Indiana University Athletics
2005 Season in Review
1/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 19, 2006
The Indiana softball team closed the books on another solid season in 2005, paving the way for first-year head coach Stacey Phillips to bring the program back to its national prominence. While the record did not reflect the never-say-die attitude the 2005 Hoosiers lived by, their efforts were admirable against some of the nation's elite squads.
Throughout the season, Indiana faced 11 ranked opponents, including the eventual national champion Michigan. On top of their tough schedule, the Hoosiers did not enjoy the benefit of home-field advantage until 26 games into the season when they hosted the Western Michigan Broncos on March 19.
While on the road, Indiana faced ranked competition in Florida (16/14th), Long Beach State (25th/RV), LSU (9/5th) and Oklahoma (9/9th) before returning home to the IU Softball Field.
The return home was a welcomed trip, as the Hoosiers split their first home series against the Broncos and went on to go 1-1 at the IU Classic. At the Classic, Indiana topped IPFW on March 22, 8-0, before falling to Ball State on March 22, 6-0.
It was not long before the Hoosiers stared at a tough Big Ten schedule that opened at home against Michigan State April 1-2. The Hoosiers used their early season trials to stay with the Spartans, but late game hits in both contests propelled MSU over the Hoosiers in their Big Ten opener. However, it was not long before IU found the winning end of the bat, and first road wins in conference action, as it traveled to Champaign, Ill., to take on the Fighting Illini of Illinois April 8.
Indiana used a combination of defense and offense in the series to slip by the Illini by scores of 4-3 and 3-2. The wins were just what Indiana needed as it next looked at a Big Ten slate that posed three straight ranked opponents. IU's next challenge began on the road against then-18/24th-ranked Iowa, followed by home contests against then-16/17th-ranked Northwestern and then-top-ranked Michigan. While the Hoosiers brought a challenging pitching lineup to all three contests, their lack of offense proved to be fatal as IU dropped its next six games.
Indiana went on to post a 2-18 ledger during the conference season, losing eight of those games by two runs or less. Overall, IU closed the season 13-41.
Despite a roller-coaster season, the 2005 Hoosiers set the IU all-time record for fewest errors in a season with 63, besting the previous 67 set in 1980. IU also tied the third-best all-time fielding percentage with a .957 ledger, the highest since the 1994 Hoosiers combined to card a .959 fielding effort.
The pitching staff also had a stellar year, posting the second-best mark in the IU record book for the fewest triples allowed in a season with six, the best effort since the 2001 squad allowed eight. Bogado and Roark also combined to post three no-hitters on the season. Bogado fanned eight batters in her first collegiate career no-hitter against Evansville, a team who had just recently disposed of then-No. 4 ranked Texas, 2-0. Roark grabbed her two no-hitters from the circle against Southern (2/15), where she faced 22 batters and fanned 12. In her second performance, she plated 10 strikeouts against 18 batters over six innig in the circle in the 8-0 victory over IPFW (3/20).
In the circle, IU struck out 295 batters, the fifth-best standard in IU history for a season, led by the performance of junior Megan Roark who carded 219 Ks.
Sophomore Tory Yamaguchi had yet another outstanding season for the Hoosiers, leading IU in batting average (.296), slugging percentage (.579), hits (45), RBI (26), home runs (11), total bases (88) and tied for first in triples (1). Yamaguchi's efforts at the plate also helped the Hoosiers tied for the fifth-best home run season total of 26.
Yamaguchi's 11 homers ranked her fifth all-time in home runs in a season and moved the sophomore into a tie for fifth all-time long balls career list with 21. Her home run ledger in 2005 also bested her freshman mark of 10. Should Yamaguchi continue her average of at least 10 long balls per season, Yamaguchi will break the IU all-time record of 38 set by Monica Armendarez (1995-98). Her 10 homers per-season average also sets Yamaguchi on pace to finish her career second all-time in the record book, surpassing 2002 U.S. Olympian Michelle Venturella's record of 28 set in 1995.
Sophomore Kim Richards also had an outstanding season at the plate, leading the team in runs (22), doubles (11) and stolen bases (12). Richards bursted onto the softball scene as a freshman and has since proved her speed and pitch selection was second to none in the Hoosier lineup.
In the circle, senior Katie Witham and juniors Mariangee Bogado and Roark combined to give the Hoosiers a solid defensive threat. Witham carded 13 Ks, Bogado notched 63 punchouts and Roark's 219 strikeouts placed her fifth all-time for a Hoosier in a season. Roark also stands third overall in the IU record book for strikeouts in a career with 424, and posted a career-high 13 Ks in a game twice during the 2005 season (Buffalo on March 4, Ball State on March 22).
Indiana finished the season with six selections to the Academic All-Big Team, continuing its legacy of being one of the top academic programs in the conference.
In 2005, the Hoosier coaching staff buil another foundation for a rebuilding IU softball squad. The strengthening foundation keeps the goal of an illustrious program returning to its days of entertaining the nation with some of the best college softball the Big Ten has to offer. With key role players returning and a seasoned staff recruiting some of the nation's best, Indiana softball has its eyes set on being one of the top-five teams in the Big Ten in 2006.
