Billikens Open A-10 Play Against George Washington
March 20, 2008
THIS WEEK: After squaring off against Iona in today's doubleheader at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., the Saint Louis softball team will open its Atlantic 10 Conference slate on Saturday, March 22, with a 2 p.m. doubleheader against George Washington at The Billiken Sports Center. The Billikens (8-14) will be working towards a top-six finish in the league's regular-season race in order to earn a berth in the league tournament for the second straight year. SCOUTING THE COLONIALS: George Washington (5-8, 1-1 A-10) has been idle since March 13 when it opened the A-10 season with a doubleheader split at La Salle. Six of the Colonials' 12 players are hitting better than .300, led by senior Jackie Yaniga's .400 average. She also has 16 hits, seven RBIs and three stolen bases. GW scores 5.2 runs per game and is hitting .325 as a team. Sophomore right-hander Amanda Gabriel (4-4) leads the pitching staff with a 2.50 ERA, eight starts, six complete games and 54 strikeouts in 47.2 innings pitched. The GW pitching staff has a 6.48 ERA and gives up 5.7 runs per contest. Head coach Kim Staehle is in her second season at George Washington with a 28-35 record. Her eight-year career mark is 159-213-2. The Billikens lead the all-time series 4-1, including a doubleheader split in the 2007 regular season and a come-from-behind win in the opening round of last season's conference tournament. 2008 PROGNOSTICATIONS: After finishing third in the 2007 Atlantic 10 regular-season race, the 2008 Billikens have been selected to finish third in the preseason coaches poll. Defending champion Massachusetts was chosen to finish first, while Fordham followed in second place. Charlotte and Temple round out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively. HEAD OF THE CLASS: Pitcher Lorena Floccari has been selected as one of 30 candidates for the 2008 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. The accolade, which is presented annually to NCAA Division I student-athletes in eight sports, focuses on the "Four C's" of classroom, character, community and competition. Floccari is one of just two candidates from the A-10.
BEEN CAUGHT STEALIN': Freshman Kristin Nicoletti tied the SLU standard for stolen bases in a game with three in the win over Northern Illinois on March 10. As a team, the Billikens finished with five stolen bases for the second time this season. The five swipes are just one shy of the program record. A WALK IN THE PARK: Saint Louis tied the school record for walks in a game twice this season with nine against both Northern Illinois and Florida Atlantic. The standard was established last season against Bucknell. Rookie Caitlin Trevillyan also tied the single-game mark for an individual player with three bases on balls against NIU. BEAN BALL: Junior, and first-year transfer, Katie Johns has already been hit by a pitch five times this season, which ties for sixth on SLU's single-season chart and ties for ninth on the career list. LET IT FLO: Senior Lorena Floccari continues to move up the program's career charts in various statistical categories. Earlier this season, she shattered the program standard for games started and now has 83 for her career. Floccari is also the Billikens' career leader in saves (6) and appearances (121) while ranking second in innings pitched (549.0), third in shutouts (8), tied for third in wins (30) and fourth in complete games (49) and strikeouts (351). OTHER CAREER CLIMBERS: Sophomore Nicki Jost is tied for fifth on the home runs list with seven, her 22 stolen bases rank ninth on the career chart and her 19 doubles tie for ninth. Meanwhile, junior Rachel Heet is tied for seventh with five triples in her career. Heet, Katie Johns and Brittney Schmidt are tied for ninth after being hit by a pitch five times in their respective careers. GO `FOUR' IT: When the Billikens score at least four runs, they are 5-1 this season. However, when their opponents produce four or more runs, SLU is just 2-11. RALLY TIME: Five of Saint Louis' eight wins have been come-from behind efforts. Only the Jackson State, Army and Liberty wins saw the Billikens post an early lead and sustain it for the victory. AND YOUR NAME IS?: Billiken fans will notice some unfamiliar faces on the field this season as the 2008 softball squad features 10 new players. SLU's 10 newcomers include eight freshmen and two transfers. PUT ME IN COACH: SLU head coach John Conway has played all but one of his players this season. Pitcher Ashley Levan, who is recovering from shoulder surgery, is the only Billiken who has not seen any game action in 2008. A SEASON TO REMEMBER: To say that the 2007 Saint Louis Billiken softball season was a success would be a huge understatement. Last season, first-year head coach John Conway led his team to a program-best 29 victories and its first appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship. The 2007 squad established team records in slugging percentage, games played, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases, walks, stolen bases, innings pitched, pitching strikeouts and putouts. ROOKIE RECORDS: Nicki Jost made quite an impact in her first season on the Saint Louis softball team. She set freshmen program standards in nearly every offensive category, including games played (62), games started (59), at bats (186), runs scored (33), hits (53), doubles (14), home runs (5), RBIs (28) and total bases (82). COACH John Conway: Head coach John Conway is in his second season as the Billiken skipper after leading Saint Louis to a program-best 29 wins in his first year. Conway, who came to SLU after four seasons as head coach at Division III Fontbonne, owns a 154-98 career record. His staff is comprised of assistant coach Bill Rosner, pitching coach Russell Cooper, volunteer assistant Dr. Terry Moore and graduate assistant Kendra McNichols. SISTER KRISTAIN: Freshman infielder Kristain Burger (Chaffee, Mo. / Notre Dame) drew a walk in the win over Florida Atlantic ... had her best outing to date in the win over Army after going 3-for-4 with a run scored. PHOTO FINN-ISH: Sophomore pitcher/infielder Morgan Finn (Ogden, Ill. / Lake Land College) drew a walk as a pinch hitter in the second FAU tilt ... had a pinch-hit single and scored a run in her first appearance of the season during the Army game. EBB AND FLOW: Senior pitcher Lorena Floccari (Tallmadge, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) leads the squad with a 3.17 ERA, one save and 57.1 innings pitched ... tossed three innings of relief in the second FAU game, giving up seven hits, four runs and a walk while fanning three ... pitched the first 5-2/3 innings of the win over Florida Atlantic but did not figure into the decision after allowing four runs on six hits and a walk and three strikeouts ... earned her first win of the season against Liberty, scattering nine hits, six strikeouts and a walk in the complete-game shutout. CLOSE SHAVES: Sophomore pitcher Stacy Gillette (Palatine, Ill. / William Fremd) has started a team-high 10 games ... threw an inning of relief in the second game against Florida Atlantic, allowing four runs on four hits and two strikeouts ... shouldered the loss against Liberty after giving up three runs on seven hits and a walk while fanning two in the first five innings ... picked up the Army win after tossing four innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits while striking out three. TURN UP THE HEET: Junior infielder Rachel Heet (St. Louis, Mo. / Mehlville) owns team highs of 12 runs, 21 hits and two triples ... went 1-for-2 with a run scored in the loss to FAU ... scored the game-winning run against the Owls, also had two hits, two runs, two RBIs and a walk ... doubled in SLU's only run in the Liberty victory ... had a double and two stolen bases in the win over Army. IT'S HERBIE HANCOCK: Senior third baseman Jody Herbert (Moline, Ill. / Alleman Catholic) entered the second Florida Atlantic game as a sub at third base ... started the second Liberty game at third base. TORA, TORA, TORI: Freshman outfielder Tori Holland (Columbia, Mo. / Hallsville) did not play in Florida due to injury. HIPPITY HOP-KE: Freshman outfielder Allison Hopke (Vandalia, Mo. / Van-Far) drew a walk and scored a run in the win over Florida Atlantic ... posted a game-high three hits and scored SLU's only run in the Liberty victory ... went 3-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the Army game. JOHNNIE ON THE SPOT: Junior catcher/first baseman Katie Johns (The Dalles, Ore. / Wash U) leads the team with 12 walks and has been hit by a pitch a team-high five times ... drew a walk in the loss to FAU ... walked twice in the win over Florida Atlantic ... went 1-for-3 in the loss to Liberty ... had a stolen base and a walk in the win over the Flames. JOST IN THE NICK OF TIME: Sophomore catcher/outfielder Nicki Jost (St. Louis, Mo. / Oakville) leads the squad with a .534 slugging pct., 10 RBIs and five doubles ... went 1-for-1 with an RBI and a walk in the loss to Florida Atlantic ... had a hit, an RBI and a walk in the victory over the Owls ... turned in a game-high three hits, including a double, in the loss to Liberty ... went 1-for-3 with a walk in the Army win. KELLY GREEN: Freshman pitcher Erin Kelly (River Forest, Ill. / Fenwick) owns team bests of five wins, 37 strikeouts and 18 appearances ... suffered the loss to Florida Atlantic in game two after giving up two runs, two hits and two walks in the first two-thirds of an inning ... earned the win over the Owls earlier in the day, tossing 1-1/3 innings of two-hit relief while striking out one ... threw two innings of no-hit relief in the loss to Liberty, scattering one walk and three strikeouts ... pitched the first three innings of the Army game, giving up a walk and striking out one, but did not figure into the decision. NICOL AND DIME: Freshman outfielder Kristin Nicoletti (St. Louis, Mo. / Oakville) had an RBI and a walk in the win over Florida Atlantic ... went 1-for-3 in the loss to Liberty ... stole a base and posted a hit in the Liberty victory ... went 2-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in the Army win. THE O.C.: Sophomore infielder Rachel O'Connell (Arlington Heights, Ill. / Hinsdale Central) scored one of the Billikens' two runs in the Florida Atlantic loss ... put down a sac bunt in the win over Liberty ... enjoyed one of her best offensive outings of the season against Army, going 1-for-3 with two RBIs, a walk and a run scored. OKEE DOKEY: Freshman outfielder Keri O'Keefe (Tremont, Ill. / Tremont) started in right field in the Liberty win. POL POSITION: Freshman outfielder Jenna Polacek (Omaha, Neb. / Marian) entered the second FAU contest and the second Liberty game as a pinch hitter ... scored a run as a pinch runner in the win over Army. I WANNA BE RICH: Sophomore utility player Shana Richard (Hoyleton, Ill. / Nashville) entered the second Florida Atlantic game as a sub at second base. JUST A LITTLE BRIT: Sophomore infielder Brittney Schmidt (Columbia, Ill. / Columbia) put down a sac bunt in the win over Florida Atlantic ... was hit by a pitch in the loss to Liberty ... scored a run and was hit by a pitch in the Army game. CT SCAN: Freshman utility player Caitlin Trevillyan (Grayslake, Ill. / Carmel) leads the team with a .359 average and a .500 on-base pct. ... went 1-for-2 with a walk in the loss to FAU ... recorded her first collegiate home run in the win over Florida Atlantic, also scored an additional run and drew two walks ... had two hits and a walk in the Liberty victory ... was hit by a pitch and went 2-for-3 with a run, an RBI and a stolen base in the Army contest. |
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