NAIA Softball Weekly Report
Apr 04, 2012
By Jake Knabel, NAIA Communications & Sports Information Intern
Game of the Week
No. 3 Oklahoma City (34-2, 9-1 SAC) at No. 11 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) (31-4, 5-3 SAC)
Thursday, Shawnee, Okla., 2 p.m. CDT, SGU Softball Complex
• Two of the Sooner Athletic Conference’s (SAC) top three teams will square off in a doubleheader on Thursday in Shawnee, Okla. Oklahoma City enters play in first place in the SAC with a 9-1 league mark. St. Gregory’s sits in fourth place with a conference record of 5-3. This is the first meeting this season between the two squads.
• High-powered Oklahoma City carries a 19-game winning streak into Thursday’s twin bill. The Stars have not lost since a 14-6 defeat on March 6 to NCAA Division II West Texas A&M in the second game of a doubleheader. Their only other loss this season came on Feb. 21 when they were out-slugged 14-12 by conference foe Southern Nazarene (Okla.). In its most recent doubleheader against a ranked opponent, Oklahoma City swept then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian (Texas) by scores of 8-6 and 18-12. The Stars are 15-2 in true road games in 2012.
• Oklahoma City rates as one of the top offensive teams in the NAIA, ranking first in home runs per game (1.794), fourth in slugging percentage (.639), sixth in batting average (.382) and sixth in runs per game (7.9), among other major statistical categories. The Star pitching staff also ranks second in lowest opponent batting average (.164), second in strikeouts (329) and 22nd in ERA (1.92).
• Infielders LeeAnn Lopez, the reigning NAIA Player of the Week, and Lily LaVelle provide the bulk of the power for Oklahoma City. Lopez is second in the NAIA with 17 home runs and third in both total bases (121) and slugging percentage (1.043). LaVelle ranks second on the team with 15 home runs, a figure that places her fourth nationally. LaVelle is also a dominant pitcher, who leads the nation with 23 wins and 266 strikeouts.
• St. Gregory’s has won 17 of its last 19 contests coming into Thursday’s key doubleheader. However, the Cavaliers were upset in the second game of their doubleheader with Science & Arts (Okla.) on March 31, falling 2-0. St. Gregory’s only non-conference loss came to then-No. 1 Cal State San Marcos on March 22 by a score of 8-0 after the Cavaliers had taken the first game of the day by a 4-2 final. The Cavaliers have yet to play any of the other three SAC teams currently in the Top 25. They have won five of their first six home games.
• St. Gregory’s also boasts a potent offense, ranking fourth nationally in hits per game (10.9), fifth in slugging percentage (.591), fifth in batting average (.391) and seventh in runs per game (7.1). The pitching staff ranks 13th in the NAIA in ERA (1.66) and 39th in strikeouts (171).
• Third baseman Kristen Wehmeyer leads the team with a .882 slugging percentage and nine home runs, figures that rank 16th and 19th in the NAIA, respectively. First baseman Caitlin O’Hagan (pictured at top left) leads the Cavaliers with a .482 batting average and 52 RBIs (fourth in the NAIA).
Around the Top 25
• The week of March 26 – April 1 featured eight matchups between Top 25 teams. Then-No. 4 Oklahoma City went 4-0 on the week with a pair of wins over then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian (Texas) on March 29. LeeAnn Lopez went 5-for-10 with two homers and seven RBIs to power the Stars to the doubleheader sweep. Lily LaVelle won both games on the mound to push her win total to 23 on the season.
• Previously top-ranked Lubbock Christian also fell 10-9 in the second game of a doubleheader to NCAA Division II West Texas A&M on March 27. The Lady Chaparrals had lost just once all season prior to March 27.
• Prior to sweeping away Lubbock Christian, Oklahoma City did the same to then-No. 21 Oklahoma Christian on March 27 with 2-1 and 7-5 victories. Lavelle pitched a gem in the first game, going all eight innings while allowing only two hits and no earned runs in a 17-strikeout performance. LaVelle also got the win in game two, tossing 4.1 innings in relief to back Kylee Rounsaville’s big game at the plate, which included two hits in three at-bats, a homer and three RBIs.
• Lee (Tenn.), ranked No. 16 last week, also had a big week as it tallied three wins over ranked squads. The Lady Flames swept a twin bill from Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) rival and then-No. 8 Brenau (Ga.) with 6-3 and 7-0 wins on March 27. They followed that up with a 2-1 win over then-No. 18 Auburn Montgomery in SSAC action on March 30.
• Then-No. 12 Shorter (Ga.) also triumphed in a meeting with a fellow ranked squad, posting a 5-1 victory over then-No. 24 Mobile (Ala.) on March 30. Brooke Bryan went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs and Maddie Bray picked up her eighth win of the season with a seven-inning complete game in which she struck out six and allowed seven hits and three walks.
• The week of April 2 – 8 showcases eight games (four doubleheaders) between ranked teams. In Monday’s action, No. 7 William Carey (Miss.) swept No. 22 Mobile, 4-2, 3-1. William Carey will get another shot at a highly-ranked foe when it hosts No. 20 Auburn Montgomery on Friday for a pair of contests. The final doubleheader other than the Game of the Week that matches Top 25 teams will take place in Salem, Ore., where No. 23 Corban (Ore.) welcomes No. 19 College of Idaho for a doubleheader on Friday.
National Statistical Notes
• Lubbock Christian’s (Texas) Kim Frazier moved to No. 1 in career home runs in NAIA softball history on March 3 when she connected for four home runs during a doubleheader sweep of Oklahoma Christian. That effort pushed her to 62 career home runs, giving her four more than the previous record held by Katie Boocher of Bethel (Ind.). Frazier has since hit eight more home runs, putting her at 12 for the season and 70 for her career.
• South Carolina Beaufort hurlers Kristy Cook and Caroline Pastre each threw five-inning perfect games on the same day as the Sand Sharks rolled 19-0 and 34-0 over Fisher (Mass.) on Feb. 20. Cook struck out 12 in game one, while Pastre set down 13 on strikes in game two.
• No. 1 Concordia (Calif.) leads both the NAIA and all NCAA Divisions with a 39-game winning streak and 46 victories overall.
• Saint Xavier’s (Ill.) Amie Brown fired a five-inning perfect game in a 10-0 win over Trinity International (Ill.) on April 3 at the SXU Softball Field. Brown also tossed a seven-inning perfect game in a 2-0 victory over Adrian (Mich.) in Cleremont, Fla., back on Feb. 28.
• Then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian had its 54-game home winning streak snapped in the 10-9 loss to West Texas A&M in the second game of a doubleheader on March 27.
• Karlee Despres of Davenport (Mich.) recorded her fifth career no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) on March 17. Despres went seven innings and notched 12 strikeouts.
• Jasmine Grant of Voorhees (S.C.) leads the nation in batting average with a mark of .545, while Concordia’s (Calif.) Amanda Fama tops the leaderboard with 23 home runs.
• Evangel’s Katelyn Tolle is the NAIA leader in ERA at 0.74. Lilly LaVelle is tops nationally in both wins (23) and strikeouts (266).
• To view all national leaders, click here.
Coaching Milestones
• Phil McSpadden of Oklahoma City leads all active coaches with a record of 1,304-312 (.807) in 25 years.
• Faulkner’s (Ala.) Hal Wynn, eighth on the active wins list, reached 600 career triumphs on Tuesday after a 6-5 win over Belhaven (Miss.) in the first game of the doubleheader.
• Central Methodist (Mo.) head coach Pat Reardon eclipsed the 500-win mark on March 27 when his team swept a doubleheader from Culver-Stockton (Mo.). The pair of victories put Reardon at 501-433 in 19 seasons.
• Ronda Varnesdeel of Davenport (Mich.) passed the 300-win plateau on April 1 with two wins over Cumberland (Tenn.). Varnesdeel’s first 133 wins came at Aquinas (Mich.).
• Mike Hampton of Iowa Wesleyan picked up his 500th win on March 17 with a 4-1 decision over Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).
• Vanguard’s (Calif.) Beth Renkoski notched her 500th career victory on March 24 with a 2-1 win over Ottawa (Kan.) in the second game of the twin bill.
Game of the Week
No. 3 Oklahoma City (34-2, 9-1 SAC) at No. 11 St. Gregory’s (Okla.) (31-4, 5-3 SAC)
Thursday, Shawnee, Okla., 2 p.m. CDT, SGU Softball Complex
• Two of the Sooner Athletic Conference’s (SAC) top three teams will square off in a doubleheader on Thursday in Shawnee, Okla. Oklahoma City enters play in first place in the SAC with a 9-1 league mark. St. Gregory’s sits in fourth place with a conference record of 5-3. This is the first meeting this season between the two squads.
• High-powered Oklahoma City carries a 19-game winning streak into Thursday’s twin bill. The Stars have not lost since a 14-6 defeat on March 6 to NCAA Division II West Texas A&M in the second game of a doubleheader. Their only other loss this season came on Feb. 21 when they were out-slugged 14-12 by conference foe Southern Nazarene (Okla.). In its most recent doubleheader against a ranked opponent, Oklahoma City swept then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian (Texas) by scores of 8-6 and 18-12. The Stars are 15-2 in true road games in 2012.
• Oklahoma City rates as one of the top offensive teams in the NAIA, ranking first in home runs per game (1.794), fourth in slugging percentage (.639), sixth in batting average (.382) and sixth in runs per game (7.9), among other major statistical categories. The Star pitching staff also ranks second in lowest opponent batting average (.164), second in strikeouts (329) and 22nd in ERA (1.92).
• Infielders LeeAnn Lopez, the reigning NAIA Player of the Week, and Lily LaVelle provide the bulk of the power for Oklahoma City. Lopez is second in the NAIA with 17 home runs and third in both total bases (121) and slugging percentage (1.043). LaVelle ranks second on the team with 15 home runs, a figure that places her fourth nationally. LaVelle is also a dominant pitcher, who leads the nation with 23 wins and 266 strikeouts.
• St. Gregory’s has won 17 of its last 19 contests coming into Thursday’s key doubleheader. However, the Cavaliers were upset in the second game of their doubleheader with Science & Arts (Okla.) on March 31, falling 2-0. St. Gregory’s only non-conference loss came to then-No. 1 Cal State San Marcos on March 22 by a score of 8-0 after the Cavaliers had taken the first game of the day by a 4-2 final. The Cavaliers have yet to play any of the other three SAC teams currently in the Top 25. They have won five of their first six home games.
• St. Gregory’s also boasts a potent offense, ranking fourth nationally in hits per game (10.9), fifth in slugging percentage (.591), fifth in batting average (.391) and seventh in runs per game (7.1). The pitching staff ranks 13th in the NAIA in ERA (1.66) and 39th in strikeouts (171).
• Third baseman Kristen Wehmeyer leads the team with a .882 slugging percentage and nine home runs, figures that rank 16th and 19th in the NAIA, respectively. First baseman Caitlin O’Hagan (pictured at top left) leads the Cavaliers with a .482 batting average and 52 RBIs (fourth in the NAIA).
Around the Top 25
• The week of March 26 – April 1 featured eight matchups between Top 25 teams. Then-No. 4 Oklahoma City went 4-0 on the week with a pair of wins over then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian (Texas) on March 29. LeeAnn Lopez went 5-for-10 with two homers and seven RBIs to power the Stars to the doubleheader sweep. Lily LaVelle won both games on the mound to push her win total to 23 on the season.
• Previously top-ranked Lubbock Christian also fell 10-9 in the second game of a doubleheader to NCAA Division II West Texas A&M on March 27. The Lady Chaparrals had lost just once all season prior to March 27.
• Prior to sweeping away Lubbock Christian, Oklahoma City did the same to then-No. 21 Oklahoma Christian on March 27 with 2-1 and 7-5 victories. Lavelle pitched a gem in the first game, going all eight innings while allowing only two hits and no earned runs in a 17-strikeout performance. LaVelle also got the win in game two, tossing 4.1 innings in relief to back Kylee Rounsaville’s big game at the plate, which included two hits in three at-bats, a homer and three RBIs.
• Lee (Tenn.), ranked No. 16 last week, also had a big week as it tallied three wins over ranked squads. The Lady Flames swept a twin bill from Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) rival and then-No. 8 Brenau (Ga.) with 6-3 and 7-0 wins on March 27. They followed that up with a 2-1 win over then-No. 18 Auburn Montgomery in SSAC action on March 30.
• Then-No. 12 Shorter (Ga.) also triumphed in a meeting with a fellow ranked squad, posting a 5-1 victory over then-No. 24 Mobile (Ala.) on March 30. Brooke Bryan went 2-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBIs and Maddie Bray picked up her eighth win of the season with a seven-inning complete game in which she struck out six and allowed seven hits and three walks.
• The week of April 2 – 8 showcases eight games (four doubleheaders) between ranked teams. In Monday’s action, No. 7 William Carey (Miss.) swept No. 22 Mobile, 4-2, 3-1. William Carey will get another shot at a highly-ranked foe when it hosts No. 20 Auburn Montgomery on Friday for a pair of contests. The final doubleheader other than the Game of the Week that matches Top 25 teams will take place in Salem, Ore., where No. 23 Corban (Ore.) welcomes No. 19 College of Idaho for a doubleheader on Friday.
National Statistical Notes
• Lubbock Christian’s (Texas) Kim Frazier moved to No. 1 in career home runs in NAIA softball history on March 3 when she connected for four home runs during a doubleheader sweep of Oklahoma Christian. That effort pushed her to 62 career home runs, giving her four more than the previous record held by Katie Boocher of Bethel (Ind.). Frazier has since hit eight more home runs, putting her at 12 for the season and 70 for her career.
• South Carolina Beaufort hurlers Kristy Cook and Caroline Pastre each threw five-inning perfect games on the same day as the Sand Sharks rolled 19-0 and 34-0 over Fisher (Mass.) on Feb. 20. Cook struck out 12 in game one, while Pastre set down 13 on strikes in game two.
• No. 1 Concordia (Calif.) leads both the NAIA and all NCAA Divisions with a 39-game winning streak and 46 victories overall.
• Saint Xavier’s (Ill.) Amie Brown fired a five-inning perfect game in a 10-0 win over Trinity International (Ill.) on April 3 at the SXU Softball Field. Brown also tossed a seven-inning perfect game in a 2-0 victory over Adrian (Mich.) in Cleremont, Fla., back on Feb. 28.
• Then-No. 1 Lubbock Christian had its 54-game home winning streak snapped in the 10-9 loss to West Texas A&M in the second game of a doubleheader on March 27.
• Karlee Despres of Davenport (Mich.) recorded her fifth career no-hitter in a 1-0 win over Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) on March 17. Despres went seven innings and notched 12 strikeouts.
• Jasmine Grant of Voorhees (S.C.) leads the nation in batting average with a mark of .545, while Concordia’s (Calif.) Amanda Fama tops the leaderboard with 23 home runs.
• Evangel’s Katelyn Tolle is the NAIA leader in ERA at 0.74. Lilly LaVelle is tops nationally in both wins (23) and strikeouts (266).
• To view all national leaders, click here.
Coaching Milestones
• Phil McSpadden of Oklahoma City leads all active coaches with a record of 1,304-312 (.807) in 25 years.
• Faulkner’s (Ala.) Hal Wynn, eighth on the active wins list, reached 600 career triumphs on Tuesday after a 6-5 win over Belhaven (Miss.) in the first game of the doubleheader.
• Central Methodist (Mo.) head coach Pat Reardon eclipsed the 500-win mark on March 27 when his team swept a doubleheader from Culver-Stockton (Mo.). The pair of victories put Reardon at 501-433 in 19 seasons.
• Ronda Varnesdeel of Davenport (Mich.) passed the 300-win plateau on April 1 with two wins over Cumberland (Tenn.). Varnesdeel’s first 133 wins came at Aquinas (Mich.).
• Mike Hampton of Iowa Wesleyan picked up his 500th win on March 17 with a 4-1 decision over Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.).
• Vanguard’s (Calif.) Beth Renkoski notched her 500th career victory on March 24 with a 2-1 win over Ottawa (Kan.) in the second game of the twin bill.
