May 6, 2005

EAST LANSING, Mich. -

Complete Softball Notes in PDF Format
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May 8, 2005
(Live Stats Available At www.msuspartans.com)
5/5 vs. Detroit - 3 p.m. (DH) - MSU 6-1 & 4-3(8)
5/8 vs. Miami (Ohio) - Noon (DH) - Old College Field
Sunday marks Senior Day at Old College Field.

BIG TEN TOURNAMENT INFO
Michigan State's Big Ten Tournament history can be found on page six of the PDF release.

UP NEXT
The regular season comes to a close this week as Michigan State hosts a pair of doubleheaders at Old College Field. On Thursday, the Spartans swept Detroit, 6-1 and 4-3, while Miami (Ohio) will invade East Lansing Sunday at noon for a doubleheader. MSU was slated to welcome Valparaiso Saturday, but the twin-bill was cancelled due to conflicts in the Crusaders' final exam schedules. The games against the RedHawks mark Senior Day as Janette Hurtado and Victoria Morache will play in their final home contests as Spartans.

YES, THE SPARTANS ARE AT HOME SUNDAY
With two home games vs. Miami (Ohio) Sunday, the Spartans will wrap up their schedule by playing in only 13 games at Old College Field in 2005, and a lot of that is due to the weird weather this spring. The record for lowest amount of home games that MSU played in was 11 in 2000. Meanwhile, dating back to 1983 when teams began playing a full Big Ten schedule, the Spartans typically hosted 11 conference games in a single season. This year, however, MSU got in only four Big Ten games, eclipising the previous low of six set in 1985.

RECAPPING DETROIT
Although some of the Spartans still had some exams to worry about, State managed to post two victories over Detroit Thursday at home. A five-run outburst in the fifth inning of game one, as well as a three-hit, six-strikeout performance in the circle from Rachel Turney, highlighted the first win, 6-1. Meghan Darhower and Nikki Nicosia each had two hits to lead State.

Lesley Noel pitched a career-high eight innings and five Ks as MSU came back from a one-run deficit on two occassions to take game two, 4-3. The Spartans scored their four runs on three sacrifice flies and a squeeze bunt. Nikki Nicosia was a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases, Victoria Morache added two hits and a run and Traci Nicosia knocked in a pair of runs on two sac-flies. MSU won the night-cap when Morache led off the eighth with a double, was sacrificed to third and after Detroit elected to intentionally walk the bases full, scored on Traci's fly ball to left.

NORTHWESTERN AND MICHIGAN ROUND-UP
Needing a win to virtually assure themselves a spot in the Big Ten Tournament, the Spartans found one in a dramatic 2-0 eight-inning victory April 29 over No. 15 Northwestern. The stunner did not just give State its seventh conference win, but it marked the Wildcats first loss in Big Ten play. Rachel Turney battled Eileen Canney pitch-for-pitch as each went seven scoreless innings. With extras needed, MSU did not appear ready to hold a rally as it had only one hit at that point in the game. But a lead-off walk to Elizabeth Peterson in the eighth got things going and after a fielder's choice and a strike out, Meghan Darhower singled and Nicole Mercado ripped a double down the left-field line to plate the winning runs. Northwestern did scare State in its half by loading the bases with two outs, but Turney induced NU's career home run leader, Kristen Amegin, to pop up to first. That, however, did not come easily as well, as Peterson had to sprint in and make a diving effort to catch the soft looper, ensuring the MSU win.

NU wanted revenge in game two April 30 and the Wildcats got it, scoring in every inning except for the third. The contest was all Northwestern as State pitching gave up six home runs in a 14-2 six-inning loss. Janette Hurtado and Caitlin Mahoney each had two hits to lead the Spartans.

Sunday proved how tough playing Northwestern and Michigan in the same weekend can be, as the Wolverines outscored the Spartans 17-1 in two five-inning victories. An Alumni Field record crowd of 1,903 was on hand to watch both teams carry out different goals. MSU carried a 7-7 Big Ten record and was hoping by the end of the day it would clinch a spot in the eight-team conference tournament, whereas UM came in needing to win its final four conference games to win the regular season title. Although the Green and White dropped both games, Minnesota was swept by Iowa to drop its record to 6-12, which means the Spartans can finish no lower than eighth.

IPFW RECAP
Michigan State combined for 20 hits in a doubleheader sweep over IPFW April 27. MSU tied a season high with five stolen bases in game one's 5-2 victory as Rachel Turney retired all 12 batters she faced and Christy McGrew earned her first career save by maintaining MSU's lead in the final three innings. Lesley Noel and McGrew combined for the shutout in game two, as State was led by a three-run homer from Traci Nicosia in the fifth. The 12 Spartan hits in the second game tied a season high as well.

MORE ON LAST WEEK'S ACTION
+ The Spartans' record against ranked competition moved to 2-9. + Michigan State's shutout victory over Northwestern April 29 was the first time the Wildcats were held scoreless since Feb. 26. + After dropping the doubleheader at Michigan, MSU was keeping a close eye on what was happening in Iowa. The Hawkeyes bounced Minnesota in game one and if the Gophers were to lose the second game, the Spartans would be in the Big Ten Tournament. State learned its fate while having its post-game meal in Ann Arbor that Minnesota did indeed lose and that the Green and White were in the post-season.

SUNDAY'S OPPONENTS
Miami (Ohio)
Owners of second place in the MAC East Division, Miami has faced some tough competition en route to its 30-22 record. The RedHawks started the season with a 2-0 loss to Virginia Tech and later on dropped two games to Texas A&M (3-0 and 11-2) and single contests to Pacific (1-0) and Arizona (6-1), who was the No. 1 team in the nation at the time. MU posted big wins over Minnesota, San Diego and Central Michigan, and put together a seven-game winning streak March 30-April 6. Miami's pitching staff is almost the opposite of Detroit's as Jackie Poggendorf (188) and Courtney Salmon (186) combine for 374 strikeouts. Poggendorf has a 2.03 ERA, an 18-13 record with six shutouts and has walked only 22 batters in 182.2 IP. Meanwhile, Salmon holds a 2.13 ERA and a 12-9 record with five blankings, but has walked 30 more hitters than her partner in 170.2 innings of work. MU has three potent hitters to watch out for with Poggendorf (.329), Halle Popson (.299) and Christine Bills (.296) all batting around the .300 mark. However, no other batter is hitting over .220 on the season. The RedHawks do like to play small ball, with 54 sacrifices and 55 stolen bases in 2005. MSU leads the all-time series, 7-0. The RedHawks will not partake in any mid-week games before traveling to East Lansing.

BIG TEN SCENARIO
Michigan State can finish no higher than sixth in the Big Ten when all is said and done. The Spartans sit in eighth place and can move up a spot if Ohio State loses both games to Penn State. MSU and OSU would then have identical 7-9 records and with the teams splitting the season series, the Spartans own the second tiebreaker, which is their record against all teams in the tournament. Also, MSU can move up as well if Purdue loses twice to Indiana, as the Green and White would then hold a better winning percentage than the Boilermakers.

THE SENIORS
Two outstanding seniors wrap up their collegiate careers this season with Michigan State. Four-year starter Janette Hurtado has been a staple at second base for the Spartans and this year, entered the top 20 on MSU's career-hit chart. Hurtado also ranks in the top four in walks and is eighth in games played. Victoria Morache also takes the field for the final time and she has made her senior year a memorable one, posting three separate hitting streaks of at least six games. Morache came into her own this year in the lead-off spot, consistently holding a batting average over .300 while also connecting for a home run April 7.

ALL OVER THE BOX SCORES
Similar to the note on page five, the Nicosias tore apart Detroit in the doubleheader May 5. In the first battle, Nikki was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI single, scored a run, was hit by a pitch and stole a base, while Traci had a two-run single and scored as well in a 1-for-3 affair. The second game saw Nikki go a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, score two runs lay down a sacrifice bunt and swipe two bases. Traci came through with two sacrifice flies, including the game-winner, and was 1-for-2. Overall, the duo combined for seven hits, five RBI and four runs.

SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS WATCH
Several Spartans have cracked the top ten of Michigan State's single-season record charts. With her three-run triple against Western Michigan April 12, shortstop Traci Nicosia moved into a five-way tie for fourth on MSU's single-season triple list with five. The Michigan State record is 12 set by Izzy Forester in 1980.

On the bases, Nikki Nicosia has 17 successful swipes, putting her at eighth all-time. With three more, she can own sole possession of sixth. Margaret Schick laid claim to the record in 2002 when she racked up 28 stolen bases.

In the circle, Rachel Turney has quickly entered her name on the strikeout list with 152, putting her in sixth all-time. She needs eight more to tie Erica Strutz for fifth. Also, Lesley Noel has only 12 walks on the year. While the record is 10 (Shelley Wynn in 1991), if Noel gets in 5.2 more innings and keeps the walk column under 20, she will crack the top eight.

NICE STREAK
MSU put together its longest winning streak of the year from April 19-29 by winning five straight, including two doubleheader sweeps. The Spartans shut down Oakland 4-0 and 5-0, breezed past IPFW 5-2 and 7-0 and then capped it off with a 2-0 upset over No. 15 Northwestern. Combined, State outscored its opponents 23-2 over that stretch.

IT'S BEEN A TOUGH ROAD
Michigan State understood before the season started that its 2005 schedule would be difficult and the Spartans were right. MSU has played in 11 games that featured a ranked opponent, including match-ups against then-No. 1 California and current No. 1 Michigan, and took on five of the eight teams that made up the 2004 College World Series. It also battled seven teams that won their respective conference regular-season titles in 2004 (Southern Illinois, Florida State, Lehigh, Eastern Kentucky, Florida Atlantic, Central Michigan twice and Michigan twice) and seven other schools who finished second (California, Central Florida, Texas A&M, Tulsa, Florida International, Temple and Western Michigan). One more non-conference team that finished in second place (Miami-Ohio) awaits MSU this week.

HOW ABOUT A LITTLE MORE INFO ON THE SCHEDULE?
Although the NFCA is calling it a simulation, a Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), which is commonly used in NCAA basketball, has been created to help teams determine where they might stand in relation to one another. Entering this week, MSU was at No. 85 overall, but its strength of schedule is the 23rd toughest in the country, which is second behind only Michigan (18th toughest) in the Big Ten.

GET ON THE BOARD EARLY
When MSU's bats jump on opposing pitchers early this season, the Spartans have been very intimidating. When State has scored in the first inning, it holds a 7-1 record, and went it scores first overall, MSU is 15-3.

PRODUCING AT THE BOTTOM
Sophomore right fielder Nicole Mercado has been tearing it up from the nine hole. The native of LaHabra, Calif., entered this week after posting a hit in eight of her last nine games, including going 3-for-3 at Michigan May 1. Mercado's two-run game-winning double vs. Northwestern April 29 capped off a six-game hitting streak, where she was 6-for-17 (.353) with four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base.

TURN, TURN, TURN (QUICK NOTES ON Rachel Turney)
+ Rachel Turney pitched marvelously against Wisconsin April 16, limiting the Badgers to only four hits while striking out four and not issuing a free pass. Turney faced two batters over the minimum of 21 in the 6-0 victory. She followed that performance April 19 with a five-hit shutout in MSU's game one win over Oakland, where she also did not allow a walk and struck out eight. Against IPFW April 27, Turney was perfect in her four innings of work in game one, sitting down all 12 batters she faced, striking out six of them. Her most important outing took place April 29 when she pitched eight scoreless innings in MSU's 2-0 victory over No. 15 Northwestern. She held the Wildcats to five hits and sat down three on strikes to win her third-straight decision. Turney then allowed three hits and one unearned run while striking out six for the win in game one vs. Detroit (5/5).

+ Turney gave up a first-inning, unearned run in the first game with Penn State April 10, and then did not allow another Nittany Lion to touch home in her next 10 innings pitched. The 11.0 IP marked the longest outing by an MSU pitcher this season.

+ In 33 appearances, the sophomore transfer from Lansing Community College has struck out at least five batters 18 times and has at least one K in all but one appearance. Turney has racked up 152 strikeouts in her first year with the Spartans, which is already good enough for ninth on the all-time list.

Rachel Turney is approaching 200 innings pitched this season and has held opponents to a .222 batting average.

+ Turney's amazing streak came to an end in the second game against Purdue April 3. For the first time in 2005 (19th appearance), she gave up more than three runs (six) in a game. In 65.1 innings pitched from March 8 to April 3, Turney allowed only seven earned runs for a 0.75 ERA.

TWO OUTS DON'T SCARE ME
Three Spartans are batting well over .300 when it comes to hitting when there are two away. Victoria Morache is 12-for-31 (.387) while Caitlin Mahoney is 14-for-41 (.341) and Janette Hurtado is 14-for-42 (.333) when they have been in the box with two outs. Also, Traci Nicosia holds the team lead with 12 two-out RBI.

SHORTY SACRIFICES
By posting 14 sacrifice hits on the year, Janette Hurtado is all alone in first place of all Big Ten hitters. The second baseman currently holds a .500 percentage when it comes to advancing runners (42-for-84).

PENINSULA SUPERIOR
Upper Peninsula native Lesley Noel picked up her first collegiate shutout against Oakland (April 19). The freshman from Escanaba gave up only three hits vs. the Golden Grizzlies while striking out four and not walking a batter for the victory. The win was part of a string where Noel won six of eight decisions from April 5-27.

In her start in game two with Detroit May 5, Noel set career highs with eight innings pitched and five strikeouts to guide State to the extra-inning 4-3 victory. She did not walk a single batter in the game.

HURTADO'S JOURNEY UP THE LADDER
With three more hits in the doubleheader vs. IPFW April 27 and two vs. NU April 30, senior Janette Hurtado continues to climb Michigan State's all-time hit chart. For her career, the second baseman has racked up 130 hits, good for 20th place. Also, she has been issued 64 walks as a Spartan, good enough for fourth all-time. The record was set by Brittany Green (104 BBs) from 2001-04.

NOW THAT IS CALLED PUTTING THE BALL IN PLAY
Traci Nicosia put together Michigan State's longest string of at-bats without striking out. Dating back to her second plate appearance vs. Eastern Michigan April 6, Nicosia went 31 official at-bats, not counting any walks or sacrifice hits, without falling victim to the K. The streak finally came to an end in game one vs. Oakland April 19.

PURE HONEY AT THE PLATE
Freshman Caitlin Mahoney racked up at least one hit in nine-straight games April 3-12, marking a team high for 2005. During the streak, Mahoney was 12-for-30 with three doubles for a .400 average. She also drove in four and scored three runs while walking twice.

MMM, McSHUTOUTS
Sophomore hurler Christy McGrew has posted two shutouts on the year, giving her three for her career. In MSU's second game of the Stetson Tournament, McGrew tossed her second-career shutout vs. Bethune-Cookman (3/11) in a 1-0 victory. McGrew held the Wildcats to just three hits and did not give up a walk while adding one strikeout. And in the first game vs. Loyola (4/5), she struck out a season-high six in a two-hitter for shutout No. 3. Her first blanking came Feb. 27, 2004, when she struck out seven in a five-inning 9-0 win over Stony Brook.

JOSEPH COLLECTS 500
Michigan State head coach Jacquie Joseph reached the 500-career win milestone April 5 with a home-doubleheader sweep over Loyola-Chicago. With the two victories, Joseph became the 37th active Division I coach to accomplish the feat and the third in the Big Ten (See the coaching staff page for a year-by-year look at Joseph's record).

REWARDING AN AMAZING PERFORMANCE
Nicole Mercado broke out in a huge way in MSU's Big Ten openers. Mercado went a combined 5-for-7 in the four games April 1-3, driving in six runs, belting two triples, scoring a run, stealing a base, walking once and posting a sacrifice fly and a sacrifice bunt. The amazing statistics did not go unnoticed as the Big Ten honored her with a Big Ten Player of the Week accolade, her first as a Spartan.

CAN'T SCORE ANY EASIER
Catcher Amy Szawara was issued three walks against Indiana April 1 and she made the Hoosiers pay by scoring all three times. The three free passes marked only the 16th time that a Spartan has ever walked three or more times. The MSU record is four set by Sally Green in 1988 and Cheryl Weise in 1986.

GOING HOME WAS FUN
Freshmen Nikki and Traci Nicosia dominated play during Michigan State's three-game win streak at the Florida Atlantic Tournament as each had at least one hit in all three of those wins. Against Tulsa, the duo, who hail from nearby Plantation, Fla., combined for four hits, three runs and two RBI as Traci drove in her sister in the third and fifth innings. Nikki then made a game-saving catch, a diving snag in the second inning, when Florida International had the bases loaded with two outs. At the plate vs. FIU, Traci had an RBI double and scored a run while Nikki picked up a SB. Finally against Florida Atlantic, Nikki tied an MSU record by stealing three bases in the game, marking only the eighth time a Spartan player has ever accomplished the feat.

A ROSIE WEEKEND
Sophomore Dana Rosenblatt had a career weekend at the FAU Tournament. As a freshman, Rosenblatt collected one hit in eight at-bats and did not crack the starting lineup. But March 19 against Florida International signified the first of three straight starts for the designated player. She concluded the tournament by going 3-for-7 with three RBI and two walks.

HOW SWEET IT WAS
Sophomore Meghan Darhower went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate vs. Eastern Kentucky March 6 and posted 3 RBI and a run as well in the 5-1 MSU win. The three hits and three driven in marked career highs for Darhower.

I'LL HAVE TWO
Of Michigan State's 10 total hits in its second game with Bethune-Cookman March 12 (W, 3-2), half came by way of the double. Sophomores Dayna Feenstra and Victoria Morache both connected for two 2Bs while Elizabeth Peterson added one of her own. The doubles by Feenstra and Morache marked the 44th and 45th time a Spartan player racked up two two-baggers. It was also the third time Feenstra accomplished the feat in her career. The MSU record for doubles in a game is three, set by Shealee Dunavan March 6, 1999, vs. Mississippi State.

GATHER `ROUND FOR CHARON TIME
Freshman Heidi Charon picked up a perfect time to post her first career collegiate hit. In the fourth inning vs. BCC March 12, Charon came in as a pinch-hitter with MSU trailing 1-0. After the Wildcats made a pitching change, she blasted a single up the middle to score Amy Szawara from third and tie the ball game. State went on to defeat BCC, 3-2, in eight innings.

WHAT A WAY TO OPEN A CAREER
In her first collegiate game and at-bat, freshman Traci Nicosia belted a three-run home run in the first inning to cap off a five-run frame for the Spartans in a 9-8 victory over Florida. She finished the game going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored.

NOT TO BE OUTDONE
Sophomore Rachel Turney opened her Michigan State career with a strong weekend in Las Vegas. Turney came on in relief against Florida and pitched 5.0 innings, giving up two runs on five hits while sitting down five for the victory. In all, she fanned 16 batters in 16.1 innings and held the opponents' batting average to .214.