Softball brings confidence, award winners to tourney
At last week’s season-opening tournament in Tempe, Ariz., USU head softball coach Pam McCreesh said the team “learned that they can compete with anyone.”
The Aggies will be looking to put that confidence to use when they travel to San Diego, Calif., this weekend to participate in the Campbell/Cartier Tournament.
As in last week’s Fiesta Bowl Tournament, USU will play five games in three days – two Friday and Saturday and one Sunday. USU will play Iowa State University at 11:30 a.m. and Northwestern University at 4:30 p.m. Friday.
Play will continue Saturday when the Aggies take on Ohio State University at 11:30 a.m. and Stanford University at 4:30 p.m.
Play will conclude Sunday at 1 p.m., when the Aggies take the mound against New Mexico University.
In their last game in Arizona, the Aggies broke out of a hitting slump by matching their previous four-game total of nine hits, though they lost 6-4 to the Red Raiders of Texas Tech University. If the Aggies can continue to play smart at the plate and field the ball like they did in their first four games, McCreesh said, USU can be a dangerous team.
“They made the necessary adjustments at the plate,” McCreesh said in reference to the Texas Tech game. “Hitting is contagious. We just needed to get those first couple of hits.”
The Aggies will need to be clicking on all cylinders as they face tough competition in the form of the Stanford Cardinal, No. 15 in the country, and two teams that received votes for the top 25 in New Mexico and Northwestern.
When the Aggies square off against the 7-0 Cardinals, they will face a strong pitching staff. Three Cardinal pitchers currently boast ERA’s lower than 0.50 on a pitching staff better than the one the Aggies encountered against Arizona State University, McCreesh said.
The Lobos victories this season include an 11-3 pounding of Big West Conference power and No. 14 California State University at Fullerton. The Wildcats are 2-2 on the season, while the Buckeyes will enter the tournament sporting a 4-2 record. The Cyclones have yet to play a game.
According to McCreesh, it’s imperative the Aggies get off to faster starts than they did in Arizona and get their leadoff hitters on base.
“When we get a leadoff runner on base, it really helps get things going,” she said. “Unfortunately, we have played our best when we are behind [so far].”
Junior shortstop Heather Curtis and freshman pitcher Lisa Spencer were honored by the Big West for their performances at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament last weekend.
Curtis, a Reno, Nev., native, was named Big West Field Player of the Week after hitting .273 with five RBI’s, including a four RBI performance against the University of Missouri.
Spencer was named Big West Pitcher of the Week as she finished the tournament 2-1, while stifling opposing batters with a 0.86 ERA.