Latest Softball Posts
The Washington softball team was featured on ESPN's College Sports Blog. Graham Hays breaks down the upcoming season as well as an in-depth look on sophomore and starting pitcher Kaitlin Inglesby.
Check out the article here:
Check out this story by The Daily on the UW Softball team where they reflect on last year's run in the Women's College World Series, talk about the upcoming season, and introduce the freshmen squad. Check out this post-practice interview with RS sophomore infielder Hooch Fagaly. College Sports Madness has announced the Pac-12 Softball Preseason All-Conference Teams and several Huskies have made the list. The following Washington players have made the Preseason All Conference Team. OF Kimi Pohlman, 1st Team P/IF Kaitlin Inglesby, 2nd Team UTIL Nikia Williams, 2nd Team Other top conference preseason honors have gone to: Coach of the Year: Clint Myers, Arizona State Field Player of the Year: Katelyn Boyd, Arizona State Pitcher of the Year: Jolene Henderson, California Freshman of the Year: Cheyenee Cordes, California To see the complete list of Pac-12 Preseason All-Conference Teams, visit: To see the National All-American Preseason Softball Teams, visit: National All-American Preseason Softball Teams
The Madness is now counting down the Top 44 Softball teams with in-depth previews and predicting the tournament bracket. Their coverage also includes key draft eligible player profiles and NPF mock drafts. Each team and conference has its own page that consolidates all of this information and makes it easy for fans to see information across all sports. Washington's Nikia Williams has been honored as a College Sports Madness Preseason Softball First Team All-American. The following are several of the other national preseason honors.
Coach of the Year: Clint Myers, Arizona State
Field Player of the Year: Katelyn Boyd, Arizona State
Pitcher of the Year: Jolene Henderson, California
Freshman of the Year: Lauren Haeger, Florida
To see the complete College Sports Madness National Preseason Softball Awards, visit this link. Conference awards will be announced over the next two weeks. In addition to projecting the Softball players who will have the biggest impact in the sport, The Madness is counting down the Top 44 Softball Teams
teams with in-depth previews. They are predicting the NCAA Softball World Series bracket as teams are previewed. Their coverage also includes key draft eligible player profiles and recruits rankings.
Each team and conference has its own page that consolidates all
of this information and makes it easy for fans to see information
across all sports.
CAPE TOWN --The United States claimed the 2011 International
Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championship today in
Cape Town, South Africa, with a 4-1 defeat of Japan in the Gold Medal
Game. After a semifinal loss to Japan on Friday, the Americans topped
Chinese Taipei 12-3 in the six inning Bronze Medal Game and then topped
Japan to secure the Gold Medal.
"This is one of the greatest days of my life," designated player Cheyenne Tarango (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) said. Tarango provided all the offense the Americans needed to claim the title. With bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, she hit the first home run of her USA Softball career, a grand slam home run over the left field fence. "Honestly in my head, I was just thinking about a base hit," said Tarango, who appeared in six games in the tournament. "I thought that if I could just get the first RBI, Lauren Haeger would be able to take care of the rest." Pitcher Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.) did her part in the circle, allowing only five hits to a Japanese team that pounded three U.S. pitchers for 11 hits and nine runs Friday. The sole run crossed the plate in the sixth when a Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.) fielding error allowed third baseman Mina Yamashiro to cross the plate. "I felt really honored that my team had faith in me," Haeger said. "I was so excited. To get to pitch against Japan in any game is awesome, let alone the Gold Medal Game. I feel honored to have had the chance to pitch a game like this for my country." Haeger struck out eight batters including the last two. "I was really excited to just get in the Gold Medal Game and play," she said. "I was hitting my spots and doing everything right today. I was throwing hard. Everything, every pitch worked out." The United States finishes the tournament with a record of 10-1, the only loss being the 9-0 five inning loss to Japan. "It is always tough to take a loss like we did to Japan last night but I think that it was good for them," Head Coach Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.) said. "It showed them how much they wanted to have a Gold Medal around their neck and gave them the motivation to fight for it. I am so proud of them and how they performed today. Without a doubt, they deserve to be called Junior Women's World Champions." It is the second consecutive title for the Americans. Team USA has played in each of the six previous Championship Games held, defeating China for the inaugural title in 1987, losing to Japan in 1991, defeating Japan in 1995 and losing to Japan in 1999 and 2003 before reclaiming the top spot from Japan in 2007. The U.S. qualified for the Junior Women's World Championship in August 2010 by winning the III Pan American Championships (18-Under) in Bogota, Colombia, with a 9-0 record that included two wins against Canada and another against Puerto Rico. In the Championship Game, Team USA defeated Canada 3-1. The two teams also met in pool play during that event with the U.S. claiming a 3-0 victory. In the semi-final, the Americans defeated Puerto Rico 6-1. Since competing in Bogota, the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team played in a summer exhibition series against the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team in Tampa, Salem, Va., and Bowie, Md. The team rejoined in Cape Town for the first time since early July. The members of the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team hail from seven states and 11 universities. Team members are Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif./UCLA freshman), Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Oklahoma freshman), Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif./California freshman), Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif./Florida sophomore), Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo./Florida freshman), Escobedo, Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif./Arizona State freshman), Erin Gabriel (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary High School senior), Goodacre, Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz./Florida freshman), Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif./Washington freshman), Destinee Martinez (Corona, Calif./Oklahoma sophomore), Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md./South Florida sophomore), Cheyanne Tarango (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Tennessee freshman), Nyree White (Eugene, Ore./Stanford freshman), Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif./Arizona freshman) and Chelsea Zgrabik (Nokomis, Fla./Florida Gulf Coast sophomore). Coyle was named to the roster in late July by the USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) after Shelby Pendley (Albuquerque, N.M./Arizona freshman) withdrew from the team due to injury. Madison Shipman (Valencia, Calif./Tennessee sophomore) also withdrew from the team due to injury in September and was replaced by Damico. The Junior Women's National Team is coached by Johns with assistants Suzy Brazney (Huntington Beach, Calif./head coach Golden West College) and Tony Rico (Huntington Beach, Calif./coach Worth Firecrackers). Joe Salvatore (Monroe Township, N.J./coach New Jersey Breakers) serves as the volunteer assistant coach. Michael White (Eugene, Ore./head coach Oregon) is the batting practice pitcher.
CAPE TOWN -- The United States overcame a two-run deficit Thursday to beat Australia 7-4 in the first round of playoff action at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa. On Friday at the 5:30 p.m. South African Standard Time/9:30 a.m. CT, Team USA (8-0) will play Japan with the winner advancing to Saturday's Gold Medal Game.
Australia, the No. 2 seed behind Japan in Pool B, challenged the U.S., the top seed in Pool A, from the start. To lead off the first, left fielder Taylah Tsitsikronis hit a fly ball that landed between left field, center field and shortstop after it was lost in the sun. Tsitsikronis advanced to second on a passed ball and then third baseman Megan Home reached with a walk. Second baseman Georgia Casey slapped one to center field.
With bases loaded, Stacey Webber hit a two-run single to left field that scored Tsitsikronis and Home. It was the first time the U.S. trailed in the entire tournament. "The start of the game was not what was expected," Head Coach Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.) said. "I am incredibly proud of these young women for not letting that bad start result in a bad finish. It would have been easy to give up but they kept their heads in the game. Their ability to make mistakes and then move forward is what made the difference." The U.S. went scoreless in the bottom half of the inning. Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif.) drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.) sacrifice bunt. Wilson moved to third on a Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.) ground out but first baseman Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) struck out to end the inning. Catcher Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif.) put the Americans back on track in the second with the first home run of her USA Softball career. With the score even at two runs after the long ball over the center field wall, shortstop Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) singled to left field and stole second before center fielder Wilson walked for the second time. Salvarola drove in a third run with a grounder. "Basically I was just thinking about my pitcher Dallas and how we were down two runs," said Freeman, who went 2-for-3 against Australia. "I wanted to get the runs to get us back in the game." In the team's five home run performance Wednesday against Puerto Rico, Freeman went hitless, hitting two fly outs and later grounding into a double play. "I had a talk with my dad and he told me 'You can do better'," Freeman said. "I knew that I didn't want yesterday to get me down so I used it as motivation for today's game."
Wilson and Salvarola scored when a Lahners fly ball was dropped by center fielder Jess Bahn. In the fourth, Team USA took a 6-2 when Coyle scored on a Lahners single up the middle. Wilson scored the seventh run on a passed ball. Webber, who plays first base for Australia, collected her third and fourth RBI of the game with a home run in the seventh. She went 2-for-3 on the day with one walk. The four Aussie runs marked the first earned runs of the tournament for Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz.), who improved to 3-0 with her eight strikeout performance. She leads the six member Team USA pitching staff with 25 strikeouts in the tournament. "I started off a little shaky and I really just had to pace myself. I had to gather my thoughts and slow the game down," said Escobedo, who has pitched 15 innings over four games in Cape Town. "I feel like as the game went on, I did much better than I did in the first inning. It just took me a few batters to get in my zone and focus mentally."
Escobedo pitched the entire outing for the Americans, allowing 10 hits. She walked two batters in the first, one in the third and another in the seventh. The U.S. returns to action with a semi-final match up against undefeated Japan. The winner of the Japan/USA game will advance to Saturday's Gold Medal Game while the loser advances to the Bronze Medal Game. The Bronze Medal Game winner will advance to the championship. Team USA came to Cape Town as the reigning Junior Women's World Champions, having went 10-0 at the 2007 tournament in Enschede, The Netherlands. In the Championship Game, the U.S. topped Japan 3-1. Team USA has played in each of the six previous Championship Games held, defeating China for the inaugural title in 1987, losing to Japan in 1991, defeating Japan in 1995 and losing to Japan in 1999 and 2003 before reclaiming the top spot from Japan in 2007.
Live stats for all of the U.S. games in Cape Town are available at USASoftball.com. Playoff games are also streamed live through the tournament website (http://jwwc2011.co.za/).
CAPE TOWN -- Four 2011 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team athletes combined for five home runs Wednesday at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, helping the United States run-rule Puerto Rico 12-3 in five innings. With the win, Team USA secured the No. 1 seed in Pool A with a 7-0 record.
The Americans start playoff action Thursday at 5:30 p.m. South African Standard Time/9:30 a.m. CT against Australia, the No. 2 seed in Pool B. The winner will play again at 5:30 p.m. Friday while the loser will play at noon SAST/4 a.m. CT. Center fielder Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif.) and left fielder Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.) were issued consecutive walks to start the bottom of the first. With two outs after second baseman Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.) struckout and first baseman Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice that put Wilson out at third, starting pitcher Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) singled up the middle to score Salvarola. Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.), the designated player, followed suit with an RBI single that scored Chamberlain for a 2-0 lead. "I was pleased that the team was able to come out and score runs early," said Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.), who is in her second year as head coach. "When you take the lead with your fifth batter, it takes a little bit of the pressure off." Puerto Rico responded with a Monica Santos double to right field off Carda. With a Nicole Osterman sacrfice bunt, Santos moved to third. Malerie Figueroa grounded out but Yahelis Munoz followed with an RBI single to left field. It marked the first earned run of the tournament for the U.S. pitching staff. Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.) ledoff the second with a home run to center field. Another run scored when Salvarola, who doubled, crossed the plate on a Lahners single. Chamberlain then made it a 6-1 contest with a center field homer, her second of the tournament. A Carda single led to Jocelyn De Leon coming in to pitch for Puerto Rico. Haeger singled then catcher Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif.) hit a flyball, bringing Cordes back to the plate for the second time. She hit a three-run home run to give the U.S. a 9-1 advantage heading into the third. "I just went up there nice and relaxed, looking for a pitch. Both of my home runs were off first pitch strikes," said Cordes, who is 9-for-15 in the tournament. "I was just nice and relaxed, not thinking about anything important. I just went up there and swung." With Haeger in the circle, another Puerto Rico run scored on a wild pitch. The American's lone run of the third came from a Chelsea Goodacre (Temecula, Calif.) leadoff home run. Batting for Lahners, Goodacre hit one over the center field fence, marking the first long ball of her USA Softball career. "It was relieving to hit that home run," Goodacre said. "After having a few bat at-bats earlier this week, it was nice being able to go back to what I know. It is a great feeling to have any hit for for your country but a home run is even more special." Puerto Rico scored another run on a wild pitch in the fourth. After Cordes flied out to center field to start the bottom of the fourth, just narrowly missing a third home run, Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) knocked one over the fence. It marked her first home run since joining the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team in July as a replacement for injured shortstop Shelby Pendley (Albuquerque, N.M.). Erin Gabriel (Poland, Ohio) pitched the fifth for the U.S., striking out one batter. Carada, who threw a no-hitter against China earlier in the tournament, improved her record to 2-0 in the circle with the win. Live stats for all of the U.S. games in Cape Town are available at USASoftball.com
CAPE TOWN -- The 2011 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team overcame the rain to run rule Czech Republic 15-0 in three innings Tuesday in Cape Town, South Africa. With the win, the Americans improve to 6-0 at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championships.
Catcher Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif.), batting with two outs, finished the Czechs with a double to left field that scored designated player Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz.), who singled to shortstop, and third baseman Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.). Cordes, who went 2-for-2 in the game, drove in the other two runs when she reached on a single to center field and advanced on an error by the center fielder.
"When I came to the plate in the third, I was soaking wet from playing in the pouring rain," said Freeman, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI. "[Petra Sudolska] threw me the pitch that I was looking for so I just took a swing, hoping that it was enough to end the game. I wanted to keep my teammates from having to go back out there."
The Americans took a 1-0 lead in the first when the fifth batter, Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif. ), was hit by a pitch with bases loaded. With bases loaded, Haeger took a ball before rain temporarily suspended play. The action continued about a half-hour later with two runs scoring on catcher Ivana Malkova's mistakes. Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.) scored on a passed ball then on the same play, Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) advanced home a throwing error.
With a 3-0 lead, Haeger hit a single to left center that scored Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.), who was pinch running for Carda. Freeman lined into a double play to end the inning.
Seven more runs scored in the second with the first coming when Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) scored on a wild pitch. With Sudolska in to pitch for starter Petra Zvolankova, Lahners doubled to score Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif.), who reached base on a walk, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Lahners later scored on another wild pitch.
A Damico RBI single scored Chamberlain to make it an 8-0 contest. Haeger singled to left field to move Damico to third. Tarango reached on an error that scored Damico. Freeman followed with an RBI single to left that scored Erin Gabriel (Poland, Ohio), the pinch runner for Haeger. Tarango and Freeman moved on a passed ball. Coyle hit an RBI sacrifice fly to left field. With an 11-0 lead, Wilson flew out to left field.
Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz.) picked up the win, striking out nine.
The United States plays its final pool play game Wednesday against Puerto Rico at 2 p.m. SAST/6 a.m. CT. No matter the outcome, the Americans will head into the playoffs on Thursday and Friday as the No. 1 seed in Pool A. The Canadians are currently 5-1 with one game remaining but were run ruled by Team USA earlier in the tournament. All other teams have two or more losses.
Should the U.S. advance from the playoffs, the medal rounds are Saturday. The Bronze Medal game is at noon SAST/4 a.m. CT with the winner advancing to the Championship Game at 3 p.m. SAST/7 a.m. CT.
Live stats for all of the U.S. games in Cape Town are available at USASoftball.com. Selected playoff action and the medal rounds will be streamed live through the tournament website (http://jwwc2011.co.za/).
Team Canada got their second win of the ISF Junior Women's World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa by beating Puerto Rico, 7-0, on the run rule. Canada improves to 2-1 and will next face New Zealand, who is also 2-1, at 5:30 am EST Sunday, Dec. 18. Husky Victoria Hayward (Toronto, ON) played an important part in the win for Team Canada. With one out in the bottom of the first, Hayward beat out a drag bunt but was forced out at second when teammate Erika Polidori hit a ball back to the pitcher. In the second inning, she also hit a single, sending an eventual scorer, Jennifer Gilbert, to third. Canada had seven hits, with Hayward and teammate Shannon Davidson leading the team with two each. For all tournament information, visit the host website at http://jwwc2011.co.za or the Softball Canada website at http://www.softball.ca.
CAPE
TOWN -- The United States thumped Botswana 17-0 in three innings Monday
at the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's
World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa. Nyree White (Eugene,
Ore.) threw a perfect game, striking out three, to help the team remain
undefeated after five pool play games.
"The team put up a ton of runs today so it was pretty easy for me just going out there throwing strikes," White said. "I wanted to use my defense, roll up ground balls, which is the same approach that I usually have. I wanted to make sure that we got back in the dugout so we could keep scoring some more runs." The Americans set the tone in the top of the first with 11 runs scored. Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif.) started the offensive outpouring with a single to left field that scored Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.), who was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.) doubled to move Carda to third. Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif.) reached on an error, scoring Carda. Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.), pinch running for Freeman, stole second. Cheyenne Tarango (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) made it 4-0 with a double to score Cordes and Damico. Chelsea Goodacre (Temecula, Calif.) singled to center field, moving Tarango to third, then stole second. Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.) walked to load the bases. Pitcher Tjitjoo Rapelang then walked Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.) for her first of five RBI in the game. An error in left field allowed Salvarola to reach base and score Goodacre and Coyle. With Chamberlain on third, Carda hit an RBI single. A Cordes triple scored Salvarola and Carda, who went 3-for-3 on the day. Freeman singled up the middle to score Cordes, which marked the final run of the inning. The first ended with a Tarango fly out. Goodacre and White started the second with consecutive singles. Coyle doubled to left field to score Goodacre. With two-on, Chamberlain hit a home run to make it a 15-0 contest. The homer marked Chamberlain's first of the tournament but the second for the team, which benefited from a Chelsea Zgrabik (Nokomis, Fla.) homer against South Africa on Sunday. "The game was all about adjustments," said Chamberlain. "The team adjustment was to wait back, see it deep and that was my plan. I got a good pitch and good things happened." In the third, White doubled to score Goodacre, who reached on an error by the second baseman than advanced to second on a passed ball. Chamberlain later added a run to the board when White scored on her double. "Hitting wise, I've just tried to get a nice pitch and take a good hack, see the ball deep," said White, who went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. "It's cool when I'm hitting and pitching because it keeps me from getting to wrapped up in either side of the game. It's cool to be able to balance it out that way." Team USA has two pool play games remaining in Cape Town before the playoffs (Dec. 15-16) and medal rounds (Dec. 17). The Americans face Czech Republic on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. SAST/9:30 a.m. CT and close out pool play Wednesday with Puerto Rico at 2 p.m. SAST/6 a.m. CT. Live stats for all of the U.S. games in Cape Town are available at USASoftball.com. Team USA's games with Botswana and the Czech Republic are also scheduled for live streaming through the tournament website (http://jwwc2011.co.za/).
CAPE TOWN -- In their first contest of the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championship in Cape Town, South Africa, the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team defeated Canada 11-4 in five innings Thursday. The bottom of the fifth started with a Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.) single up the middle and ended on a similar note, a walk-off Salvarola single up the middle that scored Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif.).
"At that point in the game, the lead that we had was kind of short, it was kind of small so I was just trying to get on base and give ourselves that base runner that would widen the gap again," Salvarola said. "When I got back up at the end, I was honestly just freezing, really cold and we just wanted to end the game. I was trying really hard to hit the first pitch and end it." The action was scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. but did not get underway until after 9:30, delayed by previous games including the Czech Republic's 9-8 victory over Puerto Rico. The pool play match-up between Canada and the U.S. ended just short of midnight in Cape Town, with the temperature in the low 50s and winds continuing at nearly 20 MPH. "I am really proud of how the team performed with the tough weather conditions and the late start," said Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.), who is in her second year as head coach of the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team. "It would have been easy for these young women to get distracted tonight but they fought through the adversity, which is a huge positive. We have to make some improvements if we want to be Junior Women's World Champions but an 11-4 victory over Canada is not a bad way to start the tournament." Team USA headed into the bottom of the fifth holding a two run lead over the Canadians. With Natalie Becker in the circle, the first four USA batters reached base. Salvarola advanced to second on a Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif.) hit then scored on Ally Carda's (Elk Grove, Calif.) single. Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.), the 2010 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team Athlete of the Year, was walked to load the bases. Jaycee Affeldt walked Kylee Lahners, the first batter she faced, to put the Red, White and Blue up 8-4, and then allowed an RBI single to shortstop Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif.). Jessica Damico (Gray Summit, Mo.) struck out swinging to record the first out. Then Affeldt walked Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif.), allowing Chamberlain to score, and struck out Chelsea Goodacre (Temecula, Calif.) before facing Salvarola. "I was just looking for a pitch that I could at least put in play," said Salvarola, who went 2-for-2 with two walks. "I went up there knowing that she wasn't throwing many pitches for strikes so I was focused on getting a good pitch and putting it in play." The Americans scored one run in the first when Canada's starting pitcher Karissa Hovinga walked Coyle with bases loaded, scoring Destinee Martinez (Corona, Calif.). A total of 11 U.S. batters were walked including Amber Freeman, who was hit by a pitch with bases loaded in the third, and Salvarola also with bases loaded in the third. Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz.) pitched the first three innings for the win. Of the 11 batters faced by the Arizona State sophomore standout, she allowed two batters to reach base, walking Shannon Davidson and then giving up a single to Natalie Wideman in the second. Escobedo struck out three batters. "I felt really great warming up and was excited that we were finally playing games," Escobedo said. "We've been out here practicing for about a week now. Finally getting out there and playing against another team really adds fuel to my fire. I was just ready to perform and I think I did well." Nyree White (Eugene, Ore.) pitched 1.2 innings, with all four Canadian runs crossing the plate with her in the circle. Only two runs were earned, while another pair came on a sloppy play that started with a throwing error from third baseman Cordes to first baseman Chamberlain. White was relieved in the fifth by Cheyenne Tarango, who faced three batters. The United States returns to action Friday at 2:30 p.m. local time/6:30 a.m. CT against China. Live stats for all USA Softball games played in Cape Town are available through USASoftball.com.
A few changes have been made to the original schedule for the 2012 Kajikawa Softball Classic on Feb. 9-12 in Tempe, Ariz., with a few changes affecting UW's schedule during the tournament. Below is a link to the entire tournament schedule.
Kajikawa Master Schedule Sheet.pdf
This weekend, as the Huskies take on the Oregon Ducks, former Husky and NFL tight end Cam Cleeland and his wife, former UW softball and basketball player Mindy (Williams) Cleeland lead an initiative, alongside several Huskies and area firefighters, to collect donations for a special cause. Their Play2Heal Project is raising money for young burn patients at the UW Medicine Burn Center at Harborview, where their then-3 year old son was treated last year. The group will be collecting donations at several places around Husky Stadium starting at 5:30 on Saturday before kickoff between the Dawgs and Ducks. The Cleelands were recently on King 5's New Day Northwest show to talk about the cause and the interview can be seen at the following link:
http://www.king5.com/new-day-
The Husky softball team has made two changes to their spring 2012 schedule. The game versus North Dakota on Mar. 7 has been deleted. Also, the doubleheader at Cal State Bakersfield has been moved to Monday Mar. 19.
Check out the photo gallery from the Husky softball team's trip to Safeco Field<div><br /></div> <p>
Check out some great pictures by Scott Eklund at the UW softball game vs. the NPF All-Stars at Safeco Field last Saturday.
The Canadian softball team, led by UW sophomore Victoria Hayward and former Husky star Jenn Salling, had a great run at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico before falling to the USA Softball Women's National team in the gold medal game, 11-1. They advanced to the final game after defeating Cuba 4-0 earlier in the day. Team Canada had a strong start to the contest, immediately putting a runner in scoring position when Melanie Matthews reached base on a walk before stealing second, but the team wasn't able to advance any more runners in the first inning after Jen Yee also reached base on a walk. Canada tied the game 1-1 in the top of the second when Hayward drove in Heather Ebert with an RBI base hit. Canada put two more runners on base with one out in that inning, resulting in a pitching change for the US, but they were not able to make any more serious threats the rest of the game. The Canadian National softball team comes away from the Pan Am games with a silver medal and a 7-3 overall tournament record.
Check out the video taken by UW softball on its 2011 fall trip to Central Washington and Idaho.
Three former Huskies played in the NPF Championship Series this past weekend for the USSSA Florida Pride. Ashley Charters, a three-time All-American and Washington's career leader in stolen bases, was selected All-NPF at second base. Danielle Lawrie, a two-time National Player of the Year during her career at Washington, was also selected All-NPF. Lawrie helped the USSSA Pride win the 2010 Championship her rookie season. Jenn Salling was the third overall pick in the first round in the NPF draft. Salling was a four-year member of the Canadian National team and named First team All-Pac-10, First-Team All-Pacific and Outstanding Athlete of the Year as a Husky. The Pride, the defending and regular season champions, lost to the Chicago Bandits 10-3, capturing the championship in two games. The 2011 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team will open the 2011 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championship (19-Under) in Cape Town, South Africa, on Dec. 8 against Canada. The schedule for the tournament, Dec. 7-17, was released August 10 by host organization Softball South Africa. "We are incredibly excited to start the tournament against one of the most competitive countries in our sport. To be the best, you have to play against the best," Head Coach Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.) said. "If our team wants to take home a Gold Medal from Cape Town, they have to be ready from the first pitch of the tournament through the last out in the Championship Game. I am confident that this group of young women has everything it takes to continue the great tradition of the USA Softball program." Following the contest with Canada, the U.S. is scheduled to play six other Pool A opponents: China on Dec. 9; New Zealand on Dec. 10; South Africa on Dec. 11; Botswana on Dec. 12; Czech Republic on Dec. 13; and Puerto Rico on Dec. 14. Playoffs are Dec. 15-16 with the Gold Medal Game scheduled for Dec. 17. The schedule is subject to change. Tickets for the event are now on sale through Computicket. Team USA enters the competition as the defending Junior Women's World Champions, having went 10-0 at the 2007 tournament in Enschede, The Netherlands. In the Championship Game, the U.S. topped Japan 3-1. Team USA has played in each of the six previous Championship Games held, defeating China for the inaugural title in 1987, losing to Japan in 1991, defeating Japan in 1995 and losing to Japan in 1999 and 2003 before reclaiming the top spot from Japan in 2007. Japan plays in Pool B with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Germany, Russia and Zimbabwe. The Aussies won the Bronze Medal at the 2007, 2003 and 1995 ISF Junior Women's Worlds. The U.S. qualified for the upcoming Junior Women's World Championship in August 2010 by winning the III Pan American Championships (18-Under) in Bogota, Colombia, with a 9-0 record that included two wins against Canada and another against Puerto Rico. In the Championship Game, Team USA defeated Canada 3-1. The two teams also met in pool play during that event with the U.S. claiming a 3-0 victory. In the semi-final, the Americans defeated Puerto Rico 6-1. Since competing in Bogota, the USA Softball Junior Women's National Team competed in exhibitions against the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team earlier this summer in Tampa, Salem, Va., and Bowie, Md. The juniors will rejoin in Cape Town a week prior to the Junior Women's Worlds for training. Sixteen athletes have been named to the 17-member USA Softball Junior Women's National Team, which currently has representatives from six states and 11 universities. Team members are Ally Carda (Elk Grove, Calif./UCLA freshman), Lauren Chamberlain (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Oklahoma freshman), Cheyenne Cordes (Fairfield, Calif./California freshman), Cheyenne Coyle (West Hills, Calif./Florida sophomore), Dallas Escobedo (Glendale, Ariz./Arizona State sophomore), Amber Freeman (Lakewood, Calif./Arizona State freshman), Erin Gabriel (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary High School senior), Chelsea Goodacre (Temecula, Calif./Arizona freshman), Lauren Haeger (Phoenix, Ariz./Florida freshman), Kylee Lahners (Laguna Hills, Calif./Washington freshman), Destinee Martinez (Corona, Calif./Oklahoma sophomore), Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md./South Florida sophomore), Cheyanne Tarango (Anaheim Hills, Calif./Tennessee freshman), Nyree White (Eugene, Ore./Stanford freshman), Hallie Wilson (North Tustin, Calif./Arizona freshman) and Chelsea Zgrabik (Nokomis, Fla./Florida Gulf Coast freshman). Coyle was named to the roster in late July by the USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Committee (WNTSC) after Shelby Pendley (Albuquerque, N.M./Arizona freshman) withdrew from the team due to injury. Madison Shipman (Valencia, Calif./Tennessee sophomore) has also withdrawn from the team due to injury. The WNTSC has not announced a replacement. On August 13 & 14, current Huskies Hooch Fagaly, Shawna Wright, and Whitney Jones and incoming freshman Kimberlee Souza competed in a six-team tournament and won the 23U Women's Major National Championship. All four athletes competed for the Cobras in the 23U "A" Western Nationals in the tournament at Marine Park in Salem, Ore. The Cobras won four games to take the title, beating West Coast Angels 11-3 in game one, Hardball in game two, Oregon Rampage 6-4 in game three, and Oregon Reign for the Championship. All four Huskies made the All-Tournament team and Whitney Jones won batting champion and was named MVP for the tournament.
Watch the video below that Jenn Salling did with her new team, the USSSA Pride.
The UW softball team hosted a camp earlier this week. Check out some pictures below from the first day and the photo gallery.
 Photo Gallery
Future Husky Kylee Lahners homered yesterday as her team came from behind to win the Under Armour All-American game. Former Husky Jenn Salling was one of the coaches. Read the recap below.
Fans who spilled out of the stands at the ESPN Wide World of Sports were treated to some bonus softball at the 2011 Under Armour All-America Game on Tuesday. After all, what else would you expect from teams comprised of the nation's best?
Sara Driesenga was named MVP after lacing a bases-loaded, walk-off double off the left field fence to cap a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning in a 6-5 win for Team Swagger. "[The MVP] could have gone to anybody because this was truly a team effort," said Driesenga, who also pitched the final two innings to earn the win. "It's just an honor to be here with the 30 best players in the nation."
Although cliche, there was some truth to the "total team effort" statement on this day. Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Team Swagger standouts Lauren Chamberlain and Kylee Lahners blasted back-to-back home runs that swung momentum. "I came up to the plate thinking, 'Wow, the only way to follow [Chamberlain's home run] is to just hit another one,'" Lahners said. "So I went up there and waited for my pitch, got my pitch and put a good swing on it." Ally Carda, the pitcher for Team Hype who surrendered the two home runs, swung it back to her team's favor by taking two bases after an attempted pick-off throw went awry. She scored from third on an RBI single by Delaney Guy. Team Hype took its 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh, when Kelsi Jones played the role of savior with a one-out single that scored Lahners to tie the game. After Danielle Henderson was hit in the ankle by a pitch, Team Swagger suddenly had a golden opportunity to win the game in regulation with the bases loaded and only one out. But Corrin Genovese flashed some leather at second for Team Hype, snaring the potentially game-winning line drive and doubling off the runner at first base for an unassisted inning-ending double play. Playing by international tie-breaking rules (each extra inning starts with a runner on second base), the game progressed to the ninth inning, where scoring suddenly became en vogue. Team Hype opened the inning with two runs in the top half, highlighted by a two-out RBI single by Jessica Damico, who went 2-for-4 on the day. Damico and Swagger's Janie Takeda, who went 2-for-3, were the only players with multiple hits. Facing a two-run deficit for the second time in the game, Team Swagger responded in the bottom of the ninth. After a hit by Takeda and a walk by Jones, A.J. Andrews reached on an error to load the bases with only one out. Down 5-4, Driesenga ended the game with her drive to left. Jones, who hit the game-tying RBI single to force extra innings, scored the winning run. "After we fell behind, you still saw smiles on the girls faces, and that's the key" said Leah O'Brien Amico, coach of Team Swagger. "A lot of times, if you're wearing that negative emotion it will pull you down. It's fun to be on the winning side. You play this game to have fun but obviously we're all competitors and it's always nice to get that W." The game airs at 7 p.m. ET Saturday on ESPNU.  Check out a recent Q&A with former Husky softball player Tami Storseth (1993-96).
Check out the great feature story on incoming freshman Courtney Gano from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. When you're the daughter of one of the San Gabriel Valley's all-time softball legends and a high-profile football coach, expectations sort of come with the territory. That's how it is for Courtney Gano, whose mother, Rhonda Wheatley, was the 1983 Division II-A softball player of the year after leading Workman High to the divisional title, and who also was an All-American at Cal Poly Pomona. Her father, Greg Gano, is the football coach at Damien, but is most known for winning four CIF titles at Los Altos, which is where Courtney Gano started her high school career before transferring to Bonita and finishing off her senior season in style. Gano worked relentlessly and carved out her reputation on the travel ball circuit before arriving at Los Altos. After her freshman year she verbally committed to the University of Washington, where she's headed this fall. Unlike others, though, who coast late in their high school careers with their futures already inked, Gano committed herself even more and had a monster senior year for the Hacienda League co-champion Bearcats, who finished 23-5 and advanced to the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 2 playoffs
CHULA VISTA, Calif. - The journey begins Monday morning for 35 athletes as they begin selection camp for a spot on the 17-person roster for the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team. The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball will host the athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., June 12-16. Kicking off Monday with position drills followed by exhibition games all week, the athletes will perform before the Women's National Team Selection Committee who will announce the 17-person roster on Friday, June 17 at 11 a.m. CST. The 17 athletes selected to the USA Softball roster will compete in six different events in three countries. Fans in the United States will get four opportunities to see the team in action with three exhibition stops scheduled as well as the World Cup of Softball VI, July 21-25, in Oklahoma City. For ticket information on the World Cup as well as the tour stops in Plant City, Fla., Salem, Va., and Bowie, Md., go to www.usasoftball.com. The 2011 Women's National Team will also participate in the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship July 9-17 in Surrey B.C. Canada. This squad will later seek the program's eighth Pan American Championship title at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 17-23. New to the list of athletes who accepted an invitation is Lauren Gibson (Pasadena, Md./Tennessee). Below are the final 35 athletes who will compete this week for a spot on the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team: Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./California) Kylee Lahners and Courtney Gano will be freshmen at UW in the fall of 2011 and signed NLIs earlier this year to play softball under head coach Heather Tarr. Both student-athletes just earned more honors at the end of their high school careers. Lahners is a second baseman from Laguna Hills and a Team USA Junior National Team member. She was named to the All-Orange County first-teamfor the third consecutive season. Lahners batted .506 with three doubles, four triples and eight home runs. She drove in 17 runs and scored 31 runs. She had a .594 on-base percentage and a .938 slugging percentage. Gano, from West Covina, Calif., played in the San Gabriel Valley Senior All-Star game. She was on the North team that defeated the South team, 21-8. The game was played to honor the Wilson High School coach who died suddenly last summer. Bruyninckx's 3-year old grandson Brody Schatzman, accompanied by Bruyninckx's widow, Joyce, threw out the first pitch. Gano was the designated hitter and led off with singles for the North. Two errors and a single gave the North a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Gano had three hits, including a triple and a home run, and scored four runs for the North. "It's an honor to play here," Gano said. "I've been here every year to support my teammates and I'm just happy to play with the best in the area." Former Huskies Danielle Lawrie, Ashley Charters and Jenn Salling will begin play in the National Pro Fastpitch League on June 10. The 40-game season begins tomorrow as the Pride take on the Chicago Bandits at 4 p.m. PT. All 40 games for the Pride this season can be watched live on their website: http://www.usssapride.com/. On June 11, fans can watch the Pride live on ESPN2 at Noon PT. The Pride won the championship last year as Lawrie was a part of that team. Charters joins the team this season as does Salling who just wrapped up her outstanding career at UW and was the No. 3 pick in the NPF Draft this year.
Special to The Seattle Times Freshman pitcher Kaitlin Inglesby used a mix of power and off-speed pitches to toss a two-hitter, and she and her teammates provided just enough offense to lift Washington to a 4-1 win over Brigham Young on Friday at Husky Softball Stadium, advancing to Saturday's NCAA regional championship round. Read the full story here: tp://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2015109910_uwsoft21.html.
Matt Hasselbeck was at the UW softball game Thursday night and got on the air with John Cowley and Mike Brown on 1150 AM KKNW. Listen to the interview below.
Huskies cruise in NCAA softball opener; BYU nextThe 12th-seeded Huskies (35-14) advance to face Brigham Young (39-17) Friday at 3 p.m. in the second round at Husky Softball Stadium. Read the whole story here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2015101125_uwsoft20.html?prmid=head_main. Special to The Seattle Times The Washington softball team reached the Women's College World Series the past two seasons relying on a skillful pitcher who swings a powerful bat. Freshman Kaitlin Inglesby gives the Huskies hope that they might make a third straight trip. Two-time national player of the year Danielle Lawrie is gone, but Portland native Inglesby continued her good-arm/good-bat output Thursday night to help Washington cruise to a 6-2 win over Portland State in its NCAA tournament opener in front of 1,035 at Husky Softball Stadium. The 12th-seeded Huskies (35-14) advance to face Brigham Young (39-17) Friday at 3 p.m. in the second round of the double-elimination regional. The Cougars defeated 21st-ranked Auburn 2-1 earlier Thursday. Win that game and UW will play again Saturday for the regional championship at 2:30. Lose, and they play at 8 p.m. Friday. Several media members from all over the Puget Sound area came out to the Dempsey Indoor on Wednesday for UW's first Regional practice. Check out the links below to two stories that were written yesterday. Scott Johnson, Everett Herald: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110519/SPORTS/705199905/1129/SPORTS06. Dave Boling, The New Tribune: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20110519/SPORTS/705199905/1129/SPORTS06.
For those of you that missed the Seattle Times live chat on Tuesday afternoon with head softball coach Heather Tarr and senior shortstop Jenn Salling, you can view it all here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2015079466_livechat18.html.
Ashley Tuiasosopo, senior outfielder for the University of Washington softball team, was presented the UW Athletic Scholar award at the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity and Friends of the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) 41st Annual Celebration, Fête and Honors on Thurs., May 5, at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center in downtown Seattle.
Tuiasosopo comes from a long line of Huskies, as numerous family members before her have attended UW and have been involved in athletics. She has contributed greatly to the team from the very start, driving in a run in her first career game as a Husky in 2008. During her sophomore year, she scored the last run in the final inning of UW's 5-1, 15-inning win in the deciding game of the NCAA Regionals. She also received the Husky Coaches Award in 2010.
UW senior right fielder Ashley Tuiasosopo (Woodinville, Wash.) from the UW softball team answered a few questions for the Dawg Blawg. Gohuskies.com: Do you have a motto/saying you live by? GH: What is your favorite thing about Seattle/favorite thing to do in Seattle outside of campus? GH: What is your favorite opposing field to play on? GH: If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be? GH: If you were given 1 million dollars, how would you spend it? GH: If you could train with any professional athlete in any sport who would you choose? GH: What do you want to do after you're finished playing softball? GH: What is your favorite moment of your softball career at UW so far? GH: What don't people outside of your hometown know about where you grew up that you think they should know? GH: If you were trapped on a desert island with one teammate, who would you want to be stranded with and why? GH: What is one TV show you can't miss? GH: Better three-hour blockbuster, Titanic, Lord of the Rings or Avatar? GH: What's something surprising that most people don't know about you?
Watch the UW360 video on Jenn Salling.
Terry Wood from the Seattle Times wrote a softball Pac-10 opening day feature. Balancing a rockin' offense with a sometimes rocky group of young pitchers, the sixth-ranked Washington softball team opens Pac-10 play at home this weekend against 14th-ranked Oregon. The Huskies (25-2) begin a three-game series Friday at Husky Softball Stadium at 6 p.m., followed by games Saturday (4 p.m.) and Sunday (noon). Oregon (28-4) has won 12 straight games since losing 10-0 to top-ranked Alabama on March 5. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2014652445_uwsoft01.html. Friday night's Pac-10 opener vs. Oregon will air tape delayed on FSN. Below are the dates, times and channels that the game is available.
PAC-10 SOFTBALL '11 OREGON AT WASHINGTON Network Date Time Zone L,D.R FOX SPORTS ARIZONA Saturday - 04/02/2011 1:00 PM Pacific Delay FOX SPORTS DETROIT Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Eastern Delay FOX SPORTS FLORIDA (Non-Panthers) Sunday - 04/03/2011 2:00 AM Eastern Delay FOX SPORTS HOUSTON Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Central Delay FOX SPORTS MIDWEST Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Central Delay FOX SPORTS MIDWEST (Non-Cardinals) Tuesday - 04/05/2011 1:00 AM Central Repeat ROOT SPORTS NORTHWEST Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Pacific Delay FOX SPORTS OHIO Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Eastern Delay ROOT SPORTS ROCKY MOUNTAIN Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Mountain Delay FOX SPORTS SOUTH (Non-Thrashers Min) Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Eastern Delay FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST Saturday - 04/02/2011 12:00 PM Central Delay FOX SPORTS WEST Saturday - 04/02/2011 2:00 PM Pacific Delay PRIME TICKET Saturday - 04/02/2011 5:00 PM Pacific Repeat COMCAST BAY AREA Saturday - 04/02/2011 11:00 AM Pacific Delay COMCAST BAY AREA Monday - 04/04/2011 3:00 PM Pacific Repeat COMCAST CHICAGO Saturday - 04/02/2011 3:30 PM Central Delay COMCAST NEW ENGLAND Sunday - 04/03/2011 12:00 PM Eastern Delay COMCAST PHILADELPHIA Saturday - 04/02/2011 3:00 PM Eastern Delay
A trio of original UWTV productions recently received recognition for Outstanding Achievement by the Telly Awards, a nationally respected competition for the broadcast industry. The awards were given for the UWTV programs "Fostering Leadership," "Media Space," and "Husky Softball: A Championship Journey."UWTV was honored with Bronze Awards for all three programs in the 32nd Annual Telly Awards. All three were new shows launched by UWTV in the spring and fall of 2010. Watch the softball video here: http://uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=31197.
The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America and USA Softball announced the initial group of 12 athletes who have accepted an invitation to the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team tryout camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif., June 12-17. Names of additional participants will be released upon acceptance of athletes.
The approximately 17 athletes selected to represent USA Softball will compete in over seven different events in four different countries. Fans in the United States will get four opportunities to see the team in action with three exhibition stops scheduled as well as the World Cup of Softball IV, July 21-25, in Oklahoma City. For ticket information on the World Cup as well as the tour stops in Salem, Va., Bowie, Md. and Tampa, Fla., go to www.usasoftball.com. The 2011 Women's National Team will also seek the program's eighth Pan American Championship title at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 17-23.
Valerie Arioto (Pleasanton, Calif./California)
By Graham Hays. View the entire story here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=6216833. Some things never change in Seattle, where the rain familiar to all seasons save summer washed out Sunday's finale of the Husky Softball Classic. That Mother Nature is just about the first opponent to shut down Washington's lineup this season suggests that other supposed Emerald City identifiers are more malleable. Before the rain, Washington scored 36 runs in three games in the tournament it hosted, wins against South Carolina-Upstate (twice) and Seattle University that pushed its record to 19-0 this season. It wasn't the kind of competition the Huskies will face next weekend at the Judi Garman Classic in California, but it hasn't much mattered who coach Heather Tarr's team has faced this season. From Northwestern and San Diego State to Massachusetts and Texas A&M, postseason potential hasn't been enough for opponents to avoid a serious ERA hit against Washington. Only Fordham held the Huskies to fewer than five runs.
Washington scored 216 runs through its first 19 games. It reached double figures on 11 occasions, including two games of more than 20 runs.
Two seasons ago, the Huskies scored 115 runs in their first 19 games and didn't reach 216 runs until April 19, game No. 41. To refresh memories, that team won a national title a little more than a month later. "It's early in the season, but I like what we're doing," Tarr said recently. "I like just kind of the collection of our offense, the mindset of it."
Some of that -- perhaps much of that -- may stem from the effects of the lineup losing its most productive power hitter of a season ago, a player who led the team in home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage. That player, of course, was Danielle Lawrie, who happened to also be one of the best big-game pitchers in the long annals of college softball.
If the Huskies got Lawrie two or three runs of support, they knew they had a good chance to come out with the win. But at just over five runs per game for the 2010 season, they didn't always get her much more than that. Why fill the tank when you can buy just enough gas to get you where you're going?
"When you play behind somebody who you know is going to guarantee a great game, like Danielle, somehow, someway, I don't know why, but teams sometimes that have that don't have an explosive offensive mindset," Tarr said. "I think we were very good offensively, but we weren't crazy, off-the-charts over the last few years. So I think it just gives you a different sense of urgency, maybe not knowing that you have that kind of pitcher." OKLAHOMA CITY -- The USA Softball Junior Women's National will prepare for the International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Women's World Championship with exhibition games against the 2011 USA Softball Women's National Team, the Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America announced today. The team will also briefly train in Tampa, Fla., Salem, Va., and Bowie, Md., in addition to playing in the exhibitions. For the roster of 2010-11 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team athletes, please click here. "Since the team was formed last summer, their ultimate goal has been to win the Gold Medal at the Junior Women's World Championships," said Junior Women's National Team Head Coach Karen Johns (Whippany, N.J.). "Playing against the USA Softball Women's National Team, the best team in the world, will be invaluable for them as they prepare for the challenge of the junior teams from Canada, Japan and the other international softball powerhouses. The USA has an amazing group of junior women representing them. I know they are looking forward to the opportunity of playing in Florida, Maryland and Virginia before taking on the world, and they will be ready for the challenge." Joining Johns on the Junior Women's National Team staff are Suzy Brazney (Huntington Beach, Calif./Head coach at Golden West College), Stacy Iveson (Prescott Valley, Ariz./Head coach at Yavapai College), Tony Rico (Huntington Beach, Calif./Coach for the Worth Firecrackers) and Joe Salvatore (Monroe Township, N.J./Coach for New Jersey Breakers). Rico, coach of the Worth Firecrackers, is making his first coaching appearance with the program while the three other assistants were instrumental in the team's Gold Medal showing at the III Pan American Championship in Bogota, Colombia, in August. The Junior Women's National Team will play against the National Team June 24-25 at the University of South Florida, where team member Kourtney Salvarola (Arnold, Md.) currently plays under the direction of Ken Eriksen (Tampa, Fla.), who is also the USA Softball Women's National Team Head Coach. The teams will clash again on June 29 at LewisGale Field, home of the Salem Red Sox, in Salem, Va., and July 1 at Prince George's Stadium, home of the Bowie Baysox, in Bowie, Md. For ticket information on the three exhibitions, please visit USASoftball.com. Tickets for the exhibitions in Salem and Bowie are currently on sale with ticket information for Florida to be announced. The Junior Women's National Team will hold practices June 23-26 in Tampa, June 27-29 in Salem, June 30-July 1 in Bowie as well as Dec. 2-6 in Cape Town, South Africa, the site of the Junior Women's World Championship. Competition at the Junior Women's World Championship is Dec. 7-17. Last August, Team USA, which is currently has a record of 9-0, qualified for Junior Worlds by taking the Gold Medal at the III Pan American Championships (18-Under) with a 3-1 defeat of Canada. Silver Medalists Canada, Bronze Medalists Puerto Rico, fourth place finisher Brazil and fifth place finisher Argentina also qualified out of Bogota along with the USA. The United States is the defending Junior Women's World Champion, beating Japan 3-1 at the 2007 event in Enschede, Netherlands. Team USA has never finished lower than third in the tournament, winning silver in 1981, bronze in 1985, gold in 1987, silver in 1991, gold in 1995, silver in 1999 and silver in 2003. The No. 5/6 UW softball team leaves at 10:30 a.m. this morning for a three-game series at New Mexico. You can follow live stats for all three games at www.gohuskies.com. There will not be live audio or video. Check out the preview in The Daily today: http://dailyuw.com/2011/3/4/consistency-focus-huskies-head-new-mexico/ Graham Hays, a writer for espn.com covers college softball and yesterday posted his top five questions entering the season. He listed Jenn Salling as one of the top players to watch: Jenn Salling, SS, Washington: Things won't look the same in Seattle without Danielle Lawrie casting contemptuous glances from the circle at overmatched hitters, but don't be too quick to label this a rebuilding effort. The Huskies still have one Canadian Olympic veteran in Salling, and coach Heather Tarr singled out her All-American as someone who returned this season with a newfound focus. If she can galvanize a young team as well as she hits and fields, look out. View his complete article here: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=6101499. Hays also listed Salling as a pre-season Second-Team All-American. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=6105332. The following Pac-10 softball games will be televised this spring as part of the Conference's agreement with Fox Sports Net: Date of game Friday, April 1 Oregon at Washington, 6:00 p.m. PT Friday, May 6 Arizona at UCLA, 7:00 p.m. PT Thursday, May 12 Stanford at Arizona State, 7:00 pm PT The April 1 game for UW will be the 2011 Pac-10 opener and the first of three games on the weekend vs. the Ducks. Distribution Fox Sports Net; a two hour tape-delayed show will be distributed on the day following the game.
The National Pro Fastpitch league announced its schedule last week. Fans can follow former Huskies Danielle Lawrie and Ashley Charters on the USSSA Pride througout the season. View the entire schedule here: http://www.profastpitch.com/news/index.html?article_id=1497.
Danielle Lawrie is up for the Best of BC Award at the 45th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards in British Columbia, Canada. This particular award is voted on by the public and at the moment, Danielle is in second place. She needs votes in order to take home the award, that athletes such as Justin Morneau, Jeff Francis, Steve Nash and Joe Sakic have won in the past. You can vote online at http://sportbc.com/programs-and-events/athlete-of-the-year-awards/best-of-bc/ The pre-season Pac-10 coaches poll was released today for softball and the league's coaches predict the Huskies to finish fourth in 2011. Arizona and UCLA tied for first with four first-place vote and 46 total points. Arizona State was picked second (30), follow by Cal and Washington tied with 26. Stanford was picked sixth with 22 votes, just one ahead of Oregon. Oregon State finished eighth with seven votes. Washington has won the Pac-10 three times since joining in 1993. The Huskies won in 1996, 2000 and 2010. The Huskies are ranked No. 10 in the pre-season NFCA coaches poll and No. 11 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. No. 15 Washington Who returns: At the top of the list is a Canadian Olympian who rates among the very best at her position in the last decade or so. That is, of course, shortstop Jenn Salling. In her first full season on the field for the Huskies, Salling posted a 1.051 OPS, was perfect on the bases in 14 stolen base attempts and committed just six errors. Niki WIlliams edged out Salling for the team batting title with a .357 average (and 1.038 OPS), and Kimi Pohlman erased the first word in "potential star" by hitting .347 with gap power and 22 stolen bases as a sophomore. Morgan Stuart endured a tough season at the plate but remains one of the very best with the glove at third base. Who departs: At the top of the list is a Canadian Olympian who rates among the very best at her position in the last decade or so. Actually, forget the last decade; Danielle Lawrie rates as one of the best pitchers in the history of the college game, dominating hitters at a time when aces like her seem to be a vanishing breed. But the Huskies also lost one of their best run producers at the plate: Danielle Lawrie. The two-time Player of the Year led Washington last season in slugging percentage, home runs and RBIs. Amanda Fleischman, Bailey Stenson and Alyson McWherter were also integral parts of back-to-back World Series appearances. Sophomore first baseman Hooch Fagaly is an unexpected loss. After posting a .442 on-base percentage as a freshman, Fagaly could miss the entire season with an injury. Who arrives: Among the freshmen generating the most buzz are first baseman/pitcher Kaitlin Inglesby, pitcher/outfielder Whitney Jones and outfielder Victoria Hayward, the last apparently yet another gem from the Canadian national team (by way of high school in California). Complete breakdown: http://espn.go.com/ncaa/blog/_/name/college_sports/id/6053471/washington-looks-life-lawrie Check out some interviews at practice on Thursday with senior Jenn Salling and freshman Kaitlin Inglesby.
Official practice for the 2011 softball season began on Tuesday as the team spent three hours in the Dempsey Indoor. The team will practice six days a week in preparation for the season-opener on Feb. 11 vs. Illinois-Chicago in Las Vegas. See some pictures of the practice below.
The UW 2011 softball schedule is nearly complete as the Huskies announce the Husky Softball Classic schedule. The tournament will be held at Husky Softball Stadium, March 11-13 and will feature Washington, Oregon State, Portland State, Seattle University and USC Upstate. Washington will play four games over the weekend, two vs. USC Upstate and one each vs. Seattle and Portland State. Live stats will be provided for all games of the tournament. For more information on the tournament stay logged on to www.gohuskies.com.
Husky fans that are looking to traveling with the softball team to the Cathedral City Classic this February can now purchase tickets through the Husky Softball Team. Call (206) 543-6072 to purchase your tickets. The Cathedral City Classic will be held in Cathedral City, Calif., Feb. 24-26. It is the third pre-season tournament of the year for the Huskies. In that tournament, UW will face Sacramento State (2 p.m.) and Fresno State (7 p.m.) on Feb. 18, Northwestern (11:30 a.m.) and Missouri (2 p.m.) on Feb. 19 and San Diego State (2 p.m.) on Feb. 20. Check out the interview with softball player Jenna Clifton after practice last week.
Check out this special feature from ESPN.com on former Husky softball player Alyson McWherter. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/columns/story?columnist=hays_graham&id=5782490 In the spirit of Halloween, see what some of the softball players had to say about their costumes and favorite candy! Jerrin Faasua: This year for Halloween I dressed as: a hula dancer Kaitlin Ingelsby: This year for Halloween I dressed as: a firefighter Taylor Smith: This year for Halloween I dressed as: a cat/mouse and a hippy with Shawna Ashley Tuiasosopo: This year for Halloween I dressed as: I didn't dress up this year but I enjoyed my nephew's costumes as they dressed up as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and a monkey. Maggie Wagner: This year for Halloween I dressed as: a mermaid one night and Pocahontas the other Niki Williams: This year for Halloween I dressed as: an Army girl and a gypsy The softball team is wrapping up the 2010 fall season and last week they held the Purple-Gold challenge. One of the activities involved was kickball. Check out some pictures from practice.
Sophomore softball player Jerrin Faasua (Oceanside, Calif.) talks about how she balanced her freshman year at UW as a student and an athlete. Hopefully some of this year's newcomers to UW can take some tips from her. Freshman Year: For many people like me, coming into an elite academic and athletic school like UW can be a very intimidating and frightening time in their lives. Separately, both school and sports are very challenging but when combined it can be a true test of how mentally strong you are when dealing with them at the same time. Some can handle both while others struggle with one or the other. Not everyone can be great at balancing the two but here at UW we, student-athletes, strive to be great in both aspects of this college. On our team Coach Tarr always emphasizes on the title student-athletes. As you can see, the first part to our title is student. We are students before we are athletes; therefore, before we can play we must focus on our studies before we can focus on hitting the ball or playing catch. As a student-athlete here at UW, it can be difficult playing a sport and going to school but that is where time management saves us. When I first arrived here my freshmen year (2009-2010), my high school habits were not going to cut it. I was not able to put off a paper until the night before it was due or not study as much as I needed to for tests. Time was a very crucial element everyday and I learned that pretty fast. During the year, even in the off season, our time as an athlete was very limited. We were always doing something every single day and even if we had an off day, we would still be doing something; whether it was going to the weight room and doing some extra cardio or going to the Shellhouse to work on homework or study for upcoming tests. My freshman year I was a little overwhelmed at how little of time I had. Even getting a bite to eat for lunch was hard during the day because I would have classes back-to-back and then have to run down to Husky Softball Stadium for practice right after. That is why I had to prepare for the day before it even happened whether I packed a snack the night before or wore my work out clothes to class so I had time to grab something on the go. My classes in the fall season were fairly easy considering I was in a FIG (Freshmen Interest Group) which included English 131, Communications 202 and a General studies class. Since UW is a quarter system school, the speed of the courses was pretty quick and subjects in the classes would only be discussed within a couple of days and then we would continue on. Even though I had two classes a day, it was hard for me to keep up with some of the lectures. Like taking notes while listening to a lecture and once your done writing down what he just said you're already lost at what he stated when you writing. I hated taking notes that I didn't understand so whenever I skimmed over some notes when I studied I would go back into the textbooks and reread the material that confused me. Studying became an everyday thing for me with the coaches having us do mandatory study hall and our academic advisors scheduling tutor sessions right after practices. It was hard because you didn't have all the time in the world like you did in high school but overall, the experience to do both was great. As the year went on, my grades improved because my time management and study habits became better. I learned to stop wasting my leisure time and put it to good use. Balancing both school and softball is a hard thing to do; but that is what we student-athletes are here to do. We want to succeed both on and off the field in every aspect of our lives. We work hard, play hard, and study hard to stay on top in our sport and our academics.
Check out an interview with head coach Heather Tarr that was taped before last week's Fall Tournament. http://www.youtube.com/user/soundsportsscene?feature=mhum.
The 2011 softball schedule is close to being finalized as the tournament schedules for four spring tournaments have just been released. UW opens the season Feb. 11-13 at the Sportco Kick-Off Classic hosted by UNLV. There, the Huskies will play Illinois-Chicago, UC Riverside (twice), UNLV and Mississippi State. At the Campbell Cartier Classic in San Diego, Calif., Feb. 18-20, the Huskies will face Sacramento State, Fresno State, Northwestern, Missouri and the host Aztecs. The next weekend, Feb. 24-26, Washington heads to the Cathedral City Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., where the Huskies will take on Texas A&M, Fordham, Cal State Fullerton, UMass and Cal Poly. The Judi Garman Classic is one of the top tournaments in the country every year hosted by Cal State Fullerton. This year, the Huskies will face Fresno State, Texas, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Illinois and Boise State, March 17-20. Check back later for the complete schedule as we are waiting on the final schedules from the New Mexico tournament and the Husky Softball Classic. http://www.gohuskies.com/sports/w-softbl/sched/wash-w-softbl-sched.html By softball sophomore Jerrin Faasau 6 a.m. came too early Saturday morning when we had to report to the softball field to leave for our long and anticipated week. All week the coaches had planted in our minds that we would be camping in Idaho or Utah or anywhere else we would have to travel. Though none of us were familiar with camping, our anticipation of the nine-day trip would leave some of us in dismay and confusion. We were extremely surprised when we arrived in Heber City, Utah that the coaches had tricked us and rented out a luxurious eight bedroom house for four days. Each room came with a couple of bunk beds and queen or king sized beds to fit 3-4 girls per room (Fitz and I lucked out and shared a king size bed to ourselves). The house included a home theater, pool table, and ping pong table (where Tui, Hooch, Bry, and Coach Glasoe dominated everybody) downstairs while outside it also came with a sandy volleyball court and a basketball hoop. While living in the Utah mansion, every morning a group of us would take turns waking up to make breakfast before 9 a.m. rolled around. Luckily for us (especially me since I can't cook to save my life), our group had outside help from Coach Tarr and Morgan Littlefield. Coach Tarr and Kimi worked on their delicious Dutch Babies (which is just flour, eggs, and milk) and Morgan instructed Baily and Bry to cook sausage and bacon while I cut up the watermelon. Our morning breakfasts usually consisted of this plus occasional pancakes and French toast. Living in an extraordinary home like this, we could not lose focus of why we were even out there in the first place. Every day we worked out; whether it would be a team practice at a local park or high school or just Jillian Michaels workouts off of Coach Tarr's iphone. We did something every day to keep us in shape and ready to go when game time rolled around. Monday afternoon we took on Utah Valley at BYU's softball stadium. We beat them 6-2 with Bryana Walker, a rookie pitcher, pitching her first college game. Both she and the other rookies on our team showed no first game jitters as they played along the side of us veterans. They would continue to play this well as we also took on Utah and BYU the following days. Though we fell to both of them, our team deemed relentless as we continued to keep fighting to score runs inning after inning. Our game against Utah was definitely a battle and grind for our team to stay on top. We had previously scheduled to play them for a length of 10 innings rather than seven and so it put our team in an uncomfortable spot with our small amount of healthy pitchers. Fitz had pitched five great innings following with Jenna and Bry sharing the last five. With a well pitched game by all three of them, the game would not truly end until the bottom of the 10th when Utah's No. 5 hitter came up and hit a grand slam over the fence propelling them to outscore us. The following day we also dropped a game to BYU in a very close game 8-6. Our runs would not come until later in the game with Morgan blasting a solo homerun and Hooch hitting a 3-run homer but it would not be enough to surpass them. After playing in Utah, we drove all day Thursday and Friday until we arrived in Selah, Washington. Once there, we were welcomed by many people of the community for the weekend. Saturday morning we played Central Washington at a city park. We beat them 10-1 with Maggie hitting her first home run of her collegiate career. Many of our team's family and friends came to support our game as well as much of the community. After the game we all lined up along the side of the fence to sign autographs and take pictures with the little girls and other fans. Many of us were able to join our families after signing and pictures to spend time with them and go out for lunch before we had to report back to the hotel to leave for an auction. This auction dinner in Selah was able to raise a lot of money for our softball program with a big help from Bill Harris who put our trip to Selah together. One of our biggest sales of the night was four on-the-field passes to the UW vs. Stanford game bought by a man for about $1400. The auction was a success for everybody. The next morning we did a big softball camp for all the girls around the local area to come out and learn and have fun. The camp lasted for five hours where we split the girls into age groups with the morning half of the camp was the young girls doing all-skills part of camp and having the high school girls doing the pitching part of camp. Then we switched halfway through the camp. While the girls got something out of our Selah trip, so did the team. It was our way of giving back to the community and being there for the little girls. Bill Harris, the man who put together the trip, spoke to me about this. He told me that he was so happy that we were able to come to Selah and spend time with the girls because it means so much to them and that they look up to us as role models. After the clinic, our team packed up the bus and traveled back to Seattle. Once we had arrived at the school, we all were in relief that we made it home safely and happy to sleep in our own beds again.
Check out the video taken by the UW softball team during their Utah fall trip.
Fans can check out a photo gallery from the first fall game of the season on Sept. 20 at Utah Valley. Thanks to Utah Valley SID James Warnick for the pictures! The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and USA Softball look to surpass $50,000 in total donations to Central Oklahoma affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® foundation as it will launch its third eBay auction beginning September 17 at noon CST and concluding September 27 at noon, with over 60 pink items up for bid. Both the USA Softball National Team and the Futures Team donned pink uniforms, apparel and equipment in two "Pink Out" games during the KFC World Cup of Softball presented by Six Flags, July 22-26, at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla., to honor breast cancer survivors and create awareness for breast cancer research. UW fans can find the jerseys of Ashley Charters, Shawna Wright and Niki Williams, along with signed cleats, knee pads and batting gloves from Charter's. View all of the jersey's here: http://shop.ebay.com/softballoutlet/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25. In 2008, $25,000 was raised and in 2009, $12,500 was raised. With over 60 items up for bid, the most in three years, the ASA/USA Softball hopes to raise its biggest donation yet. The auction includes the game-worn jersey from each player on the National team and on the Futures Team. Also featured are more than 25 items that were specially made for the USA Softball Players to wear during July's pink game at the World Cup. There is also a bat signed by the entire National Team, a glove signed by the entire Futures Team and a banner signed by the National Team that was presented to breast cancer survivors before the USA vs. Japan game. Log on and bid on great collector items as well as help out the Central Oklahoma Susan G. Komen Foundation. All items being sold by the ASA to benefit Susan G. Komen are listed at http://myworld.ebay.com/softballoutlet. Any items not listed by Softball Outlet are not a part of the charity auction. A former All-American and member of Team USA, Tia Meza has been named an assistant coach on the Cal State Northridge softball program, head coach Tairia Flowers announced. Meza, formerly Tia Bollinger, will work with the Matador pitchers, help with recruiting and serve other administrative responsibilities. "I am truly excited to add someone of Tia's character and experience to our program," Flowers said. "She brings a passion and knowledge of the game that will help the Matadors continue to succeed." A four-year member of the University of Washington softball program, Meza was a two-time All-American and three-time All-Pac 10 selection while with the Huskies. She helped lead UW to two NCAA World Series appearances and also ranks among the school's career leaders in wins, innings pitched, ERA, saves and strikeouts. She also served as a member of USA National Softball Team in 2001-02, helping the Americans to a victory at the Pan AM Qualifiers in Venezuela. Most recently, Meza served as the Associate Athletics Director and Director of Softball at JSerra Catholic High School since 2008. At the school, Meza handled compliance issues and fundraising in addition to serving as the head coach of the varsity team. Meza also spent a season as an assistant coach with LMU during the 2005 season, helping them to their first postseason appearance in school history. Meza has also worked for Lehman Brothers as a loan administrator and for the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. Originally from Newport Beach, Meza attended Mater Dei High School and was the 2000 Gatorade National Player of the Year. Meza graduated from Washington in 2004 with a degree in Communications. She is married to Dane Meza and the couple has two children, daughter Riley and son Vince. Despite taking the loss in game two of the National Pro Fastpitch best-of-three championship series, Danielle Lawrie's USSSA Pride battled back against the Chicago Bandits to capture their first-ever NPF Title. Lawrie pitched in the semifinal game against the Akron Racers to get the Pride to the championship series against the regular-season champion Bandits. She had eight strikeouts in that game. Click here to read more about the NPF, Lawrie and her team: http://www.usssapride.com/.
The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Championship Series hosted in Sulphur, La. began last night with Game 1 between the No. 2 USSSA Florida Pride (1-0) and No. 3 Akron Racers (0-1). Despite a first inning 1-0 lead, the Racers failed to hold on losing Game 1 3-2. NPF Championship Series Tournament Schedule Thursday August 26th Game 1 #2 vs. #3 6:00 p.m. Game 2 #1 vs. #4 8:30 p.m. Friday August 27th Game 3 #1 vs. #4 6:00 p.m. Game 4 #2 vs. #3 8:30 p.m. Saturday August 28th Game 5"If Necessary" #1 vs. #4 11:00 a.m. Game 6 "If Necessary" #2 vs. #3 1:30 p.m. (If there is only one "If Necessary" game, it will be played at 11:00 a.m.) Game 7 Championship Final 7:00 p.m. Sunday August 29th Game 8 Championship Final 2:00 p.m. Game 9 "If Necessary" Championship Final 4:30 p.m.
The UW softball team announced their fall tournament schedule for Oct. 1-3 at Husky Softball Stadium. Along with UW, other teams participating include: Bellevue College, Mount Hood Community College, Seattle University, Lower Columbia College and Central Washington University. See the schedule below and follow www.gohuskies.com for more information about this fall tournament. Friday, October 1, 2010 3 p.m. - Bellevue College (H) vs. MHCC 5 p.m. - Bellevue College vs. Seattle U (H) 7 p.m. - MHCC vs. Washington (H)
Saturday, October 2, 2010 9 a.m. - Bellevue College (H) vs. MHCC 11 a.m. - Bellevue College vs. Washington (H) 1 p.m. - Seattle U vs. MHCC (H) 3 p.m. - LCC vs. Seattle U (H) 5 p.m. - LCC (H) vs. Bellevue College 7 p.m. - Central Washington (H) vs. Seattle U Sunday, October 3, 2010 10 a.m. - LCC vs. Seattle U (H) Noon - LCC (H) vs. Central Washington 2 p.m. Central Washington vs. Washington (H) (H) designates home team Ticket Information Weekend Pass: $17 each Adults: $7 single game Youth 12 & Under: $5 single game Tickets available at Husky Softball Stadium Box Office Only They've excelled in high school sports and been recruited to the UW, but before freshman athletes can take their places on the team, some of them go through an "academic boot camp."
An award-winning boot camp, in fact. The summer LEAP program, sponsored by Intercollegiate Athletics, the English Department and Undergraduate Academic Affairs, recently won the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics 2010 Model Practices Award.
LEAP stands for Learning + Experience + Achievement Program, and it's an intensive four-week introduction to what it means to be a college student at a top university. Fifty-one student athletes complete the program Aug. 6, and they'll leave after having had a crash course in writing, critical thinking and planning for success. Oh, and they'll pick up some college credits, too.
LEAP is in its fifth year and has a fine track record. Of the 20 students who attended the first year, seven have graduated and nine are on track to graduate this year. The others left the University in good academic standing.
"We've had some kind of bridge program since I've been here, and that's 11 years," said Pam Robenolt, who directs the LEAP program. "But we used to do it during sports camps in the fall, and that wasn't ideal. The athletes would study with us in the morning and have sports the rest of the day."
In those days, the program consisted of three-day segments of a variety of subjects, to give the athletes a taste of the academic world. "There were a lot of benefits to it, but it wasn't really an indication of what a class would be like," Robenolt said. Then, five years ago, the National Collegiate Athletic Association changed the rule that had prohibited athletes from being brought to campus before the camps, and Robenolt sought a redesign for the program. She found her answer in English 108, a "writing ready" program the English department was teaching for the Early Fall Start program. Now the athletes take English 108 for five credits and a grade, along with a linked, ungraded study skills class for which they get one credit. "Writing in college is a lot different from writing in high school," Robenolt said, "and some student athletes don't come here with the same skill set as other students. We want them to learn how to think critically, how to analyze a text and how to express their ideas in writing." To that end, students spend a lot of time doing writing and getting feedback. They write a two-page paper the very first night, and write a five-to-six-page paper every week. It's a lot of work, but the students seem to appreciate it. "I've learned a lot about how I write, things I can do better, things I can do to prepare myself. It's been amazing," said Kaitlin Ingleby, a pitcher on the softball team who came to the UW from Portland, Ore. "The one-on-one time has been most helpful. I can write a draft, turn it in, get it back that afternoon, take it to a tutor and they get your mind going, thinking about how you can expand on your ideas. It's so helpful to have the tutors here." There are, in fact, eight tutors working with the group, in addition to three full-time staff members. During the study skills session, students often work one-on-one or in small groups, talking about lessons from English 108 or getting feedback on assignments. There are also guest speakers -- such as representatives from the Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity, sports psychologists and nutritionists. "They don't let you fail here, they don't let you fall behind," Ingleby said. "They're not going to let you do that in this program. They want to make sure they give you all the support you need." "It's not like a class you go to and then go home and you're on your own," added football recruit DiAndre Campbell. "You always have a support system no matter what, and they get on you if you slack off. They make sure you push yourself." Robenolt said most students are enthusiastic despite the work. "They want to be college students," she said. "This is so different from high school, so it feels like college already and that's really exciting." The athletes also get to go beyond the campus for three field trips to city neighborhoods. This year they went to the downtown area, to the International District and to Capitol Hill. Robenolt said their schedules are so tight during the academic year that they barely know anything outside the campus exists, so the program introduces them to places they can go easily on the bus. Robenolt is proud that the program has won the award, for which she had to submit a complex application. "They had different categories," she said. "We entered LEAP in a Special Programs category, but we won the overall award. Of all the entries, LEAP won the Model Practices Award." Meanwhile, having completed LEAP, the athletes are headed out -- some back home and some to camps for their sport. But the support they receive from Robenolt and her staff will continue when fall quarter begins. All will be followed through their freshman year, and for some with special needs, the support will continue as long as they're students here. "A lot of people who enjoy working in this environment feel there's a social justice component to it," Robenolt said. "We're working with a lot of first-generation students, a lot of low-income students, a lot of underrepresented students. We're able to work one on one or in small groups as long as they need the support. You can see some amazing transformations with these students. LEAP is where it starts."
Team USA wrapped up the KFC World Cup of Softball championship with a 5-1 win over Japan in the title game Monday night in Oklahoma City.
Former Husky Ashley Charters, a senior on the UW's 2009 World Series championship squad, helped the Americans to the victory, going 2-for-3 with a run in the final. In the third/fourth-place game, a USA Futures team that included current Dawgs Shawna Wright and Niki Williams on its roster, beat Canada, 9-3. Williams appeared in the game as a pinch runner while Danielle Lawrie and Jenn Salling both started for Canada. Lawrie pitched 5.1 innings, but didn't figure in the decision as the Futures team scored six runs in the seventh to win. Salling drove in a run for Canada. In the first game of the day Monday (delayed from Sunday due to rain), Team USA beat the Futures Team, 3-0. Charters got a rest for the senior squad while both Williams and Wright started for the youngsters. Upcoming senior softball student-athlete Ashley Tuiasosopo was honored at the Tacoma Rainiers game on Saturday, July 24 by throwing out the first pitch. Her brother, Matt, a current outfielder for the Rainiers, was her catcher. The Rainiers won the game 6-4 over Sacramento. Click below to view a complete photo gallery from Ashley's night. http://www.gohuskies.com/view.gal?id=73626
Rain in the Oklahoma City area affected Sunday's action at the KFC World Cup of Softball, but they still managed to get three of the four scheduled games played.
In the first game, Husky sophomore Shawna Wright started for the USA Futures team that beat Japan, 2-1. In the second game of the day, three Huskies contributed to the Canada squad that handed the USA its first loss of the tournament, 5-2. Jenn Salling started and both Danielle Lawrie and incoming freshman Victoria Hayward appeared off the bench for Canada. Ashley Charters went 3-for-3 for Team USA. The day wrapped up with Japan beating Canada, 4-0. Salling was the only Husky to appear in that game. The World Cup wraps up Monday with three scheduled games. Team USA plays USA Futures at 10:00 a.m. PT, and then with the standings set, the third/fourth place game (#3 seed vs. Canada) goes off at 2:00 p.m. and the title game (#2 seed vs. USA) starts at 6:00 p.m. That title game will air live on ESPN.
Huskies provided some big highlights at the KFC World Cup of Softball in Saturday's action.
While there wasn't much to report from a UW standpoint in games one and two, game three had more than it's share. In the day's first game, Team USA beat the USA Futures team 1-0, though none of the three current or former Huskies that might have played in that game saw action. In the second game of the day, the U.S. improved to 4-0 in the tournament with an 8-0 victory over Japan. Former Dawg Ashley Charters started at second base, but went 0-for-3. In the day's third game, Canada beat the USA Futures team, 5-4, for the first Canadian victory of the weekend. Huskies played a large role on both sides. The Canadians trailed 4-0 before scoring two in the sixth and three in the seventh. Jenn Salling led the winning side by going 3-for-3 as the Canadian starting shortstop. Incoming U-Dub freshman Victoria Hayward saw time as a pinch runner. Both Niki Williams and Shawna Wright started for the USA Futures team. Wright went 2-for-3 with the game's only home run and two RBI while Williams started in right field. There's still plenty more action from Oklahoma City at the World Cup. Sunday, there are four games scheduled. In order: Japan vs. USA Futures; USA vs. Canada; USA vs. USA Futures; Canada vs. Japan. The USA-Canada game will air live on ESPN2 and espn3.com at 2:00 p.m. PT, and you can watch the other three on the internet by going here (click on the schedule top midway down the page).
Plenty of Huskies in action again at the KFC World Cup of Softball Friday in Oklahoma City as there were three games played, all involving current, former or future Huskies.
In the day's first game, the USA Futures team edged Canada, 5-4. Husky senior-to-be Jenn Salling homered and drove in two runs for the Canadians while incoming freshman Victoria Hayward started in right field. Danielle Lawrie, appearing in relief, suffered the loss on the mound. UW junior Niki Williams scored a run as a pinch runner for the Futures squad. In the second game of the day, Team USA blanked Japan, 5-0. Former Dawg Ashley Charters started at second base for the U.S. She went 0-for-1, but did draw a pair of walks in the victory. The day ended with Japan getting past Canada, 1-0. Salling went 1-for-3 and Hayward saw action as a pinch runner. There's plenty more on tap Saturday, including two games on television. At 9:00 a.m. PT, the USA and USA Futures Team square off on ESPN. At 5:00 p.m., it's the Americans vs. Japan, on ESPN2. The day wraps up with Canada vs. the USA Futures team at 6:00 p.m. You can watch that on the web by clicking here.
Five of the six former, current and future Huskies at the KFC World Cup of Softball saw action on Thursday, the first day of the event, which is being held at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
In the tournament opener, former Dawg Ashley Charters and Team USA coasted to a 9-0 win over Team Canada, which featured Danielle Lawrie, Jenn Salling and incoming freshman Victoria Hayward. Charters scored a run for the Americans. Both Lawrie and Salling started for the Canadians, and Hayward appeared as a defensive replacement. In the late game, Husky catcher Shawna Wright provided both runs for the USA Futures team in a 3-2 loss to Japan. Wright, who will be a sophomore next spring, drove in both runs in the bottom of the seventh to draw her team within a run. Action continues today. Canada plays the USA Futures team at 1:00 p.m. PT. At 5:00 p.m., Team USA faces Japan and at 6 p.m., it's Canada vs. Japan. The USA-Japan game is on ESPN, but you can also watch webcasts of the other two. Here's all the info you need from the USA Softball website.
As you're probably aware if you're reading this, Washington's 2010 softball season ended yesterday here in Oklahoma City, in a 4-3 loss to Arizona at the Women's College World Series.
Let's have a look at some of the coverage of the game: • First, check out the recap at gohuskies.com, which also includes a box score, quotes from both teams and a photo gallery. • Jerry Brewer, who traveled from Seattle to cover for the Times, filed this story, focusing on both Coach Heather Tarr and Danielle Lawrie. • John Boyle of the Everett Herald groups Lawrie in with a couple other Seattle sports icons, whose careers ended recently: Ken Griffey Jr. and Walter Jones. • Here's the Associated Press coverage of the game. • The Norman Transcript's Jeff Johncox writes about the class with which Tarr and Lawrie conducted themselves postgame. • Finally, a story from KUOW/National Public Radio on Lawrie's post-college softball career options. The Huskies' flight back to Seattle is due to land at about 9:30 p.m. and they should be back to campus around 10:00 or 10:15 tonight. The bus will pull up near the left-field corner of Husky Softball Stadium, near the Dempsey Indoor on the road that runs beyond the outfield fence.
The Washington softball team will have its back against the wall today as it tries to play its way out of the losers' bracket at the 2010 Women's College World Series. The Huskies take on Arizona today at 1:30 p.m. CDT (11:30 a.m. Pacfiic) on their first of four possible steps to get back to the WCWS championship series.
Good news is that they have just the team to do it, or to at least give them a good chance. That's the feeling you get from some of the papers today, anyway. Here's a look: • Jerry Brewer, columnist for the Seattle Times, was busy yesterday despite the UW not playing. He filed two detailed columns on two of the Huskies biggest names: this one on Heather Tarr, and this one on Danielle Lawrie. • The Arizona Daily Star also has a couple stories on the upcoming game. Here's a brief preview of the game and a notebook that includes a few Husky tidbits. • The Daily Wildcat, the Arizona student paper, has this story, which looks back at the Huskies' sweep of the 'Cats earlier this year in Seattle.
It'll be a busy day for the Washington softball team here in Oklahoma City. The day before the start of the 2010 Women's College World Series features a press conference, practice time and an hour with the ESPN TV crew, taping various bits that will be used in the game broadcasts.
A reminder that the Huskies take on Georgia tomorrow (Thu.) night at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time. The game will air live on ESPN2, online at espn3.com, on KKNW AM-1150 radio and online at www.kknw1150.com. The big news in the papers today is that Husky star Danielle Lawrie has won her second straight ASA/USA Softball National Player of the Year award, which was presented in a banquet last night in OKC. She's just the second woman to win the award more than once and is the first Husky athlete ever to twice win a national player of the year award at the collegiate level. Here's a look at what's in today's papers: • The Oklahoman (Oklahoma City's paper) has this feature on Lawrie and the rise of the Husky softball program. • Also from the Oklahoman, for those who might be joining us at the WCWS, here's a rundown of information for fans. • In the UW Daily, Christian Caple covers Lawrie's award. • Lawrie's hometown newspaper, the Vancouver (B.C.) Sun, has this story. We'll have more from Oklahoma City later today here at gohuskies.com. Make sure to check back!
The Washington softball team made its way to Oklahoma City Monday, ahead of the start of the 2010 NCAA Women's College World Series. The Huskies' first game is Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time against Georgia. You can watch the game on ESPN2 or espn3.com, or listen on KKNW AM-1150 and kknw1150.com.
For now, here are a few links to some newspaper stories about the Huskies: • Christian Caple of the UW Daily has this preview of the Huskies' trip to OKC. • From Scott Johnson of the Everett Herald, we read about how Coach Heather Tarr had a feeling that the UW would face Georgia in the first game. • Sort of a cool mention of Danielle Lawrie and the Huskies in a Virginia Beach newspaper story about a high-school softball game. • Here's a view from Athens, Ga., on the Georgia perspective. • Finally, a wrap-up of the Super Regionals from ESPN writer Graham Hays.
The Husky softball team departed for Oklahoma City early Monday morning. The Dawgs will open play at the 2010 Women's College World Series Thursday with a 6:30 p.m. PT game vs. Georgia.
That game will air live on ESPN2-TV, ESPN3.com, KKNW AM-1150 radio and www.kknw1150.com (online radio). You can send your thoughts to the team by going to this page at gohuskies.com. Also have a look at the full bracket (click in the middle, on the eight WCWS teams for the Series bracket).
Lots of coverage in the newspapers following the Husky softball team's pair of shutout wins Friday vs. Oklahoma. Those wins put the Dawgs back in the Women's College World Series, where they'll attempt to defend their 2009 national title, starting this Thursday.
• First, a wider view: the Vancouver Sun's Gary Kingston has this lengthy look at Langley, B.C., native Danielle Lawrie, the primary hero of Friday's victories. • Back to the on-field action, here's Howie Stalwick's gamer, as it appeared in the Kitsap Sun. • On SeattlePI.com, Christian Caple recounts the story of how Lawrie spent the evening after Thursday's loss to Oklahoma. • Scott Johnson has plenty to say about Lawrie's day in the Everett Herald. But he also focuses on freshman catcher Shawna Wright, who belted a big homer Friday. • Here's the recap from Associated Press writer Gregg Bell, as it appeared in USA Today. • Finally, coverage from the Seattle Times' Terry Wood, who harkens back to the series finale of Lost. Four of the eight teams have punched their tickets to Oklahoma City as the UW's side of the bracket is filled out. Washington will face Georgia in its first game of the tournament while Tennessee and Arizona fill out the other quarter of the field. Four more teams will fill out the field tomorrow.
Another heroic performance from the U-Dub softball team Sunday in an eight-inning, 2-1 win over North Carolina. The win delivered a regional championship for the Huskies, who will now host Oklahoma Thursday and Friday in the Super Regionals (game times should be announced Monday). Here's a look at the news coverage of the Sunday win:
• In the Seattle P-I, Christian Caple focuses on the player who got the game-winning hit, Shawna Wright. • Not surprisingly, Wright is the focus of most of the stories. Here's Scott Johnson's take, from the Everett Herald. • Howie Stalwick, writing for the Kitsap Sun, shines a light on the late-game strategy, including walking Danielle Lawrie to get to Wright in the eighth. • The Seattle Times' story, from Terry Wood, includes a lengthy photo gallery. • The UW Daily's Taylor Soper has a thorough examination of Sunday's action. • Finally, there's much more here at gohuskies.com, with links to quotes, a photo gallery and video of the post-game press conference.
With the No. 1 ranked Washington softball team heading into the postseason looking even better than their national-championship winning team last year, the local and national media has caught on and chronicled the team and its hopes to repeat last year's success.
Below are some stories about the team as they head into NCAA Regionals. Seattle Times - Jerry Brewer: Washington Softball Star Lawrie is in Command Associated Press - Gregg Bell: Is Lawrie Greatest Husky Ever? Seattle PI - Art Thiel - UW Softball Team Feels Good and Will be Tough to Beat ESPN.com - Graham Hays: Defense Has Become a Valuable Asset Everett Herald - Scott Johnson: New and Improved Huskies Begin Postseason Play Everett Herald - Scott Johnson: New Team, New Uniform, New Focus Ahead for Alyson McWherter
Seattle Times columnist Jerry Brewer wrote a great feature story about the No. 1 Washington softball team and how they have dealt with the pressure of being the defending champions and top-ranked team all year.
To read this great column, which captures perfectly the personality of the team, click here.
With Saturday and Sunday's softball games sold out for the final regular-season home series of the season, fans can still catch the game live on UWTV if they can't make it to the ballpark.
Saturday's game will air live at 4 p.m. while Sunday's game can be seen live at Noon. Below is also a re-air schedule if you can't catch the live broadcast, which features commentary from former UW All-American softball players Angie Mentink and Dena Tyson-Slye. UW vs. Stanford - May 8 Re-Air Schedule Monday, May 10 - 4:30 p.m. (UWTV) Tuesday, May 11 - 6 p.m. (UWTV2) Wednesday, May 12 - 1 p.m. (UWTV) UW vs. Stanford - May 9 Re-Air Schedule Tuesday, May 11 - 1 p.m. (UWTV) Thursday, May 13 - 6 p.m. (UWTV2) Friday, May 14 - 5 p.m. (UWTV)
Kaitlin Inglesby, who will join the No. 1-ranked Washington softball team in the fall of 2010, was announced today as one of 42 players 18-years-old or younger who have accepted invitations to the 2010 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team selection camp, June 10-13, at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista.
A Portland, Ore., native and the 2009 Oregon State Player of the Year, Inglesby signed a letter of intent with the Huskies back in November. Also a member of the Northwest Blaze club team, she has led Central Catholic High School to a pair of league titles and a second-place finish at state her freshman year. She has been named league MVP, Pitcher of the Year and all-state each of the last two seasons. Inglesby is also an accomplished racquetball player, competing for the ASA Junior Olympic Racquetball team and capturing 27 world or national championships. The 17 athletes selected for the 2010 USA Softball Junior Women's National Team will be announced on June 15. The team will compete later this year at the Pan American Softball Championship (18-and-under), Aug. 6-15, in Bogota, Colombia.
The final two games of this weekend's series between No. 1 Washington and Oregon State - both of which are sold out - can be seen live and on replay on UWTV.
Saturday's 4 p.m game and Sunday's Noon game will air live on UWTV with former Husky All-Americans Angie Mentink and Dena Tyson-Slye calling the action. For those who do not have UWTV, the broadcast can also be seen online at GoHuskies.com. The games will also air on a tape-delayed basis several times over the next week. Saturday's game will replay on Monday, May 3 at 4:30 p.m. and on Wednesday, May 5 at 1 p.m. on UWTV along with airing Tuesday, May 4 at 6 p.m. on UWTV2. Sunday's game, meanwhile, can be seen Tuesday, May 4 at 1 p.m. and Friday, May 7 at 5 p.m. on UWTV and Thursday, May 6 at 6 p.m. on UWTV2. For more information on UWTV, click here.
Boys and girls between the ages of 7-14 can test their baseball and
softball skills at Husky Softball Stadium during the 2010 Major League
Baseball Pitch, Hit & Run skills competition on Sunday, May 2.
The competition, which will take place following the No. 1 Husky softball team's game against Oregon State, gives kids the opportunity to showcase their pitching, hitting and running abilities along with a chance to advance through four levels of competition, including Team Championships at Major League ballparks and the National Finals at the 2010 MLB All-Star Game in Anaheim, Calif. The competition is free and tickets to the softball game are not required for participation. Competition will take place in four age divisions, including the 7-8 year-old division, the 8-9 year-old division, 11-12 and 13-14 year-old divisions. Age is determined as of July 17, 2010 and a copy of a valid birth certificate or baptismal record for age verification must be provided. Registration takes place starting at 2:30 p.m. with competition starting at 3 p.m., or 30 minutes following the Washington-Oregon State game should it extend past 3 p.m. To register and for more information, email huskysoftball@ica.washington.edu or call (206) 543-6072.
Dawg fans! Want to win a pair of tickets to see the the 2009 NCAA Champion softball team at Husky Softball Stadium this Saturday, May 1 at 4:00 p.m.(nearly sold out!)? Make sure you tune in to our official twitter account for the trivia question today between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. and be the first to respond with the correct answer to @UWSportsNews! Go Dawgs!
Since this weekend's softball games between the No. 1 Washington Huskies and No. 2 Arizona Wildcats are sold out, with only standing-room tickets available, this is a great opportunity to check out the games live on UWTV, the UW's campus television station.
UWTV kicked off its coverage last weekend, airing the final two games of the UCLA series with commentary from Angie Mentink and Dena Tyson Slye, both former Husky All-Americans. This weekend, UWTV will once again air the final two games live on Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at Noon. The games will also be replayed throughout next week if you can't see them live. Saturday's game will re-air on Monday, April 12 at 4:30 p.m. and Wednesday, April 14 at 1 p.m. on UWTV and will also re-air on UWTV2 on Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. The final game of the weekend will re-air Tuesday, April 13 at 1 p.m. and Friday, April 16 at 5 p.m. on UWTV and again on UWTV2 on Thursday, April 15 at 6 p.m. For more information about Husky Softball on UWTV, go to www.uwtv.org/softball.
The Seattle Times will host a chat today with UW baseball coach Lindsay Meggs and softball coach Heather Tarr.
The chat runs from noon to 1:00 p.m. You can read, or ask questions, by following this link. Both the baseball and softball teams will play at home this weekend, and both will be hosting Arizona. The softball series matches the No. 1 Dawgs vs. the No. 2 Cats. Game times at Husky Softball Stadium are 6 p.m. on Friday, 4 p.m. on Saturday and noon Sunday. If you can't attend in person, you can catch Saturday and Sunday's games live on UWTV (channel 27 on most Washington state cable systems). The baseball team hosts the Wildcats Friday at 6 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games will air live in the Seattle area on KKNW AM-1150. IMPORTANT LINKSMOST RECENT POSTS
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