Cross Country
Mike Gillmeister
The Massachusetts Men's Cross-country team has named captains for the 2007 season. Senior Ryan Durkin and junior Jesse Regnier lead the Minutemen this season under Massachusetts coach Ken O'Brien. Durkin finished among the top five runners in five meets last season. In the 8 kilometer race, he ran his fastest time in that event of the year at the New England Championships with a time of 25:50, good for 70th place overall.
Regnier was exceptional as a sophomore last season, finishing before any of his teammates in four out of the six events that he participated in. He finished in 14th place overall at the New England Championship meet. Renier took 17th place at Atlantic 10 Championship meet, as well as 54th overall at the NCAA Regional meet, again finishing ahead of any of his teammates.
Durkin and Regnier captain a team of familiar faces this season. While losing only two seniors, the Cross-country team welcomes back 19 runners, including five seniors and six juniors.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Baseball gets graded
Baseball
Eli Rosenswaike
The 2007 baseball season has wrapped up for the Minutemen, as Stone and Co. fell just shy of a playoff berth in the Atlantic 10. UMass finished the season at 22-25 (13-14 A-10) and ended the year in eighth place in the 14-team conference. Only the top six teams made the postseason.
In terms of overall record, only five teams (Charlotte, Fordham, Richmond, Xavier and St. Bonaventure) faired better than the Minutemen. While the players are awaiting grades for their work in the classroom, here are their grades (at least, in my opinion) for their on-field performances in 2007.
Catcher: Bryan Garrity (C-)
One of two co-captains, Garrity did a solid job behind the plate for the Minutemen -- both defensively and in calling the game for the pitching staff. He is a good leader for the ballclub, and his work behind the plate is certainly more important to their successes than his work at the plate.
However, Garrity had a down year with the stick, hitting below his career average of .264. He hit at a .240 clip this season, but did draw 16 walks (eight HBP, as well) to bump up his on-base percentage to .349. He did a decent job in cutting down opposing basestealers, throwing out 19 runners on the season in 55 attempts.
First Base: Bryan Adamski (offense, B...pitching, A)
Somehow, it seems like Adamski is overlooked at times. Probably the best player on the team. He contributes with the bat and on the mound, and in a big way. He led the club -- or tied for the lead -- in numerous offensive categories (12 doubles, 5 home runs, 77 total bases, 20 walks, 11 HBP's, .401 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage) and always seemed to come up big in key situations. He even swiped eight bases.
On the mound, Adamski was even better -- leading the team with his 2.67 ERA. He also had a 3-1 record and four saves. He wasn't overpowering (just 6 strikeouts in 30.1 innings) but he was economical with his pitches and only walked six hitters. He really only had one poor outing all season, when he struggled in the seventh (and final) inning at Fenway Park in the Beanpot consolation game. He will be missed in a big way next season.
Second Base: Adam Tempesta (B)
Tempesta is a ballplayer. He just goes out there, hits over .300, scores runs and generally plays the game the way it should be played. He is a tough competitor who played through numerous injuries this season. He led the team in hitting (.306), hits (57) and was the hardest Minuteman to strike out (just 13 K's in 202 plate appearances). He played solid defense after coming back to his normal position after he spent the beginning of the season at DH. Mike Stone has to be more than delighted to have him back for two more years.
Third Base: Ryan Franczek (C-)
Franczek has a lot of talent, and it showed at times during the season. He went through a pretty big slump during the middle of the season, but really picked it up at the tail end of the year. He finished with a .252 AVG, 3 HR's and 18 RBIs. I'm sure he's definitely disappointed with those final numbers, because he's certainly capable of bigger numbers.
He contributed in other ways, drawing 20 walks, stealing seven bases and making some terrific plays at the hot corner. He did struggle in the field at times, committing 10 errors. Franczek will need to pick up the slack with his offense next year, especially with Adamski graduating. I think he will do just that.
Shortstop: Lou Proietti (D+)
Things didn't go as well for 'sweet Lou' this season, compared to a terrific 2006 campaign. The 'D+' grade may be a bit harsh, but he was markedly better last season.
Here's a quick comparison:
2007: .263 AVG, 7 XBH, 12 RBIs, .316 SLG %, .329 OBP %, 15 E.
2006: .331 AVG, 11 XBH, 22 RBIs, .398 SLG %, .411 OBP %, 18 E.
His average fell .68 points, and his on base and slugging percentages fell a great deal, as well. Proietti did a great job on the basepaths again this season, but his lack of production was really surprising. The low grade reflects how much his offensive output fell off from 2006. He is definitely not a 'D+' player.
Center Field: Bill Rankin (B+)
Rankin was mired in a long slump to start the season -- hitting at .160 -- but he still managed to contribute to the team. He routinely made spectacular plays in the field, and moved runners over whenever called upon to do so. I wrote about the senior outfielder, and he mentioned in the article about how frustrating it was to not help out more with the bat.
His struggles didn't last much longer, as the left-handed Rankin started to catch fire. He stayed hot for the rest of the season, and surprisingly led the team in RBIs (26), doubles (12) and runs scored (25). Rankin finished the season hitting .280, and added three home runs and 10 stolen bases. If the A-10 awarded Gold Gloves, Rankin probably would have won in a landslide.
Much like Tempesta, Rankin simply plays the game the right way -- and he was an instrumental in the team improving from last season.
Left Field: Mike Donato (C-) and Brian Baudinet (F)
Donato was inconsistent, but he showed signs of being a pretty good player. He displayed some power, slugging three home runs and driving in 17 runs -- despite only having 99 at-bats. However, Donato hit just .232 and had an unreasonably low OBP (.262) because he only drew two walks. His plate discipline has to improve, but he did a real nice job of driving in runs. He did well in the field, and didn't committ an error.
Baudinet really struggled. He played in 25 games (16 starts) and only hit at a .132 clip (7 hits in 53 at-bats). He also struck out 15 times and had a hard time getting bunts down when called upon. He's certainly a better player than those numbers suggest, but those numbers earn him the poor grade.
Right Field: Travis Munsey (C-)
Munsey did a great job -- much like Rankin -- in picking up the slack after early struggles at the plate. A co-captain alongside Garrity, Munsey hit for a solid .287 average, but had just nine extra-base hits among his 41 hits.
Two things keep him from earning a higher grade:
1. Despite having a .287 AVG, his OBP was only .302 (just 3 walks and 1 HBP in 143 AB).
2. He strike out 23 times.
But Munsey did a good job in the field and came through in the clutch for Mike Stone. His leadership will be missed.
Designated Hitter: Jim Cassidy (D-) and Jim Macdonald (B)
Cassidy did a very good job on the mound (I'll get to that shortly) but the same cannot be said for his work as the regular DH. In 110 at-bats, Casssidy hit just .173 and had just five XBH. A .236 slugging percentage is simply not acceptable for a DH. Even if he were using wooden bats.
It's too bad Macdonald got hurt, because he was enjoying a really solid season. He was hitting .298 with a team-leading 19 RBIs when he injured his finger. It will be interesting to see how he recovers next year. He could be real fun to watch.
Starting Pitching: Chris Lloyd (B-), Jared Freni (C-), Jim Cassidy (B) and Tim Comiskey (C+)
Every member of that rotation had the same problem. Command. They walked entirely too many hitters.
LLoyd: 14 G (11 starts), 5-3, 4.74 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SV, 76 IP, 77 H, 25 BB, 32 K, .276 OBA
He was a workhorse for the Minutemen, giving the team plenty of innings. And they needed those innings because the bullpen wasn't real strong. Lloyd had the best command of all four starters, and really did a good job down the stretch when it mattered most.
Freni: 11 G (11 starts), 3-4, 5.12 ERA, 51 IP, 60 H, 27 BB, 33 K, .300 OBA
I gave him a C- and not a D+ because inconsistency is expected from a freshman. He was real good at times (he won a Rookie of the Week honor) but he also fell apart with his control in other outings. He probably didn't do as well as he had hoped, but he can definitely build on his 2007 season next year. The kid has some good stuff, no doubt about that. He could emerge as an ace in the future.
Cassidy: 7 G (7 starts), 5-1, 3.35 ERA, 43 IP, 38 H, 26 BB, 27 K, .241 OBA
I think he got a bit lucky with that ERA on the season. Twenty-six walks in just 43 innings is quite poor, and he fenagled his way out of jumps at an impossibly-high rate that probably couldn't be duplicated again. That said, he did a terrific job on the hill, and hitters had a real difficult time hitting off of him.
Once again, it's a shame that he got hurt and missed the last two or three starts of the season. Hopefully he will be healthy in 2008 and we can see more of what he's capable of. He's a great athlete. I don't think he was expected to do that well on the hill, and that poorly at the plate.
Comiskey: 12 G (7 starts), 3-4, 3.83 ERA, 47 IP, 44 H, 30 BB, 21 K, .247 OBA
Too many free passes. But he did a good job as the weekday starter for the Minutemen. Can't argue with that solid ERA, but those walks are going to haunt him next year.
Bullpen: Bryan Adamski (A), Mitchell Eilenberg (B), Aaron Smith (B+), Mike Dicato (D+) and Ryan Walczak (F)
I mentioned Adamski earlier, no need to mention him further, other than to say he did great. The other closer, Smith, did very well before he got hurt. He got roughed up in his last outing to end the regular season, so his 4.71 ERA is deceiving. He had five saves (tops on team) and struck out 15 in 21 innings. He only had four walks.
Eilenberg (3-0, 3.25 ERA, 52.2 IP, 59 H, 22 BB, 28K) had a real nice season, as well. He made some spot starts, and performed admirably in those opportunities. Coach Stone handed the ball to Eilenberg in crucial spots, and he usually got the job done. The kid is a battler out there and is a tough competitor.
Dicato (0-7, 6.17 ERA, 46.2 IP, 49 H, 25 BB, 30K) is a lot better than those numbers suggest. He took some hard-luck losses and he has some good stuff. But he did lose seven games and had a very high ERA -- which is why his grade is low. He's got a good future ahead of him, though I think.
Walczak was 0-3 with a 8.34 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched. He allowed 32 hits and an unseenly 19 walks. Coupled with three hit-batsmen, that's 54 base runners in 22.2 innings pitched. Enough said.
Eli Rosenswaike
The 2007 baseball season has wrapped up for the Minutemen, as Stone and Co. fell just shy of a playoff berth in the Atlantic 10. UMass finished the season at 22-25 (13-14 A-10) and ended the year in eighth place in the 14-team conference. Only the top six teams made the postseason.
In terms of overall record, only five teams (Charlotte, Fordham, Richmond, Xavier and St. Bonaventure) faired better than the Minutemen. While the players are awaiting grades for their work in the classroom, here are their grades (at least, in my opinion) for their on-field performances in 2007.
Catcher: Bryan Garrity (C-)
One of two co-captains, Garrity did a solid job behind the plate for the Minutemen -- both defensively and in calling the game for the pitching staff. He is a good leader for the ballclub, and his work behind the plate is certainly more important to their successes than his work at the plate.
However, Garrity had a down year with the stick, hitting below his career average of .264. He hit at a .240 clip this season, but did draw 16 walks (eight HBP, as well) to bump up his on-base percentage to .349. He did a decent job in cutting down opposing basestealers, throwing out 19 runners on the season in 55 attempts.
First Base: Bryan Adamski (offense, B...pitching, A)
Somehow, it seems like Adamski is overlooked at times. Probably the best player on the team. He contributes with the bat and on the mound, and in a big way. He led the club -- or tied for the lead -- in numerous offensive categories (12 doubles, 5 home runs, 77 total bases, 20 walks, 11 HBP's, .401 on-base percentage, .453 slugging percentage) and always seemed to come up big in key situations. He even swiped eight bases.
On the mound, Adamski was even better -- leading the team with his 2.67 ERA. He also had a 3-1 record and four saves. He wasn't overpowering (just 6 strikeouts in 30.1 innings) but he was economical with his pitches and only walked six hitters. He really only had one poor outing all season, when he struggled in the seventh (and final) inning at Fenway Park in the Beanpot consolation game. He will be missed in a big way next season.
Second Base: Adam Tempesta (B)
Tempesta is a ballplayer. He just goes out there, hits over .300, scores runs and generally plays the game the way it should be played. He is a tough competitor who played through numerous injuries this season. He led the team in hitting (.306), hits (57) and was the hardest Minuteman to strike out (just 13 K's in 202 plate appearances). He played solid defense after coming back to his normal position after he spent the beginning of the season at DH. Mike Stone has to be more than delighted to have him back for two more years.
Third Base: Ryan Franczek (C-)
Franczek has a lot of talent, and it showed at times during the season. He went through a pretty big slump during the middle of the season, but really picked it up at the tail end of the year. He finished with a .252 AVG, 3 HR's and 18 RBIs. I'm sure he's definitely disappointed with those final numbers, because he's certainly capable of bigger numbers.
He contributed in other ways, drawing 20 walks, stealing seven bases and making some terrific plays at the hot corner. He did struggle in the field at times, committing 10 errors. Franczek will need to pick up the slack with his offense next year, especially with Adamski graduating. I think he will do just that.
Shortstop: Lou Proietti (D+)
Things didn't go as well for 'sweet Lou' this season, compared to a terrific 2006 campaign. The 'D+' grade may be a bit harsh, but he was markedly better last season.
Here's a quick comparison:
2007: .263 AVG, 7 XBH, 12 RBIs, .316 SLG %, .329 OBP %, 15 E.
2006: .331 AVG, 11 XBH, 22 RBIs, .398 SLG %, .411 OBP %, 18 E.
His average fell .68 points, and his on base and slugging percentages fell a great deal, as well. Proietti did a great job on the basepaths again this season, but his lack of production was really surprising. The low grade reflects how much his offensive output fell off from 2006. He is definitely not a 'D+' player.
Center Field: Bill Rankin (B+)
Rankin was mired in a long slump to start the season -- hitting at .160 -- but he still managed to contribute to the team. He routinely made spectacular plays in the field, and moved runners over whenever called upon to do so. I wrote about the senior outfielder, and he mentioned in the article about how frustrating it was to not help out more with the bat.
His struggles didn't last much longer, as the left-handed Rankin started to catch fire. He stayed hot for the rest of the season, and surprisingly led the team in RBIs (26), doubles (12) and runs scored (25). Rankin finished the season hitting .280, and added three home runs and 10 stolen bases. If the A-10 awarded Gold Gloves, Rankin probably would have won in a landslide.
Much like Tempesta, Rankin simply plays the game the right way -- and he was an instrumental in the team improving from last season.
Left Field: Mike Donato (C-) and Brian Baudinet (F)
Donato was inconsistent, but he showed signs of being a pretty good player. He displayed some power, slugging three home runs and driving in 17 runs -- despite only having 99 at-bats. However, Donato hit just .232 and had an unreasonably low OBP (.262) because he only drew two walks. His plate discipline has to improve, but he did a real nice job of driving in runs. He did well in the field, and didn't committ an error.
Baudinet really struggled. He played in 25 games (16 starts) and only hit at a .132 clip (7 hits in 53 at-bats). He also struck out 15 times and had a hard time getting bunts down when called upon. He's certainly a better player than those numbers suggest, but those numbers earn him the poor grade.
Right Field: Travis Munsey (C-)
Munsey did a great job -- much like Rankin -- in picking up the slack after early struggles at the plate. A co-captain alongside Garrity, Munsey hit for a solid .287 average, but had just nine extra-base hits among his 41 hits.
Two things keep him from earning a higher grade:
1. Despite having a .287 AVG, his OBP was only .302 (just 3 walks and 1 HBP in 143 AB).
2. He strike out 23 times.
But Munsey did a good job in the field and came through in the clutch for Mike Stone. His leadership will be missed.
Designated Hitter: Jim Cassidy (D-) and Jim Macdonald (B)
Cassidy did a very good job on the mound (I'll get to that shortly) but the same cannot be said for his work as the regular DH. In 110 at-bats, Casssidy hit just .173 and had just five XBH. A .236 slugging percentage is simply not acceptable for a DH. Even if he were using wooden bats.
It's too bad Macdonald got hurt, because he was enjoying a really solid season. He was hitting .298 with a team-leading 19 RBIs when he injured his finger. It will be interesting to see how he recovers next year. He could be real fun to watch.
Starting Pitching: Chris Lloyd (B-), Jared Freni (C-), Jim Cassidy (B) and Tim Comiskey (C+)
Every member of that rotation had the same problem. Command. They walked entirely too many hitters.
LLoyd: 14 G (11 starts), 5-3, 4.74 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SV, 76 IP, 77 H, 25 BB, 32 K, .276 OBA
He was a workhorse for the Minutemen, giving the team plenty of innings. And they needed those innings because the bullpen wasn't real strong. Lloyd had the best command of all four starters, and really did a good job down the stretch when it mattered most.
Freni: 11 G (11 starts), 3-4, 5.12 ERA, 51 IP, 60 H, 27 BB, 33 K, .300 OBA
I gave him a C- and not a D+ because inconsistency is expected from a freshman. He was real good at times (he won a Rookie of the Week honor) but he also fell apart with his control in other outings. He probably didn't do as well as he had hoped, but he can definitely build on his 2007 season next year. The kid has some good stuff, no doubt about that. He could emerge as an ace in the future.
Cassidy: 7 G (7 starts), 5-1, 3.35 ERA, 43 IP, 38 H, 26 BB, 27 K, .241 OBA
I think he got a bit lucky with that ERA on the season. Twenty-six walks in just 43 innings is quite poor, and he fenagled his way out of jumps at an impossibly-high rate that probably couldn't be duplicated again. That said, he did a terrific job on the hill, and hitters had a real difficult time hitting off of him.
Once again, it's a shame that he got hurt and missed the last two or three starts of the season. Hopefully he will be healthy in 2008 and we can see more of what he's capable of. He's a great athlete. I don't think he was expected to do that well on the hill, and that poorly at the plate.
Comiskey: 12 G (7 starts), 3-4, 3.83 ERA, 47 IP, 44 H, 30 BB, 21 K, .247 OBA
Too many free passes. But he did a good job as the weekday starter for the Minutemen. Can't argue with that solid ERA, but those walks are going to haunt him next year.
Bullpen: Bryan Adamski (A), Mitchell Eilenberg (B), Aaron Smith (B+), Mike Dicato (D+) and Ryan Walczak (F)
I mentioned Adamski earlier, no need to mention him further, other than to say he did great. The other closer, Smith, did very well before he got hurt. He got roughed up in his last outing to end the regular season, so his 4.71 ERA is deceiving. He had five saves (tops on team) and struck out 15 in 21 innings. He only had four walks.
Eilenberg (3-0, 3.25 ERA, 52.2 IP, 59 H, 22 BB, 28K) had a real nice season, as well. He made some spot starts, and performed admirably in those opportunities. Coach Stone handed the ball to Eilenberg in crucial spots, and he usually got the job done. The kid is a battler out there and is a tough competitor.
Dicato (0-7, 6.17 ERA, 46.2 IP, 49 H, 25 BB, 30K) is a lot better than those numbers suggest. He took some hard-luck losses and he has some good stuff. But he did lose seven games and had a very high ERA -- which is why his grade is low. He's got a good future ahead of him, though I think.
Walczak was 0-3 with a 8.34 ERA in 22.2 innings pitched. He allowed 32 hits and an unseenly 19 walks. Coupled with three hit-batsmen, that's 54 base runners in 22.2 innings pitched. Enough said.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
UMass announces 2007-08 schedule
Hockey
Joe Meloni
The Massachusetts hockey team announced its schedule for the upcoming 2007-2008 season.
The Minutemen open their season with a rematch of the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against the Clarkson Golden Knights. UMass defeated Clarkson, 1-0, in overtime in the tournament and also tied Clarkson, 3-3, on Oct. 14 at the Mullins Center.
UMass-Lowell travels to Amherst on Oct. 19 to kick off the Hockey East portion of the schedule for the Mass Attack.
Last season, the Minutemen won the season series with Boston College for the first time ever. The Eagles travel to Amherst on Nov. 16 for the first end of a home-and-home series with the Minutemen. The third game of the season set is on Feb. 8 in Amherst.
UMass ends the season at Merrimack on March 8. Before that, the Minutemen travel to Orono, Maine for two games on Feb. 22 and 23. The series with the Black Bears should be instrumental in deciding the postseason positioning for UMass. The next weekend, UMass plays a home-and-home with Boston University. BU was the only Hockey East team that the Minutemen didn't defeat last season.
Over winter break, the Minutemen travel to Tampa, Fla., for the Lightning College Hockey Classic. They open up the tournament against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, like the Minutemen, are coming off the best season in program history. Colorado College and Rensselaer are the two other teams in the tournament.
On Dec. 2, the USA Under-18 National Team comes to Amherst for an exhibition with the Minutemen.
The ability to schedule exhibitions like this speaks to the emergence of UMass as a legitimate hockey program in the Northeast.
Joe Meloni
The Massachusetts hockey team announced its schedule for the upcoming 2007-2008 season.
The Minutemen open their season with a rematch of the opening round of the NCAA Tournament against the Clarkson Golden Knights. UMass defeated Clarkson, 1-0, in overtime in the tournament and also tied Clarkson, 3-3, on Oct. 14 at the Mullins Center.
UMass-Lowell travels to Amherst on Oct. 19 to kick off the Hockey East portion of the schedule for the Mass Attack.
Last season, the Minutemen won the season series with Boston College for the first time ever. The Eagles travel to Amherst on Nov. 16 for the first end of a home-and-home series with the Minutemen. The third game of the season set is on Feb. 8 in Amherst.
UMass ends the season at Merrimack on March 8. Before that, the Minutemen travel to Orono, Maine for two games on Feb. 22 and 23. The series with the Black Bears should be instrumental in deciding the postseason positioning for UMass. The next weekend, UMass plays a home-and-home with Boston University. BU was the only Hockey East team that the Minutemen didn't defeat last season.
Over winter break, the Minutemen travel to Tampa, Fla., for the Lightning College Hockey Classic. They open up the tournament against Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish, like the Minutemen, are coming off the best season in program history. Colorado College and Rensselaer are the two other teams in the tournament.
On Dec. 2, the USA Under-18 National Team comes to Amherst for an exhibition with the Minutemen.
The ability to schedule exhibitions like this speaks to the emergence of UMass as a legitimate hockey program in the Northeast.
No Hardware for Minutemen
Baseball
Eli Rosenswaike
The Atlantic 10 handed out the awards for the 2007 baseball season yesterday, and no Minuteman player was recognized.
UMass was the only school in the 14-team Atlantic 10 to not have one representative named to one of the four teams (First Team, Second Team, Academic Team or Rookie Team).
Awards were given for All-Conference first and second teams, as well as an All-Rookie team. In addition, 10 players were named to the All-Conference academic team. Duquesne, La Salle, Dayton and St. Bonaventure each had two players on the academic team.
The highest honors were given to Brian Pelligrini (Player of the Year; St. Bonaventure), Adam Mills (Pitcher of the Year; Charlotte), Matt Zielinski (Rookie of the Year; Richmond) and to Loren Hobbs (Coach of the Year; Charlotte).
Eli Rosenswaike
The Atlantic 10 handed out the awards for the 2007 baseball season yesterday, and no Minuteman player was recognized.
UMass was the only school in the 14-team Atlantic 10 to not have one representative named to one of the four teams (First Team, Second Team, Academic Team or Rookie Team).
Awards were given for All-Conference first and second teams, as well as an All-Rookie team. In addition, 10 players were named to the All-Conference academic team. Duquesne, La Salle, Dayton and St. Bonaventure each had two players on the academic team.
The highest honors were given to Brian Pelligrini (Player of the Year; St. Bonaventure), Adam Mills (Pitcher of the Year; Charlotte), Matt Zielinski (Rookie of the Year; Richmond) and to Loren Hobbs (Coach of the Year; Charlotte).
Monday, May 21, 2007
Preseason Expectations
Football
Eli Rosenswaike
The Massachusetts football team is ranked fifth in the first football preseason poll of the season, released today on anygivensaturday.com. UMass received one first-place vote among the 115 ballots cast.
The Minutemen enjoyed a stellar 2006 season, reaching the Division IAA Championship game against Appalachian St. The Maroon and White fell just short of winning the national championship, losing 28-17 to the Mountaineers on December 15, 2006.
Appalachian St. is the favorite again in 2007, ranking atop the preseason poll. The Mountaineers received 97 first-place votes. Montana is ranked second, and received 16 first-place votes. North Dakota State and Youngstown State are ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Eli Rosenswaike
The Massachusetts football team is ranked fifth in the first football preseason poll of the season, released today on anygivensaturday.com. UMass received one first-place vote among the 115 ballots cast.
The Minutemen enjoyed a stellar 2006 season, reaching the Division IAA Championship game against Appalachian St. The Maroon and White fell just short of winning the national championship, losing 28-17 to the Mountaineers on December 15, 2006.
Appalachian St. is the favorite again in 2007, ranking atop the preseason poll. The Mountaineers received 97 first-place votes. Montana is ranked second, and received 16 first-place votes. North Dakota State and Youngstown State are ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Looks like I was right
Softball
Jeremy Rice
I said on Friday on the Daily Collegian's website that UMass couldn't take the easy road out of Amherst this year like they did in 2006. And they couldn't.
Oklahoma, the No. 2 team in the nation - though shaky in its first contest against Colgate - got used to the weirder than usualy New England whether (nice Thursday, crappy Friday and Saturday, nice but windy Sunday), and the Sooners muscled their way through the Amherst Regional.
The Minutewomen could have gone one of two directions. They could have been the championship-caliber squad the powered past Temple in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, sharp in all phases of the game, of the one that defeated Saint Louis in the A-10 championship, sloppy defensively, stagnant offensively, and just not sharp in the circle.
The chose the latter, and against a team like OU, that just won't fly. One of the drawbacks of playing in a weaker conference like the A-10, you get used to getting away with comitting three errors and only getting four hits in a game and still somehow winning 5-0.
That wasn't going to happen against Oklahoma, and UMass is now done 'til next year because of it. The Minutewomen just were not at their best, and it would take no less than the Maroon and White's best to beat the Sooners.
The Minutewomen had their chances, but did not the get big breaks they used oh so often in the regular season. The Sooners didn't bobble grounders in the infield. They didn't mis-play fly balls in the outfield that led to triples. And Lauren Eckermann was on her game in the circle, and she was certainly far better than anyone the Minutewomen had seen in the last two months.
Despite all of that, UMass lost both its games to the Sooners by a total of four runs. And the 6-3 loss that sent the Minutewomen home for good was a one-run game until one very unusual play caught the left side of the infield looking rather sheepish.
This team is very young. They will lose just two starters (center fielder Candice Molinari and first baseman Amanda Morin) and their designated player (Amanda Acampora), and UMass coach Elaine Sortino has plenty of extra power stored away on the bench this season.
Freshmen Carly Normandin, Sarah Reeves, and '07 starters Jessica Serio and Whitney Williams will all be heavy contributors to the 2008 Minutewomen, who will be a year older and more experienced.
UMass may not be going anywhere this spring, but the Minutewomen who have been perennial contenders on the national stage are not going anywhere, either. They're staying on that national stage and should climb even higher next season.
Whitney Mollica - 2006's A-10 Rookie and Player of the Year - will likely follow teammate Stacy Cullington's example and shake her sophomore funk as a junior and explode out of the gates once again.
Mollica and Cullington will lead a lineup that will still be plenty powerful from one to nine. With Sortino as coach, leadership should not be a problem. New players step up every year for the softball Hall of Famer.
The biggest loss is the versatility of Molinari, who did so many things in her four years at UMass (and probably could have done more as the team's leadoff hitter). She had amazing speed, could hit the ball and get on base three different ways, and made every pitcher who let her reach first nervous.
Williams may be molded into the same type of player (she tried her hand at slapping this season from the nine-hole), and she may be even more versatile. She is much more powerful, has a cannon for an arm over at shortstop, and possesses similar speed, if not equal to Molinari's.
Long Island and Colgate are not as good as Lehigh, who was a very strong four seed last year. So OU may have been unlucky to not host the regional, but UMass got the shorter end of the stick by getting stuck with OU in the regional round, and getting no help from the three and four seeds in taking down Goliath.
The development of Bailey Sanders will be pivotal to this team, which badly needs someone to take the load off of ace Brandice Balschmiter's shoulders. Sortino smartly threw Sanders into the fire this season, knowing the freshman would need to be ready for action during the postseason (she pitched Sunday against OU).
Last season, Balschmiter ran out of steam against Northwestern in the Super Regionals, and Sanders jumped in this time when Balschmiter didn't have it Sunday.
If Sanders develops into the solid No. 2 to Balschmiter that Sortino hopes she can be. This team will have one heck of a 1-2 punch next season - I don't think I witnessed a single team this year get a hit off Sanders their first time through the lineup after they had already seen Balschmiter that same day.
UMass was already down when Sanders entered the game Sunday, but the 6-foot-2 hurler showed she can get outs against the best teams in the country (she also did well in action early this season in the California and Florida tournaments).
I said UMass would have to go through Oklahoma to move on and they did, but they just didn't have enough to get past the Sooners.
However, the way Sortino is building this current Minutewoman squad, they may have enough to go even farther next year.
Jeremy Rice is the Daily Collegian sports editor and covered UMass softball in 2006 and 2007. He can be reached at jeremyr@student.umass.edu.
Jeremy Rice
I said on Friday on the Daily Collegian's website that UMass couldn't take the easy road out of Amherst this year like they did in 2006. And they couldn't.
Oklahoma, the No. 2 team in the nation - though shaky in its first contest against Colgate - got used to the weirder than usualy New England whether (nice Thursday, crappy Friday and Saturday, nice but windy Sunday), and the Sooners muscled their way through the Amherst Regional.
The Minutewomen could have gone one of two directions. They could have been the championship-caliber squad the powered past Temple in the second round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, sharp in all phases of the game, of the one that defeated Saint Louis in the A-10 championship, sloppy defensively, stagnant offensively, and just not sharp in the circle.
The chose the latter, and against a team like OU, that just won't fly. One of the drawbacks of playing in a weaker conference like the A-10, you get used to getting away with comitting three errors and only getting four hits in a game and still somehow winning 5-0.
That wasn't going to happen against Oklahoma, and UMass is now done 'til next year because of it. The Minutewomen just were not at their best, and it would take no less than the Maroon and White's best to beat the Sooners.
The Minutewomen had their chances, but did not the get big breaks they used oh so often in the regular season. The Sooners didn't bobble grounders in the infield. They didn't mis-play fly balls in the outfield that led to triples. And Lauren Eckermann was on her game in the circle, and she was certainly far better than anyone the Minutewomen had seen in the last two months.
Despite all of that, UMass lost both its games to the Sooners by a total of four runs. And the 6-3 loss that sent the Minutewomen home for good was a one-run game until one very unusual play caught the left side of the infield looking rather sheepish.
This team is very young. They will lose just two starters (center fielder Candice Molinari and first baseman Amanda Morin) and their designated player (Amanda Acampora), and UMass coach Elaine Sortino has plenty of extra power stored away on the bench this season.
Freshmen Carly Normandin, Sarah Reeves, and '07 starters Jessica Serio and Whitney Williams will all be heavy contributors to the 2008 Minutewomen, who will be a year older and more experienced.
UMass may not be going anywhere this spring, but the Minutewomen who have been perennial contenders on the national stage are not going anywhere, either. They're staying on that national stage and should climb even higher next season.
Whitney Mollica - 2006's A-10 Rookie and Player of the Year - will likely follow teammate Stacy Cullington's example and shake her sophomore funk as a junior and explode out of the gates once again.
Mollica and Cullington will lead a lineup that will still be plenty powerful from one to nine. With Sortino as coach, leadership should not be a problem. New players step up every year for the softball Hall of Famer.
The biggest loss is the versatility of Molinari, who did so many things in her four years at UMass (and probably could have done more as the team's leadoff hitter). She had amazing speed, could hit the ball and get on base three different ways, and made every pitcher who let her reach first nervous.
Williams may be molded into the same type of player (she tried her hand at slapping this season from the nine-hole), and she may be even more versatile. She is much more powerful, has a cannon for an arm over at shortstop, and possesses similar speed, if not equal to Molinari's.
Long Island and Colgate are not as good as Lehigh, who was a very strong four seed last year. So OU may have been unlucky to not host the regional, but UMass got the shorter end of the stick by getting stuck with OU in the regional round, and getting no help from the three and four seeds in taking down Goliath.
The development of Bailey Sanders will be pivotal to this team, which badly needs someone to take the load off of ace Brandice Balschmiter's shoulders. Sortino smartly threw Sanders into the fire this season, knowing the freshman would need to be ready for action during the postseason (she pitched Sunday against OU).
Last season, Balschmiter ran out of steam against Northwestern in the Super Regionals, and Sanders jumped in this time when Balschmiter didn't have it Sunday.
If Sanders develops into the solid No. 2 to Balschmiter that Sortino hopes she can be. This team will have one heck of a 1-2 punch next season - I don't think I witnessed a single team this year get a hit off Sanders their first time through the lineup after they had already seen Balschmiter that same day.
UMass was already down when Sanders entered the game Sunday, but the 6-foot-2 hurler showed she can get outs against the best teams in the country (she also did well in action early this season in the California and Florida tournaments).
I said UMass would have to go through Oklahoma to move on and they did, but they just didn't have enough to get past the Sooners.
However, the way Sortino is building this current Minutewoman squad, they may have enough to go even farther next year.
Jeremy Rice is the Daily Collegian sports editor and covered UMass softball in 2006 and 2007. He can be reached at jeremyr@student.umass.edu.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Rally time
Softball
Joe Meloni
Both offense rallied in their respective halves of the third inning.
The Sooners aggressive base running led to four runs. While UMass took advantage of an error by OU third baseman Norelle Dickson to put together a big inning.
After four, OU leads UMass 4-3.
Joe Meloni
Both offense rallied in their respective halves of the third inning.
The Sooners aggressive base running led to four runs. While UMass took advantage of an error by OU third baseman Norelle Dickson to put together a big inning.
After four, OU leads UMass 4-3.
Scoreless after two
Softball
Joe Meloni
After the first two inning, UMass and Oklahoma are scoreless.
The only real threat came in the top of the second for the Sooners. With one out, Jamie Fox and Lindsey Vandever hit back-to-back singles. The next batter was called out after leaning into a strike on a 3-2 pitch.
Brandice Balschmiter drew a weak line out from Traci Dicksenson to end the threat.
UMass went in order in the bottom half of the inning.
Joe Meloni
After the first two inning, UMass and Oklahoma are scoreless.
The only real threat came in the top of the second for the Sooners. With one out, Jamie Fox and Lindsey Vandever hit back-to-back singles. The next batter was called out after leaning into a strike on a 3-2 pitch.
Brandice Balschmiter drew a weak line out from Traci Dicksenson to end the threat.
UMass went in order in the bottom half of the inning.
Delay
Softball
Joe Meloni
Rain pushed the start of today's game back. UMass and Oklahoma now must wait until 1:30 to start today's game.
Brandice Balschmiter will get the ball for the Minutewomen today and Lauren Eckerman will do the same for the Sooners. Balchmiter scattered seven hits in six innings pitch when these two teams played yesterday. The Sooners won 2-0.
OU is 2-0 in the Amherst Regional so far (it also defeated Colgate, 5-2, on Friday) and UMass is 2-1; the Maroon and White must defeat the top-seeded Sooners twice this afternoon to advance to the Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Check throughout for updates and analysis on the game.
Joe Meloni
Rain pushed the start of today's game back. UMass and Oklahoma now must wait until 1:30 to start today's game.
Brandice Balschmiter will get the ball for the Minutewomen today and Lauren Eckerman will do the same for the Sooners. Balchmiter scattered seven hits in six innings pitch when these two teams played yesterday. The Sooners won 2-0.
OU is 2-0 in the Amherst Regional so far (it also defeated Colgate, 5-2, on Friday) and UMass is 2-1; the Maroon and White must defeat the top-seeded Sooners twice this afternoon to advance to the Super Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
Check throughout for updates and analysis on the game.
Game over
Softball
Joe Meloni
Candice Molinari won the game with a line-drive single, scoring Samantha Salato. LIU decided to load the bases with runners at second and third and one out.
The Minutewomen take on top-seeded Oklahoma tomorrow at noon.
Joe Meloni
Candice Molinari won the game with a line-drive single, scoring Samantha Salato. LIU decided to load the bases with runners at second and third and one out.
The Minutewomen take on top-seeded Oklahoma tomorrow at noon.
Still 3-3
Softball
Joe Meloni
The Blackbirds stranded another base runner in the top of the eigth. After allowing a single to Celina Castillo, Balschmiter overpowered Raylene Asman to end the inning.
As the umpire called Asman's check-swing attempt, Balschmiter pumped her fist walking off the mound.
The Minutewomen seemed engergized running off the field.
UMass will push the winning run across in this inning.
Joe Meloni
The Blackbirds stranded another base runner in the top of the eigth. After allowing a single to Celina Castillo, Balschmiter overpowered Raylene Asman to end the inning.
As the umpire called Asman's check-swing attempt, Balschmiter pumped her fist walking off the mound.
The Minutewomen seemed engergized running off the field.
UMass will push the winning run across in this inning.
It goes on...
Softball
Joe Meloni
After a failed bunt attempt by Candice Molinari and a flyout from Stacy Cullington, Lauren Proctor lined the ball to left field. Poor judgement from the LIU defender led to Proctor winding up on third.
But the Minutewomen couldn't convert. Whitney Mollica walked and Amanda Acampora weakly rolled back to the pitcher to end the inning.
Joe Meloni
After a failed bunt attempt by Candice Molinari and a flyout from Stacy Cullington, Lauren Proctor lined the ball to left field. Poor judgement from the LIU defender led to Proctor winding up on third.
But the Minutewomen couldn't convert. Whitney Mollica walked and Amanda Acampora weakly rolled back to the pitcher to end the inning.
Still tied
Softball
Joe Meloni
Brandice Balschmiter struck out Renae Beauchman and drew a groundout from Randi Gillespie to end the top of the eigth inning.
Candice Molinari, Stacy Cullington and Lauren Proctor are due up for UMass in its half of the eigth.
Joe Meloni
Brandice Balschmiter struck out Renae Beauchman and drew a groundout from Randi Gillespie to end the top of the eigth inning.
Candice Molinari, Stacy Cullington and Lauren Proctor are due up for UMass in its half of the eigth.
Extra innings
Softball
Joe Meloni
It is entirely too cold for extra innings, but Jenny Giles wasn't going to let her team fall just yet. She retired Sarah Reeves, who pinch hit for Jessica Serio, Whitney Williams and Amanda Morin to end the seventh inning.
Joe Meloni
It is entirely too cold for extra innings, but Jenny Giles wasn't going to let her team fall just yet. She retired Sarah Reeves, who pinch hit for Jessica Serio, Whitney Williams and Amanda Morin to end the seventh inning.
Balschmiter bares down
Softball
Joe Meloni
After Brittany Murphy drew a lead-off walk, the Minutewomen kept the Blackbirds from .
Whitney Mollica snatched a bunt attempt and fired to second. The throw pulled Whitney Williams off the base, but she applied the tag for the first out. Vanessa Mejia then pulled a Balschmiter offering to first base, but Amanda Morin gathered it and threw to second for the force out.
Another walk and a call for an illegal pitch, put runners at second and third with two outs for Jessie DePippo.
Brandice Balschmiter took over from there and blew two fastballs by DePippo to end the threat.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the score is tied at 3.
Jessica Serio, Whitney Williams and Amanda Morin are due up for UMass.
Joe Meloni
After Brittany Murphy drew a lead-off walk, the Minutewomen kept the Blackbirds from .
Whitney Mollica snatched a bunt attempt and fired to second. The throw pulled Whitney Williams off the base, but she applied the tag for the first out. Vanessa Mejia then pulled a Balschmiter offering to first base, but Amanda Morin gathered it and threw to second for the force out.
Another walk and a call for an illegal pitch, put runners at second and third with two outs for Jessie DePippo.
Brandice Balschmiter took over from there and blew two fastballs by DePippo to end the threat.
Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the score is tied at 3.
Jessica Serio, Whitney Williams and Amanda Morin are due up for UMass.
Giles shows guile
Softball
Joe Meloni
Long Island's assistant coach is driving me crazy. But pitcher Jenny Giles is giving him all the ammo he needs to keep yapping.
Giles struck out both Amanda Acampora and Samanta Salato to end the sixth inning.
Heading into the seventh, the score stands tied at three.
Joe Meloni
Long Island's assistant coach is driving me crazy. But pitcher Jenny Giles is giving him all the ammo he needs to keep yapping.
Giles struck out both Amanda Acampora and Samanta Salato to end the sixth inning.
Heading into the seventh, the score stands tied at three.
Minutewomen can't hold LIU down
Softball
Joe Meloni
Mariesha Marker sent a slow roller to Whitney Mollica with one out. Mollica fielded the ball cleanly but threw high to first base.
Initially, the first base umpire ruled Marker out, but after talking with the home plate umpire, Marker ruled safe because the throw pulled Amanda Morin's foot off the base.
The play proved crucial as Marker came around to score on a single by Renae Beauchman.
Balschmiter struck Gillespie out to end the inning.
Joe Meloni
Mariesha Marker sent a slow roller to Whitney Mollica with one out. Mollica fielded the ball cleanly but threw high to first base.
Initially, the first base umpire ruled Marker out, but after talking with the home plate umpire, Marker ruled safe because the throw pulled Amanda Morin's foot off the base.
The play proved crucial as Marker came around to score on a single by Renae Beauchman.
Balschmiter struck Gillespie out to end the inning.
Williams provides spark
Softball
Joe Meloni
I was right.
Salato doubled down the right-field line to leadoff the inning. Freshman Jessica Serio bunted pinch runner Jackie Teman to third.
Whitney Williams came to the plate with UMass down one. When she returned to the bench, the Minutewomen led 3-2.
Williams lined the ball into the left-center field gap. Teman came home from third, but Williams wasn't done. When the ball got by the second baseman, Williams took off for third. LIU first baseman Randi Gillespie threw to third, but the ball got by the third baseman and Williams scored.
Outs from Amanda Morin and Stacy Cullington sandwiched an infield single from Candice Molinari.
Joe Meloni
I was right.
Salato doubled down the right-field line to leadoff the inning. Freshman Jessica Serio bunted pinch runner Jackie Teman to third.
Whitney Williams came to the plate with UMass down one. When she returned to the bench, the Minutewomen led 3-2.
Williams lined the ball into the left-center field gap. Teman came home from third, but Williams wasn't done. When the ball got by the second baseman, Williams took off for third. LIU first baseman Randi Gillespie threw to third, but the ball got by the third baseman and Williams scored.
Outs from Amanda Morin and Stacy Cullington sandwiched an infield single from Candice Molinari.
Lots of action, nothing changes
Softball
Joe Meloni
Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Randi Gillespie led the inning off with a single through the right side of the infield.
LIU worked a walk as well to put runners of first and second with one out. Whitney Wiliiams kept the Blackbirds from increasin their advantage with some nice defense. She moved to her right and flipped the ball to third base to force Gillespie out at third.
Balschmiter drew a pop out to Stacy Cullington at second to end the inning.
Samantha Salato will get on base to lead off the fifth.
Joe Meloni
Northeast Conference Player of the Year, Randi Gillespie led the inning off with a single through the right side of the infield.
LIU worked a walk as well to put runners of first and second with one out. Whitney Wiliiams kept the Blackbirds from increasin their advantage with some nice defense. She moved to her right and flipped the ball to third base to force Gillespie out at third.
Balschmiter drew a pop out to Stacy Cullington at second to end the inning.
Samantha Salato will get on base to lead off the fifth.
Blackbirds inch closer
Softball
Joe Meloni
With two outs, sophomore third baseman Whitney Mollica sent a liner by the gloves of Giles and the LIU second baseman - Davina Hernandez pinch ran for Mollica.
Amanda Acampora laced a shot that looked destined to tie the game as Hernandez was off with contact. But the ball landed harmlessly in the glove of the LIU shortstop.
After four, LIU leads 2-1.
Joe Meloni
With two outs, sophomore third baseman Whitney Mollica sent a liner by the gloves of Giles and the LIU second baseman - Davina Hernandez pinch ran for Mollica.
Amanda Acampora laced a shot that looked destined to tie the game as Hernandez was off with contact. But the ball landed harmlessly in the glove of the LIU shortstop.
After four, LIU leads 2-1.
Balschmiter keeps LIU lead at one
Softball
Joe Meloni
After beginning the fourth just as she started the third - two stikeouts and a walk, - Balschmiter drew a groundout from Beauchman to end the inning.
The Minutwomen need to get something started soon. LIU pitcher Jenny Giles is determined to lead the Blackbirds to an an upset and the Minutewomen aren't helping themselves.
If UMass doesn't score in the bottom of the fourth, it will be up to the bottom of the order to put the Minutewomen ahead.
Joe Meloni
After beginning the fourth just as she started the third - two stikeouts and a walk, - Balschmiter drew a groundout from Beauchman to end the inning.
The Minutwomen need to get something started soon. LIU pitcher Jenny Giles is determined to lead the Blackbirds to an an upset and the Minutewomen aren't helping themselves.
If UMass doesn't score in the bottom of the fourth, it will be up to the bottom of the order to put the Minutewomen ahead.
Mintewomen fail to take advantage
Softball
Joe Meloni
Freshman shortstop Whitney Williams weakly grounded to shortstop, but the LIU defender let the ball roll under glove and William reached.
The Minutewomen couldn't tie the score after getting the lead-off hitter on. Amanda Morin reached on a fielder's choice and Candice Molinari struck out.
With Stacy Cullington up, Morin tried to steal second base. LIU catcher Jessie DePippo popped out of her crouch and nailed Morin before she even went into her slide.
DePippo leads the top of the fourth off for the Blackbirds
Joe Meloni
Freshman shortstop Whitney Williams weakly grounded to shortstop, but the LIU defender let the ball roll under glove and William reached.
The Minutewomen couldn't tie the score after getting the lead-off hitter on. Amanda Morin reached on a fielder's choice and Candice Molinari struck out.
With Stacy Cullington up, Morin tried to steal second base. LIU catcher Jessie DePippo popped out of her crouch and nailed Morin before she even went into her slide.
DePippo leads the top of the fourth off for the Blackbirds
Balschmiter settles in
Softball
Joe Meloni
Balschmiter fooled LIU's Brittany Murphy with a changeup for the first out of the inning. Balschmiter got ahead of Celina Castillo with two strikes, but Castillo fought back and worked the count full. The pay-off pitch moved over the outside corner, Castillo thought she drew her second walk of the game, but the home plate umpire rung her up.
After walking the third batter of the inning, Balschmiter snuck a strike by Raylene Asman to end the inning.
The Minutewomen send 9-1-2 to the plate in the bottom of the third. UMass isn't going to get many opportunities to score and cannnot waste this trip through the top of the order.
Joe Meloni
Balschmiter fooled LIU's Brittany Murphy with a changeup for the first out of the inning. Balschmiter got ahead of Celina Castillo with two strikes, but Castillo fought back and worked the count full. The pay-off pitch moved over the outside corner, Castillo thought she drew her second walk of the game, but the home plate umpire rung her up.
After walking the third batter of the inning, Balschmiter snuck a strike by Raylene Asman to end the inning.
The Minutewomen send 9-1-2 to the plate in the bottom of the third. UMass isn't going to get many opportunities to score and cannnot waste this trip through the top of the order.
UMass responds in bottom of 2nd
Softball
Jeremy Rice
The Minutewomen responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the second. Lauren Proctor led off the inning with walk. After Whitey Mollica moved her to second on a ground out, Amanda Acampora singled to center to put runners on the corners.
With Michea Holness running for Acampora, UMass at double steal. Holness beat the throw to second and Proctor slid into home just in front of the throw back to the plate.
2-1 Long Island after two.
Jeremy Rice
The Minutewomen responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the second. Lauren Proctor led off the inning with walk. After Whitey Mollica moved her to second on a ground out, Amanda Acampora singled to center to put runners on the corners.
With Michea Holness running for Acampora, UMass at double steal. Holness beat the throw to second and Proctor slid into home just in front of the throw back to the plate.
2-1 Long Island after two.
UMass down early
Softball
Joe Meloni
With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Balschmiter drew a ground out from LIU nine hitter Renae Beauchman. But the shaky UMass defense let its ace down. Freshman shortstop Whitney Williams collected the ball easily, but threw low to first baseman Amanda Morin. Morin dropped the ball and it skipped by her allowing two score.
Balschmiter struck out lead-off hitter Randi Gillespie to end the inning, but LIU leads 2-0 going into the UMass half of the inning.
Joe Meloni
With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Balschmiter drew a ground out from LIU nine hitter Renae Beauchman. But the shaky UMass defense let its ace down. Freshman shortstop Whitney Williams collected the ball easily, but threw low to first baseman Amanda Morin. Morin dropped the ball and it skipped by her allowing two score.
Balschmiter struck out lead-off hitter Randi Gillespie to end the inning, but LIU leads 2-0 going into the UMass half of the inning.
Minutewomen go down in order
The first three UMass hitters went down quietly. Amanda Morin led the inning off with a pop out to the second baseman.
Candice Molinari nearly reached after slapping a ball softly toward the LIU shortstop. The play was close, but Molinari arrived just after the throw. Stacy Cullington struck out to end the inning.
The UMass hitters don't know much about LIU hurler Jenny Giles and will probably use the first time through the order to get a feel for her pitches. While the NEC isn't as strong as the A-10 is, Giles poses quite the challenge for the Minutewomen. She is the two-time defending NEC Pitcher of the Year.
I am really cold.
Candice Molinari nearly reached after slapping a ball softly toward the LIU shortstop. The play was close, but Molinari arrived just after the throw. Stacy Cullington struck out to end the inning.
The UMass hitters don't know much about LIU hurler Jenny Giles and will probably use the first time through the order to get a feel for her pitches. While the NEC isn't as strong as the A-10 is, Giles poses quite the challenge for the Minutewomen. She is the two-time defending NEC Pitcher of the Year.
I am really cold.
Balschmiter keeps Blackbirds on ground
Softball
Joe Meloni
Sophomore ace Brandice Balschmiter retired the side in the top of the first inning with relative ease. The first two LIU hitters rolled out weakly to the left side of the infield before Balschmiter walked Celina Castillo. After ball three and four, Balschmiter glared in at the home plate umpire.
Another weak groundout ended the inning. Balschmiter looks to have her drop working as the LIU hitters pounded pitches into the dirt for the groundouts. The walk, however, raises questions of her command, but that should come as the game moves on.
Joe Meloni
Sophomore ace Brandice Balschmiter retired the side in the top of the first inning with relative ease. The first two LIU hitters rolled out weakly to the left side of the infield before Balschmiter walked Celina Castillo. After ball three and four, Balschmiter glared in at the home plate umpire.
Another weak groundout ended the inning. Balschmiter looks to have her drop working as the LIU hitters pounded pitches into the dirt for the groundouts. The walk, however, raises questions of her command, but that should come as the game moves on.
Game on
Softball
Joe Meloni
The Minutewomen just finished infield and outfield practice after Oklahoma defeated Colgate in the Game 1 of the Amherst Regional.
Colgate took an early 2-0 lead but couldn’t keep the top-seeded Sooners quiet long enough to escape with the upset.
Sophomore Samantha Ricketts put the Sooners ahead for good with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lauren Eckerman pitched six scoreless innings after the Raiders jumped out to an early lead.
UMass coach Elaine Sortino is sending her regular starting nine at Long Island in Game 2 of the regional.
1. Amanda Morin 1B
2. Candice Molinari CF
3. Stacy Cullington 2B
4. Lauren Proctor LF
5. Whitney Mollica 3B
6. Amanda Acampora DP
7. Samantha Salato RF
8. Jessica Serio C
9. Whitney Williams SS
Brandice Balschmiter P
Check back throughout today’s game for updates.
Joe Meloni
The Minutewomen just finished infield and outfield practice after Oklahoma defeated Colgate in the Game 1 of the Amherst Regional.
Colgate took an early 2-0 lead but couldn’t keep the top-seeded Sooners quiet long enough to escape with the upset.
Sophomore Samantha Ricketts put the Sooners ahead for good with a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lauren Eckerman pitched six scoreless innings after the Raiders jumped out to an early lead.
UMass coach Elaine Sortino is sending her regular starting nine at Long Island in Game 2 of the regional.
1. Amanda Morin 1B
2. Candice Molinari CF
3. Stacy Cullington 2B
4. Lauren Proctor LF
5. Whitney Mollica 3B
6. Amanda Acampora DP
7. Samantha Salato RF
8. Jessica Serio C
9. Whitney Williams SS
Brandice Balschmiter P
Check back throughout today’s game for updates.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Fordham trumps Saint Louis in five
Softball
Domenic Poli
The Fordham Rams knocked off the Saint Louis Billikens in five innings to win by run rule, 10-2.
The Rams exploded in the third, bringing in five runs as they batted straight through the order. They put together another multi-run inning in the fourth when they scored three, while plating the 1-8 batters.
The game concluded when sophomore center fielder Melissa Andrews, who had doubled, was brought home on a base hit by junior third baseman Allison Twarowski.
Andrews beat the throw, sliding head-first into home and giving her team the victory.
The Rams will take on Massachussets on Friday at 2 p.m.
Domenic Poli
The Fordham Rams knocked off the Saint Louis Billikens in five innings to win by run rule, 10-2.
The Rams exploded in the third, bringing in five runs as they batted straight through the order. They put together another multi-run inning in the fourth when they scored three, while plating the 1-8 batters.
The game concluded when sophomore center fielder Melissa Andrews, who had doubled, was brought home on a base hit by junior third baseman Allison Twarowski.
Andrews beat the throw, sliding head-first into home and giving her team the victory.
The Rams will take on Massachussets on Friday at 2 p.m.
Minutewomen dominate Owls in Round 2
Softball
Jeremy Rice
The Massachusetts softball team made quick work of Temple in its first game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The top-seeded Minutewomen (35-12-1) defeated the fourth seed Owls, 8-0, in five innings.
Sophomore pitcher Brandice Balschmiter (25-8) pitched a complete game shutout, giving up two hits and walking one, while striking out seven.
Temple, who beat No. 5 Charlotte by the same score in five innings yesterday, will face the 49ers again today at 4 p.m. in the loser's bracket.
The loser of that game will be eliminated from the tournament.
The Minutewomen will play tomorrow at 2 p.m. against the winner of today's game between No. 2 Fordham and No. 3 Saint Louis.
Jeremy Rice
The Massachusetts softball team made quick work of Temple in its first game of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. The top-seeded Minutewomen (35-12-1) defeated the fourth seed Owls, 8-0, in five innings.
Sophomore pitcher Brandice Balschmiter (25-8) pitched a complete game shutout, giving up two hits and walking one, while striking out seven.
Temple, who beat No. 5 Charlotte by the same score in five innings yesterday, will face the 49ers again today at 4 p.m. in the loser's bracket.
The loser of that game will be eliminated from the tournament.
The Minutewomen will play tomorrow at 2 p.m. against the winner of today's game between No. 2 Fordham and No. 3 Saint Louis.
Wednesday, May 9, 2007
Charlotte Advances 4-2
Softball
Steve Games
The Charlotte 49ers eliminated George Washington this afternoon in an error filled game. Both teams finished the game with three errors, but the mistakes were more costly for the George Washington.
George Washington seemed to have the upper hand leading 1-0 after three and half innings, but in the bottom of the 4th the 49ers scored four runs. With back to back singles from second baseman Lauren Schmitz and first baseman Kaycie Jones, the 49ers took the lead 3-1.
Then with runners on first and second, GW pitcher Katie Miller threw her second wild pitch of the inning. The runners advanced in scoring position on second and third. Third baseman Jenny Rumbles hit a sacrifice fly to score the fourth run of the inning.
Charlotte received an outstanding performance from pitcher Christy Murray, who closed out the game. She went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Despite the three errors by the 49ers, Murray was able to get out of jams. In the top of the seventh, GW had the runners on second and third with one out. Murray got the next hitter to fly out and the fooled the final hitter throwing a 2-2 change up to pick up the strike out.
Steve Games
The Charlotte 49ers eliminated George Washington this afternoon in an error filled game. Both teams finished the game with three errors, but the mistakes were more costly for the George Washington.
George Washington seemed to have the upper hand leading 1-0 after three and half innings, but in the bottom of the 4th the 49ers scored four runs. With back to back singles from second baseman Lauren Schmitz and first baseman Kaycie Jones, the 49ers took the lead 3-1.
Then with runners on first and second, GW pitcher Katie Miller threw her second wild pitch of the inning. The runners advanced in scoring position on second and third. Third baseman Jenny Rumbles hit a sacrifice fly to score the fourth run of the inning.
Charlotte received an outstanding performance from pitcher Christy Murray, who closed out the game. She went seven innings, allowing two runs on five hits. Despite the three errors by the 49ers, Murray was able to get out of jams. In the top of the seventh, GW had the runners on second and third with one out. Murray got the next hitter to fly out and the fooled the final hitter throwing a 2-2 change up to pick up the strike out.
Saint Louis hangs on in tight game with Colonials
Softball
Joe Meloni
Despite making four errors through the first three innings, George Washington took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning against Saint Louis in the opening round of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
A pair of late home runs from GW's Colleen Kegler and Hilary King capped the Colonial comeback effort. Kegler's fifth inning blast tied the game at three and King's shot gave GW the lead.
Junior Lisa Cohen could not hold the lead, however. Annie Dillinger led off the SLU half of the sixth with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt and a fly out, SLU coach John Conway decided to send a pinch hitter up for Brittney Schmidt. Jenna Renner homered to left field to give the Billikens the lead.
SLU held on in the top of the seventh, advancing to the second round. The Billikens will play Fordham tomororw at 2 p.m.
GW and Charlotte are currently under way. A loss for either team eliminates them from the competition.
Joe Meloni
Despite making four errors through the first three innings, George Washington took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning against Saint Louis in the opening round of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Tournament.
A pair of late home runs from GW's Colleen Kegler and Hilary King capped the Colonial comeback effort. Kegler's fifth inning blast tied the game at three and King's shot gave GW the lead.
Junior Lisa Cohen could not hold the lead, however. Annie Dillinger led off the SLU half of the sixth with an infield single. After a sacrifice bunt and a fly out, SLU coach John Conway decided to send a pinch hitter up for Brittney Schmidt. Jenna Renner homered to left field to give the Billikens the lead.
SLU held on in the top of the seventh, advancing to the second round. The Billikens will play Fordham tomororw at 2 p.m.
GW and Charlotte are currently under way. A loss for either team eliminates them from the competition.
Temple gets another shot at UMass
Softball
Jeremy Rice
The 2007 Atlantic 10 Softball Tournament started off with a bang today. In Game 1 of the tournament fourth seed Temple sent fifth seed Charlotte to the loser's bracket with an 8-0 victory in five innings.
The game stayed relatively close until the bottom of the fifth. Katie Burdeaux drove in 2007 A-10 Player of the Year Adrienne Repsher to put the Owls up 4-0.
Shannon James (no the former UMass Football safety) then came up with the bases loaded and smashed an 0-1 pitch over the scoreboard in left field. The grand slam made the score 8-0, which ended the game by run rule.
Temple will face UMass tomorrow at noon in Round 2 of the tournament. Charlotte will play the loser of Game 2 between Saint Louis and George Washington at 4 p.m. today.
Jeremy Rice
The 2007 Atlantic 10 Softball Tournament started off with a bang today. In Game 1 of the tournament fourth seed Temple sent fifth seed Charlotte to the loser's bracket with an 8-0 victory in five innings.
The game stayed relatively close until the bottom of the fifth. Katie Burdeaux drove in 2007 A-10 Player of the Year Adrienne Repsher to put the Owls up 4-0.
Shannon James (no the former UMass Football safety) then came up with the bases loaded and smashed an 0-1 pitch over the scoreboard in left field. The grand slam made the score 8-0, which ended the game by run rule.
Temple will face UMass tomorrow at noon in Round 2 of the tournament. Charlotte will play the loser of Game 2 between Saint Louis and George Washington at 4 p.m. today.
Friday, May 4, 2007
Another no-no for Brandice
Softball
Jeremy Rice
The Massachusetts softball team got one step closer to clinching the regular season Atlantic 10 title today with a 6-0 win over Fordham.
Brandice Balschmiter recorded her third career no hitter and was two outs away from a perfect game when second baseman Stacy Cullington misplayed a ground ball, allowing the runner to reach first with an error.
UMass (31-12-1, 15-0 A-10) face Fordham again tomorrow at noon. The Minutewomen close out the regular season Sunday with a doubleheader against La Salle, also starting at noon.
Jeremy Rice
The Massachusetts softball team got one step closer to clinching the regular season Atlantic 10 title today with a 6-0 win over Fordham.
Brandice Balschmiter recorded her third career no hitter and was two outs away from a perfect game when second baseman Stacy Cullington misplayed a ground ball, allowing the runner to reach first with an error.
UMass (31-12-1, 15-0 A-10) face Fordham again tomorrow at noon. The Minutewomen close out the regular season Sunday with a doubleheader against La Salle, also starting at noon.
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
More from Masha
Tennis
Mike Connors
Here's some more of my interview with Masha Pozar that didn't make it into the feature article for May 2nd.
Q: Did you idolize certain tennis players growing up?
A: I used to love Hingis. When she was younger I thought she was great, and I was so happy when she came back. I used to like her a lot. Other than that, not really, I didn’t have that many. The guys, I liked Ivanišević and these players because they were head cases, but I thought they were great. I think I actually just liked Hingis a lot. I liked the [Williams] sisters before they stopped, but in the very beginning I liked them a lot.
Coach Judy Dixon on Masha's success this season on the court:
"She lost only four matches in her duel matches. That’s incredible. She won 78% of her matches at #2. That’s incredible. In doubles, she played both #1 and rarely #2, and she had about 17 wins in doubles. For the first time, she made the all-time career wins list. She now is tied for tenth with 50 wins, and Michele, who broke the record this year, has 67. She also has 50 wins in doubles, which is really interesting, that’s rare…She had 17 wins in doubles and 21 wins in singles so she’s going to be right up at the top in career wins. She’s tremendously improved her footwork, confidence, and balance but this is a kid who has really come into her own I think this year."
Mike Connors
Here's some more of my interview with Masha Pozar that didn't make it into the feature article for May 2nd.
Q: Did you idolize certain tennis players growing up?
A: I used to love Hingis. When she was younger I thought she was great, and I was so happy when she came back. I used to like her a lot. Other than that, not really, I didn’t have that many. The guys, I liked Ivanišević and these players because they were head cases, but I thought they were great. I think I actually just liked Hingis a lot. I liked the [Williams] sisters before they stopped, but in the very beginning I liked them a lot.
Coach Judy Dixon on Masha's success this season on the court:
"She lost only four matches in her duel matches. That’s incredible. She won 78% of her matches at #2. That’s incredible. In doubles, she played both #1 and rarely #2, and she had about 17 wins in doubles. For the first time, she made the all-time career wins list. She now is tied for tenth with 50 wins, and Michele, who broke the record this year, has 67. She also has 50 wins in doubles, which is really interesting, that’s rare…She had 17 wins in doubles and 21 wins in singles so she’s going to be right up at the top in career wins. She’s tremendously improved her footwork, confidence, and balance but this is a kid who has really come into her own I think this year."
Newcomb names captains
Women's swimming
Joe Meloni
Massachusetts women's swimming coach Bob Newcomb named Allison Volpe, Samantha Demty and Colleen McCann his three captains for the 2007-2008 season earlier today.
All three of the swimmers will be seniors next season.
After garnering Roookie of the Year honors in 2004-2005, Demty continued her progression in her both her sophomore and junior seasons. At the Atlantic 10 Championships in February, Demty scored points for the Minutewomen in 200-yard individual medley, the 400-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke. Her performance propelled the Minutewomen to their best finish at the event since 2000.
Volpe emerged as one of the top swimmers on Newcomb's roster in 2007. She is one of the team's best freestyle sprinters and should continue to improve in her final season at UMass.
Despite a mediocre junior campaign, McCann proved to Newcomb and her teammates that she is more than just a swimmer. Her constant hard work and dedication in the pool warranted her captaincy.
The trio are among the best academic performers on the UMass roster which sets a great example at the top for the rest of the team.
The Minutewomen lost several of their best swimmers to graduation. If Newcomb hopes to overtake Richmond as the class of the A-10 next season, these three will need to push their current teammates and the incoming freshman.
Joe Meloni
Massachusetts women's swimming coach Bob Newcomb named Allison Volpe, Samantha Demty and Colleen McCann his three captains for the 2007-2008 season earlier today.
All three of the swimmers will be seniors next season.
After garnering Roookie of the Year honors in 2004-2005, Demty continued her progression in her both her sophomore and junior seasons. At the Atlantic 10 Championships in February, Demty scored points for the Minutewomen in 200-yard individual medley, the 400-yard individual medley and the 100-yard breaststroke. Her performance propelled the Minutewomen to their best finish at the event since 2000.
Volpe emerged as one of the top swimmers on Newcomb's roster in 2007. She is one of the team's best freestyle sprinters and should continue to improve in her final season at UMass.
Despite a mediocre junior campaign, McCann proved to Newcomb and her teammates that she is more than just a swimmer. Her constant hard work and dedication in the pool warranted her captaincy.
The trio are among the best academic performers on the UMass roster which sets a great example at the top for the rest of the team.
The Minutewomen lost several of their best swimmers to graduation. If Newcomb hopes to overtake Richmond as the class of the A-10 next season, these three will need to push their current teammates and the incoming freshman.
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