Thursday, February 10
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
4:30 PM
University of Washington
vs
Lamar
Photo by: Red Box Pictures
Huskies Start Season In Puerto Vallarta College Challenge
February 08, 2022 | Softball
SEATTLE -- The No. 7 Washington softball team will kick their 2022 season off in the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. The tournament will start on Thursday, Feb. 10 when the Huskies face Lamar University at 4:30 p.m PT.
Next, Washington will have a double-header, playing Long Beach State first on Friday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. Later that day, the Dawgs will face No. 8 Arkansas at 6:30 p.m.
In the final day of the tournament, Saturday Feb. 12, the Huskies will play Rutgers at 1:00 p.m. and conclude the day going up against No. 8 Arkansas for a second time at 6:30 p.m.
Coming into the tournament, Arkansas will be a big match-up for the Dawgs. Coming out of their 2021 season, Arkansas (43-11) tied for first in the competitive SEC Conference. Long Beach State will also be a competitive opponent, going 30-11 in the 2021 season and finishing first in the Big West Conference.
Rank and File
The Huskies have been featured prominently in pre-season NCAA rankings. USA Softball, D1 Softball and USA Today/NFCA Coaches have ranked Washington No. 7 in the NCAA. The Dawgs were picked to finish second in the Pac-12, behind UCLA, in the Pac-12 Coaches' Preseason Poll.
Baylee Klingler, Sami Reynolds and Gabbie Plain were tabbed Preseason All-Americans by Softball America. Additionally, Klingler and Plain were named Preseason All-Americans by D1 Softball and Player of the Year nominees by USA Softball. Plain was a top three finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in 2021.
Leaders of the Pack
Gabbie Plain, one of two returning Husky All-Americans, will take the circle for a fifth and final year at Washington. The 2021 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year led the conference in wins and strikeouts last season. She finished the season second in the nation in strikeouts, fanning 337 batters, the fifth-most in a single season in Washington history. The Australian only needs 38 strikeouts to pass Taran Alvelo to become second on the career strikeout list (only behind Danielle Lawrie).
Baylee Klingler led the Huskies in batting average (.416), slugging percentage (.792), runs scored (56), doubles (17 and home runs (16). She was one of only two Pac-12 players to score 50 runs and drive in 50.
Sami Reynolds set career highs in home runs (12), walks (23) and runs (43). She earned All-Pac-12 Second Team as a junior, earning All-Pac-12 honors in each of her two seasons that the award has been given out.
On the Road Again
The Huskies will play four weekends of non-conference action on the road before returning to Husky Stadium. Washington's home opener and lone non-conference home game is slated for March 8th against Robert Morris. In the nonconference slate, six games are against opponents that finished last season in the Top 25, in No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 13 Missouri, No. 15 LSU, No. 18 Clemson and No. 23 Tennessee. Overall, in the non-conference schedule, UW will face five opponents from the SEC, two from the Big Ten and the Big 12, and one from the ACC.
Iron Sharpens Iron
Washington has compiled a tough schedule that will challenge the purple and gold from the get-go. 24 of the Husky's 51 scheduled games are against opponents ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The breakdown is as follows: No. 3 UCLA (3) // No. 5 Oklahoma State (1) // No. 8 Arkansas (2) No. 9 Arizona (3) // No. 11 Missouri (1) // No. 14 LSU (1) // No. 15 Clemson (1) // No. 18 Oregon (3) // No. 21 Arizona State (3) // No. 22 Tennessee (1) // RV Northwestern (1) // RV Iowa State (1) // RV Stanford (3)
Red, White and Blue
Selected by members of the USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Committee, Coach Heather Tarr will lead the red, white and blue at the 2022 World Games, in addition to various international competitions throughout 2022. Various Huskies have competed for Team USA over the year, and have been named to future rosters as well. The Husky freshmen trio of Kinsey Fiedler, Olivia Johnson and Rylee Holtorf won the WBSC U-18 World Cup in December 2021 as part of USA Softball's U-18 Women's National Team. The three also won gold at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, where the U.S. recorded a 10-0 run-rule victory over Mexico in the gold medal game, to finish the tournament undefeated at 6-0.
Seniors Sami Reynolds and Baylee Klingler were named to the USA Softball roster for the 2022 Canada Cup, held in Surrey, B.C., June 20-26, and the Japan All-Star Series, which will take place in Fukushima, Japan, Aug. 1-9. Earlier this year, Reynolds was named as an alternate for the 2022 USA Softball National Team that will compete at the 2022 World Games in July in Alabama.
Follow the Huskies on social media @uwsoftball.
Next, Washington will have a double-header, playing Long Beach State first on Friday, Feb. 11 at 1:00 p.m. Later that day, the Dawgs will face No. 8 Arkansas at 6:30 p.m.
In the final day of the tournament, Saturday Feb. 12, the Huskies will play Rutgers at 1:00 p.m. and conclude the day going up against No. 8 Arkansas for a second time at 6:30 p.m.
Coming into the tournament, Arkansas will be a big match-up for the Dawgs. Coming out of their 2021 season, Arkansas (43-11) tied for first in the competitive SEC Conference. Long Beach State will also be a competitive opponent, going 30-11 in the 2021 season and finishing first in the Big West Conference.
Rank and File
The Huskies have been featured prominently in pre-season NCAA rankings. USA Softball, D1 Softball and USA Today/NFCA Coaches have ranked Washington No. 7 in the NCAA. The Dawgs were picked to finish second in the Pac-12, behind UCLA, in the Pac-12 Coaches' Preseason Poll.
Baylee Klingler, Sami Reynolds and Gabbie Plain were tabbed Preseason All-Americans by Softball America. Additionally, Klingler and Plain were named Preseason All-Americans by D1 Softball and Player of the Year nominees by USA Softball. Plain was a top three finalist for USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in 2021.
Leaders of the Pack
Gabbie Plain, one of two returning Husky All-Americans, will take the circle for a fifth and final year at Washington. The 2021 Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year led the conference in wins and strikeouts last season. She finished the season second in the nation in strikeouts, fanning 337 batters, the fifth-most in a single season in Washington history. The Australian only needs 38 strikeouts to pass Taran Alvelo to become second on the career strikeout list (only behind Danielle Lawrie).
Baylee Klingler led the Huskies in batting average (.416), slugging percentage (.792), runs scored (56), doubles (17 and home runs (16). She was one of only two Pac-12 players to score 50 runs and drive in 50.
Sami Reynolds set career highs in home runs (12), walks (23) and runs (43). She earned All-Pac-12 Second Team as a junior, earning All-Pac-12 honors in each of her two seasons that the award has been given out.
On the Road Again
The Huskies will play four weekends of non-conference action on the road before returning to Husky Stadium. Washington's home opener and lone non-conference home game is slated for March 8th against Robert Morris. In the nonconference slate, six games are against opponents that finished last season in the Top 25, in No. 6 Oklahoma State, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 13 Missouri, No. 15 LSU, No. 18 Clemson and No. 23 Tennessee. Overall, in the non-conference schedule, UW will face five opponents from the SEC, two from the Big Ten and the Big 12, and one from the ACC.
Iron Sharpens Iron
Washington has compiled a tough schedule that will challenge the purple and gold from the get-go. 24 of the Husky's 51 scheduled games are against opponents ranked or receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll. The breakdown is as follows: No. 3 UCLA (3) // No. 5 Oklahoma State (1) // No. 8 Arkansas (2) No. 9 Arizona (3) // No. 11 Missouri (1) // No. 14 LSU (1) // No. 15 Clemson (1) // No. 18 Oregon (3) // No. 21 Arizona State (3) // No. 22 Tennessee (1) // RV Northwestern (1) // RV Iowa State (1) // RV Stanford (3)
Red, White and Blue
Selected by members of the USA Softball Women's National Team Selection Committee, Coach Heather Tarr will lead the red, white and blue at the 2022 World Games, in addition to various international competitions throughout 2022. Various Huskies have competed for Team USA over the year, and have been named to future rosters as well. The Husky freshmen trio of Kinsey Fiedler, Olivia Johnson and Rylee Holtorf won the WBSC U-18 World Cup in December 2021 as part of USA Softball's U-18 Women's National Team. The three also won gold at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, where the U.S. recorded a 10-0 run-rule victory over Mexico in the gold medal game, to finish the tournament undefeated at 6-0.
Seniors Sami Reynolds and Baylee Klingler were named to the USA Softball roster for the 2022 Canada Cup, held in Surrey, B.C., June 20-26, and the Japan All-Star Series, which will take place in Fukushima, Japan, Aug. 1-9. Earlier this year, Reynolds was named as an alternate for the 2022 USA Softball National Team that will compete at the 2022 World Games in July in Alabama.
Follow the Huskies on social media @uwsoftball.
Players Mentioned
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OF
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