Syracuse University
#13/14 Texas
Softball Faces Nation's Best in California
2/26/2010 12:46:41 PM | Softball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse (2-3) heads to the West Coast to face some of its toughest competition of the season in the elite Cathedral City Classic Tournament. The Orange will play five teams – four of which are nationally ranked or receiving votes in the national polls – over the course of three days beginning on Friday, February 26.
Orange Cathedral City Schedule
Friday, Feb. 26 vs. rv/21 Tennessee 11 p.m. ET Live Stats | Live Blog
Saturday, Feb. 27 vs. 13/14 Texas 6 p.m. ET Live Stats | Live Blog
vs. Oregon State 9 p.m. ET Live Stats | Live Blog
Sunday, Feb. 28 vs. 12/10 Stanford Noon ET Live Stats | Live Blog
vs. -/rv Cal State Fullerton 4 p.m. ET Live Blog
Follow the Action
SUAthletics.com gives Orange softball fans many ways to follow the team on the road.
Game action will be available via live stats and fans can now participate in the action on the SUAthletics.com live blog.
Complete postgame coverage, including student-athlete and coach quotes will be available on SUAthletics.com shortly after the conclusion of SU's last game each day.
About the Cathedral City Classic
The Cathedral City Classic is the premiere Division I softball tournament in the country. Hosted by Oregon State University, the four-day tournament begins on Thursday, February 25 and runs through Sunday, February 28 at Big League Dreams Complex in Palm Springs, Calif.
The 2010 edition of the classic features 31 teams from around the country, including 22 teams that made NCAA Tournament appearances last season. Seven of those 22 teams were NCAA Super Regional contenders, while two played in the 2009 Women's College World Series. Defending national champion and consensus No. 1 Washington highlights the field of 31.
Last At Bat
The Orange enjoyed a week off after opening its season at the 24th annual Louisiana Classics tournament in Lafayette, La. Syracuse defeated Bryant twice but fell to Bradley and dropped a pair of games to No. 24 Louisiana-Lafayette.
Freshman Veronica Grant and sophomore Stephanie Watts earned Louisiana Classics All-Tournament team honors after a standout opening weekend. Grant led the Orange in her collegiate debut, starting all five games in center field. She ranked fourth among hitters in the tournament, batting .389 for the weekend with a pair of doubles, three RBI and four stolen bases. Watts was equally productive at the plate, batting .375 with a double, a home run, five RBI and a team-best .625 slugging percentage.
Veteran Brittany Gardner was the leading pitcher for SU on the weekend, holding the opposition scoreless through 10.0 innings of work and earning her first win of the season against Bryant. Sophomore ace Jenna Caira made three appearances over the weekend, striking out 21 in 13.1 innings.
Syracuse's new additions shined in the opening weekend, with three freshman and sophomore transfer Lisaira Daniels starting all five games. North Syracuse native Morgan Nandin debuted as a starter, teaming up with Watts in the middle infield while Kansas product Meghan Boston started in left field and as the designated player. The new additions gave the Orange outfield a completely new look, with Boston, Grant and Daniels starting from left to right in four of SU's five contests.
Fairport, N.Y. native Stacy Kuwik also made her SU debut, earning a pair of starts in the circle, in her second outing, Kuwik carried a no-hitter to the final out in the bottom of the seventh against Bryant. Freshman Ashley Dimon also donned the Orange uniform for the first time, making three appearances, including one start behind the plate while walk-on Emily Thompson saw action in two contests as a pinch runner.
As the newcomers highlighted the outfield, familiar faces anchored the infield, with three sophomores and a junior starting on the dirt. Sophomore Kelly Saco started all five games at first while junior Hallie Gibbs made five starts at the opposite corner. Watts split middle infield duties with Nandin, starting five games between second and shortstop while sophomore Lacey Kohl made her debut behind the plate after taking up the position during fall ball.
The Tennessee Series
Syracuse holds a 1-1 record in the all-time series with Tennessee. The two teams last met in 2003, when they split their series at the UNLV Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev. The Orange won the first game, 3-0 and the Volunteers took the second, 4-2.
The Texas Series
Texas holds a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series with the Orange. On February 10, 2006 the then No. 4/4 Longhorns won the only meeting between the two teams, defeating Syracuse, 0-12, in five innings at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
The Stanford Series
The Cardinal holds a 1-0 edge in the all-time series with Syracuse. On February 24, 2007, then No. 8 Stanford won the only meeting between the two teams, defeating the Orange, 9-2 at the Golden Panther Invitational in Miami, Fla.
The Oregon State Series
The Cathedral City Classic marks the first meeting between Syracuse and Oregon State. The Beavers are one of 10 first-time foes for SU this season, the squad met both Bradley and Bryant for the first time at the season-opening Louisiana Classics tournament.
The Cal State Fullerton Series
Cal State Fullerton holds a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series with Syracuse, having won the last three meetings between the two squads. The two teams most recently met last season as the Orange visited the Titans on March 6, 2009 where the hosts prevailed, 4-2. Prior to 2009, the two teams played annually from 2004-06. The first meeting between the two teams was at the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. on February 15, 2004 where the Orange upset No. 13 Fullerton, 6-3. The Titans then won a meeting between the two teams at home in 2005 and defeated SU, 3-2, at the 2006 Kajikawa Classic.
Scouting the Volunteers
rv/21 Tennessee enters Friday nights contest at 6-4 overall, after falling to Pacific and 12/10 Stanford in Cathedral Classic Tournament action on Thursday. The Vols are led by a trio of young hitters, all batting above .500 on the season.
Freshman Raven Chavanne has been the breakout player on the season, starting all 10 games between the outfield and third base while batting a team-best .595 with a double, two triples a home run and 10 RBI. Chavanne has an .811 slugging percentage and enters the tournament with a .615 on-base percentage. Fellow freshman Kat Dotson is close behind, batting .500 on the season with three doubles, two triples and 10 RBI in nine starts while sophomore Jessica Spigner is hitting .500 with a pair of home runs and nine RBI.
Youth continues to lead the Volunteers in the circle, where sophomore Cat Hosfield and freshman Ivy Renfroe split the majority of time. Hosfield has made nine appearances this season, including six starts and is 3-3 on the season. Hosfield enters Friday nights match-up with a 4.67 ERA and 39 strikeouts through 36.0 innings of work. Renfroe is 3-1 on the season in six appearances and has made four starts. She holds a 4.14 ERA and has struck out 18 in her first 22.0 collegiate innings.
Scouting the Longhorns
The Longhorns enter Friday at 11-1, after dropping their first game of the season to No. 19 Fresno State on the opening day of Cathedral City Classic action. Texas will face off against UCLA on Friday before meeting the Orange on Saturday.
Sophomore utility Courtney Craig leads the Longhorns offense, hitting .368 on the season with three doubles, three home runs and three RBI. Junior shortstop Raygan Feight is second on the team, batting .345 in 12 starts with three home runs and eight RBI while classmate Amy Hooks is batting .333 with four doubles and five RBI.
Freshman right hander Blaire Luna has been the breakout sensation in the circle for Texas, compiling a 5-0 record in seven appearances and three starts. Luna boasts a 0.46 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 30.1 innings and threw a no-hitter in her collegiate debut. Senior Erin Tresslet is the veteran of the pitching staff, and is 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in four starts on the season while freshman Kim Bruins is 4-1 in six appearances with a 2.94 ERA.
Scouting the Cardinal
12/10 Stanford appears to be the toughest competition the Orange will face at the Cathedral City Classic, entering the tournament at 9-1 overall after defeating Tennessee, 8-7 in day one action.
The Cardinal is led by three-time All-American outfielder Alissa Haber, who leads the team with a .500 average, four doubles, a triple, a home run and nine RBI on the season. Haber and teammate Ashley Hansen are two of 50 players on the USA Softball watch list for the National Player of the Year award. Senior catcher Rosey Neill is close behind Haber at the plate, hitting .478 with two doubles, a pair of home runs and a .826 slugging percentage.
Rookie Teagan Gerhart, sister of Stanford Heisman Trophy finalist, has emerged as the leading pitcher for the Cardinal, boasting a 4-0 record in seven appearances and three starts. Gerhart holds a 1.00 ERA, striking out 30 in 28.0 innings of work while holding opponents to a .194 average. Junior Ashley Chinn makes the majority of starts for the Cardinal, starting six games and compiling a 4-1 record in seven appearances. Chinn enters the weekend with a 2.24 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 25.0 innings.
Scouting the Beavers
Oregon State is 4-6 entering the tournament and will face off against Oklahoma, Fordham and Ohio State before meeting the Orange on Saturday night.
Sophomore pitcher Paige Hall is the Beavers offensive leader, batting .429 with three triples and four RBI. Sophomore Mary Claire Brenner is second on the team, batting .406 with seven home runs and 19 RBI.
Veteran Kelly Dyer is the leader for OSU in the circle, compiling a 1-0 record in six appearances, including two starts. Dyer has a 3.36 ERA through 16.2 innings of work. Hall throws the majority of innings for the Beavers, compiling a 3-6 record in 10 appearances and eight starts this season. Hall has a 3.59 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 50.2 innings.
Scouting the Titans
Cal State Fullerton brings a 2-9 record into Cathedral Classic play and will square off against Oklahoma State, Baylor, Colorado State and Ohio State before meeting the Orange on Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore infielder Nicole Johnson is the leader at the plate for the Titans, batting .333 this season with a triple. Pitcher Krystal Heinle is second on the team with a .286 average while senior utility Sheila Holguin is batting .276.
Junior Ari Cervantes, Heinle and freshman Aly Fascetti split the majority of the pitching duties for the Titans. Cervantes has a team-best 3.50 ERA in four appearances and two starts while Heinle is 1-4 in seven appearances, including six starts. Heinle has a 6.93 ERA with a team-best 34 strikeouts in 32.1 innings pitched. Fascetti rounds out the starting pitchers for the Titans, currently holding a 0-2 record and a 7.35 ERA in seven appearances and 20.0 innings of work.
Orange News and Notes
Homecoming
Three current Orange, Veronica Grant, Lacey Kohl and Stephanie Watts, hail from California. Grant is from Temple City, Calif. approximately 98 miles out of Palm Springs. Kohl is from Newman, Calif. approximately 330 miles north of Palm Springs while Watts' Clovis, Calif. is close to 400 miles north.
Orange in California
The Cathedral City Classic marks Syracuse's ninth trip to California in program history. The Orange last visited the Golden State last season when it participated in the Long Beach State Classic in Long Beach, Calif. SU has also visited Pleasonton, Sacramento, San Diego, Sunnyvale, Fullerton and Lakewood in its 10 year history, spending its 2002, 2004 and 2006 spring break weeks in the state.
