Softball Plays UTEP in Home Finale
4/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 30, 2010
TULSA, Okla. - The University of Tulsa softball team closes out its 2010 home schedule when it plays host to C-USA rival UTEP this weekend in the home finale at the Donna J. Hardesty Complex.
The teams play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m., and a single game Sunday at noon. Live stats via Gametracker, as well as live video/audio via Hurricane Vision will be available at www.TulsaHurricane.com.
Sunday will be Senior Day and the team will honor its five seniors - Jackie Lawrence, Lauren Lindsay, Ashlee Lubniewski, Christian Timmons and Vanessa Vice - in a postgame ceremony on the field. The 2010 senior class is one of the most successful classes in school history.
Tulsa (26-19, 9-5 C-USA) and UTEP (30-18, 10-8 C-USA) have already played once this season in the Baylor QTI Getterman Classic, as the Miners captured a 9-5 victory. The league series set to take place this weekend, however, carries much more meaning than the pre-conference tournament game on Feb. 20.
The Golden Hurricane stands third in the C-USA standings and the Miners sit in fifth place with two weekends remaining in the regular season. TU and UTEP are two among five teams - along with current league-leader East Carolina (10-5), UCF (2nd place; 13-7) and UAB (4th place; 11-7) - that are battling for position in the final standings and in the C-USA tournament. All five teams have a chance to finish in first place.
The 2010 seniors have compiled a 130-89 record thus far - a .594 winning percentage - and won two Conference USA Championships (2009) and participated in two NCAA Regionals (2008 and 2009). As members of the 2009 team, they won the C-USA regular season and tournament titles, and won the first two NCAA Tournament games in school history, advancing to the final round of the regional at Norman, Okla. Altogether, the players have set nine individual single season, school records and eight school career records, with the possibility of surpassing more standards by the end of this season. They also place among the top 10 in school history in nearly every category.
For the season, Tulsa is hitting .280 (340-for-1214) on the season with 208 runs, 193 RBI, 56 doubles, 40 home runs, 140 walks, a .427 slugging percentage and a .360 on-base percentage. TU pitchers carry a 2.86 ERA in 305.2 innings, allowing 276 hits, 154 runs, 125 earned runs, 139 walks and 304 strikeouts, and a .239 opponent batting average.
The Golden Hurricane is led in hitting by senior right fielder Lauren Lindsay who is hitting .407 (55-for-135) with 41 runs, 45 RBI, 13 doubles, 17 home runs, 34 walks, a .881 slugging percentage, and a .526 on-base percentage. Freshman shortstop Samantha Cobb is second on the team with 40 RBI and is hitting .321 (50-for-156) with 27 runs, 12 home runs, six doubles, seven walks, a .590 slugging percentage and a .384 OBP. Freshman center fielder Caitlin Everett is hitting .336 (50-for-149) with 32 runs, 18 RBI, five doubles, 13 walks and a .384 on-base percentage.
In the circle, senior Jackie Lawrence is 11-7 with a 2.82 ERA and has allowed 127 hits, 65 runs, 53 earned runs, 51 walks, 100 strikeouts and a .253 Opp. BA in 131.1 innings. Freshman Kalynn Schrock is 9-5 with a 2.58 ERA and has allowed 57 hits, 38 runs, 30 earned runs, 41 walks, 108 strikeouts and a .193 Opp. BA in 81.1 innings. Junior Jordan Kinard is 6-7 with a 3.16 ERA and has allowed 92 hits, 51 runs, 42 earned runs, 47 walks, 96 strikeouts and a .261 Opp. BA in 93.0 innings.
UTEP enters the weekend with a .256 batting average (316-for-1233) with 227 runs, 206 RBI, 58 doubles, three triples, 36 home runs, 157 walks, a .396 slugging percentage, and a .350 on-base percentage. Miner pitchers carry a 2.79 ERA in 308.2 innings, allowing 296 hits, 163 runs, 123 earned runs, 137 walks, 395 strikeouts and a .244 opponent batting average.
The Miners' leading hitter is senior Stacie Townsend, who is hitting .367 with 38 runs scored, 33 RBI, 11 home runs and has a .708 slugging percentage and a .553 on-base percentage. Junior Camilla Carerra is UTEP's leading run-producer with 36 RBI, 34 runs scored and six home runs, and she hits .364 with 15 doubles, a .600 slugging percentage, and a .458 on-base percentage. UTEP led in the circle by Townsend, who is 25-12 and leads the team with a 2.10 ERA, allowing 176 hits, 89 runs, 61 earned runs, 59 walks, 298 strikeouts, and a .222 OBA in 203.0 innings.
Tulsa leads the all-time series against UTEP, 17-4. UTEP won the matchup earlier this season at the Baylor QTI Getterman Classic, 9-5, back on Feb. 20. The Golden Hurricane swept the season series in El Paso last season, and defeated the Miners in the C-USA Championship title game, 11-3 in six innings. The series dates to the years when both teams were members of the Western Athletic Conference. Since 2006 when both teams moved to Conference USA, the Golden Hurricane is 4-1 vs. UTEP in Tulsa.
Tickets for all Tulsa softball home games are $6 for adults and $4 for youth. Tickets can be purchased at the TU Athletics Ticket Office, by calling 631-GoTU (4688), or at the gate.
For all Tulsa softball news and information, visit www.TulsaHurricane.com. Follow Tulsa Athletics on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/TulsaHurricane. Find and "like" the Tulsa Golden Hurricane page on Facebook - search "Tulsa Golden Hurricane."
