Feb. 5, 2014
The Slate
Louisiana Classic ~ Lamson Park ~ Lafayette, La.
Live Stats: purduesports.com
Saturday, Feb. 8
10 a.m. vs. North Carolina
12:30 p.m. vs. Northern Iowa
Sunday, Feb. 9
10 a.m. vs. #10 Texas
The Book on the Boilermakers
At First Glance: Purdue begins a new era under head coach Kim Schuette as it opens play at the Louisiana Classic. The team returns 17 players from its 2013 squad which posted a 21-32 mark, an 8-14 Big Ten mark and Big Ten Tournament second round appearance. Seven position starters and three starting pitchers return, while five newcomers join the roster. Schuette is in her first season with the Boilermakers after spending the last eight years as head coach at Eastern Illinois.
Last Time Out: The Boilermakers wrapped up the 2013 season at the Big Ten Tournament in Lincoln, Neb. No. 10 seeded Purdue topped seventh-seeded Michigan State 8-5 in their tournament opener, but fell to the host No. 2 seed Huskers 3-2 in a seventh-inning heartbreaker to end the season.
>Statistically Speaking: The Boilermakers batted .269 in 2013, led by a group of five battters hitting .250 or better. Outfielder Andie Varsho led the way with a .415 average, 39 RBI, 35 runs, five home runs and 29 stolen bases. Second baseman Ashley Burkhardt boasted a .321 average with a team-best 40 runs, 13 RBI and 20 steals. Outfielders Lindsey Rains (.300) and Maia Monchek (.292) and third baseman Tori Chiodo (.264) rounded out the group. Rains scored 33 runs, drove in 19 RBI and added 25 stolen bases, while catcher Danielle Fletcher (.245) added 33 RBI and tallied a team-leading six home runs. Eight different players contributed to the Boilermakers' tally of 19 home runs. Purdue also was 120-for-148 in stolen base attempts.
Three pitchers return from the 2013 roster, accounting for all but 16 innings and five strikeouts of the staff's totals. Sophomore Lilly Fecho (8-16) struck out 107 batters in 156 innings, including nine complete games and two saves. Junior Lexy Moore (10-14) struck out 97 batters in 169 innings, including a shutout, while junior Alex Whittemore (2-0) issued 18 Ks in 28 innings.
Series Information
North Carolina (UNC leads the series 3-1): The Boilermakers won the first meeting with the Tarheels on Feb. 21, 1999, at the Triangle Classic in Raleigh, but UNC has won the last three meetings, including a 2-1 nine-inning affair in Baton Rouge, La., last year (Feb. 9, 2013).
Northern Iowa (Purdue leads the series 2-0): The Boilermakers have won both previous meetings with the Panthers, taking a 2-1 decision at the Missouri Round Robin on Feb. 26, 1995 in Columbia, Mo., and a 6-1 victory on Feb. 25, 2006 at the Bradley Invitational in Pekin, Ill.
Texas (Purdue leads the series 2-1): Purdue won the first two meetings in the series with the Longhorns, with a 6-5 upset of the then No. 7 UT squad on March 4, 1999, at the Speedline Invitational in Tampa, and a 1-0 win at the UTSA Tournament on Feb. 16, 2002. The then No. 20 Longhorns edged the Boilers 6-5 in the most recent meeting on Feb. 19, 2010, at the Marriott Houston Classic.
What a Difference a Win Makes ...
If the Boilermakers top North Carolina on Saturday...
- They will have won their season opener for the 10th time in program history and the sixth time in the last seven seasons (also 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013).
- They will move to 121-96 all-time in the month of February, including a 5-5 mark on Feb. 8.
- It would move the team's record to 247-176-1 all-time in neutral site non-conference games.
Talking About the Tarheels
At First Glance: The North Carolina Tarheels (40-21, 13-8 ACC) kicks off the 2014 with a pair of games on Friday, taking on Northern Iowa and No. 10 Texas. UNC returns 15 letterwinners, including eight starters and three pitchers, from the 2013 team that went 40-21 including a third-place ACC finish and NCAA Regional appearance. The Tarheels are coached by Donna Papa, who is in her 29th year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Tarheels wrapped their 2013 season in the NCAA Regionals, posting a 2-1 mark. UNC topped Wisconsin 3-2 in eight innings, but fell to Oregon 3-0 and Wisconsin 6-2 en route to elimination from the postseason tournament.
Statistically Speaking: The Tarheels return six starters that batted .269 or better in 2013. Outfielder Aquila Mateen (.346), shortstop Kristen Brown (.341) and infielder Amber Parrish (.329) are the team's top returners. Mateen scored 30 runs and swiped 18 bases, while Brown scored 39 runs, drove in 34 RBI and posted 23 extra-base hits, including 11 home runs. Parrish added 31 runs and seven homers. First baseman Jenny Kelly (.288), outfielder Amy Nece (.271) and infielder Erin Satterfield (.269) also return. Satterfield added 32 runs, while Nece and Kelly chipped in 28 and 18 apiece. As a team, UNC batted .300 with 59 home runs and 52 stolen bases last season.
Senior pitcher Lori Spingola returns after posting a 30-15 mark, a 2.50 ERA and 304 strikeouts in 283 innings of work in 2013. Senior Ashley Bone (6-4), senior Sara Buchholz (3-1) and sophomore Lauren Fuller (0-0) also return after combining for 77 strikeouts in 103 innings of work.
News About Northern Iowa
At First Glance: The Northern Iowa Panthers (27-26, 13-8 Missouri Valley) were the unanimous pick as the preseason favorite to win the Missouri Valley Conference in 2014 as selected by the league's coaches. The Panthers, which open the season against North Carolina and Louisiana-Lafayette on Friday, return seven starters, from the 2013 team which went 27-26, won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and advanced to the NCAA Regionals last season. UNI is coached by Ryan Jacobs, who is in his seventh year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Panthers lost to No. 17 Nebraska 4-0, but rebounded to top No. 24 Tulsa 2-1 in the NCAA Regionals, before falling to No. 13 Stanford 4-1 to end the 2013 season.
Statistically Speaking: Five players return after batting .270 or better in 2013, led by outfielder Micalla Rettinger (.317), outfielder Kristin Lock (.307) and infielder Caitlin Wnek (.290). Rettinger drove in 18 RBI and launched four home runs, while Lock scored 25 runs and stole 14 bases. Wnek added 26 runs, 14 doubles and three homers. Infielder Gina Brown (.273) and outfielder Nicole Fisher (.271) also are back. Brown drove in 27 RBI and hit six home runs, while Fisher chipped in 28 runs and 15 extra-base hits, including a team-leading eight long balls. As a team, UNI batted .252 with 33 home runs and 47 stolen bases.
The Panthers will have to once again rely on the arm of senior Jamie Fisher, their lone returner in the circle, who posted a 22-15 record, a 1.99 ERA and 213 strikeouts in 253 innings last year.
Talking About Texas
At First Glance: The No. 10 Texas Longhorns (51-10, 14-4 Big 12) kicks off the 2014 season with a Thursday game at LSU before heading to the Louisiana Classic. The Longhorns return 12 letterwinners, including six starters and two pitchers, from the 2013 team which went 51-10, finished second in the Big 12 and advanced to the Women's College World Series last season. Texas is coached by Connie Clark, who is in her 19th year with the team.
Last Time Out: The Longhorns wrapped 2013 with a 2-1 loss to Tennessee in the WCWS semifinals. The elimination loss came after a 10-2 loss against No. 1 Oklahoma and a 3-0 win over No. 2 Florida.
Statistically Speaking: Three Longhorn players return after batting over .300 a year ago and three more players that posted averages of .250 or better also are back. Shortstop Taylor Thom (.382), outfielder Brejae Washington (.368) and outfielder Stephanie Ceo (.333) headline the group. Thom drove in a team-leading 66 RBI and scored 55 runs, while adding 15 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Washington swiped 32 bases and added 47 runs and seven triples. Catcher Mandy Ogle (.293) and infielders Karina Scott (.260) and Erin Shireman (.253) follow. As a team, Texas batted .322 with 49 home runs and 126 stolen bases.
Sophomore Holly Kern (7-3) and junior Gabby Smith (2-0) return in the circle, but the team must replace Blaire Luna (32-7, 1.28 ERA, 422 Ks in 251 innings) and Kim Bruins (10-0, 1.78 ERA, 70 Ks in 78 innings). Kern posted a 2.74 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 53 innings, while Brown owned a 2.78 ERA with 13 strikeouts in 22 innings.
Varsho Named to USA Softball Player of the Year Watchlist
Senior outfielder Varsho was named as one of the Top 50 selections on the USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List in January. The Chili, Wis., is a two-time All-Midwest region selection and two-time All-Big Ten honoree.
Varsho boasts a career .392 batting average with 100 runs, 99 RBI and a .530 slugging percentage with 47 extra-base hits, including 10 triples, which rank fifth all-time among Boilermakers. The senior owns a career on-base percentage of .455 and has also swiped 79 bases, a tally which ranks third all-time at Purdue. Defensively, she has compiled a .993 fielding percentage.
In 2013, Varsho garnered first team All-Mideast Region and first team All-Big Ten honors after batting .415, an average that ranked 41st nationally. She also ranked 42nd nationally in stolen bases per game (0.53) and 49th in on-base percentage (.500). The outfielder led the Big Ten in stolen bases (29) and tied the Purdue game record for stolen bases (3) and runs (4). Varsho also excelled in the classroom, earning third team Academic All-America and Academic All-Big Ten honors. Thus far in 2014, Varsho also has been named to the College Sports Madness Preseason All-America fourth team and its Big Ten Preseason All-Conference first team.
A Tough Slate
The Boilermakers will face tough foes in 2014, including 10 teams ranked or receiving votes in the preseason Top 25. Purdue will play eight games against the Top 25: No. 5 Michigan twice, No. 6 Alabama, No. 10 Texas, No. 15 Florida State twice, No. 18 Baylor and No. 23 Georgia. The team also will take on vote-getters in Aurburn, Houston (twice), and Wisconsin (three times) boosting the tally to 15 games against ranked foes or those receiving votes.
The Boilermakers will face three opponents for the first time in program history, taking on LaSalle and Towson at the Coastal Carolina Kickin' Chicken Classic and Quinnipiac at the USF Invitational