Softball Set for Mary Nutter Classic

The University of Louisville softball team will travel to Cathedral City, Calif., for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 2 where four of the Cardinals' next five opponents are ranked among the top 25 in the nation. Louisville will kick off the tournament Thursday against No. 9/9 Arizona and No. 4/5, defending national champion Oklahoma. Friday's action will feature a matchup against No. 21/RV BYU. The Cards will wrap up the weekend against RV/No. 21 California and Cal State Fullerton Saturday.

Dates: Feb. 17-19, 2017
Location: Cathedral City, Calif.
Television: FloSoftball.com
FloSoftball Live Streaming Link: http://bit.ly/2m3FGBs
Tournament Central: MaryNutterClassic@wordpress.com
Twitter Updates: @UofLSoftball

Louisville Schedule at Mary Nutter Classic 2*
Thursday, February 23
Louisville vs. Arizona - 10:00 a.m.
Louisville vs. Oklahoma - 12:30 p.m.
Friday, February 24
Louisville vs. BYU - 10:00 a.m.
Saturday, February 25
Louisville vs. California - 12:30 p.m.
Louisville vs. CS-Fullerton - 6:00 p.m.
* All times PST

Quick Hits
• Louisville brings a 7-2 record into the weekend after a 3-1 showing at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Last weekend, the Cardinals defeated Ohio State 9-0 and Purdue 6-5 on day one followed by a 9-1 victory over Purdue Saturday. Ohio State stopped Louisville's four-game win streak by beating the Cards 4-3 Sunday.
• Junior Nicole Pufahl leads the team with a .417 batting average. Senior Maryssa Becker follows at .385 with a team-best three home runs. Sophomore Megan Hensley paces the squad with 16 RBIs while sophomore Sidney Melton has scored a team-leading 12 runs.
• Becker (6-1) also leads the Cards in the circle with a 0.94 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .185 batting average.
• UofL is receiving votes in the most recent ESPN.com/USA Softball top 25.
• Louisville was picked to finish second in the ACC Preseason Coaches' poll.
•Becker has been named to several preseason watch lists, including College Softball Madness, DI Softball News and Fastpitch News. She was also featured among ESPNW's top 25 NCAA Softball players (at No. 15).
• The Cardinals are coming off of a 35-17 campaign in 2016 and posted a 13-8 mark in ACC play to finish second in the league's regular season standings.
• Sandy Pearsall enters her 18th season as UofL's head coach. After building the program from scratch in 2000, Pearsall has guided the Cardinals to six conference championships. Under her watch, Louisville has made 13 consecutive NCAA regional appearances and served as a host site in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

Cards against the opponents
Arizona
Series Record: Arizona leads 3-0
Last Meeting: March 18, 2010 - Arizona won 11-3 in the Judy Garmen Classic held at Fullerton.
Scouting the Wildcats: Arizona enters the weekend with an 11-0 record and ranked No. 9 in both the USA Today/NFCA and the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. UofA is coming off of a 6-0 performance in their Wildcat Invitational where they outscored opponents 58-4.
•Arizona is hitting a hefty .384 as a team with eight starters batting over .300 on the season. Dejah Mulipola leads the way with a blistering .593 with three home runs and 17 RBIs. Alyssa Palomino has belted out three homers and has a team-best 18 RBIs.
• Danielle O'Toole (6-0) carries a 0.37 ERA with 39 strikeouts in 38.0 innings. Taylor McQuillin (3-0) has a 1.17 ERA and has 28 Ks in 18.0 innings.

Oklahoma
Series Record: OU leads 5-3
Last Meeting: March 23, 2013 - Louisville upset top-ranked Oklahoma 5-1 in the first game of a doubleheader in Norman, Okla. The Sooner took the second game 9-1.
Scouting the Sooners: Defending NCAA champion Oklahoma (6-2) stands at No. 4 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll and No. 5 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. The Sooners are coming off of a 4-0 performance at the Houston Classic where they picked up wins over Incarnate Word, Ole Miss and Houston (twice).
• Nicole Pendley leads the team with a .433 average, 10 home runs and 10 RBIs. Shay Knighten follows with a .417 batting average and Caleigh Clifton rounds out the top three hitters at .400.
• Paige Parker (2-1) carries a 2.37 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 23.2 innings. Paige Lowary (2-1) follows closely with a 2.53 ERA and 19 Ks in 19.1 innings of work.

BYU
Series Record: BYU leads 2-1
Last Meeting: May 20, 2016 - BYU won 6-4 in an elimination game at the 2016 NCAA Columbia Regional.
In that game, McKenna Bull surrendered four earned runs and struck out five to get the win while Libby Suggs had a two-run single and a three-run homer to lead the Cougars at the plate.
•Megan Hensley took the loss after giving up four earned runs in two innings of relief. The Cards got home runs from Maryssa Becker and Nicole Pufahl, but fell short in a late-inning rally.
Scouting the Cougars: BYU is ranked No. 23 in the USA Today/NFCA Softball Collegiate coaches poll and receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball top 25. The Cougars brings a 5-2 record into the weekend after a 3-0 showing at the DeMarini Desert Classic in Las Vegas. Last week, the Cougars picked up wins over Hawaii, Texas State and Nevada. BYU's only losses of the season have come at the hands of No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 2 Auburn.
• Rylee Jensen, the current West Coast Conference Player of the Week, is hitting .500 (12 for 24) on the season with seven doubles and five runs. Lexi Tarrow follows at a .467 clip while Caitlin Alldredge is hitting .400 with a team-best eight RBIs. McKenna Bull (4-0) carries a 2.55 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 24.2 innings. Kerisa Viramontes were named West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week after tossing a no-hitter in the 8-0 win against Nevada.

California
Series Record: California leads 2-1
Last Meeting: May 21-22, 2011 - Cal won 4-0 on May 21 at the Louisville Regional in the NCAA tournament. The Bears prevailed 4-0 in the regional finals on May 22.
Scouting the Bears: California enters the weekend with a 7-1 overall record prior to a midweek matchup against St. Mary's (California). The Bears are No. 21 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 and receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches poll. Cal is coming off of a 3-0 performance at last week's Mary Nutter Classic I where they picked up wins over Illinois, Loyola Marymount and Kent State.
• Jazmyn Jackson leads the Bears offensively with a .393 batting average, seven doubles and nine RBIs. Lindsay Rood follows with a .350 mark and a team-best nine runs on the season.
• Zoe Conley (3-1) carries a 2.45 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 36.2 innings and is holding opponents to a .212 batting average. Katie Sutherland-Finch (3-0) and Stephanie Trzcinski (1-0) have also posted wins for the Bears.

CS-Fullerton
Series Record: Louisville leads 1-0
Last Meeting: March 20, 2010 - Louisville won 6-2 in the Judy Garmen Classic at Fullerton.
Scouting the Titans: Cal State Fullerton brings a 4-5 record into the Mary Nutter Classic prior to Wednesday's doubleheader with CS Bakersfield and Thursday's matchup with Houston. The Titans are coming off a 3-2 showing at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. After dropping the first game to Texas Tech, Fullerton rattled off three straight wins over Mississippi State, Florida Gulf Coast, and Texas Tech. The Titans lost their final game to Fresno State in a 12-11 eight-inning thriller.
• Kelsey Kessler was named Big West Pitcher of the week after posting 13 strikeouts and a 1.11 ERA in 13-plus innings of work, including a complete game against Mississippi State. She carries a 1.84 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 26.2 innings pitched.
• Trisha Parks (2-2) sports a 3.98 ERA in 19.1 innings and has amassed 21 strikeouts.
• Alexis Gonzalez leads the Titans at the plate with a .348 average, a homerun and six RBIs. Delynn Rippy follows with a .345 batting average.

Up Next
Louisville will open play at Ulmer Stadium next weekend when the Cards play host to Indiana State, Green Bay and Bowling Green in the Red & Black Tournament which will kick off a 14-game home stand.

Last Weekend
The Cardinals posted a 3-1 record in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge held in Chapel Hill, N.C.
• On the weekend, junior Nicole Pufahl led the Cards with a .700 batting average (7-for-10). The centerfielder registered a double and a home run for a 1.100 slugging percentage and posted a .727 on-base percentage.
• Sophomore Megan Hensley collected eight RBIs, two home runs, including a her second career grand slam. She had at least one hit in every game and multiple RBIs in three of the four games. The designated player/pitcher went 2-for-4 in Friday's 6-5 win over Purdue and hit a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh for the walkoff victory. Hensley hit a grand slam in the 9-0. On the weekend, she posted a1.091 slugging percentage and .538 on-base percentage.
• Maryssa Becker led the Cardinals to three wins in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge last weekend. The senior did not allow an earned run (0.00 ERA) and struck out 11 in 12.0 innings of work, including a complete game shutout against Ohio State. She scattered seven hits, while holding opponents to a .167 batting average. She also picked up the win with two innings of relief in the 6-5 victory over Purdue and tossed a complete game in the 9-1 victory over Purdue on Sunday.
• In the Chapel Hill region of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, Becker led all pitchers with a 0-0 ERA and a 3-0 record and gave up the fewest hits (seven). She also stood second in strikeouts.
• Becker helped her cause offensively by hitting .429 (3-for-7) and scoring a team-best five runs and while driving in two. She was walked six times and reached base in each game via a walk or hit to tally a .692 on-base percentage.

Dual Threats
Two of Louisville's top offensive threats also double as the Cards' Nos. 1 and 2 pitchers. Senior Maryssa Becker leads the team with three home runs and an .808 slugging percentage. Sophomore Megan Hensley is hitting .345 and has accounted for a team-high 16 RBIs while Becker follows closely with 15.
• In the circle, Becker (6-1) carries a 0.94 ERA with 21strikeouts in 29.2 innings of work and is holding opponents to a .185 batting average with two shutouts on the season, while Hensley (1-1) has a 3.55 ERA and eight Ks in 21.2 innings with a .198 opponent batting average.

The duo is picking up where it left off last season. Below are their accomplishments in 2016.
• Becker led the team with 16 multi-RBI games and 15 multi-hit games. Hensley was right behind her with 14 and 15 respectively.
• The two combined for 23 of Louisville's 37 home runs and 112 of its 281 RBIs.
• Becker was a 2016 All-ACC first team selection while Hensley earned second team honors.
• Hensley was a two-time ACC Co-Pitcher of the Week while Becker has earned the honor once this season.
• Hensley earned NFCA All-Southeast Region third team honors.

Hitting for average
Louisville is hitting .317 as a team with six starters hitting above .300 on the season. Junior centerfielder Nicole Pufahl leads the way with a .417 average while senior pitcher/designated player Maryssa Becker and junior catcher follow at .385. Junior shortstop Sidney Melton carries a .382 batting average, sophomore Megan Hensley is hitting .345 and senior left fielder Jordan McNary rounds out the top six with a .333 mark.

Becker Sets Single Game RBI Mark
In the Cards' 13-2 win over CSU Bakersfield on Feb. 10, Maryssa Becker connected on an RBI single, a three-run homer and a grand slam, producing eight RBIs and setting a school record. She surpassed the previous record (7) held by Katie Keller (twice in 2013) and Melissa Jacobo (2002).

Becker Earns 50th Career Win
On Feb. 12, senior Maryssa Becker tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout to help the Cardinals to a 1-0 win over Indiana State. The victory marked the 50th of Becker's career, moving her to sixth on Louisville's all-time list. She now has 53 wins and needs 12 more move into a tie for sixth along with Jessica Rak (2000-03). Kristen Wadwell (2007-10) owns the record with 94 wins.

Homegrown Talent
The Cardinals' roster featured nine (of 19) players from the commonwealth of Kentucky. Caitlin Ferguson (Fr., INF, Versailles, Ky./Woodford County), Lillie Goetz (So., INF, Owensboro/Owensboro Catholic), Shelby Graybill (Fr., INF/C, Ft. Thomas, Ky./Highlands), Megan Hensley (So., P/UT, Ashland/Paul Blazer), Jordan McNary (Sr., OF, Madisonville/Hopkins County Central), Morgan Meyer (Sr., OF, Louisville/Mercy), Ashley Nikolao (Jr., UT, Flaherty/Meade County), Michala Riggle (So., C/1B, Louisville/Christian Educational Consortium), Jordan Vorbrink (So., OF, Louisville/Mercy).

Record watch
Senior Maryssa Becker is ranked among the top 10 in several career categories at Louisville. The following is a list of milestones she will reach in the near future:
• Currently sixth on Louisville's career list for shutouts (15)
• Sixth on the list for career wins (53), needs eight more to tie for fifth.
• Tied for ninth in career home runs (25)... needs two more to tie for eighth.
• Stands eighth on Louisville's all-time list with 139 career RBIs... needs one more to move into a tie for seventh.
• Seventh with 74 walks, needs six more to tie for eighth
• Needs 2 saves to tie for 1st in career saves (12)

The Road Ahead
The Cardinals will face a challenging 2017 schedule which features nine games against top-25 opponents including 2016 national champion Oklahoma. UofL will also host two tournaments as part of a 26-game home slate.
• Among Louisville's opponents are eight teams that played in the 2016 NCAA tournament including national champion Oklahoma and fellow Women's College World Series participant Florida State. The Cardinals will play a total of nine games against teams ranked in the top 25 and will have four contests with teams who were receiving votes at the end of the 2016 season.

Louisville Softball Television Schedule Released
UofL will have 31 games televised nationally including four contests on ESPNU as announced by ESPN and the Atlantic Coast Conference office Tuesday. The television slate will include all of the Cardinals' 27 home games along with league games at Virginia Tech and North Carolina State.
      All 11 ACC institutions sponsoring softball will be featured multiple times throughout the season, with more than 100 games streaming on ACC Network Extra, Watch ESPN and the ESPN App. ESPN's broadcast schedule will include more than 600 college softball games.
      The Cardinals will appear on ESPN's ACC Monday twice this season – both in the month of April. Louisville will make its 2017 ESPNU debut on April 2 for the second game of the Cardinals' ACC matchup against No. 22 Notre Dame. The series finale will be also air on ESPNU as part of the network's ACC Monday package. Three weeks later, the Cards will return to the ESPN airwaves when No. 4/3 Florida State visits Ulmer Stadium. Game two of that series will be shown on ESPNU and the third game will be featured as part of ACC Monday on April 24.
• The remaining home games will be carried on ACC Network Extra.
      The 2017 ACC Softball Championship will take place May 11-13, with the first two days of competition being aired on ACC Network Extra, and the championship game on ESPN.

Louisville Softball Tabbed to Finish Second in 2017 ACC Preseason Coaches' Poll
The University of Louisville softball team was picked to finish second in the 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference regular season as voted by the league's 11 head coaches.
• Louisville, which finished second in the league and reached the semifinals of the tournament in
• In 2016, Florida State, Louisville, North Carolina and Notre Dame earned postseason berths, with the Seminoles finishing as the Women's College World Series semifinalist.
ACC Softball Predicted Order of Finish
1.       Florida State- 100 (10 first-place votes)
2.       Louisville – 86 (1 first-place vote)
3.       Notre Dame – 84
4.       North Carolina – 67
5.       Virginia Tech – 58
6.       Boston College – 57
7.       Syracuse – 48
8.       Pittsburgh – 44
9.       NC State – 30
10.   Georgia Tech – 17
11.   Virginia – 14

Becker Named to DI Softball News Top 50 Player of the Year Watchlist
The preseason accolades continue to add up for senior Maryssa Becker who has been named to the 2017 DI Softball News Top 50 Player of the Year Watchlist.
      Becker, a senior pitcher from Medford, Ore., led the Cardinals in hitting with a .411 average in 2016 and helped Louisville (35-17) to second-place regular-season finish and an NCAA tournament berth with her performances on the mound and at the plate. The two-time All-ACC First team and 2016 ACC Softball Championship All-Tournament Team selection finished last season with a 20-11 pitching record and 2.22 ERA while striking out 169 batters and walking just 33 in 204.2 innings. As a junior, she set a school single-season record for runs batted in with 60.
      In 2014, she became Louisville's first freshman National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Region selection and was a top 25 finalist for NFCA Freshman of the Year. Becker been among the team's leaders in batting average, home runs, doubles and RBIs in each of her seasons, is ranked in the top 10 of nearly every career pitching category.
      The D1 Softball News Player of the Year award recognizes the outstanding on-field performance of players across the country. This year's watch list is comprised of student-athletes from 13 different athletic conferences. The SEC leads the way with 13 athletes represented, while the Pac 12 has 10. There are 35 different universities represented on the list.
      The list will be narrowed to the Top 25 names in April and the Top 10 finalists will be announced in May. The winner of the 2017 D1 Softball News Player of the Year will be announced at the conclusion of the WCWS.
• Becker also entered the 2017 season with College Sports Madness and Fastpitch News (FPN) Preseason All-America honors and stands fifth among the FPN 2017 TOP 50 NCAA Softball Hitters.
• She was profiled on ESPNW's Top 25 NCAA Softball Players (Feb. 7, 2017).

Cardinals Shine in the Classroom
The University of Louisville softball team has produced impressive results both on the field and in the classroom. Most recently, The Cardinals collectively achieved a 3.45 grade point average for the 2016 fall semester.
• Along with the impressive team GPA, 16 of 19 players were named to the Athletic Director's honor roll after earning a 3.0 or better GPA while five Cardinals registered a perfect 4.0. The softball team has posted a 3.0 or better GPA in 24 consecutive semesters dating back to the 2005 spring semester.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maryssa Becker

Caitlin Ferguson

Lillie Goetz

Shelby Graybill

Megan Hensley

Jordan McNary

Sidney Melton

Morgan Meyer

Ashley Nikolao

Nicole Pufahl

Michala Riggle

Jordan Vorbrink

University of Louisville Athletics