Softball Travels to Fullerton for Louisville Slugger Invitational
February 26, 2014 | Softball
Feb. 26, 2014
Louisville Slugger Invitational Notes 
The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Fullerton, Calif. for the Louisville Slugger Invitational. Louisville is slated to open the tournament on Friday, Feb. 28 against Northwestern and host Cal State Fullerton. The Cards will continue play on Saturday, when they match up with UC Santa Barbara and fifth-ranked UCLA. UofL will close out the weekend against Oregon State Sunday.
Louisville Softball Quick Hits
• Louisville enters the fourth week of the 2014 season with an 8-6 record and receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball and USA Today/National Fastpitch Coaches Association polls.
• Junior transfer Brittany Duncan, a transfer from Valparaiso, has been walked 14 times in 14 games. The designated player has a .394 batting average and reached base in every game via a hit or a walk.
• Fellow junior centerfielder Kelsi Jones transferred to Louisville from Missouri and has had an immediate impact this season. She carries a .378 batting average with two home runs, nine RBIs and is 4 for 4 in stolen bases.
• Senior Rachel LeCoq (2-3) carries a 3.41 ERA and has 34 Ks in 37.0 innings of work.
• Louisville will be competing in the American Athletic Conference this season after spending the last eight years in the BIG EAST. The Cardinals are the coaches' preseason favorite to win the conference.
• Head coach Sandy Pearsall is in her 15th season at UofL. She started the program in 2000 and is the only head coach in UofL Softball history, guiding the program to a 561-280 record.
Last Up
UofL is coming off of a 4-1 performance in the Cardinal Classic. Louisville defeated Northern Kentucky 11-2 in its home opener, but fell 4-0 to Eastern Kentucky in the second game of the day. On Saturday, the Cardinals rebounded to defeated IUPUI 12-1 and then scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to overome a 2-0 deficit and beat Central Michigan 3-2. UofL wrapped up the weekend with an 8-0 win over Northern Kentucky.
Arion Named to American Athletic Conference honor roll
Whitney Arion was named to the American Athletic Conference weekly honor roll on Feb. 24. Arion helped the Cardinals to a 4-1 record on the weekend. The junior batted .400 (6 for 15) with six RBIs and four runs. She registered a double, a triple and a home run to help account for a .800 slugging percentage. Arion had at least one hit and one RBI in all four of the Cardinals' wins. With Louisville down 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh, her two-run double tied the game against Central Michigan and she came around to score the winning run in that game.
She also played perfect defense in all five games - she did not commit an error while splitting time between shortstop and third base.
Becker Shines in Cardinal Classic
Freshman Maryssa Becker registered some career `firsts' in the circle and at the plate while helping the Cards to a 4-1 record in the Cardinal Classic. The rookie notched her first collegiate win against Northern Kentucky and went on to post a 3-0 record in five appearances on the weekend, striking out 13 and allowing one earned run in 9.1 innings for a 0.75 ERA and held opponents to a .216 batting average. Becker also helped her cause offensively, posting an .833 average (5 for 6) with two RBIs and three runs.
Cards Against the Louisville Slugger Tournament Field
Northwestern
Series Record: Louisville leads 3-1
Last Meeting: March 23, 2007 - UofL upset No. 7/8 Northwestern 5-4 at Ulmer Stadium in the Women4Women Softball Invitational.
Scouting the Wildcats: Northwestern enters the weekend with a 10-4 record and receiving votes in both coaches' polls. Last weekend, NU posted a 3-2 record at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Ca. The Wildcats began the weekend with a 4-2 win over No. 3 Washington, followed by an 11-9 loss to No. 18 Oklahoma, a 4-2 win over San Diego State and a 14-1 win versus LIU Brooklyn. Northwestern closed the weekend by losing to No. 15 Baylor 4-0.
The Wildcats are led offensively by Andrea Filler, a transfer from Boston College, and Marisa Best. Filler leads the team with a batting average of .405, including 13 RBIs. Best is hitting .390 and leads the team with 18 RBIs, 2 home runs and has added 14 runs scored. Pitcher Kristen Wood leads the team with a 5-2 record in 43.1 innings pitched with 47 strikeouts.
Northwestern finished last season with a 31-22 record, including a 12-10 league mark and a fifth place finish in the Big Ten Conference.
Cal State Fullerton
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: March 20, 2010 - No. 23/24 Louisville defeated the host Titans 6-2 in the Judy Garman Classic.
Scouting the Titans: Cal State Fullerton enters the weekend with a record of 11-5 and is receiving votes in both coaches' polls. Last weekend the Titans were in Cathedral City, Ca. at the Mary Nutter Classic where they faced three Top 25 opponents. Fullerton started by beating No. 15 Baylor 6-1, and followed it with an 8-1 loss to No. 23LSU and an 8-0 loss to No. 24 Notre Dame. The Titans finished the weekend with a 10-3 win over Boise State.
Missy Taukeiaho leads the team offensively hitting .396 with 11 RBIs, four home runs and 15 runs scored. Gabby Aragon leads the team with 12 RBIs and is hitting .333 with two home runs. 2013 All-Big West Freshman Pitcher of the Year Jasmine Antunez (5-3) carries a 3.27 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 40.2 innings pitched.
Fullerton was picked to finish third in the eight-team Big West Conference after finishing with a 28-28 (13-11 Big West) overall record in 2013. The Titans finished third in the Big West last year in Kelly Ford's first season as head coach
UC Santa Barbara
Series Record: First meeting
Scouting the Gauchos: UC Santa Barbara enters the weekend with a 9-4 record after finishing last weekend with a 3-1 record at the Unconquered Classic in Tallahassee, Fla. The final game of the weekend scheduled against Florida A&M was cancelled due to severe thunderstorms. The Gauchos began with three straight wins; 2-1 over Wichita State and 15-1 and 3-2 over Northern Iowa before falling to Florida State by a 5-2 score.
The Gauchos feature a well balanced offense that is led by Arianna Palomares who is hitting .477 with 11 runs scored. Lauren Boser and Shelby Wisdom lead the team with nine RBIs each and Stacy Cavazos leads with three home runs. Junior pitcher Shelby Wisdom is 4-3 with a 2.39 ERA, 25 strikeouts and six complete games in 55.2 innings pitched.
Santa Barbara was picked to finish fourth in the 2014 Big West Preseason Coach's Poll after ending last season with a 31-24 overall record and a fourth place league finish.
UCLA
Series Record: UCLA leads 2-0
Last Meeting: May 18, 2013 - UCLA defeated Louisville 19-5 in an elimination game at the NCAA Louisville Regional.
Scouting the Bruins: UCLA enters the weekend No. 5 in the latest NFCA and USA Softball rankings with an undefeated 16-0 record. Last weekend the Bruins went 5-0 at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Ca. UCLA began with a 3-2 victory over No. 13 Oklahoma and followed it with a 4-3 win versus No. 16 Missouri and a 10-5 win over Maryland. On the final day the Bruins prevailed 6-2 over No. 11 Nebraska and 13-0 versus New Mexico.
Delaney Spaulding leads the offense with a .432 batting average, including 13 RBIs and 20 runs scored. Mysha Sataraka is hitting .333 and leads the team with 22 RBIs and three home runs. Junior Pitcher Ally Carda is 9-0 carrying a 0.40 ERA. Carda leads the team with 68 strikeouts and has five complete games and four shutouts.
UCLA started the season ranked No. 13 in the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and No. 16 in the USA Today/NFCA rankings. The Bruins were picked to finish fourth in the Pac-12 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bruins finished last season with a 40-20 overall record and lost to UAB in the finals of the Louisville Regional.
Oregon State
Series Record: UofL leads 3-1
Last Meeting: March 1, 2008 - Louisville won 2-0 at the Fullerton Worth Invitational
Scouting the Beavers: Oregon State enters the weekend with a 5-11 overall record after finishing 2-3 last weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic in Cathedral City, Ca. The Beavers opened the weekend with losses to Boise State, 10-2, and No. 18 Oklahoma, 11-3. OSU followed that up with a 9-1 win over Virginia and an 11-3 win versus Pacific, before closing out the weekend with a 5-1 loss to No. 2 Tennessee.
Dani Gilmore is hitting .391 and leads the offense with 12 RBIs, five home runs and 16 runs scored. Kori Nishitomi is hitting .391 with 11 runs scored and Kylie Padilla adds 11 RBIs and one home run with a .304 batting average. The Beavers are led in the circle by Amanda Najdek (3-6) who carries a 4.26 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 49.1 innings pitched.
Oregon State was picked to finish eighth in the 2014 Pac-12 Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing last season with a 34-24 overall record and making their 11th NCAA Regional appearance.
NOTE: Oregon State is UofL head coach Sandy Pearsall's alma mater. She was an outfielder for the Beavers from 1982-84.
Up Next
The Cardinals will return to Ulmer Stadium for the Red & Black Classic March 7-9. The tournament will feature Massachusetts, Ohio University, Illinois State and Ohio State.
Louisville Receiving votes the in coaches' polls
• Cards in ESPN.com/USA Softball rankings
After going 4-1 in the Cardinal Classic, Louisville is receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball top 25 for the second straight week. The Cards opened the 2014 season at No. 18 and dropped to No. 23 in week two.
• UofL finished the 2013 season at No. 23 in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll after posting a 47-13 record and earning its tenth-straight NCAA tournament bid and the No. 15 overall seed in the tournament for the second consecutive season. After making their 2013 debut at No. 18 in the preseason rankings, the Cards went on to spend three weeks in the top 10, matching the highest ranking in program history on April 23.
• Louisville recorded program-best No. 7 ranking for the first time on May 15, 2012. The Cardinals were ranked in the top 10 for the final five weeks of that season.
• Prior to Feb. 18, 2014, the Cardinals spent 32 straight weeks in the USA Softball Top 25 rankings dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season.
• Cards in USA Today/NFCA rankings
For the second straight week, UofL is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll released on Feb. 25. The Cardinals opened the season at No. 19 and dropped to No. 25 in the second week.
• Louisville finished the 2013 season at No. 19 in the final USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll after posting a 47-13 record and earning its tenth-straight NCAA tournament bid and the No. 15 overall seed in the tournament for the second consecutive season. • Last season, the Cards debuted at No. 18 and went on to tie their program high at No. 8 on April 23. The Cards spent three weeks in the top 10 and five weeks at No. 11 in 2013.
• Prior to Feb. 18, 2014, Louisville has appeared in the NFCA top 25 rankings 33 straight weeks dating back to the beginning of the 2012 season.
Keller Selected as Candidate for the 2014 Softball Senior CLASS Award®
The University of Louisville's Katie Keller was selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2014 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate softball.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition.
She becomes the second UofL softball player to be named to the Senior CLASS Award list, joining Kristi Cunningham who earned the honor in 2009.
About the Senior CLASS award
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The candidate class will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season, and those names will be placed on the official ballot. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one finalist who best exemplifies excellence in the four Cs of community, classroom, character and competition. The Senior CLASS Award winner will be announced during the 2014 NCAA Women's College World Series® in Oklahoma City May 29 through June 4.
Keller Named to Top 50 "Watch List" for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year
Katie Keller was named to the Top 50 "Watch List" for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year as announced by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball on Jan. 29.
• The pre-season "Watch List" includes 24 seniors, 20 juniors and six sophomores, with freshman ineligible for consideration. (Freshman can be considered for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award once they have competed at the collegiate level.) Athletes named to the "Watch List" represent 36 NCAA Division I universities and 12 athletic conferences.
The Top 25 Finalists for the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 9. While an athlete does not have to be on the "Watch List" to be considered for the Top 25, the eventual USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will come from the Top 25 Finalists. The Top 10 Finalists will be announced May 7 and the Top 3 Finalists will be announced May 21. On May 27 prior to the start of the 2014 NCAA Women's College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the 2014 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed.
Cardinals earn College Sports Madness Preseason Honors
Senior second baseman Katie Keller was named to the College Sports Madness preseason All-America second team. The website also named Keller the preseason American Athletic Conference Field Player of the Year and freshman pitcher/first baseman Maryssa Becker was tabbed Rookie of the Year. UofL's Sandy Pearsall was named the preseason conference Coach of the Year by College Sports madness.
Keller joins fellow senior Rachel LeCoq on the CSM preseason All-AAC first team. Seniors Caralisa Connell and Hannah Kiyohara were named to the second team.
Cards Tabbed 2014 American Athletic Conference Preseason Favorites
UofL was chosen as the preseason favorite in 2014 American Athletic Conference Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll, as selected by the conference's eight head coaches.
Louisville received six of seven possible first place votes for 48 total points to take the honor.
The conference's teams all begin play in March, with the eight teams looking toward the inaugural American Athletic Conference Softball Championship. Held at the Cougar Softball Field on the campus of the University of Houston May 8-10, the Championship will take the form of a single-elimination bracket. The quarterfinal and semifinal matchups will all be broadcast live on The American Digital Network, with the final featured live on ESPNEWS.
2014 American Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
School (First Place Votes) Points
1. Louisville (6) 48
2. USF (2) 44
3. Houston 37
4. UCF 29
5. Rutgers 23
6. UConn 15
Memphis 15
8. Temple 13
Tough Slate
The Cardinals' 2014 slate features 12 teams who played in the 2013 NCAA tournament including five top 25 teams: No. 5/5 UCLA, No. 6/4 Michigan, No. 8/8 Kentucky. The Cardinals will also play 27 games at the newly-expanded Ulmer Stadium. Additionally seven teams on the schedule were receiving votes in the preseason polls.
Louisville is also set to play their lone season in the American Athletic Conference before moving to the ACC in 2015.
