Orangewomen BIG EAST Bound
5/8/2002 11:44:26 AM | Softball
Syracuse qualified for its first postseason tournament in the program’s three-year history. The Orangewomen are seeded third in this year’s BIG EAST Championship with a 25-19 overall record and a 12-6 conference mark. SU tied for third with Virginia Tech, but the Orangewomen won the tiebreaker thanks to two victories versus the Hokies on April 7. It is the Orangewomen’s second season in The BIG EAST Conference after playing as an independent in 2000.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
(Double Elimination Format)
Thursday, May 9
Game 1 - No. 2 Villanova vs. No. 3 Syracuse - 11 a.m.
Game 2 - No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 Virginia Tech - 1:30 p.m.
Friday, May 10
Game 3 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2 - 1 p.m.
Game 4 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 - 3 p.m.
Game 5 - Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4 - 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 11
Game 6 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 - 1 p.m.
Game 7 - Same Teams as Game 6, if necessary
SYRACUSE SETS SCHOOL RECORD FOR VICTORIES
The Orangewomen’s 25 victories this season is the most in the program’s three seasons. Syracuse went 24-23-1 in its inaugural season of 2000 and 19-28 last season. SU’s 12 conference victories are also the most in the team’s two years in the BIG EAST. Last season the Orangewomen went 6-14 in the league.
DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP CLINCHES POSTSEASON BERTH
The Orangewomen waited until the last day of the regular season to secure a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament. Syracuse needed one victory versus Pittsburgh on May 6 to assure themselves of a postseason bid. The Orangewomen swept the Panthers, 10-2 and 8-7, to tie Virginia Tech for third place and take the third seed. SU would have been shutout of the postseason had they lost twice to the Panthers.
SU VERSUS THE REST OF THE FIELD
The Orangewomen are 3-3 this season against the other three teams in the BIG EAST Tournament. Syracuse swept fourth-seeded Virginia Tech on April 7 and lost both ends of a doubleheader at second-seeded Villanova on April 27. The Orangewomen gave regular-season champion Notre Dame one of its two conference losses this season. The teams split a doubleheader in South Bend on April 14, snapping the Fighting Irish’s 25-game home winning streak and 36-game BIG EAST regular-season winning streak.
OFFENSIVE PRODUCTION WAY UP IN 2002
Syracuse’s success this season can be attributed to its sharp increase in scoring runs. Last season, SU tallied only 79 runs in 47 games (1.7/game) and was shut out 16 times. This season the Orangewomen have scored a school-record 187 runs in 44 games (4.25/game) and have been held scoreless only four times. Syracuse has set team single-season records in numerous offensive categories in 2002
ROOKIE SPARKS SU ATTACK
Freshman left fielder Tanya Rose is SU’s top hitter this season with a school-record .391 batting average while starting all 44 games. She has been particularly effective in BIG EAST play, hitting .444 (28-for-63) with seven doubles, two home runs and 16 runs batted in. She leads all BIG EAST freshman in overall batting average (fourth overall) amd conference batting average (third overall). Rose has had one of the most productive seasons ever by an SU player and certainly the best rookie campaign of any Orangewoman. For her her efforts, Rose was named the Orangewomen’s Offensive Player of the Year at the team’s banquet on May 3. In addition to her season records, Rose also tied the Syracuse marks for RBI in a game (4 vs. Cornell) and hits in a doubleheader (6 vs. Pittsburgh).
COLLINS EARNS MOST IMPROVED HONORS
Junior right fielder Kristen Collins was named SU’s Most Improved Player for 2002. The award was well deserved as Collins has raised her batting average 200 points from 2001. Last season, Collins hit .187 (23-for-123) with three runs batted in. This season, Collins is second on the team and fifth in the BIG EAST with a .387 overall batting average. She has set career bests in average, runs scored (19), hits (46), doubles (7), triples (2) and RBI (10). Collins also set the SU school record for hits in a game when she went 4-for-4 versus Miami (OH) on March 9. She has started all 44 games in right field for the Orangewomen.
HOLOWICH A STAPLE IN THE SU LINEUP
Junior center fielder Christina Holowich set the Syracuse record for consecutive games played when she started both ends of the doubleheader versus Pittsburgh on May 6. Holowich has now played in 97 consecutive games, all in center field and the leadoff spot in the batting order. This season, she has raised her season average to a career-best .329, going 14-for-36 (.389) in the last 10 games. Holowich and Tanya Rose broke the school record for hits in a doublehader with six hits each versus the Panthers. Holowich, a preseason All-BIG EAST pick, is third on the team in hitting and second on the squad in runs scored (27) and stolen bases (11). Holowich is the first Orangewoman to record back-to-back seasons with a .300 average and 50 hits. She is Syracuse’s all-time leader with 32 multi-hit games, a .288 career average, 132 hits, 58 runs scored and 20 stolen bases. She is the only Syracuse player with 100 or more hits in the Orangewomen’s three seasons.
OUTFIELD OF DREAMS
The outfield trio of Tanya Rose, Christina Holowich and Kristen Collins have been SU’s top three leading hitters for most of the season. The triumverate has combined for a .367 batting average and 150 of Syracuse’s 338 hits this season. They’ve driven in 50 runs and boast an on-base percentage of .438. In the field, the trio has a .964 fielding percentage (166 chances, 6 errors) and seven outfield assists.
DUNN RETURNS TO HAVE BIG SEASON
Junior designated player Julie Dunn has come back from a season-ending knee injury in 2001 to post career-best numbers this season. Dunn is fourth on the squad with a career-high .318 batting average. She has also found her power stroke, smacking five home runs, including SU’s first-ever grand slam (vs. Cornell 4/24). Dunn ranks among the BIG EAST leaders with a .414 on-base percentage. She has tied the Syracuse single-game RBI record twice this season, driving in four runs versus Cornell and Rutgers. She also broke the Orangewomen’s single-game home run record with two clouts versus the Scarlet Knights. Dunn has set career highs in games played (41), at-bats (110), runs (10), hits (35), doubles (5), home runs (5), RBI (22) and walks (15). Her run, hit, home run and RBI totals for the 2002 season are more than her previous career numbers in those categories.
JULICHER SUPPLIES SYRACUSE POWER
Redshirt sophomore Cheryl Julicher has had the best power season in the Orangewomen’s three-year history. She set a school record with nine home runs in 2002, including a long ball in five straight games from March 9-15. Julicher also currently owns the SU single-season marks for runs batted in (27), runs scored (28), slugging percentage (.565) and walks (24). She is hitting a career-best .290 for the season and has set career highs with 38 hits, seven doubles, a triple and 74 total bases. Each of those totals either ties or surpasses her career numbers entering the 2002 campaign. Julicher also became the first Orangewoman to hit a walk-off home run when she ended SU’s 6-5 14-inning victory versus Boston College on April 20 with a solo home run to right field. Julicher has been equally impressive in the field with a team-best .996 fielding percentage. She has committed one error in 259 chances so far this season. Julicher missed all but five games last season with a broken foot.
PARK ON AN EIGHT-GAME TEAR
Redshirt sophomore Rachel Park is one of Syracuse’s hottest hitters in the last eight games. Park is currently on a career-best eight game hitting streak, hitting .367 (11-for-30) during that stretch. It is the longest hitting streak of any SU player this season and is two games shy of the Syracuse all-time record set by Leah Hansen in 2000. Her latest run has raised her season average to .253. She has started all 44 games for the Orangewomen at second base, racking up career highs in at-bats (146), hits (37), doubles (3),and RBI (20). Park also hit the first two home runs of her career this season. Her latest was the Orangewomen’s fourth home run of the game in the second game of a doubleheader at Rutgers, breaking the team record for long balls in one game. Park missed all of last season with a torn ACL suffered in preseason practice.
KAEMPFER HAVING SOLID ROOKIE CAMPAIGN
Despite a .226 overall average freshman catcher Katie Kaempfer has been tough on pitchers in the BIG EAST. Kaempfer is hitting .299 (20-for-67) with two home runs and 12 RBI in SU’s 18 conference games. She is also tied for the team lead with seven doubles in league games. For the season, Kaempfer leads Syracuse with a school-record 13 doubles. The rookie has started 42 of SU’s 44 games behind the plate, compiling a .978 fielding percentage. She has improved her throwing dramatically in the last six games, gunning down four runners in that span. In her first 36 games, Kaempfer had thrown out only two runners tyring to steal. She has also picked off four runners this season.
BROWN LEADS TALENTED PITCHING STAFF
Senior Heather Brown has been the ace of the Orangewomen pitching staff this season. Brown leads the team with 10 wins, 15 complete games, five shutouts, 130.1 innings pitched and 131 strikeouts. She is second on the team with a 1.88 ERA and has SU’s only save of the season. Her numbers are even more impressive in BIG EAST play. In 11appearances, Brown went 7-2 with a 0.95 ERA and 68 strikeouts. Four of her seven wins were shutouts. Brown has been particularly effective lately, allowing only three runs in her last 31 innings (0.87 ERA).
DiMAGGIO WHIFFS 100 … AGAIN
Junior Tara DiMaggio has struck out 125 hitters in 114.1 innings of work this season. She has now struck out 100 or more hitters in each of her three seasons, including a school-record 208 in 2000. DiMaggio is 9-8 overall this season with a 2.76 ERA and four shutouts. She has 11 complete games and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.3-to-1. DiMaggio is 4-3 with a 2.51 ERA and two shutouts in conference play.
PETERSEN GETS FIRST CONFERENCE VICTORY
Freshman Taylor Petersen recorded her first career BIG EAST win, defeating Pittsburgh in relief on May 6. Petersen is 6-2 overall this season and 1-1 in league play. The rookie allowed only two hits and one run in five innings versus the Panthers. She struck out five and did not walk a batter. Petersen won her first five starts of the season, becoming the first Syracuse pitcher to win five consecutive decisions. She made her collegiate debut on February 16 versus St. John’s at the Seminole Classic in Tallahassee, Fla. Petersen threw a one-hitter in SU’s 11-1 five-inning win. In 53 innings of work this season, she has compiled a team-leading 1.85 ERA. She has 47 strikeouts and only six walks.
OTHER ITEMS OF NOTE …
Despite not starting a game this season, senior Becky Snyder ranks fourth on the team with 19 runs scored and third with seven stolen bases. Snyder is SU’s first runner of the bench. She is also 3-for-3 in pinch hitting appearances. She and Cortney Nickerson each have three pinch hits this season, setting the Syracuse single-season record … Junior Jenn Read has started all 44 games at shortstop. She is currently on a four-game hitting streak, her longest in an SU uniform (.454; 5-for-11) … Sophomore third baseman Nikki Lincoln was named SU’s Defensive Player of the Year. Lincoln has also been a clutch hitter, batting .286 with 10 RBI with two outs.
