The Wisconsin softball team opens its ninth varsity season this Friday through Sunday when it competes in the UNLV Classic in Las Vegas, Nev. This will be the third time that the Badgers have competed in the UNLV Classic, having previously participated in the tournament in 1999 and 2001. The 1999 appearance also served as UW's season-opening tournament.
The Badgers open up the season at 3:30 p.m. Central time on Friday when they take on LSU, before facing UC Riverside at 8:30 p.m. Saturday's action pits Wisconsin against Hawai'i at 3:30 p.m. before facing off against defending national champion UCLA at 8:30 p.m. UW closes out tournament play at noon on Sunday when it challenges host UNLV.
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SCOUTING LSU
The No. 14/15 Tigers enter the UNLV Classic after posting a 3-2 record last weekend as hosts of the Tiger Classic. LSU returns seven starters from last season's NCAA regionally-qualifying team, including two-time All-American senior pitcher Kristin Schmidt who posted a 34-15 record last season with a 1.26 ERA. The Tigers also welcome back leading offensive producers Camille Harris and Julie Wiese. Harris, a sophomore outfielder, led last year's squad with a .337 average and also tacked on six home runs and 29 RBIs. Senior third baseman Wiese tied for second on the team last year with nine homers and also contributed 33 RBIs. LSU is led by 24th-year head coach Yvette Girouard. LSU holds a 1-0 lead in the series with the Badgers, posting a 15-6 on Feb. 9, 2001.
SCOUTING UC RIVERSIDE
The Highlanders went winless in their first three games of the season at the Thunderbird Canyon Crest Feb. 7-8. UCR is scheduled to host a doubleheader against Loyola Marymount on Feb. 10. The Highlanders are led by sophomore infielder Melissa Sanchez who a year ago was first on the team with four home runs and .270 average, and was second with 17 RBIs. UC Riverside also returns two members of its pitching staff in Kimberly Dillon and Jenell Jackson, who last season held respective 4.93 and 5.42 ERAs. Connie Miner leads UCR in her debut season as head coach. This will be the first meeting between the Badgers and the Highlanders.
SCOUTING HAWAI'I
The Rainbow Wahine enter the UNLV Classic having gone 3-3 as hosts of the eighth Hawai'i Paradise Classic, held Feb. 2-8. Thirteenth-year head coach Bob Coolen returns seven starters from the Western Athletic Conference championship team of a year ago. Heading the pack is senior third baseman April Crowell who contributed 11 home runs, 36 RBIs and a .290 batting average to last year's squad. Junior pitcher Melissa Coogan returns to the circle after tossing for a 32-11 record and a 1.42 ERA last spring. Hawai 'i won the only previous meeting with Wisconsin 2-0 on March 21, 2003 in Honolulu.
SCOUTING UCLA
The No. 1 Bruins return to action after going 4-0 from Feb. 6-8 at the Long Beach State Tournament. The reigning national champions return 11 players, including senior pitcher Keira Goerl, who threw a no-hitter in the 2003 NCAA Championship Game and owned an overall record of 40-7 with a 0.63 ERA. Heading up the Bruins' offense is Claire Sua, a senior first baseman/designated player. Sua was among last year's top three on the team in average (.322), home runs (17) and RBIs (51). Head coach Sue Enquist is in her 16th season leading UCLA. The Bruins are 3-0 all-time against Wisconsin, with all three wins coming during the 2001 season.
SCOUTING UNLV
The Rebels opened their season by posting a 2-3 record at the Pepsi Arizona Tournament Feb. 6-8. UNLV returns nine starters from last year's team, including senior outfielder Lisa Sampson, who has led the Rebels' offense the past two seasons, including a .276 clip last season. Also fronting UNLV's offense is Pauline Glenn who led the squad with six homers last season while driving in 23 runs. On the mound, the Rebels welcome back junior Jacqueline Kerrigan whose 16-16 record and 2.12 ERA earned her a spot on the all-Mountain West team last season. UNLV is led by first-year head coach Lonni Alameda. Wisconsin is 1-1 all-time against the Rebels.
WISCONSIN IN SEASON OPENERS
The Badgers have posted a 3-5 record in their eight previous season openers heading into Friday's game with LSU. Last year Wisconsin a dropped 9-2 decision to Mississippi State on Feb. 7, 2003 at the Fiesta Bowl Classic in Tempe, Ariz.
UW AGAINST THE DEFENDING CHAMPS
Wisconsin's game against UCLA on Saturday will be the second time in school history that UW has taken on a defending national champion. The Badgers ' only previous meeting against the school that won the national championship the prior year came on Feb. 10, 2002. On that date Wisconsin defeated Arizona 3-0. The Badgers also have just one game in their history when they faced a team that went on to win the national championship later that season. California knocked off UW 1-0 on March 17, 2002.
A CHALLENGING SCHEDULE
The Badgers will face a stiff challenge in their quest to return to the NCAA tournament this season. Wisconsin is scheduled to play at least 21 games against 12 different teams that are either ranked or are receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Poll. UW has five games scheduled against defending Big Ten champion Iowa and will face fellow conference foes Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, Illinois and Minnesota twice each. The Badgers are slated for single non-conference games against UCLA, California, Alabama, LSU, Arizona State and Hawai'i. Wisconsin is also scheduled for at least 25 games against 15 teams that appeared in last season's NCAA tournament. UCLA, California and Alabama each advanced to the Women's College World Series.
RETURNING HONOREES
Wisconsin returns three individuals that have earned All-Big Ten honors during their careers. Junior Boo Gillette was a third-team selection last season as a catcher, while classmate Anastasia Miller earned the same honor as a designated player. Senior Meghann Reiss was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2001. Senior Katie Layne, junior Natalie Phillips and sophomore Melissa Trainor were each named Academic All-Big Ten a year ago.
BADGER DUO TO COMPETE IN PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE
Badger senior Meghann Reiss and assistant coach Brandee McArthur are expected to compete in the National Professional Fastpitch league once the organization starts up play this summer. Reiss was selected in the sixth round with the 44th overall pick of the college senior draft by the Colorado Altitude. Colorado owns the draft rights to Reiss, but she is unable to sign a contract with the Altitude until the conclusion of the use of her collegiate eligibility. McArthur, a pitcher, has signed on to play for the Akron Racers. She has previously played professionally for the Ohio Pride of the Women 's Professional Softball League (WPSL). She led the league in strikeouts in 2000 and was an all-star selection in 1999 after graduating from University of Pacific. National Pro Fastpitch is the only professional women's fastpitch softball league in the United States. The league is headquartered in Denver, and has been in operation since 1997 under the names Women's Pro Fastpitch (WPF) and Women's Professional Softball League (WPSL).
TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Diana Consolmagno and Meghann Reiss and junior Boo Gillette have been named the team captains for the 2004 season. Consolmagno has started 147 of the 148 games she has appeared in over her first three seasons. Reiss was selected by the Colorado Altitude in the National Professional Fastpitch draft in December and was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2001. Gillette was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team last season and led the squad with a .296 batting average.
NEXT TIME OUT
The Badgers will travel to Tempe, Ariz., next Friday through Sunday to compete in the ASU Louisville Slugger Classic. In addition to host Arizona State, Wisconsin will take on Iowa and Utah State before closing out with a pair of games against Illinois State.
