Quinnipiac Softball Competes At Under Armour Showcase This Weekend
Quinnipiac University Bobcats
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Phoenix
St. John's University Red Storm
Saint Joseph's University Hawks
Ball State University Cardinals
University of Maryland Terps
Netherlands National Team
Second Time Around
The Quinnipiac University softball team (7-6) returns to the University of South Florida to participate in the Under Armour Showcase this weekend, March 11-13. The Bobcats will play six games at the tournament and face the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, St. John's, Saint Joseph's, Ball State, Maryland, and the Netherlands National Team. Quinnipiac enters the showcase after going 3-2 at USF's Under Armour Invitational last weekend. The Bobcats defeated Maine, 1-0, in their most recent outing.
Showcase Schedule
The Bobcats will play a pair of games on Friday, March 11 against UWGB at 12:30 p.m. and St. John's at 3 p.m. Quinnipiac will then face St. Joe's and Ball State on Saturday, March 12 at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. On Sunday, March 13, the team will take on Maryland at Noon and the Netherlands National Team at 2:30 p.m.
Follow Your Bobcats
Live stats for majority of the tournament's games will be available by clicking on the appropriate links on the official website of Quinnipiac Athletics at www.quinnipiacbobcats.com.
Last Time Out
Last weekend, the Bobcats went 3-2 at USF's Under Armour Invitational. Quinnipiac posted wins against Loyola Marymount, 5-1, Florida International, 6-1, and Maine, 1-0. The Bobcats lost to Western Michigan, 5-3, and Central Michigan, 8-0. Alex Alba contributed two runs and two hits, driving in five runs at the invitational, while Jacqueline Ristow and Christy Cabrera each had four hits. Cabrera also picked up four RBI on the weekend. Junior pitcher Heather Schwartzburg earned two wins, while freshman pitcher won one game for Quinnipiac.
NEC Weekly Award
The Bobcats' Heather Schwartzburg picked up her first Northeast Conference honor of the 2011 season as she was named the Akadema/NEC Pitcher of the Week on March 7. Schwartzburg appeared in three games, starting in two of them, for Quinnipiac at the Under Armour Invitational. The junior right-handed pitcher won two games against Loyola Marymount and Florida International. In 16 and 1/3 innings, she struck out 26 batters and only allowed two hits and seven runs, recording a 0.43 ERA overall.
Closing In On 100
Senior captain Joelle Jacobsen only needs nine putouts to reach 100 on the year. Jacobsen currently leads the team with 91 putouts this season, already beating the 72 putouts she collected in 2010.
Game-Winner Against Maine
Quinnipiac freshman Jordan Paolucci picked up her third-career RBI in the Bobcats' 1-0 win against Maine, as she drove in the game-winning run, which was scored by Christy Cabrera, in the top of the third inning. Paolucci has scored the Bobcats' only homeruns of 2011, hitting two this far into her freshman season.
Scouting The Opposition:
UWGB Phoenix
After finishing the 2010 season at 27-20, the Green Bay Phoenix currently hold a 1-3 record in 2011. After losing three games at the UNI Dome Tournament, UWGB blanked South Dakota, 3-0, in its most recent outing on Feb. 13. Green Bay third baseman Danielle Peerenboom drove in two runs and scored a run, while Katie Cooney drove in the Phoenix's third run. Allison Goecks took the win, pitching five innings for Green Bay, while Cooney closed, pitching the last two innings.
St. John's Red Storm
St. John's enters the tournament at 7-12 on the year. The Red Storm went 2-2 at the Stevens Industries FGCU Tournament, including a 9-7 win against Tennessee-Martin and a 5-0 loss to Florida Gulf Coast, on March 6. Red Storm senior outfielder Chelsea Durning leads the team with a .403 batting average, as she's contributed 11 hits and 15 runs scored this year. Chrissy Montez, a sophomore shortstop, leads St. John's with 20 RBI. Senior right-handed pitcher Kat Lawrence has pitched eight games and won four contests for the Red Storm. Lawrence has struck out a team-high 24 batters.
Saint Joseph's Hawks
Saint Joseph's (9-5) enters this weekend after defeating Central Michigan, 2-0, on March 8. The Hawks' Erin Gallagher struck out 11 batters in the shutout. Junior Monica Aguilar drilled a solo homerun and classmate Bernadette Moran scored St. Joe's last run on a fielder's choice. Sophomore outfielder Dana Parks leads the team with a .500 batting average, contributing 23 hits and nine runs scored this season, while Aguilar leads the team in RBI (11). Gallagher has posted a 1.43 ERA and a 6-3 record this year.
Ball State Cardinals
In its most recent outings, Ball State (11-5) defeated Monmouth, 6-2, and Central Florida, 7-5, on March 8. The Cardinals also participated in the Under Armour Invitational, where they went 3-2, like the Bobcats. Ball State senior shortstop Alicia Barkley leads the Cardinals with a .421 batting average. Barkley has collected 24 hits and 17 runs scored, while driving in five runs this year. Freshman Jennifer Gilbert leads the team in RBI (20). Audra Sanders has pitched in 11 games for the Cardinals, earning a 6-3 record and 1.92 ERA.
Maryland Terps
The University of Maryland is currently 8-7 overall, with a pair of games to be played on Wednesday, March 9 against East Carolina, prior to the start of the tournament. Maryland defeated Temple, 1-0, in its most recent outing at the Disney Wide World of Sports Invitational. The Terps are led by junior infielder Bree Hanafin, who's scored six runs and contributed 15 hits, including four homeruns. She's also drove in a team-high 11 runs this year. Maryland's three starting pitchers have combined for a 2.58 ERA.
2011 QU Leaders
The Bobcats are led by two-time All-Northeast Conference pitcher Heather Schwartzburg, who earned the 2009 NEC Rookie of the Year title and a First Team selection in 2010. Alex Alba was named the NEC's Rookie of the Year in 2010. Senior captain Joelle Jacobsen will lead the Bobcats this season, alongside 12 returning letterwinners, five freshman and two junior transfers from Iowa Lakes Community College in Ashley Heiberger and Christy Cabrera.
Preseason Picks
The Bobcats were selected to finish fourth in the 2011 Northeast Conference Coaches' Preseason Poll, after making an appearance in the NEC Tournament in 2010. The Bobcats posted a 29-24 overall record and a 15-5 mark in conference play last year.
What's Ahead For The Bobcats
Quinnipiac returns to action when it plays Boston University on Wednesday, March 16 at 12 p.m. in Clearwater, Fla. The Bobcats will participate at the USF The Game Tournament on March 18-20.