NFCA DIVISION II POLL

Rankings

Others receiving votes:

Indianapolis 40, Flagler 30, Cal St. San Bernardino 19, Dowling 19, Missouri Southern St. 18, Sonoma St. 14, Kutztown 7, Lewis 5, Emporia St. 4, St. Mary’s (TX) 4, Barry 3, Winona St. 2, Molloy 1

Dropped out:

No. 14 West Alabama, No. 15 Cal St. San Bernardino, No. 17 Nebraska Omaha*, No. 22 Emporia State *Nebraska Omaha has moved to Division I, making them ineligible for this poll.

NFCA DIVISION III POLL

Division III Top 25 – Preseason

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III Top 25 Poll is voted on by eight NCAA Division III head coaches representing the eight NCAA regions. Final 2011 records are shown. First place votes are in parentheses.

Rankings

Others receiving votes:

Point totals in parentheses: Hiram (6); St. John Fisher (3); five others received votes but appeared on only one ballot.

Campbell Softball Announces And Begins New Stadium Project

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Over the last decade, dramatic changes have transformed the Campbell University campus. From the construction of the new dorms, addition of Butler Chapel, beginning of the Physician Assistant program, groundbreaking for the School of Osteopathic Medicine, opening of Barker-Lane Stadium/Ed Gore Field (football), construction of the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center/Gilbert Craig Gore Arena (basketball, volleyball and wrestling), building of the Irwin Belk Track (track and field) and renovations of Taylor Field (baseball), the campus has grown tremendously in a short period of time. The Campbell University softball team is proud to announce that the Eakes Athletic Softball Complex is also undergoing a major renovation that began late last month.

The first phase of the Campbell Softball Stadium Project officially began on Thursday, Jan. 26, when the concrete walkway behind the team’s backstop was broken up and the ground was leveled. A new concrete pad was poured from Feb. 1-2.

“This has been a long awaited and prayed for addition to our facility,” head softball coach Drew Peterson explained. “I have hoped to take this next step for many years, and with the help of several very supportive individuals and a few major donors, the grandstand addition is finally underway.  We in the softball program are thrilled as this helps legitimize our Division I status with a facility more on par with the elite programs in the country.”  

Upgrades during the initial phase will include permanent grandstand seating on the newly built concrete pad behind the backstop between the dugouts, a fully functioning enclosed press box in the center section on top of the grandstand and a bricked exterior façade of the structure. The initial plans call for the first wave of the project to be completed in early April of 2012.

The second phase of the projects calls for a new nine-inning wireless running LED scoreboard in right field.

“Of course the scoreboard is another greatly needed piece of the total plan, and Lord willing other key friends of our program will help bring a modern era scoreboard to the site,” said Peterson. “I am confident that it will happen soon and when all phases are completed we will have an outstanding softball facility.” 

“In the future I foresee many local high schools, North Carolina State Tournaments and summer travel softball tournaments taking place here at Campbell,” Peterson continued. “Once completed the softball community will no doubt desire to hold various events at our elite facility, and this will of course be another significant occasion to bring future “camels” to our gorgeous campus.”   

NPF NEWS

Bandits sign 2008 NPF Defensive Player of the Year, Kristen Butler

Akron Racers sign 2011 National Champion from Arizona State

 AKRON, Ohio – (Feb. 3, 2012) – In need of offensive firepower, Akron Racers GM Joey Arrietta made her first splash into the 2012 free agency today with the signing of 2011 Women’s College World Series National Champion Kaylyn Castillo from Arizona State University.

“Kaylyn has been on my radar for some time now,” said Arrietta. “She is a gifted athlete with the work ethic to match. I am proud to have her join the Racers family.” Castillo helped lead the ASU Sun Devils to the national championship in 2011, garnering NFCA Diamond Sports Catcher of the Year honors in the process. Castillo batted .353 with nine home runs, 42 RBIs, 39 runs and 35 walks at the plate. On the defensive side she was equally impressive, committing zero errors behind the plate in nearly 400 opportunities. Castillo also managed to gun down 9-of-16 base stealers.

Racers fans can expect to see Castillo spend time behind the plate as well as stepping in with a designated player roll in the line-up. Her offensive ability is expected to help the Racers offense provide the needed run support for the team’s pitching staff.

February 1, 2012

Top 50 “Watch List” for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year unveiled

OKLAHOMA CITY — Stanford senior Ashley Hansen, the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year, and 49 other student-athletes have been selected for the “Watch List” for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. Now in its 11th year, the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, given by the National Governing Body for softball in the United States, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.

Previous recipients of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, the most prestigious individual honor in NCAA Division I Softball, are UCLA catcher Stacey Nuveman (2002), Texas pitcher Cat Osterman (2003, 2005 and 2006), Florida State pitcher Jessica Van der Linden (2004), Tennessee pitcher Monica Abbott (2007), Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher (2008), Washington pitcher Danielle Lawrie (2009 and 2010) and shortstop Hansen (2011). Arizona State shortstop Katelyn Boyd, now a senior, and Missouri pitcher Chelsea Thomas, currently a redshirt junior, were the other two finalists for last year’s award.  

The pre-season “Watch List” includes 23 seniors, 20 juniors and seven 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 31 NCAA Division I universities and 13 athletic conferences. While Cal, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee and Texas lead the way among universities with three athlete representatives each, the Big 12 Conference and the Pacific-12 (Pac-12) Conference have six member schools represented.

The Top 25 Finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award will be announced April 11. 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 9 and the Top 3 Finalists will be announced May 23. On May 29 prior to the start of the 2012 NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed.

2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List
Name (School) – Year – Position – Hometown

Emily Allard (Northwestern) – Junior – Shortstop – Antioch, Calif.

Valerie Arioto (Cal) – Senior – Utility – Pleasanton, Calif.

Nikki Armagost (Pacific) – Junior – Pitcher/Utility – Andover, Kan.

Lexy Bennett (Texas) – Senior – Infield – Kingwood, Texas

Emily Bledsoe (Texas Tech) – Senior – Infield – Fulshear, Texas

Katelyn Boyd (Arizona State) – Senior – Shortstop – Phoenix, Ariz.

Kayla Braud (Alabama) – Junior – Outfield – Eugene, Ore.

Devon Bridges (Boise State) – Sophomore – Outfield/First base – Danville, Calif.

Jenna Caira (Syracuse) – Senior – Pitcher – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Whitney Canion (Baylor) – Junior – Pitcher – Aledo, Texas

Raven Chavanne (Tennessee) – Junior – Third base/Outfield – Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Amanda Chidester (Michigan) – Senior – Third base – Allen Park, Mich.

Aimee Creger (Tulsa) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Yukon, Okla.

Brigette Del Ponte (Arizona) – Junior – Infield – Peoria, Ariz.

Taylor Edwards (Nebraska) – Sophomore – Catcher – Murrieta, Calif.

Dallas Escobedo (Arizona State) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Glendale, Ariz.

Bree Evans (Michigan) – Senior – Centerfield – Bloomington, Calif.

Ashley Fleming (Missouri) – Senior – Outfield – Silex, Mo.

Kenzie Fowler (Arizona) – Junior – Pitcher – Tucson, Ariz.

Kellie Fox (UCLA) – Sophomore – Shortstop – San Diego, Calif.

Olivia Galati (Hofstra) – Junior – Pitcher/Designated player – West Babylon, N.Y.

Lauren Gibson (Tennessee) – Junior – Infield– Pasadena, Md.

Ashley Hansen (Stanford) – Senior – Infield – Chandler, Ariz.

Andrea Harrison (UCLA) – Senior – Left field/First base – Garden Grove, Calif.

Jolene Henderson (Cal) – Junior – Pitcher/First base – Elk Grove, Calif.

Taylor Hoagland (Texas) – Junior – Outfield/Third base – Flower Mound, Texas

Jessica Iwata (Hawaii) – Junior – Shortstop – Lihu’e, Hawaii

Ashley Lane (Michigan) – Junior – Second base – Escondido, Calif.

Blaire Luna (Texas) – Junior – Pitcher – Austin, Texas

Meagan May (Texas A&M) – Junior – Catcher/First base – Spring, Texas

Ashley McClain (FIU) – Senior – Outfield/Pitcher – Brandon, Fla.

Dani Miller (Notre Dame) – Senior – Infield – Huntington Beach, Calif.

Jen Mineau (Fordham) – Senior – Pitcher – Schaghticoke, N.Y.

Adrienne Monka (Northwestern) – Senior – First base – Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.

Michelle Moultrie (Florida) – Senior – Center field – Jacksonville, Fla.

Christi Orgeron (ULL) – Senior – Outfield – New Orleans, La.

Sara Plourde (UMass) – Senior – Pitcher – Bristol, Conn.

Kimi Pohlman (Washington) – Senior – Outfield – Sammamish, Wash.

Jamia Reid (Cal) – Senior – Outfield – Buena Park, Calif.

Ellen Renfroe (Tennessee) – Sophomore – Pitcher – Jackson, Tenn.

Keilani Ricketts (Oklahoma) – Junior – Pitcher – San Jose, Calif.

Rachel Riley (Kentucky) – Senior – Pitcher/Designated player – Bowling Green, Ky.

Hannah Rogers (Florida) – Senior – Pitcher – Lake Wales, Fla.

Brittany Schutte (Florida) – Junior – Catcher – Fountain Valley, Calif.

Kathy Shelton (Baylor) – Junior – Outfield – McKinney, Texas

Jessica Shults (Oklahoma) – Junior – Catcher – Valencia, Calif.

Chelsea Thomas (Missouri) – Redshirt Junior – Pitcher – Pleasantville, Iowa

Jackie Traina (Alabama) – Sophomore – Pitcher/Designated player – Naples, Fla.

Kelsi Weseman (Georgia Tech) – Senior – Shortstop – Hutto, Texas

Niki Williams (Washington) – Senior – Utility – Mission Viejo, Calif.

In addition to bestowing the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award, ASA/USA Softball is now in its 10th season of presenting the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll and the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Week, which are announced Tuesdays during the regular season. The pre-season ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll was released Jan. 24 with Arizona State, Alabama, California, Florida and Missouri taking the Top 5 spots. The final poll of the season to be released on June 12 following the WCWS.

2012 NPF College Draft to air March 7

AKRON, Ohio – National Pro Fastpitch announced final plans today for the 2012 NPF College Draft. The 2012 Draft which is presented by Miken, will take place at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, Tenn. on March 7 at 6:00 EST.  The Memphis Sports Council is hosting the event in conjunction with the Peabody Hotel.

All four teams of the NPF will take part in the draft. The draft consists of twenty overall athlete selections that are divided into five rounds. Each round consists of four picks.

The first overall pick in the 2012 NPF College Draft belongs to the USSSA Florida Pride, a position that resulted from a mid-season trade in 2011 with the NPF Diamonds.  After finishing in second place during the 2011 regular season, the Akron Racers are scheduled to select third in each round of the draft this year.  

Can’t make the watch party? The 2012 NPF College Draft can be seen live through the internet broadcast hosted on the League’s website at www.profastpitch.com.  The internet broadcast will go on air at 5:45 EST with a preview and introductions, and the draft itself will begin at approximately 6:00 pm EST.

For the past two years, the University of Alabama has garnered the first overall draft choice in the NPF Draft. In 2010, the USSSA Florida Pride chose first baseman Charlotte Morgan of the Crimson Tide and in 2011, the NPF Diamonds made pitcher Kelsi Dunne the number one selection. National Pro Fastpitch has held a Draft every year since its inception in 2004.

Fresno State Softball Picked to Win the WAC

Fresno State voted as the preseason favorite to win the league; Michelle Moses, Andrea Ortega and Brooke Ortiz named to Preseason All-WAC Team

Jan. 31, 2012

DENVER, Colo. – The Fresno State softball team was selected by the coaches in the Western Athletic Conference to win the 2012 WAC regular-season crown, as the league announced the 2012 preseason poll and Preseason All-WAC Teams Tuesday.

This marks the 14th time in the last 17 years that the Bulldogs have been the preseason favorite to win the title.

In addition, the `Dogs landed three players on the 2012 Preseason All-WAC team. Seniors Michelle Moses and Andrea Ortega along with sophomore Brooke Ortiz made the list and Fresno State’s three selections tied with New Mexico State for the second-most in the conference. Hawai’i led the league with four.

“Anytime you are honored by your peers and your opponents before you even start the season is a very positive thing to happen when they have that much respect for you,” head coach Margie Wright said. “What we need to understand is if that’s how they feel about us, then we need to perform at that level and I know that this group is ready to do that.”

Fresno State edged out Hawai’i by two points as the preseason favorite. The Bulldogs collected a league-high three first-place votes and 44 points. New Mexico State, which matched UH with two first-place votes, was close behind in third with 37 points followed by Brigham Young (one first-place vote) in fourth with 35 points.

Nevada was picked to finish fifth with 20 points, followed by San Jose State and Louisiana Tech tied for sixth with 17 points apiece. Utah State rounded out the poll in eighth place with 12 points.

Fresno State is entering its final season in the WAC before moving to the Mountain West Conference in 2013. The Bulldogs have won 10 WAC regular season championships and three WAC Tournament Championships since joining the league in 1993 and the seven seniors on the 2012 roster look to capture another conference crown this year.

“Our goal every year is to win it,” said Wright, the winningest NCAA Division I softball coach. “We want to go out that way.”

Fresno State is the only program in the nation that has qualified for all 30 NCAA Tournaments and it returns 11 letterwinners off its 2011 team that went 35-17 and reached the NCAA Stanford Regional.

“We Are Your Team” – ESPN2 790 AM is your home for Fresno State Softball.

2010 WAC Preseason Poll
Team (first-place votes), Points
1. Fresno State (3), 44
2. Hawai’i (2), 42
3. New Mexico State (2), 37
4. Brigham Young (1), 35
5. Nevada, 20
T6. Louisiana Tech, 17
T6. San Jose State, 17
8. Utah State, 12

2012 Preseason All-WAC Teams
Teresa Conrad (New Mexico State) • Jr. • SS/1B
Carly Duckworth (Brigham Young) • So. • OF
Jessica Dugas (Brigham Young) • Sr. • OF
Jessica Iwata (Hawai`i) • Jr. • SS
Tiare Jennings (New Mexico State) • Sr. • OF
Michelle Moses (Fresno State) • Sr. • P/1B
Andrea Ortega (Fresno State) • Sr. • OF
Stephanie Ricketts (Hawai`i) • Sr. • P
Valerie Swedberg (New Mexico State) • So. • OF
Alex Aguirre (Hawai`i) • Sr. • OF
Janna Frandrup (Louisiana Tech) • Jr. P/2B
Erin Jones (Nevada) • Jr. • 3B
Allison Lenzora (Utah State) • So. • IF
Kelly Majam (Hawai`i) • Jr. • OF
Brooke Ortiz (Fresno State) • So. • 2B
Kassy Uchida (Utah State) • So. • UT

Commitments

Tateum Valentine – 2013 – SS – Hudson Valley Hurricanes (NY) – Lamar University

NO. 9 UT SOFTBALL PICKED SECOND OVERALL IN BOTH THE SEC & EASTERN DIVISION

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 9 Tennessee Lady Vol softball squad received five of 11 possible first-place votes for overall champion and was picked second behind #2/4 Florida in the races for both the Southeastern Conference’s regular season and Eastern Division titles according to the 2012 preseason poll of the league’s 11 softball coaching staffs released on Monday.

With 15 accumulated points the Big Orange trailed the defending Eastern Division champion Gators (14 points) by only a single tally in the divisional ranking, while coming up just a single vote behind UF as the preseason pick for regular-season champion.  No. 13/18 Kentucky (32 points), No. 10/12 Georgia (35 points) and South Carolina (48 points) rounded out the five programs in the East.  The SEC Eastern Division currently boasts three of the top 12 squads in all of NCAA Division I according to the preseason ESPN.com/USA Softball poll and four of the top 14 in the initial USA Today/NFCA listing.

The two-time defending regular season champion Alabama Crimson Tide (10 points) was the unanimous choice by the coaches to secure the SEC Western Division crown.  The gap between No. 3/2 UA and No. 22/20 LSU (19 points) was nine points while Auburn ranked third with 28 tallies.  Mississippi State (40 points), Arkansas (46 points) and Ole Miss (54 points) completed the SEC West standings.

Points for the poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis for the Eastern Division and on a 1-2-3-4-5-6 basis for the Western Division.  Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Tennessee will begin its 2012 campaign at 4:30 p.m. MT on Thurs., Feb. 9, against UCSB at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.  During its stay at the prestigious event, the Big Orange will also face No. 4/3 California, Texas Tech, San Diego State, defending national champion and preseason No. 1 Arizona State and Western Michigan.  Live stats will be available through Gametracker and live updates will be posted on Twitter (@LadyVol_Sftball).

2012 Preseason SEC Coaches Poll

Overall Conference Champion: Florida (6), TENNESSEE (5)

Eastern Division:

1. Florida (14 points)

2. TENNESSEE (15 points)

3. Kentucky (32 points)

4. Georgia (35 points)

5. South Carolina (48 points)

Western Division:

1. Alabama (10 points)

2. LSU (19 points)

3. Auburn (28 points)

4. Mississippi State (40 points)

5. Arkansas (46 points)

6. Ole Miss (54 points)

No. 22 LSU Softball Selected Second in SEC West

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 22 LSU softball team was tabbed to finish second in the Southeastern Conference Western Division Monday as chosen by the conference coaches in the league’s annual preseason poll.

Points for the poll were awarded on a 1-2-3-4-5 basis for the Eastern Division and on a 1-2-3-4-5-6 basis for the Western Division. Coaches weren’t allowed to vote for their own team.

The Tigers collected 19 points, nine points behind four-time defending division champion Alabama. Auburn was chosen to finish third with 28 points followed by Mississippi State at 40 points. Rounding out the SEC West was Arkansas and Ole Miss with 46 and 54 points, respectively.

 Florida was selected as not only the frontrunner for the SEC East but the overall crown. The Gators tallied six overall championship votes and 14 points, one point and one vote ahead of Tennessee. Predicted to finish third was Kentucky, who checked in 32 points. Georgia totaled 35 points, while South Carolina garnered 48 points to complete the eastern side.  

LSU is 11 days away from opening the 2012 campaign and playing host to the Tiger Classic. The Tigers usher in the next chapter of their storied history under first-year coach Beth Torina on February 10 versus Penn State. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m. from Tiger Park. LSU also has match-ups slated against No. 15 Michigan and Louisiana Tech on opening weekend.

Fans can follow LSU softball using social media at www.Facebook.com/lsusoftball and @lsu_softball on Twitter. Season tickets can be purchased for $75 at www.LSUtix.net for an impressive home schedule that features 2011 NCAA Tournament participants Florida State, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Penn State along with electrifying SEC series versus Arkansas, Auburn, No. 10 Georgia, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

2012 SEC Softball Preseason Team Announced

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southeastern Conference unveiled its fifth annual Preseason All-SEC team to highlight the upcoming season of SEC softball.

Alabama and Tennessee led all schools with four selections, followed by Florida with three. Auburn and Kentucky had one selection each. Tennessee’s Raven Chavanne, Alabama’s Kayla Braud and Florida’s Brittany Schutte are making their second consecutive appearance to the team. 

The Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team consists of a minimum of 12 players.  Each SEC head softball coach voted for four infielders, four outfielders, two pitchers, one catcher and one utility/DP player. No ties were broken.

In a class-by-class breakdown, the 2012 team consists of four seniors, five juniors and four sophomores. A complete list of the 2012 SEC Softball Coaches Preseason All-SEC team follows:

Preseason All-SEC Team               Pos.       Ht.          Cl.           Hometown

Cassie Reilly-Boccia, Alabama     IF            5-6          Sr.           Yorktown Heights, N.Y.

Cheyenne Coyle, Florida               IF            5-6          So.          West Hills, Calif.

Raven Chavanne, Tennessee     IF            5-8          Jr.           Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Lauren Gibson, Tennessee          IF            5-6          Jr.           Pasadena, Md.

Kayla Braud, Alabama                    OF          5-6          Jr.           Eugene, Ore.

Morgan Estell, Auburn                   OF          5-6          So.          Kimberly, Ala.

Michelle Moultrie, Florida            OF          5-4          Sr.           Jacksonville, Fla.

Kat Dotson, Tennessee                 OF          5-9          Jr.           Savannah, Ga.

Jaclyn Traina, Alabama                   P             5-10       So.          Naples, Fla.

Ellen Renfroe, Tennessee            P             6-0          So.          Jackson, Tenn.

Brittany Schutte, Florida               C             5-10       Jr.           Fountain Valley, Calif.

Amanda Locke, Alabama              UTL        5-10       Sr.           Mesquite, Texas

Rachel Riley, Kentucky                   UTL/DP 5-5          Sr.           Bowling Green, Ky.        

*Ties were not broken

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE

FEBRUARY

9-11       COL        Stacy Winsberg Memorial, UCLA

9-12       COL        Texas Classic, Austin

9-12       COL        Kajikawa Classic, Tempe

9-12       COL        Fresno State Kickoff      

10-11     COL        National Invitational Tournament, Clermont

10-12     COL        South Alabama Mardi Gras, Mobile

10-12     COL        Sportco Kickoff Classic, Las Vegas

10-12     COL        LSU Classic, Baton Rouge

10-12     COL        USF Fairfield Inn tournament

10-12     COL        Combat Classic, Miami

10-12     COL        Mardi Gras Invitational, Mobile

10-12     COL        UC Davis tournament

10-12     COL        Pirate Classic, Greenville

10-12     COL        Hotel Encanto    Las Cruces

10-12     COL        Kickin Chicken Classic, Conway SC

10-12     COL        Southern Miss Coca Cola Classic, Hattiesburg

10-12     COL        Hilton Classic, Houston

10-12     COL        ULM Mardi Gras tournament. Monroe

10-12     COL        ULL Classic, Lafayette

11-12     TVL         Surf City Valentine’s Day, Huntington Beach

16-19     COL        Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, Las Vegas

17-19     COL        FAU Kickoff Classic, Boca Raton

17-19     COL        Campbell Cartier, San Diego

17-19     COL        Pirate Classic, Greenville

17-19     COL        Jacksonville State Invitational

17-19     COL        College of Charleston classic

17-19     COL        Mardi Gras Classic, Lafayette

17-19     COL        SDSU Classic, San Diego-Campbell Cartier

17-19     COL        Hillenbrand Invitational, Tucson

17-19     COL        SEC/ACC/Big 12 challenge, Auburn

17-19     COL        Houston tournament

17-19     COL        Texas A&M Tournament

18-19     COL        Fresno State Round Robin

18-19     COL        DeMarini Classic, Hattiesburg

18-19     COL        Houston Hilton Classic

18-20     HS           Surf City Presidenr’s Day, Huntington Beach

18-20     COL        USF Tournament, Clearwater

23-25     COL        Cathedral City Classic, Palm Springs

24-25     COL        Texas Shootout, Waco

24-26     COL        NFCA Leadoff Classic, Clearwater

24-26     COL        Charleston SC Tournament

24-26     COL        Bama Bash, Tuscaloosa

24-26     dol          Georgia Southern Eagle Classic, Statesboro

24-26     COL        Citrus Classic, Orlando

24-26     COL        Blues City Classic, Memphis

24-26     COL        Southern Mississippi Invitational

24-26     COL        Marriott Invitational, Orlando

25-26     COL        Strike Out Cancer, Boca Raton

25-26     COL        Tiger Invitational, Baton Rouge

25-26     COL        Carolina Classic, Chapel Hill

A MORE DETAILED SCHEDULE, SHOWING WHICH TEAMS ARE AT EVERY TOURNAMENT APPEARS ON ULTIMATE COLLEGE SOFTBALL.

Incidentally, SPY shares the agony of UCS, trying to get their entire package online.  SPY went through two losses of service in disagreements with former web hosting services.  After the last interruption, daughter Allison redesigned the whole SPY service package.  Allison is not likely to disrupt the service.

Pac 12 Pre-season Poll

Returning national champion and No. 1 ranked Arizona State topped the rankings and received six of the nine first-place votes. Returning World Series advancer California and Arizona followed in second and third places, and picked up two and one first-place votes, respectively.

The remaining standings for the nine-team league follow: UCLA (fourth), Stanford (fifth), Washington (sixth), Oregon (seventh), Oregon State (eighth) and Utah (ninth).

Known as the ‘Conference of Champions’,  the Pac-12 has been just that in NCAA tournament play and won 23 of the 28 NCAA championships held, including the last five.

1. Arizona State (6) 61

2. California (2) 58

3. Arizona (1) 48

4. UCLA 40

5. Stanford 38

6. Washington 30

7. Oregon 26

8. Oregon State 14

9. Utah 9

NPF REMAINS 4 TEAMS WITH NEW OWNERS

CHARLOTTE, NC – January 24, 2012 – The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League announced today that a new professional women’s fastpitch team, the Carolina Diamonds, has been franchised and will begin play in 2012. The team is based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. 

“The League is certainly happy to be making this announcement,” said Cheri Kempf, Commissioner of the National Pro Fastpitch League. “We believe the Carolinas region is a very good area for expansion in the women’s professional fastpitch market for a number of reasons. Primarily, there is an audience there that understands and appreciates the game and has shown their support in the past. We are looking forward to returning the top level of competition the sport has to offer to current and future fastpitch fans in the Carolinas area.”

The Carolina Diamonds will be a woman owned and operated company. Owner, Amelia Nemeth and husband Alan Demaske will be involved with the day to day operations of the new Carolina NPF franchise.
 
“I am thrilled to be bringing professional softball to the Carolinas,” Nemeth said. “The excitement we hope to generate in the Carolinas is something both avid fans and the casual softball or baseball fans have been looking for. These ladies are fabulous athletes playing at the pinnacle of the game. It’s an honor to associate with the NPF, and have the opportunity to support women’s athletics.”

“As we were researching the possibility of ownership, we experienced the excitement of an NPF game last season. The athletes are superb on the field and inspiring to young girls both on and off the field. Our family is eager to share our NPF experience with families in the Carolinas.” stated Demaske. “There is a very large following in this area and we certainly hope to bring a winning program to the fans.”

The Carolina Diamonds will kick off their franchise as the NPF season opens in June of 2012. The team is slated to play its Home schedule at various venues throughout the Carolinas during its inaugural year of competition. With the franchise agreement, the Carolina Diamonds also obtain rights to the NPF Diamonds player roster. The NPF Diamonds and the Tennessee Diamonds were a league operated team in 2010 and 2011. That inherited Diamonds roster includes former UNC All American and ACC Player and Pitcher of the Year, Danielle Spaulding, and former UNC catcher with ACC honors, and North Carolina native, Brittany McKinney. The new team is currently working on contract renewals with NPF Diamonds players and should release player information soon.

North Carolina has played host to professional fastpitch before with the former Women’s Pro Fastpitch (WPF) League and the Women’s Pro Softball League (WPSL) locating teams in both Durham (Durham Dragons) and Gastonia, North Carolina through the seasons of 1997, 1998, and 1999. 

“It is really exciting to have an NPF team back in the state of North Carolina! As a coach and a fan of fastpitch softball, I have watched many games when it was the WPF/WPSL and there was a team in Durham and Gastonia. The sport of fastpitch softball has grown in the state of North Carolina and I know there will be a great fan base. What a great opportunity for young developing players and families to come out and enjoy one of the best games there is,” commented Donna Papa, head coach of the UNC Tarheels softball team. “As a bonus, fans will be able to come out and see two players with North Carolina roots competing for the Diamonds, in pitcher Dani Spaulding and catcher Brittany McKinney. Both competed here at UNC and distinguished themselves within the conference and nationally.”

The Carolina Diamonds will replace the NPF Diamonds as the fourth member of National Pro Fastpitch. The League will not operate a team in 2012. “Although the total number of teams will not increase, the strength of the League will grow with four solid franchises in place, commented Kempf. “We are definitely moving in a positive direction.”

NASHVILLE, TN – National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League Commissioner Cheri Kempf announced today the schedule for the upcoming 2012 Season. 

Four Teams will compete in the 2012 Season; Akron Racers, Carolina Diamonds, Chicago Bandits, and USSSA Florida Pride. Each team in the league will play a 44-game regular season schedule, with all teams playing 6 home and 6 away series’.

The 2012 season will begin on Thursday, June 7 with the defending 2011 Cowles Cup Championship Series Champions, Chicago Bandits, taking on the defending 2011 Regular Season Ringor Cup Champions, USSSA Florida Pride in an opening weekend home series for Chicago. The recently inked Carolina Diamonds franchise will travel to Akron for an opening weekend against the Akron Racers, who finished second in league standings in 2011.  The regular season will conclude on August 19 prior to the NPF Championship Series, which begins on August 23.

 “The release of the NPF regular season schedule is much anticipated and always met with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm by NPF fans,” stated NPF Commissioner, Cheri Kempf. “The 2012 schedule is well balanced and will provide the home markets of each of our four teams with plenty of action during the course of the season. We are especially looking forward to welcoming a whole new NPF fan base in the Carolinas with the start of the Carolina Diamonds franchise.”

 The NPF regular season will see 88 total games of action between the four affiliate teams. All four teams will square off at the Championship Series held this season August 23-26 at the one-year-old Rosemont Stadium. NPF fans will once again be able to catch all the season action through Internet live streaming. Television plans for the season have not yet been announced.

 Since its inaugural year of competition in 2004, the NPF regular season title has been dominantly controlled by the Chicago Bandits, as they have come out on top, five of the eight seasons. The Championship Series Title has been a different story however, crowning seven different champions in eight years. The Championship Series has yet to crown a back-to-back winner.

Link to NPF 2012 Schedule

 Additional information on each team’s schedule can be found by navigating to www.profastpitch.com or individual team sites.

Additional information on each team’s schedule can be found by navigating to www.profastpitch.com or individual team sites.
Akron Racers – www.akronracers.org

Chicago Bandits – www.chicagobandits.com

USSSA Florida Pride – www.usssapride.com

Carolina Diamonds – www.diamondsnpf.com

ISF NEWS

SENIOR TEAMS CONVERGE ON FLORIDA
Fifty four teams in age categories from 50 to 75 will begin play this Friday in the ISF/International Senior Softball Association Masters/Seniors International Tournament of Champions. Tomorrow night the technical meeting will be held at the ISF world headquarters complex in Plant City. The following three days the facility will host games while others take place at two other softball complexes in Tampa. For more information on the men’s slow pitch event, visit www.seniorsoftball.org.

ISF EC MEETING HELD
The International Softball Federation Executive Committee held two days of meetings last week in Los Angeles, California (USA). The group covered a wide variety of on-and off-field softball business, including a discussion on the continued efforts to get the sport reinstated to the Summer Olympics. In attendance were ISF President Don Porter, ISF Secretary General Ms. Low Beng Choo, ISF 1st Vice President Dale McMann, ISF 2nd Vice President Bob Leveloff, ISF VP/Europe Ami Baran, ISF VP/Oceania Darryl Clout, ISF Director General Toma Malikoff, and Ed Colbert, Counsel.

NFCA Announces Continued Partnership With Capital One Cup

January 24, 2012
STARKVILLE, Miss. – For the second straight year, the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll has been chosen as the official poll of the Capital One Cup.  The Capital One Cup uses the final official coaches poll in 39 sports to honor one men’s and one women’s NCAA Division I athletic program for their cumulative on-field performance each year.

“We are thrilled to once again partner with the Capital One Cup to recognize the best in Division I athletics,” said NFCA Executive Director Lacy Lee Baker.  “Not only is the Capital One Cup committed to honoring on-field excellence, but the program are also committed to helping fund the education of student-athletes.”

For the second year, winners of the Capital One Cup will receive the prestigious Capital One Cup trophy and will also receive a combined $400,000 in student-athlete scholarships.

Not only does the Capital One Cup recognize the best in Division I athletics, but its principles are guided by a board of some of the most successful broadcasters and student-athletes in NCAA Division I history.  Board members include Louisville Slugger/NFCA All-American and Arizona player Jenny Finch, ESPN’s Reece Davis, former Ohio State basketball player Clark Kellogg, Heisman Trophy winner and Boston College player Doug Flutie, former USC basketball player Lisa Leslie, former Santa Clara soccer player Brandy Chastain and former Michigan baseball player Barry Larkin.

Standings for the Capital One Cup can be followed throughout the year at www.capitalonecup.com/standings.

 COMMITMENT DeMarini Zephyrs Gold

Joselynn Dean 2012 Butler JC

Advice from a Senior Source

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN,

YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE,

SO ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

Observations On Growing Older
~Your Kids are becoming you…and you don’t like them…but your grandchildren are Perfect!

~Going Out is good.. Coming Home is better!

~You Forget names … But it’s OK because other people forgot they

even knew you!!!

~You realize you’re never going to be really good at anything ….

Especially Golf.

~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do,

but you really do care that you don’t care to do them anymore.

~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed.

It’s called “pre-sleep”.

~You miss the days when everything worked with just an “ON” and “OFF” Switch..
~You tend to use more 4 letter words ….. “what?”…”when?”… ???

~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it’s not safe to wear it anywhere.

~You notice everything they sell in stores is “sleeveless”?!!!

~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.

~Everybody Whispers.

~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet …. 2 of which you will never wear.
But Old is good in some things:

Old songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Love Ya, “OLD FRIEND!”

Share this with other “Old Friends!” and let them laugh in AGREEMENT!!!

It’s Not What You Gather, But What You Scatter

That Tells What Kind Of Life You Have Lived !

January 24 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 24, 2012

Arizona State claims top spot in pre-season ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll

OKLAHOMA CITY — With the 2011 NCAA Division I Softball National Championship fresh on the minds of voters, defending National Champion Arizona State has secured the No. 1 spot in the pre-season ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll. The Sun Devils claimed 19 of 20 first place votes in the poll, announced today by the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America.

Florida stole a No. 1 vote from the Sun Devils but the Gators are only fourth overall in the poll. At the 2011 NCAA Women’s College World Series (WCWS) in Oklahoma City, Arizona State’s Dallas Escobedo shut down the Gators in the Championship Series 14-4 and 7-2, becoming the first freshman pitcher to win the Championship Game since UCLA’s Heather Compton in 1990. Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz.) returns to the Sun Devil line-up while her co-Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS Michelle Moultrie (Jacksonville, Fla.) anchors the Florida Gators.

Seven of the schools in the pre-season Top 8 participated in the WCWS with eighth ranked Arizona being the lone exception, having failed to make it out of the Tucson Super Regional in 2011. Alabama is No. 2 to start the season with California, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma and Baylor claiming No. 3-7, respectively. Oklahoma State finished the 2011 season at No. 8 following a WCWS appearance but the Cowgirls start the season tied with Michigan at No. 16.

The Pacific 12  Conference (Pac-12) leads the way with seven teams ranked in the pre-season Top 25. Six teams each from the Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference (SEC) also appear in the first poll. The Big Ten Conference produced two ranked teams while the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big East Conference, Conference USA and Sun Belt Conference each had one team among the Top 25.

 Of the teams ranked in the pre-season poll, five squads have athletes on the 2012 USA Softball Women’s National Team including Florida, who is represented in the Red, White and Blue, by Moultrie. Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif.) plays for Cal. Chelsea Thomas (Pleasantville, Iowa) plays for Missouri. Keilani Ricketts (San Jose, Calif.) plays for Oklahoma. Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md.) plays for No. 9 Tennessee. Molly Johnson (Tucson, Ariz.) is an assistant coach for No. 18 Kentucky. In total, 16 of the Top 25 schools had athletes or coaches compete with the 2011 USA Softball Women’s National Team or the 2011 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Team.

The ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll is currently in its 10th year. Starting Feb. 14, regular season polls will be released for 14 consecutive Tuesdays with the final poll of the season to be released on June 12 following the WCWS. The first of 14 USA Softball Collegiate Players of the Week will also be announced on Feb. 14 with a new player chosen each Tuesday of the regular season.

In addition to conducting the ESPN.com/USA Softball collegiate Top 25 Poll and the USA Softball Player of the Week, ASA/USA Softball is also in the 11th season of the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award. The Top 50 Watch List for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be announced Feb. 1 with the Top 25 announced April 11, the Top 10 announced May 9 and the Top 3 announced May 23. The 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year will be revealed May 29.

Ashley Hansen (Chandler, Ariz.) of now-No. 10 Stanford was named the 2011 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year following a stellar junior season. She returns to collegiate action this year as do her fellow Top 3 Finalists Katelyn Boyd (Phoenix, Ariz.) of Arizona State and Thomas of Missouri.

ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25

2012 Season – Pre-season – January 24, 2012

Parenthesis denotes first place votes. Dropped Out: None New to Poll: None

Others receiving votes: Syracuse (37); Ohio State (18); Tulsa (15); BYU (8); North Carolina (8); DePaul (6); San Diego State (6); Texas Tech (6); Auburn (3); Fresno State (3); South Florida (3); Florida State (2); Lipscomb (2); Louisville (2); Northwestern (2); Fordham (1); UMASS (1); UNLV (1)

Defending Champs Arizona State Are Unanimous No. 1 in USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll

January 24, 2012

 STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Arizona State Sun Devils will began the 2012 exactly where they left off last year, as the unanimous No. 1 team in the nation, according to the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Preseason Poll, that was released by the organization on Tuesday.

The defending national champion Sun Devils (60-6) claimed all 30 first-place votes in the poll to top the rankings for the sixth straight edition dating back to last season.  Florida (56-13) and Alabama (53-11) also remained unchanged in the preseason poll, finishing the rankings in second and third, respectively.  Rounding out the top five was California (45-13) who moved up one spot from the final poll last year to fourth, while Oklahoma (43-19) shot up two spots to fifth.

The only school to drop out of the poll from 2011 to 2012 was DePaul (41-15).  Despite leading the receiving votes column, the Blue Demons swapped spots with Big East rival Louisville (38-20), who joined the fray at No. 25.

 The Pac-12 conference led the way in the poll with seven teams, while the Big XII and the SEC each had six teams.  Other conferences placing teams in the rankings were the Big Ten and Conference USA with two schools each, while the Big East and the Sun Belt each had one representative.

The USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll is voted on by 30 NCAA Division I head coaches, one representing each conference. Final 2011 records are shown, first-place votes are in parentheses.

Dropped Out: No. 25 DePaul

Others Receiving Votes: DePaul 23, Syracuse 18, Georgia Tech 17, Notre Dame 12, Fresno St. 10, East Carolina 8, Hawai‘i 7, Hofstra 7, San Diego St. 6, North Carolina 5, Texas Tech 5, Florida St. 2, Massachusetts 2, BYU 1, Fordham 1, New Mexico St. 1.

BIG EAST POLL

January 23, 2012

Softball Tabbed Third In BIG EAST Preseason Poll

DePaul voted preseason favorite by league coaches.

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – One of five teams to receive first-place votes in the 2012 

BIG EAST Conference preseason coaches’ poll, Notre Dame was picked to finish 

third in the league standings as announced Monday by the conference.

DePaul was tabbed the preseason favorite by the league’s coaches as the 2012 

poll marks the first time since the current conference formation was set in 2006 

that five teams have split the first-place votes. 

Notre Dame received three first-place votes on the heels of finishing the 2011 

season as the BIG EAST regular-season champion with a 46-11 overall record and a 

19-1 mark in conference play. Last season, the Irish led the league in batting 

average (.330), slugging percentage (.511), on-base percentage (.397), runs 

scored (333), RBI (291) and total bases (742). Head coach Deanna Gumpf and the 

2011 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year will have to fill the shoes of five 

graduated all-BIG EAST selections, including BIG EAST Player of the Year Heather 

Johnson.  The Irish will look to pitcher Laura Winter, outfielder Alexa 

Maldonado, pitcher and Brittany O’Donnell, who were BIG EAST selections last 

season.

DePaul earned three first-place votes and finished second in the 2011 

regular-season standings. DePaul returns four all-BIG EAST selections, including 

the 2011 Rookie of the Year Kristen Verdun.  

Two-time defending tournament champion Syracuse earned four first-place votes to 

slide into the poll’s second spot.

This season’s BIG EAST Championship will be held at Notre Dame’s Melissa Cook 

Stadium. The league’s top eight teams will advance to the three-day tournament 

(May 10-12) with the championship game to be televised May 12 on ESPN2.

--

2012 BIG EAST Softball Preseason Poll

1. DePaul (3)

2. Syracuse (4)

3. Notre Dame (3)

4. Louisville (2)

5. USF (1)

6. Pittsburgh 

7. Rutgers     

8. Connecticut                       

9. Providence       

10. St. John’s                         

11. Villanova                          

12. Georgetown                      

13. Seton Hall                       

FRESNO STATE RANKED 22^ND IN MAGAZINE POLL

`Dogs Ranked No. 22 in Softball Preview
CollegeSportsMadness.com ranks Fresno State in top 25 of preseason poll and picks the Bulldogs to win the WAC
Jan. 23, 2012

FRESNO, Calif. – CollegeSportsMadness.com recently ranked Fresno State No. 22 in its 2012 preseason poll and four Bulldogs were named to its WAC Preseason All-Conference Team.

In addition, College Sports Madness picked Fresno State as 2012 favorite to win the WAC.

Pitcher/infielder Michelle Moses, infielder Brooke Ortiz and outfielder Andrea Ortega were all named first-team on its preseason all-conference list while right-handed pitcher Mackenzie Oakes garnered a second-team nod.

Other preseason polls expected to be released on Tuesday include the NFCA preseason top 25 poll and the USA Softball preseason poll.

The Bulldogs open the 2012 season with 10-straight home games, beginning on Feb. 9 with the Fresno State Kick-Off tournament.

The release sent to SPY did not contain a full 25 list, but offered these comments:

BANDITS RELEASE THREE

COMMITMENTS

Wichita Mustangs

Emily Griggs 2014 – University of Florida

Wichita Mustangs

Micaela Whitney 2012  – Iowa

SEE SPY’S REPORT ON 2011 STANDINGS

See Spy’s previous article on conference assessments
eg, the Big 12 and other evaluations evaluations.

SEC

Numerous emails form a consensus that the top six will be Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, Georgia and Kentucky, but observers differ on the order of finish.  Florida young but talented; Rodgers is back but losing Enea hurts. Pitching let them down at season’s end, but Junior team pitcher Lauren Haeger can make a difference, and they return stars like Moultrie, Schutte and Coyle, while adding Junior team standout Jessica Damico, .  Georgia lost its very powerful senior class.  Alabama graduated Dunne; can Jackie Traina fill the bill? Leslie Jury can make a pitching difference.  Much of that powerful 2010 lineup returns: Braud, Luncefore, Reilly-Boccia and Locke.   Kentucky seems to be everyone’s dark horse candidate, thanks to Lawson.  LSU returns 17 players from its 2011 roster sparked by NFCA All-American Third-Team and All-SEC First-Team selection Brittany Mack along with All-SEC Freshman Team pick Simone Heyward. Strikeout artist Rachele Fico returns; Tigers seem solid at defense.  The Tigers notched a 40-18 record and made their 13th NCAA Regional appearance last season. Tennessee is a question mark; loaded with talent at every position, but can they shake off the effects of last year’s slide?  Lauren Gibson has starred on the USA national team. UT adds Cheyenne Tarango, a slugger on the Junior team, and Madison Shipman returns from the Junior team.

BIG TEN

Michigan.  The Blue and Maize lost Jordan Taylor to graduation; behindjunioe Stepehanie Spiereman, who had some good dames in 2010, the unproven  pitching staff includes 2 freshmen.  And, some big guns are gone.  Nebraska will be anchored by Hageman and Workman;  good mix of upper and lower classmen who will contend for the berth.  No other Big 10 teams finished top 25.

PAC 12

For all the praise being heaped on the Southeastern, the Pac 12 could dominate post-season play – with defending champion Arizona State, Arizona, Stanford, Cal all boiasting veteran pitching, solid hitting, and good defense.  Pitching puts them at the head of the class.

Arizona State ace Dallas Escobedo, who starred in the 2011 World Series and Junior World.  She is backed up by Bach and Popescue, both very experienced.  The Sun Devils may have lost some pop, but the irrepressible Katelyn Boyd returns at short; Amber Freeman, who had a good Junior World tour, is a versatile player.  Key veterans return, like Lockwood, Haro and Parlich.  The Sun Devils will be ready on Game 1 and may start the season as #1.  Arizona has three Junior World stars: Chelsea Goodacre; Shelby Pendley, and Hallie Wilson, a hard hitter – to support a stellar pitching corps, headed by Kenzie Fowler, with able support from Shelby Babcock.  The Wildcats pitcked up an important transfer – Jessica Spigner – from Tennessee.  Two pitchers may be enough – if Fowler stays healthy.  Much of the power has returned, Koria, DelPonte, Arriola and Kirker are dependable bats.  UofA will match up well with ASU. 

Stanford was already a contender for Pac 12 pitchin glaurels with Teagan Gerhart, supported by Jernna Rich, and now have added Nyree White, another Junior World Standout.  Ashley Hansen is a consensus choice for best shortstop – in any conference.  UCLA’s already deep pitching corps upgraded seriously with Ally Carda, who threw a no-hitter at Junior World, and has a strong bat.  Returning pitchers include Desinty Rodina, Jessica Hall, and Aleah Macon.  Katie Schroeder, excellent leadoff, Sammy Camuso and Andrea Harrison, and under-appreciated fielder and hitter, give the Bruins punch.  California starts with ace Jolene Henderson, who doubles at 1^st and hits hard; Arriana Arceq is a capable backup.  The roster has additional depth with Cheyenne Cordes, another Junior World Star.  Valerie Arioto, who stars on the USA national team, is among the best.  Five freshmen are on the roster; hitters like Ziegenhirt and Echavarria will have to lead.  Britt Vonk had some good moments in 2011.  Washington drew heavily last year on Kailtin Ingelsby, who also can hit; can she step up her game as a sophomore?  The Huskies have six freshmen on the roster but should benefit immediately by having Junior World standout Klyee Lahners in the infield.  UW is experienced at several positions; Kimi Pohlman will continue to impress.

Oregon  Under the direction of the third-year head coach White, this season’s 18-person Duck roster is arguably its deepest ever, according to the Ducks’ athletic staff. Based on 2011 awards, Oregon welcomes back All-Pac-10 and All-Region First-Team pitcher Jessica Moore, and All-Region Second-Team and All-Pac-10 Freshman Team infielder Courtney Ceo and catcher Alexa Peterson. Similarly, the outfielder duo of Samantha Pappas and Allie Burger were All-Pac-10 First Team and All-Region Second Team picks in 2010, respectively. Among other top returnees, senior pitcher Samantha Skillingstad and infielder Kelsey Chambers ranks sixth and seventh all-time for UO in career strikeouts (398) and homers (26). Junior second baseman Kaylan Howard has started more games (108) career-wise at one position the last two years. Among other notable 2011 stats for returnees, senior infielder Christie Nieto led UO in on-base percentage (.435), senior infielder Lindsey Chambers hit a career high .292, sophomore utility player Kailee Cuico sports the team’s third-best home run:at-bat ratio among returnees (1:16:4 / 7 HR, 115 AB) behind Lindsey and Kelsey Chambers (1:8 / 1:10.8), and sophomore utility player Lauren Kotz was the team’s most called-upon pinch-runner. UO graduated only two starters from last year, and welcomes a talented six-person freshman class composed of outfielders Alyssa Gillespie (Hillsboro, Ore.), Sara Goodrum (Red Mountain, Ariz.) and Janie Takeda (Placentia, Calif.), infielders Hannah Melick (Pacific, Wash.) and Jamie Rae Sullivan (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and pitcher Karissa Hovinga (Ralston, Neb.).
Oregon State will continue to rely heavily on wins by Paige Hall, but she needs more support.

Utah brings a very young team into its first year in Pac 12, with little record for comparison.

Atlantic Coast

Georgia Tech lost two aces, but its 2012 mound corps could dominate: veterans Hope Rush and Lindsey Anderson could be bolstered by freshman Kylie Kleinschmidt.  Look for Kelsi Weseman to have another super year at short.  Tech was the only ACC team in the Top 25.  Virginia Tech relied heavily on Jasmin Harrell; the question is wether three newcomers – Bailey Liddle, Lauren Darden and Isabella Corarro can put the Hokies into the top ranks of ACC?  Florida State is now home to Illinois ransfer Monica Perry.  This team with six red-shirts will be tested for cohesion.  North Carolina has two established aces: Lori Spingola and Amanda Buchholz, with high potential from freshman Lauren Walker.  The question is their power.  Maryland returns Kendra Knight as its veteran pitcher, but Terps fans are expecting big things from veteran travel ball pitcherKaitlyn Schmeiser.  Virginia will continue to draw on Melanie Mitchell and Stephanie Coates but look to freshman Rachel Gillen for important contributions.   The Cavaliers have an experienced lineup but last year lacked consistency.   Boston College is a very young  team but Chelsea Dimon could bolster the pitching staff, led by Horowitz,  Speer, Pandolfo and DiMaso provide experience and leadership.  The ACC is at best the fifth ranking conference.  North Carolina State doesn’t have the horses yet to change that standing, but some promising newcomers who could  light up some games.

MORE BIG 12

Baylor , which is predicted to finish 4^th, returns 11 letterwinners and eight starters off of last season’s squad, including second-team All-American pitcher Whitney Canion.  The Bears were ranked 4^th at the end of 2012.  Oklahoma State picked up freshman Simone Freeman, a star pitcher from Australia.  Five seniors anchor the roster.  Oklahoma State finished 2011 ranked 8^th.  Kat Espinosa and Moregan Hawkins headline the pitching staff, and have a solid team behind them.  Texas A&M finished 2011 ranked 13^th, and begin the 2012 campaign with the redoubtable Mel Zumewich; behind her is the capable Lindsey Sisk and three promising freshmen hurlers: Ainsley, Klein and Moreles.  Power begins with catcher Megan May but there are some other solid bats.

OTHERS from the 2011 Final 25

Louisiana Lafayette was ranked 25^th last season but could go higher in 2012.  The Ragin Cajuns have 7 pitchers, led by star Ashley Brignac.  Christi Orgeron has proved she can hit any pitcher.

Notre Dame was ranked 23^rd at season’s end, the only Big East team to make the final list.  The Irish return Laura Winter and Brittney O’Donnell but they lost six seniors.

Houston made the final 25 in the end of season poll and finished 18^th.  After graduation, this is a largely unproven roster with good upsides.

The pre-season polls begin next week with the ESPN/USA Softball preseason poll.

As you can see from the final 2011 rankings, several teams advanced sharply after regional and super/regional play, notable declines including Tennessee, Michigan and Texas, while Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State jumped higher.  Indeed, four Big 12 teams qualified for the 2011 World Series.

How likely are any of these teams to hold those rankings in 2012?  SPY published an article earlier in the week on the conference predictions we have received.  Today, we add more notes in a separate article, primarily from conference and team web sites.

A major question is how will those players who starred on the Junior Women’s gold medal team upgrade their varsities?  Players like Carda (a no-no in South Africa) and Haeger are among the best young pitchers.  Chamberlain is a certified fence buster.

ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25

2011 Season – Final

Parenthesis denotes first place votes.

Dropped Out: Auburn
New to Poll: Houston

Others receiving votes: Tulsa (22); BYU (20); Auburn (12); DePaul (10); Louisville (9); San Diego State (9); East Carolina (8); Penn State (4); Florida State (1); and Syracuse (1)

NOTE:  SPY has revised its 2012 notional calendar.

MISSOURI TABBED NO. 1 IN BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL 

COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Missouri softball team was picked as the top team in the Big 12 coaches’ preseason poll for the first time in program history, as announced today by the league office. The Tigers tallied 59 points and picked up three of the nine first place votes.

Mizzou returns 11 letterwinners from last year’s team that won the program’s first regular season Big 12 Championship since 1997 and qualified for the Women’s College World Series for the third straight year. Amongst those returning include redshirt junior Chelsea Thomas, 2011 Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and one of three finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year Award, and senior Ashley Fleming, an All-American from a year ago. Joining the Tigers this season are 10 freshmen in what is considered to be Ehren Earleywine’s best signing class as head coach of Mizzou.

Oklahoma (56) was picked to finish second, while Texas (50), Baylor (45) and Texas A&M (37) round out the top five.

The Tigers open their season against Ball State and Troy University at the Quality Inn Classic in Troy, Ala., on Feb. 17.

2012 BIG 12 SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL

Sooners Picked Second in Preseason Big 12 Poll

Oklahoma leads all teams with four first-place votes.

NORMAN, Okla. — Coming off its sixth trip to the Women’s College World Series, Oklahoma was picked to finish second in the Big 12 in a preseason poll of the league’s coaches the conference announced Wednesday. The Sooners led all nine Big 12 softball teams with four first-place votes and finished with 56 total points in the poll behind the 59 points of top-ranked Missouri.

Wednesday’s announcement broke Oklahoma’s three-year streak as the preseason conference favorite. Oklahoma returns 12 letterwinners including All-Americans Keilani Ricketts and Jessica Shults. The two, along with sophomore Destinee Martinez and freshman Lauren Chamberlain, all represented the U.S. as members of the USA Junior and Senior National Teams. Freshman Georgia Casey also saw international action as a member of the Australian Junior National Team.

Oklahoma opens the season on Feb. 10 against Cal-State Bakersfield in the Sportco Kick-Off Classic in Las Vegas.

The Big 12 is coming off its most successful softball season after making up half of the eight-team field at the Women’s College World Series. Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State earned trips to Oklahoma City.

 Texas Softball picked third in Big 12 Preseason Poll

AUSTIN, Texas – After finishing second in the Big 12 in 2011, the Texas Softball team was picked to finish third in the 2012 Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, announced Wednesday by the conference office.

UT returns 10 letterwinners, six positional starters and three pitchers from its 2011 squad that went 46-10.

Texas is a four-time regular-season Big 12 champion (2002, 2003, 2006 and 2010) which ties for most of all-time among conference schools. In each of the four years that the Horns won the regular-season title, UT was not the coaches’ preseason favorite to win the league crown. In 2002, the Longhorns were picked third behind Nebraska and Oklahoma, in 2003, UT was second behind the Cornhuskers, in 2006 Texas was picked second behind Texas A&M and in 2010 the Horns were picked fifth.

Opening day is Thursday, Feb. 9 when Texas hosts Cal State Fullerton in the Texas Classic.

FRESNO STATE PREVIEW

FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno State softball program looks to add onto the storied tradition of the program and seeks to get past the NCAA Regionals this 2012 season, which is the 27th under legendary head coach Margie Wright.

Fresno State owns the NCAA record for consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with 30 and is third all-time in tournament victories (89) and World Series appearances (12). All of those numbers speak for themselves, but the 2012 Bulldogs are thirsty to get past regionals, which hasn’t been done since the 1999 season when the `Dogs made their last WCWS.

After losing in the regional championship game in five of the last seven years, Wright feels that her group of returning players have the motivation necessary to start what could be another long run of WCWS appearances. Remember, the Bulldogs made 10 WCWS appearances in a 13-year span from 1987-99 under Wright, so she knows what it takes to achieve that kind of success.

“I think it’s always the College World Series,” Wright said when asked about the goals for this team. “Until you get past that hump, there is no one returning that knows what that feels like. My hope with this group is that they can get past that championship game in regionals and get into a super-regional, which will carry over year after year.”

Leading the group of 11 returning letterwinners are senior right-handed pitcher/infielder Michelle Moses, senior outfielder Andrea Ortega, sophomore infielder Brooke Ortiz and senior right-handed pitcher Mackenzie Oakes. Moses, Ortega and Ortiz received All-WAC accolades a year ago while Oakes led the team with 18 victories in the circle.

With eight seniors on the roster, the experience of this group will mesh well with the nine newcomers on the team.

“Our returners, probably more so than in the last few years, really bring a lot of experience back into our program,” Wright said. “They’ve been through three regional championships and came within one or two runs of being able to go to the super-regionals, so that in itself and their desire to want to go one step further – when you have eight of them – that’s a pretty big majority.”

The consensus around Bulldog Diamond is that with the talent coming in combined with the returning veterans, the pieces of the puzzle are in place for this team to achieve their goals.

“We have quite a few new girls, but they’ve all come out here and done really great things and have worked really hard,” said Moses, who was a Easton Sports Inc. third-team All-American last year. “We want to go out with a bang and take the whole thing this year.”

Fresno State’s schedule is a favorable one, as the Bulldogs play 35 home games this season, including 10-straight to open the year.

“There is a 180 (degree) difference playing at home than anywhere else,” Ortiz said. “Our fans our amazing. Just coming out here even before the games, we are so pumped because there are always so many people here to support us.”

This will also be the Bulldogs’ final year in the Western Athletic Conference, as Fresno State moves into the Mountain West Conference next season. Wright has led the `Dogs to 10 WAC championships since Fresno State joined the league in 1993 and they hope to go out with one more.

Pitching
Moses and Oakes will be the anchors of the pitching staff, as the two seniors have combined to pitch in 148 games with 106 starts and have accumulated 65 victories in the circle over their careers. Both have thrown no-hitters and they give the Bulldogs an intimidating 1-2 punch.

“I think our pitching staff could be very strong,” Wright said.

A pair of freshman, right-hander Destinee Levesque and left-hander Kiley Shae Aldridge, add to the overall depth and strength of the staff, giving Wright more options in the circle. Levesque throws the hardest of the four while Aldridge brings another dimension being able to switch it up on teams and throw a left-hander out at them.

Infield
The right-side of the Bulldog infield is pretty set in stone, but the left-side will be brand new with the graduation of shortstop Haley Gilleland and third baseman Nicole Angene.

Ortiz will anchor down second base and at first base Moses will see time there when she is not in the circle. Stesha Brazil, a transfer who started 56 games at first base for the

Houston Cougars as a freshman in 2011, will split time with Moses along with freshman Kelly Megee. Brazil can also play the other corner and fill in at third base when needed.

Mario Sio, a freshman with great range and great hands, will step in to fill Gilleland’s shoes at shortstop while sophomore Vonnie Martin and freshman Michelle Solomon will both see action at third base.

“Our whole infield will be relatively new, especially our left-side, but I still think it is going to be a deep group and I think we can be really solid there,” Wright said. “I think our defense is going to be a strength.”

Senior Kaitlin Griffin is the one returning catcher from last year who will see a lot of time behind the plate. A pair of freshman, Caitlin Neal who is a power hitter, and Taylor Green, a left-hander, can also fill in at catcher for the Bulldogs.

Outfield

Ortega returns to anchor the outfield after she earned second-team All-WAC accolades a year ago when she started 51 games in left field.

Other returning players with experience you’ll see in the outfield are seniors Kaylan Pollard and Rebecca Hall and junior Diane Runge.

“The outfield returns a lot of veterans who have played off-and-on throughout their careers,” Wright said. “I feel really good about us back there.”

The one newcomer to the group Bulldog fans will get to know in center field is freshman Brenna Moss. In her prep career at Bakersfield’s North High School, Moss set the all-time state record for hits in a career and she sported a .518 career batting average in high school.

“I haven’t seen an outfielder that can cover as much of the field that she can really since Laura Berg,” Wright said. “I don’t know if Brenna is at her level, but she clearly covers the outfield and I think she is a big addition to the team.”

“We Are Your Team” – The Fresno State softball team opens the season with 10-straight home games and plays 35 games at Bulldog Diamond this season. To get your tickets, please call the Fresno State ticket office at (559) 278-DOGS.

2012 OVC SOFTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the league’s head softball coaches and sports information directors)

1. Jacksonville State (14 first-place votes) – 190
2. Eastern Illinois (Two first-place votes) – 162
3. UT Martin (Three first-place votes) – 159
4. SIUE (One first-place vote) – 139
5. Southeast Missouri (One first-place vote) – 132
6. Tennessee Tech (One first-place vote) – 117
7. Murray State – 109
8. Eastern Kentucky – 75
9. Morehead State – 61
10. Austin Peay – 37
11. Tennessee State – 24 

(Teams awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, 9 for second, etc.)

PAC 12

The conference championship will be decided by a three-team round robin.

Arizona’s 2012 class is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, in the country, Coach Mike Candrea says. The signees will enroll in the summer or fall of 2012.  The signees include pitcher Nancy Bowling, infielder Lauren Young, infielder/outfielder, Mandie Perez, 1^st baseman Darcy Taylor,  outfielder Gabby Sandstet, shortstop Courtney Rodriguez, and pitcher Estela Pinon.

Initiated January 1, 2012 – revised January 18 2012
Several conferences have not posted schedules or projections

JANUARY

5-8          TVL         Rising Stars, Davie FL

7-8          TVL         Winter Showdown, MWSU

13-15     TVL         Diamond 9 Classic, Buena Vista FL/16-18

FEBRUARY

9-11       COL        Stacy Winsberg Memorial, UCLA

9-12       COL        Texas Classic, Austin

9-12       COL        Kajikawa Classic, Tempe

9-12       COL        Fresno State Kickoff      

10-11     COL        National Invitational Tournament, Clermont

10-12     COL        South Alabama Mardi Gras, Mobile

10-12     COL        Sportco Kickoff Classic, Las Vegas

10-12     COL        LSU Classic, Baton Rouge

10-12     COL        USF Fairfield Inn tournament

10-12     COL        Combat Classic, Miami

10-12     COL        Mardi Gras Invitational, Mobile

10-12     COL        UC Davis tournament

10-12     COL        Pirate Classic, Greenville

10-12     COL        Hotel Encanto    Las Cruces

10-12     COL        Kickin Chicken Classic, Conway SC

10-12     COL        Southern Miss Coca Cola Classic, Hattiesburg

10-12     COL        Hilton Classic, Houston

10-12     COL        ULM Mardi Gras tournament. Monroe

10-12     COL        ULL Classic, Lafayette

11-12     TVL         Surf City Valentine’s Day, Huntington Beach

16-19     COL        Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, Las Vegas

17-19     COL        FAU Kickoff Classic, Boca Raton

17-19     COL        Campbell Cartier, San Diego

17-19     COL        Pirate Classic, Greenville

17-19     COL        Jacksonville State Invitational

17-19     COL        College of Charleston classic

17-19     COL        Mardi Gras Classic, Lafayette

17-19     COL        SDSU Classic, San Diego-Campbell Cartier

17-19     COL        Hillenbrand Invitational, Tucson

17-19     COL        SEC/ACC/Big 12 challenge, Auburn

17-19     COL        Houston tournament

17-19     COL        Texas A&M Tournament

18-19     COL        Fresno State Round Robin

18-19     COL        DeMarini Classic, Hattiesburg

18-19     COL        Houston Hilton Classic

18-20     HS           Surf City Presidenr’s Day, Huntington Beach

18-20     COL        USF Tournament, Clearwater

23-25     COL        Cathedral City Classic, Palm Springs

24-25     COL        Texas Shootout, Waco

24-26     COL        NFCA Leadoff Classic, Clearwater

24-26     COL        Charleston SC Tournament

24-26     COL        Bama Bash, Tuscaloosa

24-26     dol          Georgia Southern Eagle Classic, Statesboro

24-26     COL        Citrus Classic, Orlando

24-26     COL        Blues City Classic, Memphis

24-26     COL        Southern Mississippi Invitational

24-26     COL        Marriott Invitational, Orlando

25-26     COL        Strike Out Cancer, Boca Raton

25-26     COL        Carolina Classic, Chapel Hill

MARCH

2-4          COL        Diamond 9 Citrus Classic, Kissimmee

2-4          COL        Alabama Invite, Tuscaloosa

2-4          COL        UF tournament

2-4          COL        SDSU Classic

2-4          COL        UTEP Invitational

2-4          COL        USF Under Armour, Clearwater

2-4          COL        Marshall Invitational

2-4          COL        Tennessee Classic, Knoxville

2-4          COL        DeMarini  Invitational, Fullerton

2-4          COL        Georgia Buzz Classic, Woodstock

3-4          COL        Northwestern State tournament

3-4          COL        Diamond 9 Citrus Classic, Buena Vista

4-6          COL        Nevada-Reno tournament

8-10       COL        Long Beach Classic

9-11       COL        Bayer Crop Science Classic, Fresno

9-11       COL        Diamond Devil Invitational, Tempe

9-10       COL        Amy Harrison Classic, Riverside

10           COL        LBSU Invitational

10-11     Col          Red &Black tournament, Louisville

9-11       COL        Oklahoma Spring Festival, Norman

9-12       COL        Mayfair Tournament, CSF & LBSU

12-13     COL        Saluki Invitational, Carbondale

14-18     COL        Judi Garman Classic, Fullerton

16-18     COL        Kentucky Invitational, Lexington

17-18     COL        Hoosier Classic

APRIL

MAY

9-12       COL        WAC Tournament, Las Cruces

9-12       COL        Atlantic 10 tournament, St Louis

9-12       COL        Sun Belt tournament Boca Raton

10-12     COL        ACC Tournament, Chapel Hill

10-12     COL        SEC tournament, Tuscaloosa

10-12     COL        Patriot League, TBD

10-12     COL        CUSA tournament, Birmingham

10-12     COL        OVC Champiopnship, highest seed

11-12     COL        PCSC Championship Series, TBD

12-13     COL        Big East tournament, Louisville

17-20     COL        NCAA Regionals

25-27     COL        NCAA Super Regionals
31-6/5   COL        NCAA Women’s College World Series

JUNE

??           INT         USA National Training Camp

2-3          TVL         Surf City Summer Kickoff, Hungtinton Beach

8              TVL         Zoom into June Allister showcase

9-10       TVL         Zoom into June Jamboree, So Cals Finest

8-10       TVL         Sun Classic, ESPN Wide World of Sports, Kissimmee        

20-23     TVL         Team New Jersey Summer Classic

27/2       INT         World Cup of Softball/USA national team

29-3       TVL         Boulder Independence Day tournament

29-3       TVL         Colorado Fireworks, Aurora

30-9       INT         Canadian Open, Surrey BC

JULY

12-15     TVL         Surf City showcase, Huntington Beach

13-22     INT         XIII World Championship, White Horse

29-5       ASA        10U championship, Bloomington IN

30/5       ASA        12U championship, Moline IL

 29-5      ASA        14U national championship Sioux Falls

29-5       ASA        16U national championship, Montgomery AL

29-5       ASA        18U national championship, Johnson City TN

23-28     ASA        Gold national championship, Oklahoma City

29-4       PGF        Premier 14-16-18 national championship, Huntington Beach

AUGUST 

SEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

5-7          TVL         Team New Jersey Fall College Showcase

12-13     TVL         Surf City fall showcase, Huntington Beach

19-21     TVL         Surf City showcase, Huntington Beach

27-28     TVL         Surf City Halloween shmowcase, Huntington Beach 

NOVEMBER

2-4          TVL         Sun Classic Fall Showcase

15-18     TVL         Surf City/Batbuster pre-Thanksgiving tournament

DECEMBER