Pac-10 placed seven teams in the 64-team NCAA field.
The Bears are led offensively by Jamia Reid, who is batting .428 with 40 runs and 29 stolen bases. Jolene Henderson carries a 0.81 and is tied for the most wins in the nation with a 34-7 record. The sophomore has 276 strikeouts in 277.1 innings and is holding opponents to a .180 batting average.
Note: Louisville pitching coach Courtney Scott was an NFCA All-American catcher at California where she was a captain and four-year starter. During her time there, Scott helped lead the Golden Bears to four Women's College World Series appearances including the 2002 national title and a runner-up showing in 2003.
Jacksonville State (39-19)
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: Feb. 21, 2009 - Tampa, Fla. (USF Tournament)
About the Gamecocks: Jacksonville State claimed the Ohio Valley Conference title with a 9-5 win over Southeast Missouri State on Sunday. The Gamecocks make their fourth-consecutive trip to the NCAA Regionals and their fifth overall. They won the 2009 Knoxville Regional and advanced to the title game of the 2008 Tuscaloosa Regional.
The Gamecocks are led at the plate by Kristin Graham who is batting .348 with 13 home runs, 35 RBIs and a team-best 42 runs. Amanda Crow leads team with 16 homers and 49 RBIs. Tiffany Harbin (24-10) has a 2.50 ERA with 258 strikeouts in 207.1 innings of work. She is holding opponents to a .203 batting average.
The Deal with the Cards
• Freshman Katie Keller recently snapped a 16-game hitting streak in the 9-5 loss to Syracuse on May 7, but not before tying the school record held by Coleen Coughlin set in 2001. Earlier this season, Alicja Wolny came up just shy with a 15-game hitting streak.
• The Cards' 12 game winning streak (spanning March 26-April 13) was the fourth longest in school history. The 2006 team holds the record of 17 games (April 22-May 13, 2006).
• Sophomore Jennifer Esteban is a perfect 17-for-17 in stolen bases this season and is currently on a streak of 20 perfect attempts dating back to last season.
• The Cardinals have made eightstraight NCAA appearance dating back to the program's first appearance in 2004. U of L started its program in 2000.
The " Courtney Scott Invitational"
The field in the Louisville Regional must look familiar to Louisville pitching coach Courtney Scott. The Cards' first opponent, Illinois-Chicago, features her sister, Amanda, as the Flames' pitching coach. Amanda Scott led Fresno State to an NCAA title and was the World Series MVP in 1998 as a pitcher. Courtney, a former catcher for California - the seeded team in the regional - helped lead the Bears to the 2002 title and a runner-up finish in 2003. While they have faced each other as players, this will be the first time the sisters have coached against each other in on the collegiate level.
While playing for Cal, Courtney Scott was an NFCA All-American catcher, team captain and four-year starter. During her time there, Scott helped lead the Golden Bears to four Women's College World Series appearances including the 2002 national title and a runner-up showing in 2003.
There is no known connection between Louisville pitching coach Courtney Scott and Jacksonville State.
Card Place Six on All-BIG EAST Teams
U of L placed six players on the All-BIG EAST Conference teams. Alicja Wolny, Katie Keller and Hannah Kiyohara were selected to the first team, Caralisa Connell earned second team honors, while Colby Wherry and Jennifer Esteban were named to the third team. The all-conference teams were selected by coaches and based on performance in league play.
Wolny, a sophomore first baseman, carried a .403 batting average with five doubles in BIG EAST play. The Cards' first baseman posted nine runs and nine RBI and is a two-time All-BIG EAST selection.
Freshman second baseman, Keller batted .400 with a team-best five home runs. Her 23 RBIs are tied for fourth in the conference has scored 21 runs - ranking sixth in the league. The second baseman recently snapped a school-record 16 game hitting streak.
Kiyohara, a freshman right fielder, led the team with a .481 average and was third among all hitters in BIG EAST Conference action. The freshman right fielder also scored 12 runs and registered 13 RBIs.
Connell, a freshman pitcher posted a 9-3 record and a 2.39 ERA. She is third with 90.2 innings pitched, 78 strikeouts and nine wins against conference opponents.
This is Wherry's fourth All-BIG EAST selection. The senior shortstop batted .328 with two home runs, eight RBIs and seven runs against BIG EAST opponents.
Esteban, a sophomore leftfielder batted .358 with 13 runs and four stolen bases in league play. She is also tied for first with two triples in league play.
Cards Runner-Up in BIG EAST Championship
Junior Tori Collins struck out 10 and surrendered only one run, but the University of Louisville softball team could not push a run across against BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Jenna Caira as Syracuse edged the Cards 1-0 in the finals of the BIG EAST Conference Championship.
The fifth-seeded Cards opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over fourth-seeded USF. Louisville followed with a 6-0 upset of top-seeded, No. 18/24 Notre Dame to reach the finals. Collins pitched every inning for the Cards in the tournament.
Collins, Colby Wherry, Chelsea Bemis and Maggie Ruckenbrod were named to the All-BIG EAST Tournament team.
Cards hit 30-win mark for eighth straight season
This marks the eighth straight season the Cardinals have won 30 or more games (dating back to the 2004 season). Coincidentally, the Cards have also reached the NCAA tournament seven straight years. In the 12-year history of the program, the Cards have posted at least 30 wins 10 times and 40 or more wins seven times - including the past two seasons.
Connell sets new freshman record
Caralisa Connell got her 18th win of the season in the 2-1 victory over Connecticut on April 13. She surpassed Jessica Rak's mark of 17 set in 2000 - Louisville's inaugural season. Connell currently has 142 strikeouts, Rak holds the freshman record at 152.
Bemis owns career RBI record
On April 16, senior Chelsea Bemis delivered a sacrifice fly in the 8-5 loss to No. 24 Notre Dame to become the school's sole career RBI leader at 175 - she surpassed Courtney Moore's (2004-07) mark of 174. She now has 187 career RBIs.
Walk this way
Senior Chelsea Bemis now holds the record for career walks with 110. She drew a walk in the April 3, 9-3 win over Seton Hall to give her 103, surpassing Courtney Moore's previous mark of 102 which has stood since the 2007 season.
Wherry joins the 200 Hits Club
On April 10, Colby Wherry had a pair of hits in the 10-3 win over Pittsburgh to earn her 200th career hit. She becomes the seventh player in program history to record 200 hits. She currently has 216 and is seventh on the all-time hits list - eight behind teammate Chelsea Bemis.
Ruckenbrod throwing down
Freshman catcher Maggie Ruckenbrod picked off two runners in the first game of the Pitt doubleheader. She now has 10 on the season and owns the single game, season and career records for runners picked off.
Hitting for average - underclassmen stepping up to the plate
Louisville is batting .318 as a team with seven active players batting at, or above .300. Alicja Wolny leads the way at .368 with Chesea Bemis and Colby Wherry tied at ..358. Hannah Kiyohara follows closely at .353.Jennifer Esteban (.335), Katie Keller (.325), and Maggie Ruckenbrod (.311) round out the players hitting over .300.
Five of the Cards' top seven hitters are underclassmen Kiyohara, Keller and Ruckenbrod, are freshmen while Wolny and Esteban are sophomores. Sophomore Jordan Trimble was also batting .410 before suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
Senior leadership
This year's senior class, Chelsea Bemis, Christina Roesel and Colby Wherry were honored during the Providence series. As a class, they have compiled 157 wins, been to four-straight NCAA tournaments, and were ranked in the top 25 the past two seasons.
Captains Chelsea Bemis and Colby Wherry comprise the left side of the infield at third base and shortstop respectively. Both are four-year starters and have turned in solid performance both offensively and defensively this season. Bemis is third on the team batting .358 with a team-best 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. Wherry also carries a .358 average with 21runs and 25 RBIs.
Both Bemis and Wherry will leave their marks in the Cardinal record books. They are currently tied for sixth in career games played with 226 and tied for fifth in career games started. They are also in the top 10 in several offensive categories including hits, doubles, RBIs and walks.
Bemis a Member of the 200 Hits Club
On March 30, Chelsea Bemis blasted solo home run in the 13-2 win over DePaul to notch her 200th career hit, becoming the sixth player in program history to record 200 hits. She currently has 224 and is tied for fifth with All-American Lacy Wood (2003-06). Audrey Rendon holds the school record with 283.
Cards in NCAA Standings The Louisville softball team is among the top performers in the nation in doubles per game and batting average. Senior Chelsea Bemis, freshman Katie Keller and junior Tori Collins are also ranked in the top 20 in the latest NCAA stats released on May 17.
As team the Cardinals are 16th with 1.52 doubles per game and 22nd in team batting average (.318). Bemis stands in at tenth with 0.35 doubles per game (19/54). Keller is seventh with five sacrifice flies. Collins is ranked 19th with 10 shutouts.
