Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers and Utes Battle in Texas
5/17/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Complete NCAA Tournament Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
May 17, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The Indiana softball team opens play against Utah (38-19) in the opening game of the NCAA Tournament Austin Regional on May 19, at 5 p.m. (ET) at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin. The Hoosiers (29-23-1) look to maximize their first trip to the post season since 1996, facing the task of having to defeat Utah, UTSA (37-12) or the overall No. 3-seeded Texas (49-7), who join Indiana in the Austin regional, to advance through to the super regionals.
"This is a great achievement for this team, this program and for Indiana University," head coach Stacey Phillips said. "I am just happy to have the chance to coach this group of ladies for one more weekend. It's great that this team is getting noticed for what they have accomplished all season long. They peaked at the right time, and have definitely earned the right to represent IU at the national level."
All games at the regional can be followed live on Gametracker, found at IUHOOISERS.com. For up-to-date information about the Austin Regional, visit the official tournament link on the right side of the IU softball page.
NCAA SOFTBALL REGIONAL SCHEDULE (AT MCCOMBS FIELD)
[ALL TIMES ARE CENTRAL]
Friday, May 19
Game 1: Indiana vs. Utah, 4 p.m.
Game 2: Texas vs. UTSA, 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 20
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3, 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 21
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 1 p.m.
Game 7: Winner of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 6, 3:30 p.m. [Only played if it's necessary]
NCAA SOFTBALL REGIONAL TICKET PRICES (AT UT'S MCCOMBS FIELD)
Friday-Sunday, May 19-21, 2006; 3 sessions
(Prices listed are per person; there are no senior citizen or youth/student ticket discounts)
(Sale ends for the following on Wednesday, May 17)
All-Sessions Reserved - $30
All-Sessions General Admission - $24
(Sale begins for the following on Wednesday, May 17)
Single Session Reserved - $12
Single Session General Admission - $8,br>
SETTING THE SCENE
UCLA received the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division I Softball Championship on May 14 when the committee announced the 64-team field. The Bruins, champions of the Pac-10 Conference, are 43-7. Fellow Pac-10 team Arizona (44-9) is the No. 2 seed, followed by Texas, No. 4 seed Northwestern (42-12) and No. 5-seed Alabama (49-9).
Twenty-nine conferences were awarded automatic qualification, and the remaining 35 slots were filled with at-large selections to complete the bracket.
Indiana has faced 13 of the 64 teams selected for NCAA Tournament, owning a 9-13-1 record against that field. Of those 13 losses, six came by two-runs or less.
Team pairings were determined by geographical proximity, with the exception that teams from the same conference were not paired during regional competition, when possible.
The regional winners will advance to super regional competition for a best-of-three series May 26-27 (Memorial Day Weekend) at eight campus sites. The remaining eight teams will advance to the WCWS, an eight-team, double-elimination tournament. The championship final will be a best-of-three-series. The WCWS will be conducted June 1-7 at the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. The Pacific 10 led all conferences with seven teams in the championship, while the Big 12, Big Ten and SEC placed six teams. Fresno State remains the only team to be selected to all 25 championships. Eight teams are making their initial appearances in the tournament: North Carolina State, Youngstown State, Tulsa, Georgia Southern, Portland State, Southern Utah, Nevada and Marist.
INSIDE UTAH
Utah brings a 38-19 record into the Austin Regional. The Utes have made 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, and have a gone to the World Series four times (1982, '85, '91 and '94). Their last NCAA Tournament showing was in 2004.
Utah snagged an automatic bid to the 2006 NCAA Tournament with a stunning come-from-behind win over San Diego State in the Mountain West Conference Championship.
Utah is riding the bats of second baseman Jackie Wong and centerfielder Diana Phillips, who are hitting a .448 and .364, respectively.
From the circle, the Utes rely on the arm of Karina Cannon, who owns a 2.09 ERA, 20-7 record and 128 strikeouts on the season.
This is the first meeting between the two programs.
INSIDE UTSA
UTSA brings a 37-12 record into the Austin Regional, winning 21 of its last 22 games.
Included in their win streak, the Roadrunners earned their automatic berth into the 64-team field with their 8-0 win over Texas-Arlington in the Southland Conference Championship.
UTSA is making its second NCAA Tournament appearance in the past three years.
Catcher Jessica Els paces the Roadrunner offense with a team-best .372 batting average and 34 RBI, while shortstop Aimee Murray boasts a .369 average and 36 runs.
Leading UTSA to one of its best records in program history, Amanda Nikolenko (23-5) owns a 2.20 ERA with 149 punchouts from the circle.
It will be the first time for both program's to meet on the diamond should circumstances permit.
INSIDE TEXAS
Texas is 49-7 coming into the 2006 NCAA Tournament. The Longhorns are the team to beat in the region, playing the Austin Region's tournament host as the No. 3-seed overall in the bracket.
The Longhorns are coming off a WCWS appearance in 2005, eventually falling to runner-up UCLA.
This is UT's seventh overall appearance in the tournament since beginning varsity competition in 1997.
The Horns have made three showings at the eight-team WCWS (1998, 2003, `05), finishing third nationally in 2003 and 2005.
UT's success at the plate is in large part due to the bat of utility player Desiree Williams, who is hitting a team-best .345 with 51 hits and 38 RBI. Right behind her teammate is outfielder Tina Boutelle who owns a .302 average coupled with 51 hits and 26 RBI.
Texas is carried by the nation's leading hurler, Cat Osterman (32-2). Osterman owns the nation's best ERA of a 0.42, allowing only 16 earned runs and has an impressive 511 strikeouts.
The two programs have never met.
UNFAMILIAR WATERS
Indiana will open its first NCAA tournament schedule in the last decade by facing possibly three teams it has never faced on the diamond. Texas, Utah and UTSA will all be new opponents for the Hoosiers.
On the season, the Hoosiers have faced eight brand new foes and own an 8-0 record against those opponents.
AT THE PEAK
With its best performance at the conference tournament in program history, the Indiana softball team made it to the semifinal game where it fell to eventual champion No. 13 Michigan.
The performance allowed the Hoosiers to peak at just the right time to earn the program its first tournament bid in the last decade. Indiana finished the season winning nine of their last 12 games, including three shutouts and a sweep of archrival Purdue to advance to the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 1996.
USA SOFTBALL SINGLES OUTS BOGADO
Senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado earned her first and IU's first USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Week honor for the week ending May 7.
Bogado earned the accolade after leading Indiana to its first Big Ten Tournament bid in a decade, pitching all 14 innings for the Hoosiers against archrival Purdue in IU's sweep of their intrastate foe.
This is only the fifth year the award has been in existence, marking the third time Bogado has been named player of the week by either the conference or USA Softball.
BIG TEN RECAP/HONORS
Indiana accomplished its best tournament outing ever, advancing to the semifinal game of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time in program history. IU also won its first game in tournament play since 1982.
Indiana edged Iowa, 5-4, in the opening round, marking the third time the Hoosiers have defeated the Hawkeyes this season.
Indiana fell to the eventual tournament-champion Michigan in the semifinal game, 4-0.
KEEPING UP WITH HINES
Senior Lauren Hines has been busy all season long rewriting the school record books. Most recently, the Hoosiers etched her name in four more categories. While the senior has at least two more games to play, the Hoosier has already become a legend in the history books.
Below are lists of where the senior now stands in single-season walks and career walks and RBI.
TERRY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Junior first baseman Rachel Terry earned her first Big Ten Player of the Week laurel for the week ending April 23.
Terry helped lead the Hoosiers to a 3-1 record in Big Ten action against league foes Wisconsin and Iowa.
The Palatine, Ill., native earned the selection after leading the Hoosiers to a 4-2 record over the past week, and a 3-1 mark in Big Ten games. IU's league victories came courtesy of a sweep over Wisconsin, while the Hoosiers split with Iowa.
Terry tallied a .526 batting average (10-for-19) through six games of action, and registered two home runs, a double, five runs and 10 RBI en route to an .895 slugging percentage. Against Iowa, Terry recorded the game-ending home run to seal a run-rule 12-4 victory over the Hawkeyes. She also helped Indiana set an all-time record for long balls in a season with 37, eclipsing the previous high of 35 set by the 2004 Hoosiers. Terry had two-or-more hits in four out of the six games, including a 2-for-2 performance against IPFW and a 3-for-4 effort in the first game against Iowa.
Terry joins senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado on the list of 2006 Hoosiers to earn the Big Ten's weekly awards, as Bogado as twice earned the nod this season.
Indiana finished third behind Michigan with four awards this season, while Northwestern led the conference with eight selections.
