Yotes Get Ready to Open World Series Friday vs. Trevecca Nazarene
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CALDWELL, Idaho -- Fresh off an NAIA Region I title last weekend, the College of Idaho now readies to make its NAIA softball World Series debut on Friday when it takes on Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn.) in opening-round pool play in Decatur, Ala.
The Yotes at a glance:
LAST WEEK: at NAIA Region I Tournament, Klamath Falls, Ore. – vs. No. 14 Simon Fraser (W 2-1), vs. No. 20 Oregon Tech (W 12-7, W 6-3).
COMING UP: at NAIA Women’s World Series, Decatur, Ala. – Friday vs. No. 5 Trevecca Nazarene (Tenn), 10:30 a.m.; vs. No. 9 Lubbock Christian (Texas), 6 p.m.; Saturday vs. Friends (Kan.), 1 p.m.; vs. No. 10 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), 8:30 p.m. (all times Central Daylight Time)
SWEET HOME ALABAMA: With three wins against Top-20 teams at the NAIA Region I Tournament, The College of Idaho secure their first-ever trip to the NAIA Women’s World Series, set for May 16-21 in Decatur, Ala. The Lady Yotes will be one of 20 teams vying for a national championship along the Tennessee River.
ABOUT THE WORLD SERIES: The softball national championship is in its 28th year, with the tournament in Decatur for the ninth-straight season and 11th overall. The 20-team field has been broken up into four five-team pools, with the top-two teams in each pool advancing to a double-elimination bracket to determine the national champion. Of the 20 teams – four were not in the final NAIA poll – Dana (Neb.), Friends (Kan.), Walsh (Ohio), and The C of I.
ABOUT THE FACILITY: Wilson Morgan Softball Complex is run by the City of Decatur and has four lighted softball fields with great vantage points for the media and fans. Although built for slowpitch, each field will have a temporary fence at 215 feet around the perimeter of the outfield. Tickets for the event can be purchased at the gate, for $7.00 per day or $25.00 for the entire week.
CCC/REGION I HISTORY: The Lady Yotes are the fifth Cascade Conference team to advance to the NAIA Women’s World Series – and the first in seven years. Prior to the Coyotes, Western Oregon made a trip in 1983, with Oregon Tech advancing in 1997. Eastern Oregon is the lone team to make two trips – in 1999 and 2000, including a fourth-place finish in 1999, while Concordia made the trek in 2001. However, Northwest softball has had a rich tradition in the NAIA – as three teams have won national titles (Pacific Lutheran in 1988 and 1991, Western Washington in 1998, and Simon Fraser in 1999, 2003, and 2005), with three teams earning runner-up finishes (Pacific Lutheran in 1990, Puget Sound in 1991 and 1995, and Simon Fraser in 1998, 2001, and 2004).
POSTSEASON HISTORY: After missing out on the playoffs during the first four seasons of intercollegiate softball, the Lady Yotes have qualified for the postseason each of the last three years. In 2006, the Yotes made their playoff debut and dropped two games at the now defunct Cascade Conference Tournament, but last year, went 2-2 at their first NAIA Region I Tournament – defeating both Oregon Tech and Concordia, before dropping a pair to eventual champion, Simon Fraser. With their three wins at the 2008 Region I Tournament, the Coyotes are now 5-4 all-time in the playoffs.
FRIDAY OPPONENTS: The Lady Yotes open play on Friday against Trevecca Nazarene of Nashville, Tenn. The Trojans (50-6) are four-time defending TransSouth Conference champions and three-time defending Region XI champs. TNU has advanced to three straight World Series’, advancing out of pool play twice, placing fifth both times. The 2008 bunch is led by first-team All-American Brittany Johnson (.460 6 HR 58 RBI, 36-3 0.53 ERA, 240 IP, 350 K), who leads the nation in ERA and opponents batting average (.121). The offensive punch is paced by second-team All-American outfielder Chelsey Bailey (.404 2 HR 23 RBI, 46 SB) and Kacey Coonce (.497 13 HR 61 RBI). Later in the day, C of I meets Lubbock Christian of Lubbock, Texas. The Chaparrals (51-9) hail from the difficult Sooner Athletic Conference and are the Region VI champs – and at one point were the No. 1 ranked team in the nation. Despite being a first-year program, LCU has not had any early jitters – leading the nation with a .401 team batting average and pounding out 68 home runs. Racquel Hawkins (.470 13 HR 71 RBI) is the SAC Player of the Year, with teammates Gabbey Woody (.419 14 HR 45 RBI), Amanda Parsons (.422 11 HR 57 RBI), and Ginalee Davis (.429 10 HR 52 RBI) helping out the prolific offense. The Chaps have a pair of quality pitchers in Marissa Gonzalez (29-7 0.96 ERA, 211.2 IP, 278 K) and Kelly Griego (17-1 2.43 ERA).
SATURDAY OPPONENTS: Day 2 of the World Series has the Lady Yotes meeting fellow first-time attendee, Friends, of Wichita, Kan. The Falcons (34-9) are possibly the hottest team in the event, bringing a 32-game win streak to the Tennessee River Valley – having swept their way through the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and Region IV tournaments. Leading Friends at the plate are Haley Martin (.447 1 HR 17 RBI), Casey Jensen (.395 2 HR 21 RBI), and Annie Matthews (.367 3 HR 29 RBI), while pitchers Brandi Lester (11-4 2.21 ERA) and Stephanie McCarthy (10-3 2.02 ERA) have logged the most innings. Rounding out pool play for the Yotes is Olivet Nazarene, of Bourbannais, Ill. The Tigers (52-10) are the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference champions, while also capturing the 2008 NCCAA National Championship. ONU will be making their fifth trip to the World Series, but their first since 2003, when they finished third. The Tigers offense is led by Marissa Baker (.378 1 HR 43 RBI, 23 SB), Rachelle Renfro (.370 3 HR 33 RBI), Nora Duffy (.355 8 HR 48 RBI), Caitlin Gidcumb (.339 3 HR 50 RBI), and Rachel Comoglio (.321 8 HR 52 RBI), while pitchers Kellie Koverman (23-6 1.56 ERA) and Lauren Chessum (28-3 1.88 ERA) have pitched in nearly every game this season.
REMAINING POOLS: The following are the remaining 15 teams in the NAIA Women’s World Series – broken up into three other pools. Pool A – Cal Baptist, Shorter (Ga.), Dickinson State (N.D.), Bethel (Ind.), Indiana-Southeast; Pool B – Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.), William Carey (Miss.), St. Gregory’s (Okla.), Warner Southern (Fla.), Dana (Neb.); Pool C – Mobile (Ala.), Columbia (Mo.), Oklahoma City, Simon Fraser (B.C.), Walsh (Ohio).
ZILLNER NAMED REGIONAL MVP, BUTCHER AND VILLYARD HONORED: For the second-straight season, C of I’s Katie Zillner (Emmett, Idaho / Chicago State U.) was named NAIA Region I Player and Pitcher of the Year, released prior to Friday's play at the Region I Tournament in Klamath Falls, Ore. The senior, who was named Cascade Conference Pitcher of the Year last week, has had a monster season, with a 17-7 record and a region-leading 1.49 ERA. Zillner has recorded a school-record 228 strikeouts, while walking just 43 batters - and has 12 games this season with ten or more strikeouts. At the plate, she is hitting .343 with two homers and 24 runs scored. Two other Lady Yote players were on the 17-player All-Region Team - third-baseman Haley Butcher (Eagle, Idaho / Eagle HS) and first-baseman Dani Villyard (Kent, Wash. / Kentlake HS). Butcher is hitting .378 with four home runs, 13 doubles, and 27 RBI – and earns All-Region honors for the second-straight season, while Villyard is hitting .379 with eight home runs and a team-high 34 RBI.
CAREER RECORDS: A total of seven players have cracked the career top-ten list at The C of I during the 2008 season. Katie Zillner leads the way at the plate and in the circle – holding the school record offensively for doubles (31) and RBI (86), ranking second in runs scored (81), No. 3 in hits (143), No. 4 in home runs (8), No. 5 in triples (2) and at bats (409), is seventh in games started (135) and No. 8 in games played (136), while holding the pitching school records for wins (42), innings pitched (442.0), games started (66), complete games (51), strikeouts (566), walks (155), and shutouts (14), while ranking No. 2 in appearances (77) and third in saves (2). Haley Butcher finds herself in the top-ten in 12 categories – No. 3 in runs (74) and doubles (28), No. 4 in triples (4) and RBI (69), No. 5 in home runs (7), No. 6 in at bats (379) and hit by pitches (6), No. 7 in walks (26), No. 8 in games started (132), and No. 9 in games played (132) and stolen bases (14). Stacy Smith (Draper, Utah / Juan Diego HS) holds the record for most home runs (22), ranking second in RBI (83) and hit by pitches (15), is No. 4 in doubles (23), No. 7 in at bats (341) and runs (63), while ranking No. 8 in hits (109). Rounding out the offensive leaders are Dani Villayrd, who is No. 2 in home runs (9) and No. 8 in RBI (41), with Kelsi Murdock (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS) No. 6 in sacrifice hits (10). Rounding out the Yotes in the circle are Brooke Judy (Kuna, Idaho / Kuna HS), who is No. 2 in wins (22), No. 3 in saves (2), No. 4 in strikeouts (120), No. 5 in appearances (49), innings pitched (244.1), starts (29), and complete games (12), and No. 6 in walks (51), and Chelsey Nokleby (Olympia, Wash. / River Ridge HS), who is No. 3 in saves (2), No. 6 in appearances (30), starts (16), is No. 7 in walks (45), and No. 8 in strikeouts (33) and innings pitched (69).
REGIONAL RECAP: Game 1 - C of I 2, Simon Fraser 1: Katie Zillner threw a complete game four-hitter, striking out ten batters as the Lady Yotes upset top-seeded and No. 14 ranked Simon Fraser in the opening game of the 2008 NAIA Region I Tournament. It was the first win for The C of I in 21 meetings against SFU - and avenged a pair of championship game losses to the Clan in the 2007 regional tourney. The Yotes broke a scoreless dual in the fourth inning, as Zillner reached on a one-out infield single, moving to second on a Dani Villyard walk. Haley Butcher followed with an RBI double that scooted past Clan centerfielder Chrissy Harris, allowing Zillner to score. Villyard would score on a Stacy Smith ground out to make it 2-0. SFU would strike back, getting a Carolyn Bell RBI single in the bottom of the frame, with the Clan loading the bases with one out. However, Zillner got Carly Moir to hit a comebacker, getting the second out at home plate, then coaxed a Heather Reiss fly out to center to escape the threat - as the senior retired the final 11 batters in a row to pick up her 15th win of the season. Game 2 - C of I 12, Oregon Tech 7: A seven-run fifth inning outburst broke a 3-3 tie, as the Lady Yotes handed No. 20 ranked Oregon Tech their first home loss of the season and earned a spot in the championship game. The Lady Yotes jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, but watched as Bess Fagan launched a three-run homer in the bottom of the frame to tie the score. However, it would be short lived, as The C of I batted around in the fifth - with a Caylin LePire (Meridian, Idaho / Mountain View HS) pinch hit single giving the Coyotes the lead for good. Villyard added a sacrifice fly, Butcher and Smith added RBI singles, and Kalie Kurdy (Boise, Idaho / Bishop Kelly HS) blasted a three-run homer, part of a career-high five RBI night, to make it 10-3. OIT would threaten in the bottom of the fifth, scoring twice and chasing Zillner from the circle. However, Brooke Judy would quell the tide, getting a pop up and strikeout with the bases loaded to end the threat. Butcher, Smith, and Kurdy each had two hits, with Nicole Antonoplos (Boise, Idaho / Idaho State U.) adding a pair of doubles. Amber Sinicrope and Katie King each had two hits for the Owls. Game 3 – C of I 6, Oregon Tech 3: OIT, who had to rally to defeat top-seeded Simon Fraser in an elimination game, took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame on a Katie King sacrifice fly, but the Yotes would come back, as Villyard hit a solo home run in the second to tie the score. After Amber Sinicrope scored on a wild pitch to give Tech a 2-1 lead in the third, the Coyotes used the longball again in the bottom of the inning, as Zillner hit a two-run bomb, followed by Villyard's second homer of the day to make it 4-2. Donnae Carrell (Caldwell, Idaho / Middleton HS) added a two-run shot in the fourth to make it 6-2 - as the Coyotes set a school record with four homers on the day. Tech would not go quietly, getting a Brittany Warren RBI single in the fifth to make it 6-3, but ran themselves out of the inning as King was thrown out by Smith trying to from first-to-third on the hit. OIT would bring the tying run to the plate both the sixth and seventh, but Zillner worked out of the trouble - getting Sunny Titus to pop out to end the threat in the sixth and Bess Fagan hit a screaming line drive to Stephanie Stover to end the game. Villyard went 3-for-3 for the Yotes, with Titus and Fagan each recording two hits for OIT. Zillner picked up her 17th win of the season, striking out eight in her 20th-complete game of the season.
INTERESTING REGIONAL NUMBERS: With two wins in Klamath Falls against Oregon Tech, the Lady Yotes recorded more wins in two days (2) against the Owls on their home field, as they had in school history against OIT (1). Not only was the win against Simon Fraser the first in 21 meetings, it marked just the second time that The C of I had held SFU to less than six runs (lost to the Clan, 2-1, in 2006). The four hits allowed by the Yotes against SFU was the lowest output of the season for the Clan. The tournament raised nearly $600 for the Race For The Cure and awareness of breast cancer.
ABOUT THE COACH: Al Mendiola is in his third year as head coach of The College of Idaho softball program and has a 82-54 all-time record – already the all-time winningest coach in C of I history. The native of San Diego, Calif. has helped the Lady Yotes become a force in Northwest softball, leading The C of I to three consecutive postseason appearances, including the 2007 Cascade Conference championship and now the 2008 NAIA Women’s World Series. Following the season, Mendiola was honored as CCC and NAIA Region I Coach of the Year after the Coyotes set a school record with 37 wins, climbing to as high as No. 14 in the NAIA poll, an advanced to the regional title game.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: For more information on the Coyote softball program, head to the official homepage of the Yotes – www.collegeofidaho.edu/athlete/fastpitch.htm.