 Billikens Swing into Action at First Pitch Classic in Atlanta
Feb. 9, 2010
This Week: Saint Louis softball kicks off the 2010 campaign at the First Pitch Classic in Atlanta, Ga., this weekend. The Billikens face Western Carolina in the season opener Saturday, Feb. 13, at 9 a.m. (CT) before taking on host Georgia State at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, SLU will battle Army at 9 a.m. before participating in a final game of pool play later that afternoon. Following the Action: Live stats will be available free of charge at www.georgiastatesports.com. Navigate to the Softball schedule page and click on the link under the Media column next to the appropriate game. About the Billikens: Saint Louis returns six position starters, two pitchers and six additional letterwinners from last year's team that went 22-33 overall, 12-6 in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Returners Erin Cejka and Kelcie Matesa were named to the A-10 All-Rookie squad last season, while current senior Nicki Jost and junior Kristin Nicoletti earned All-Conference second-team honors. The Bills finished third in the A-10 regular-season race in 2009 and advanced to a third straight A-10 Championship. SLU was picked to finish fourth in the 2010 A-10 preseason coaches' poll. Jost paced the 2009 squad with a .302 average, 41 RBIs and a .477 slugging percentage, while Cejka hit .301 and added 46 hits and 30 RBIs. Nicoletti also hit .301 and led the team with 42 runs scored, 58 hits and 37 stolen bases. Matesa led the Billiken pitching staff with an 8-14 ledger, a 3.94 ERA, 35 appearances, 25 starts, 12 complete games, 156-1/3 innings pitched and 122 strikeouts. As a team, the Bills batted .251 and scored 3.9 runs per contest. The pitching staff amassed a 4.28 ERA and allowed opponents a .310 batting average.
Head Coach John Conway: Head coach John Conway is in his fourth season at Saint Louis with a 74-99-1 ledger with the Billikens and a 191-150-1 career mark in seven seasons. Conway, who came to SLU after four seasons as head coach at NCAA Division III Fontbonne, led Saint Louis to a program-best 29 wins and its first A-10 Championship appearance in his first year. SLU has finished among the top four teams in the league and has earned A-10 Championship berths, including a spot in the title game in 2007, with Conway at the helm. He is assisted by Glenn Knaebel, Angie Danis, Casie Gaskin and Christy Ernst. About the Catamounts: Western Carolina returns five position starters and one pitcher from last season's team that went 12-35 overall, 7-14 in the Southern Conference. Junior infielder Amber Hawkins recently was named to the Southern Conference preseason first team at designated player, in balloting conducted by the league's head coaches. Last season, Hawkins paced the squad with a .362 average and 18 walks, while ranking second with 46 hits, 23 runs scored, six home runs, a .551 slugging percentage and a .450 on-base percentage. Sophomore shortstop/outfielder Chelsea Schaffer, a St. Louis native and SoCon All-Freshman pick last season, notched team highs of 25 runs scored, 48 hits and nine stolen bases in 2009. Sophomore right-hander Katie King is the top returning pitcher for the Catamounts. She went 6-18 last season with a 4.24 ERA and team bests of 28 appearances, 24 starts, 15 complete games, 158-2/3 innings pitched and 70 strikeouts. In 2009, WCU hit .260 and scored 3.5 runs per contest. The pitching staff had a 4.93 ERA and allowed opponents a .340 batting average. Head coach Christine Hornak is 59-95 in her fourth career season with the Catamounts. This is the first meeting between the teams. About the Panthers: Georgia State returns five position starters and three pitchers from its 2009 squad, which finished 30-20 overall, 15-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The Panthers were picked to finish fourth in the CAA preseason coaches poll. Senior third baseman Danielle Roddy, a 2009 All-Conference first-team selection, led GSU with a .335 average, 33 runs scored and 53 hits last season. Also returning to the Georgia State squad is 2009 CAA Rookie of the Year Alana Thomas. The sophomore righty led the squad with a 12-7 mark and a 2.78 ERA last season, while ranking second with 25 appearances, 20 starts, 11 complete games, 126 innings pitched and 37 strikeouts. As a team, the Panthers hit .281 and scored 4.3 runs per game. The pitching staff had a 3.03 ERA and allowed opponents a .283 batting average. Head coach Bob Heck is 658-560-2 in his 22nd career season at the helm of the program. Georgia State owns a 3-0 advantage in the series against the Bills with the last meeting occurring during the 2004 season. About the Black Knights: Army returns seven position starters and three pitchers from last season's squad that went 21-34 overall, 8-12 in the Patriot League. The Black Knights return two All-Conference second-team picks from a year ago in sophomore outfielder Reanna Johnson and senior catcher/third baseman Erin McClain. Sophomore first baseman/outfielder Alexis AuBuchon led the 2009 team with a .359 average, 55 hits, a .510 slugging percentage and a .406 on-base percentage. McClain was the only other Cadet to hit above .300 with a .315 average to go with 47 hits, 25 RBIs and team highs of 11 doubles and 17 walks. Also returning to the squad are sophomore infielders Clara Navarro, who paced the 2009 squad with 27 runs, 12 sacrifice hits and 13 stolen bases, and Rachael Duval, who knocked in a team-best 26 runs and belted a team-high six home runs. The Black Knights also return their top three pitchers from last season in senior Jessi Muckelroy and sophomores Shawna Bleyl and Beverly Nordin. Muckelroy went 10-14 in 2009 with a 3.49 ERA and team highs of 25 starts, 13 complete games, five shutouts, 130-1/3 innings pitched and 76 strikeouts. Bleyl posted a 7-12 mark with a 3.64 ERA, 29 appearances, 18 starts, 12 complete games, 129 innings pitched and 60 strikeouts. As a team, Army hit .253 and scored 3.3 runs per contest. The pitching staff compiled a 3.67 ERA and allowed opponents a .311 batting average. Michelle DePolo is in her first season as a head coach. The Bills lead the series 3-0 with the last meeting occurring in 2008. Green Billikens: Four players will join the 14 returning Billikens on the field this season. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Hannah Huebbe (Peru, Ill. / Heartland CC) joins the squad after guiding Heartland CC to the program's first NJCAA Division II national championship, where she was named Most Outstanding Pitcher, last season. SLU's freshmen this season are utility player Laura Bohning (Tempe, Ariz. / Corona del Sol), catcher/third baseman Alyson Brand (Louisville, Ky. / DuPont Manual) and outfielder Jessica Buschjost (St. Thomas, Mo. / Blair Oaks). Redshirt Returns: The Billikens welcome back sophomore first baseman Kristain Burger and sophomore outfielder Tori Holland in 2010. Both players were in the starting lineup as freshmen before succumbing to injuries prior to the start of the 2009 campaign. After being awarded medical redshirts last season, the duo is back competing for time on the field this season. Off to the Races: Junior Kristin Nicoletti needs just one stolen base to claim the program's career record outright after tying the standard (71) in the 2009 season finale. She already owns the Billikens' records for stolen bases in a season (37 in 2009), which is also the A-10 standard, and a game (four vs. Saint Joseph's on April 5, 2008). Missy Keim (1987-90) sat alone atop the career stolen bases list before Nicoletti tied the mark. Jost Do It: Senior Nicki Jost is making a run at a number of career marks in the Billiken record book. She set a career standard for RBIs (89) last season and is currently tied atop the career doubles list (33). On Saint Louis' career charts, Jost ranks third in home runs (11), total bases (212) and stolen bases (58), fourth in chances (784) and putouts (687), tied for fourth in walks (47), fifth in runs scored (81), ninth in hits (138), 10th in at bats (495) and tied for 10th in triples (four). Eyes on the Prize: A number of other Billikens are working their way up the career top 10 in various statistical categories. Kristin Nicoletti is seventh with 75 runs, Rachel O'Connell is tied for seventh with 43 walks and tied for eighth with 20 sacrifice hits, and Kelcie Matesa is 10th with 122 strikeouts. RBI Leader: Last season, Nicki Jost attained at least a share of SLU's three RBI records. She shattered the single-game mark with five RBIs at Samford March 10, 2009. Ironically, sophomore Erin Cejka went on to match that mark at Eastern Illinois April 14. Jost finished the 2009 campaign with 41 RBIs, eclipsing AshLeigh Williams' (2003-06) record set in 2006. Jost's 41 RBIs helped her edge Rachel Heet, who finished with 84 career RBIs, for the career standard at the close of the 2009 campaign. Notes from Nicoletti: Junior outfielder Kristin Nicoletti will keep a blog this season called "Notes from Nicoletti" at www.slubillikens.com. Her blog will provide fans with a weekly behind-the-scenes look at the 2010 Billiken softball team. |
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