University of Washington Official Athletic Site - Softball
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Softball preps for visiting Colgate on Thursday.
May 19, 1999
UW EARNS HOSTING RIGHTS TO REGION NO. 3: The Husky softball team unexpectedly was named as a host site for one of eight NCAA regional tournaments this weekend, with the winner advancing to the College World Series May 26-31. The six-team, double-elimination tournament will take place from Thursday through Sunday at Husky Softball Stadium. The tournament field has been expanded this season to include 48 teams, up 16 from last year's 32.
Coming Up
Thu., May 20 Tennessee vs. CS Fullerton, 10 a.m.
Hawai'i vs. Texas A&M, 12:30 p.m.
Washington vs. Colgate, 3 p.m.
Fri., May 21 Games at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Sat., May 22 Games at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Sun., May 23 Final at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. if nec.
Washington--6th, USA Today/NFCA
Tennessee--24th, USA Today/NFCA
Texas A&M--22nd, USA Today/NFCA
May 20-23 NCAA Region No. 3 Tournament
In The Final Regular-Season Poll (5/12/99)
Husky Quick Facts
1999 Overall Record: 44-17
1999 Pac-10 Record: 15-12/3rd
1998 Postseason: 3rd, College World Series
Head Coach: Teresa Wilson
Record at UW/Years: 330-131 (.716)/7 years
Career Record/Years: 534-292 (.646)/13 years
1999 Husky Honors
Kim DePaul All-Pac-10, honorable mention
Melissa Downs All-Pac-10, honorable mention
Jamie Graves All-Pacific Region, first team
All-Pac-10, first team
NFCA all-tourney team
Rosie Leutzinger All-Pacific Region, second team
All-Pac-10, honorable mention
Becky Newbry All-Pacific Region, first team
All-Pac-10, first team
Jennifer Spediacci All-Pac-10, first team
NFCA all-tourney team
Pac-10 Pitcher of Week (2/9)
Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week (5/17)
Husky Statistical Leaders
Bat. Avg. (min. 1 ab/g): .459, Becky Newbry
Runs: 47, Rosie Leutzinger
Hits: 85, Becky Newbry
Doubles: 15, Becky Newbry
Triples: 5, Becky Newbry
Home Runs: 7, Kim DePaul
RBI: 48, Becky Newbry
Slug % (min. 1 ab/g): .643, Becky Newbry
Walks: 28, Jennifer Spediacci
OB % (min. 1 ab/g): .519, Becky Newbry
Stolen Bases: 23, Rosie Leutzinger, Becky Newbry
ERA (min. 1 IP/g): 0.84, Jamie Graves
Wins: 24, Jamie Graves
Saves: 1, Jennifer Spediacci, Bridget Wilcox
Innings Pitched: 193.1, Jennifer Spediacci
Strikeouts: 215, Jennifer Spediacci
RADIO UPDATE: The first two Washington games--Thursday at 3 p.m. vs. Colgate and Friday at either 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m.--will be aired live on KSRB-AM 1150, with Mike Brown doing the play-by-play. Broadcast plans for Saturday and Sunday are to be determined based upon game times.
THE FORMAT: Game times for the tournament will be 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday. The final will be on Sunday at 12:30 p.m., with a 3 p.m. game if necessary (if the loser of the 12:30 p.m. matchup was that teams first loss).
FIRST-TIME GUESTS: Top-seeded Washington will host five teams, none of which have played in Husky Softball Stadium. Appearing in the Emerald City, in order of their seeding and with applicable national rankings, are Hawai'i (32-21), No. 24 Tennessee (44-25), Cal State Fullerton (34-27), No. 22 Texas A&M (40-20) and Colgate (23-23). Two of the squads have won NCAA titles (A&M in 1983 and Fullerton in 1986), and two are making their first-ever appearance in the postseason (UT and Colgate).
UW HOSTING THIRD REGIONAL IN FOUR YEARS: The Huskies are hosting their second straight regional tournament and third in the past four years. Washington also hosted in 1996, when it went on to play in the title game against Arizona, and 1998, when UW finished third in the CWS.
COACH WILSON ON THE SELECTION SHOW: "I am excited that the NCAA has stepped up and done the right thing in regard to rankings and seedings and hosting," said UW head coach Teresa Wilson, who believed her team would hold a top spot in another region. "It would have been very easy for them to play it safe and not let two schools--us and Arizona--host because of the expense in traveling teams to our sites. But that shows the NCAA is working hard to show that softball is a legitimate sport. We have a lot of parity in our region compared to others. Hawai'i, Fullerton, Tennessee and A&M are very similar teams. There are going to be some great games at Husky Softball Stadium."
PAC-10 DOMINANCE: Amazingly, softball teams in the Pac-10 represent eight of the top 19 teams in the nation, according to the NFCA/USA Today poll this week, including three of the top six spots. Despite the rigors of the league schedule, all eight teams finished with an overall winning record for the first time ever, and all eight squads earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, also a first.
USA Today/NFCA Poll (May 12, 1999)
Rank/Team 1998-99 Pts.
1. UCLA (24) 53-5 624
2. Fresno State (1) 57-8 599
3. Arizona 45-13 565
4. Southwestern La. 51-9 522
5. Michigan 49-9-1 511
6. Washington 43-16 495
7. Louisiana State 50-8 488
8. So. Mississippi 48-6 440
9. Oklahoma 38-12 417
10. Ill.-Chicago 62-15 386
11. Texas 40-15 340
12. Oregon State 42-23 320
13. Massachusetts 41-8 290
14. South Carolina 46-17 281
15. Stanford 41-22 271
16. Arizona State 37-22 263
17. California 42-19 250
18. DePaul 45-12 236
19. Oregon 39-25 151
20. New Mexico 42-12 145
21. Maryland 47-19 137
22. Texas A&M 39-18 76
23. Missouri 37-16 66
24. Tennessee 42-23 45
25. Virginia Tech 54-16 32
Husky Results
Feb. 5 vs. New Mexico St.: 2-1, 5-0 (Pepsi)
Feb. 6 vs. Illinois-Chicago: 9-0, 8-1 (Pepsi)
Feb. 7 at Arizona: 2-3 (Pepsi)
Feb. 19 vs. Michigan: 8-0, 6-3 (Louisville)
Feb. 20 vs. Florida: 3-0, 8-0 (Louisville)
Feb. 21 vs. Virginia Tech: 5-0 (Louisville)
Feb. 26 vs. Missouri: 2-0 (NFCA)
Feb. 26 vs. Louisiana State: 4-2 (NFCA)
Feb. 27 vs. Connecticut: 7-0 (NFCA)
Feb. 27 vs. Stanford: 3-0 (NFCA)
Feb. 28 vs. DePaul: 2-6 (NFCA)
Mar. 5 vs. Portland State: 9-0 (Easton)
Mar. 5 vs. Auburn: 5-3 (Easton)
Mar. 6 vs. Pacific: 3-0 (Easton)
Mar. 6 vs. Santa Clara: 8-0 (Easton)
Mar. 7 vs. Illinois State: 2-3 (Easton)
Mar. 7 vs. Northwestern: 6-5 (Easton)
Mar. 18 vs. Oklahoma: 4-0 (Kia)
Mar. 18 vs. Florida: 7-0 (Kia)
Mar. 19 vs. UNLV: 3-5 (Kia)
Mar. 19 vs. Liberty: 4-1 (Kia)
Mar. 20 vs. SW Louisiana: 4-5/12 inn. (Kia)
Mar. 22 vs. Ohio State: 4-1
Mar. 27 Stanford: 1-4, 6-0 (Pac-10)
Mar. 28 California: 2-1/8 (Pac-10)
Apr. 3 UCLA: 4-1, 3-7 (Pac-10)
Apr. 10 Arizona State: 1-0, 0-1/8 (Pac-10
Apr. 11 Arizona: 1-2, 9-0/6 (Pac-10)
Apr. 16 at Portland State: 7-0, 6-1
Apr. 17 at Oregon State: 0-1/9, 1-2 (Pac-10)
Apr. 18 at Oregon: 8-5, 5-2 (Pac-10)
Apr. 20 Western Washington: 3-0, 4-2
Apr. 21 Simon Fraser: 10-0
Apr. 24 at Stanford: 3-2, 3-4 (Pac-10)
Apr. 25 at Cal: 0-7, 2-0 (Pac-10)
Apr. 27 Portland State: 10-0/5, 8-0/6
May 1 Oregon State: 4-1, 1-0 (Pac-10)
May 2 Oregon: 11-0/5, 3-4/11 (Pac-10)
May 7 at Arizona State: 7-1, 1-0 (Pac-10)
May 8 at Arizona: 1-2, 0-3 (Pac-10)
May 15 at UCLA: 0-2, 1-0 (Pac-10)
Final Pac-10 Standings/Coaches Poll
Team Records, PreS. Poll
1. UCLA (1) 22-6, 55-6 1
2. Arizona (3) 19-9, 47-13 2
3. Washington (6) 15-12, 44-17 3
4. Oregon State (12) 14-14, 43-22 8
5. California (17) 13-14, 44-19 6
6. Oregon (19) 10-18, 39-27 7
Stanford (15) 10-18, 40-23 4
8. Arizona State (16) 8-20, 37-25 5
ABOUT CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Titans, like the Aggies, has an NCAA championship, winning in 1986. CSF enters its 18th postseason tournament after a two-year absence at 34-27 overall after finishing fourth in the Big West Conference with a 13-11 mark. With the highest team batting average in the tournament of .296, the Titans are led at the plate by Stephanie Little's .378. Christy Robitaille's ERA of 2.36 is a staff low, with the group at 2.37.
UW vs. CAL STATE FULLERTON: The Dawgs have an 8-3 advantage over the
Titans overall, but CSF got the upper hand in both postseason outings. In
Washington's first NCAA tournament appearance in 1993, the Titans handed
the Huskies both losses in the regional tournament.
3/16/93: A W, 11-1 3/5/94: N L, 2-4 3/24/96: A W, 1-0
3/25/93: A W, 1-0 3/26/94: A W, 2-1 3/21/97: A W, 12-4
2/20/94: N W, 5-0 5/20/94: N L, 1-2 2/14/98: N W, 8-0
3/3/94: N W, 10-8 5/21/94: N L, 0-4
ABOUT COLGATE: The Red Raiders (23-23) are making their first-ever
appearance in the NCAA tournament after winning their first Patriot League
championship. Colgate is lead at the plate by Lisa Belcher's .315 batting
average. The team is at .255 collectively. On the mound, Tara McGoff has a
1.73 ERA, helping the staff's 2.83 mark. Head coach Vickie Sax is in her
second season with Colgate, with a 48-46-1 overall record.
UW vs. COLGATE: This is the first meeting between the two teams.
ABOUT HAWAI'I: The Rainbows enter their third postseason at 32-21 overall and finished 18-10 in the WAC. Dana Degan leads Hawai'i at the plate with a .364 average, 30 RBI and eight home runs. Kelly Gentle's 1.98 ERA is the team low on a staff that is at 2.30 collectively. The Bows are hitting .276 as a team. Head coach Bob Coolen is in his eighth season at Hawai'i, with a 307-189-1 mark there and a 379-281-1 career slate in 16 years.
UW vs. HAWAI'I: The Husky-Rainbow series is an even 1-1, with both games a
shutout on neutral turf.
2/26/95: N L, 0-7
2/20/98: N W, 3-0
ABOUT TENNESSEE: The Lady Volunteers (44-25, 17-11) earned an at-large bid
into their first NCAA tournament. UT won the Southeastern Conference
Eastern Division champion this year behind the bat of Lisa Warren, who
heads a list of six over .300 at .403. The Lady Vols are hitting .327 as a
team. The staff ERA is 2.15, paced by Jackie Beavers' 1.72. Tennessee
softball is in its fourth year of existence, all under the direction of
head coach Jim Beitia. Beitia is 180-92 at UT and 278-133 overall.
Assistant coach Bob Brock headed the Texas A&M program for several years
in the 1980s.
UW vs. TENNESSEE: The Huskies and the Lady Vols have met just one time,
with Tennessee winning an early season matchup last year at the Coca-Cola
Classic in Phoenix, Ariz., 2-1.
2/15/98: N L, 1-2
ABOUT TEXAS A&M: One of two schools at the No. 3 Regional which has won
the NCAA title, the Aggies are making their 11th postseason appearance but
first since 1996. Texas A&M (40-20, 7-11 in the Big 12 Conference ) is
hitting .285 as a team, with a staff ERA of 1.32. Lisa Klam's .358 average
and 15 home runs leads the team, with Amy Vining's ERA of 1.01 is a team
low. Head coach Jo Evans is in her third season with the Aggies, compiling
a 149-94-2 record there. She is at 462-304-2 in her 14th season overall.
UW vs. TEXAS A&M: UW has won both games it has played against the Aggies,
producing 14 runs in those outings.
3/13/93: A W, 7-2
3/25/95: N W, 8-6
HUSKIES IN THE POSTSEASON: Nine members of the Husky softball team have NCAA post
PITCHING ERA IP H R ER BB SO
Graves (4-3) 1.55 40.2 16 9 35 6 20
Spediacci (6-0) 1.67 46.0 26 11 11 9 46
HITTING BA AB R H RBI
Leutzinger .245 49 8 12 0
Newbry .328 64 11 21 13
Graves .235 17 1 4 0
Giordano .214 28 5 6 6
Helgeland .261 23 3 6 2
Spediacci .412 17 1 7 6
DePaul .050 20 4 1 0
Rosenblad .308 13 1 4 0
Hauxhurst .375 24 5 9 3
UW IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: The Huskies have a rich tradition in postseason
play, having made the NCAA Tournament in all but their first year of
existence in 1993. UW is 20-9 overall in the tournament, including 12-4 in
regionals and 8-5 in the College World Series. A yearly breakdown:
1994--1-2 in regionals; Northridge, Calif.
1995--2-2 in regionals; Lafayette, La.
1996--3-0 in regionals; Seattle, Wash.
3-1 in CWS, fell to Arizona in final; Columbus, Ga.
1997--3-0 in regionals; Norman, Okla.
2-2 in CWS, fell twice to UCLA; Okla. City
1998--3-0 in regionals; Seattle, Wash.
3-2 in CWS, fell to Fresno St. in semis; Okla. City
SIX EARN SPOT ON ALL-PAC-10 SQUAD: Six Huskies landed on the Pac-10
all-conference team, including three first-teamers. Junior aces Jamie
Graves and Jennifer Spediacci, along with senior Becky Newbry, each were
named to the first team, while sophomore Kim DePaul and juniors Melissa
Downs and Rosie Leutzinger were named to the honorable mention list. The
honor was Newbry's fourth--two on the first team and one each on the
second team and honorable mention list. Graves and Spediacci both repeated
their first-team mention from a year ago and earned honorable mention and
second-team honors, respectively, as freshmen. DePaul and Leutzinger are
repeat honorees after earning second and first team accolades,
respectively, in 1998. This is Downs' first Pac-10 honor.
NO. 2 PITCHING STAFF IN NATION: Washington's pitching staff ranks as the second best in the nation and first in the Pac-10, with a collective ERA of 0.90. Only No. 2 Fresno State's unbelievable 0.53 ERA is better. The Husky season ERA record of 1.24 established last season is in serious jeopardy, as are a number of other team marks.
FINDING NEWBRY IN THE FIELD: Although Becky Newbry has hit in the power positions for much of her career at UW, finding her in the field can be tricky sometimes. Newbry has played four positions this season, rounding out a career in which she has appeared everywhere except the pitcher's mound for the Huskies and earned All-America honors twice along the way. She seems to have grown roots in right field this year, starting 44 games there, but also played 15 games at first base and one each at second and center field.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: With all of the Pac-10 teams ranked in the top 19 in the country, the strength of the 1999 Husky schedule is staggering. A few notes on the Washington ledger.
UW FINISHES THIRD IN PAC-10 PLAY: The dust finally has settled on the Pac-10 battleground, as sixth-ranked Washington finished in third place with a 15-12 mark. A traditionally tough league, the Pac-10 outdid itself this season. All eight teams were ranked in at least the top 19 in the nation the entire conference season. UCLA won the title with a 22-6 league mark, followed by Arizona's 19-9 record. Complete conference standings and records are on the following page.
SPEDIACCI BEGINS AND ENDS SEASON WITH PAC-10 HONORS: UW pitching ace Jennifer Spediacci picked up her second Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week honor of the season after handing UCLA its sixth loss of the season. The junior pitched a one-hitter against the No. 1 Bruins, striking out 11. The Bruin batters, which entered the game with a collective .348 batting average, managed to hit just .042 during the game.
UW SPLITS WITH NO. 1 UCLA FOR SECOND TIME: UW split both twinbills against the top-ranked Bruins this season, most recently a 0-2, 1-0 result in L.A. UW and junior Jamie Graves held UCLA scoreless for five innings in the first outing before Stacey Nuveman's 29th homer of the season gave UCLA a 2-0 lead. The Dawgs got just two hits but left seven on base with walks, errors and hit by pitches. In the second game, junior Jennifer Spediacci pitched a complete-game one-hitter and hit a solo home run in the fourth frame to lead the Dawgs to the win. She fanned 11 batters on the day to break her own single-season strikeout mark. UW's pitchers held the Bruin batters to a .146 for the day, down from their .348 average.
HUSKIES HAND NO. 1 UCLA FIRST LOSS OF YEAR: UW handed the Bruins their first loss of the season, ending the second-longest winning streak in NCAA history at 35 games, in the first game of a twinbill on Apr. 3 in Seattle. After UW won the first game, 4-1, the Bruins came from behind in the second to win, 7-3. The difference of the day, on which an outstanding UW pitching staff faced the stellar Bruin bats, proved to be the defense. In each game, the loser made three errors while the victor played flawlessly in the field.
JAMIE GRAVES--GIANT KILLER: When junior Jamie Graves allowed six hits but just one run in the complete-game win over UCLA on Apr. 3, she made it two straight years in which she has defeated the No. 1 team in the nation. The Huskies, behind Graves' pitching, downed Arizona last year in Tucson, 9-0.
POLL POSITION: The Dawgs have a few impressive streaks going in regard to the national poll. UW has been ranked in the top six in the last 50 polls. The past 51 polls have listed the Dawgs among the top 10, including three weeks at No. 1 late in 1996, and UW has been in the top 25 for 69 straight weeks.
JUST MISSING NO-HITTERS AND PERFECT GAMES: Junior aces Jamie Graves and Jennifer Spediacci lead a UW pitching staff which ranks as the second-best in the nation, with a 0.90 ERA. The pair have turned in several impressive performances over the season.
CLUTCH HITTER: Sophomore Kelly Hauxhurst, hitting in the No. 2 slot, has a .271 batting average...UNLESS: UW has runners on base (.309), bases are loaded (.400), with two outs (.380), and with runners in scoring position (.362). Thirteen of her 18 RBI have come with two outs. She also has a perfect fielding percentage in left field.
MO' DOWNS: Husky junior Melissa "Mo" Downs has elevated her play to another level this season. After making 14 appearances last year, the versatile Downs has forced coach Wilson to find a spot for her in the lineup. Downs is second on the team in hitting this season, with a .308 batting average. In 159 at-bats, Downs has 49 hits and 34 RBI with only seven strikeouts. She has started 42 games at first base and one at second after starting 14 at third early in the season.
ALREADY THERE: After a 1998 season in which the success of the Huskies primarily rested in the pitching and defense, as opposed to round-trippers, UW's 25 homers this season surpasses the 15 hit a year ago.
1999 Tournament Recap
Pepsi Arizona Classic 2nd (4-1)
Louisville Slugger Classic 1st (5-0)
NFCA Leadoff Classic semis (4-1)
Easton Showcase Tournament t2nd (5-1)
Kia Klassic quarters (3-2)
DAWG BITES: Graves sports a 0.84 ERA, good for first in the Pac-10 and sixth in the nation, and the pitching staff ranks first in the league and second in the nation with a combined 0.90 ERA with the help of Spediacci's 0.98 (second in league, 22nd in nation)...Newbry's .459 batting average is first in the Pac-10 and seventh in the nation...Catcher Jeanine Giordano primarily is responsible for UW leading the Pac-10 in caught stealing by, throwing out 16 would-be thieves...UW has registered 27 shutouts in 61 outings...The Huskies have stolen 101 bases this season in 124 attempts, compared to 28 of 44 by their foes...UW has held foes to one hit 10 times, including four versus top-20 teams...Graves and Spediacci combined to throw a no-hitter against No. 9 LSU...Newbry has 19 two-out RBI...The Huskies' 18 runs against Portland State on Apr. 27 is their best output in a doubleheader of the season...UW leads the Pac-10 in ERA (0.90) and opposing batting average (.183) and is second in stolen bases (101) fielding percentage (.970)...Every starter has hit at least one double, and eight players have hit at least one home run...UW is 36-5 when it scores three or more runs but 4-11 when it allows its foe to do so.
UW IN THE PAC-10 STATS: Several Huskies rank in the top five in the league
in various categories.
Newbry: 9th-BA (.459)
Graves: 9th-ERA (0.84)
Spediacci: 20th-ERA (0.98)
Team: 2nd-ERA (0.91); 8th-F% (.970)
Tm. Batting: 1st-HBP (31); 2nd-SAC (58), SB (101);
3B-3rd (9)
Tm. Pitching: 1st-ERA (0.91), BB (67); 2nd-Opp. BA
(.184), H (272), R (94); 3rd-SO (361),
W (44)
Tm. Fielding: 1st-CS (16); 3rd-% (.970)
Newbry: 1st-BA (.459); 2nd-H (85), SB (23);
3rd-3B (5), OB% (.519); 4th-RBI (48);
5th-2B (15)
Leutzinger: 2nd-SB (23); 3rd-R (47); 4th-HBP (8)
DePaul: 3rd-HBP (9)
Hauxhurst: t1st-F% (1.000); 2nd-SAC (13)
Graves: 1st-ERA (0.84)
Spediacci: 1st-Opp. BA (.144); 2nd-ERA (0.98),
SO (215)
UW IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS: Washington's three first-team all-Pac-10
honorees rank in the top 20 in the national statistics.
GRAVES, SPEDIACCI EARN NFCA HONORS: Junior aces Jamie Graves and Jennifer
Spediacci filled two of the 12 NFCA all-tournament spots. Graves
maintained a 0.00 ERA, pitching two shutouts to go 3-1 in helping UW reach
the semifinals of the Gold Medal bracket. In 16.2 innings, only four
runners crossed the plate, none of them earned. She struck out seven and
walked none. Spediacci went 4-for-9 (.444), including two doubles, and she
walked twice, was hit by a pitch and had two sacrifices for a .583 on-base
percentage. She also pitched a one-hit complete game and struck out seven
to defeat Stanford.
SPEDIACCI EARNS PITCHER OF THE WEEK: Junior ace Jennifer Spediacci maintained a perfect record during the Louisville Slugger Classic, picking up four wins in four appearances to improve to 6-0 and earn Pac-10 honors. In three starts and 18.2 innings, she had a 0.00 ERA with 20 strikeouts and five hits, none of them extra-base. In 7.2 innings in the doubleheader against No. 5 Michigan, she allowed just three hits and no runs, and struck out 13 batters to win both games.
TWO MILESTONES IN TWO WEEKENDS: UW head coach Teresa Wilson reached two milestones in two consecutive weekends of competition. The seventh-year Husky coach won her 300th win with the program on Mar. 5 with a 9-0 win against Portland State in the Easton Showcase Tournament. The previous Friday she registered her 500th career victory on Feb. 26 in the NFCA Leadoff Classic against Missouri, her alma mater. UW defeated the Tigers, 3-0, in pool play against the school at which Wilson earned All-America honors as a pitcher in 1983.
HEAD COACH TERESA WILSON: Husky coach Teresa Wilson enters her seventh season coaching the Husky softball team, excluding the year she spent in 1992 building the program from scratch, with records of 330-131 (.716) at UW and 534-292 (.646) overall. The Huskies began competing in postseason play in their second season, and by their fourth year they had advanced to the College World Series title game. It was the first of a current streak of three straight trips to the semifinals. The former All-American pitcher at Missouri has taken each of the programs she has coached--Minnesota, Oregon and UW--to the NCAA tournament and earned the 1989 NCAA and Pac-10 Coach of the Year awards while at Oregon. Wilson was an assistant coach of the 1998 USA national team at the ISF World Championships and will serve in the same capacity at the 1999 Junior World Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.
UW PICKED THIRD IN PAC-10 RACE: Coach Teresa Wilson's squad is picked to finish third in the nation's most difficult softball conference--the Pacific-10--behind UCLA and NCAA runner-up Arizona, respectively. UW captured the conference title in 1996, ending an eight-year streak in which either Arizona or UCLA won the league, and was runner-up last year behind Arizona. The Bruins, which spent the 1998 on probation and was ineligible for NCAA postseason play, redshirted many of their players and return armed and ready for the 1999 campaign.
TOPPING OUT FOR THE SEASON: UW freshman Jenny Topping had surgery Feb. 26 to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee. Dr. Roger Larsen of the UW Sports Medicine Clinic performed the surgery. Topping, who hit three home runs in the first five games this year, tore her ACL in the seventh inning in the second game on Feb. 19 against Michigan at the Louisville Slugger Classic and will redshirt the year.
AN ALL-AMERICAN CAST: UW boasts four All-Americans on its 1999 roster, more than any previous Husky team. Pitchers Jamie Graves and Jennifer Spediacci were named to the second-team last year as sophomores, while junior shortstop Rosie Leutzinger earned a spot on the third team. Senior right fielder Becky Newbry was named to the second and third teams in 1997 and 1996, respectively.
HUSKIES ON THE RADIO...: Nine Washington softball games, plus as many postseason contests as possible, will air on KSRB-AM 1150 this season, including nine road games. All broadcasts can be accessed on the internet. Mike Brown returns for his second season of calling the play-by-play. To listen to the games via the internet, go to www.gohuskies.com and click on "Washington Audio" underneath "Husky Hype." Computers must be equipped with a Real Player, which can be downloaded free of charge at www.real.com.
UW Radio & Television Games
Feb. 20, 4 p.m. at Florida: Sunshine TV Network
Mar. 5, 6 p.m. vs. Auburn: KSRB-AM 1150
Mar. 6, 2 p.m. vs. Pacific: KSRB-AM 1150
Mar. 6, 6 p.m. vs. Santa Clara: KSRB-AM 1150
Mar. 7, 9 a.m. vs. Illinois State: KSRB-AM 1150
Mar. 7, 11 a.m. vs. Northwestern: KSRB-AM 1150
Mar. 27, 11 a.m. vs. Stanford (1st): KSRB-AM 1150
Apr. 3, Noon vs. UCLA (1st): Fox Sports Net
Apr. 18, 1 p.m. at Oregon (1st): Fox Sports Northwest
Apr. 18, 1 p.m. at Oregon (DH): KSRB-AM 1150
May 1, 11 a.m. vs. Oregon State (1st): KSRB-AM 1150
May 7, 6 p.m. at Arizona State (1st): Cox Comm. (regional TV)
May 15, 1 p.m. at UCLA (1st): Internet broadcast, UCLA site
May 20, 3 p.m. vs. Colgate (NCAA regionals): KSRB-AM 1150
May 21, TBD TBD (NCAA regionals): KSRB-AM 1150
HUSKY RECORD BREAKDOWN
Overall: 44-17
Home: 13-5
Away: 10-8
Neutral: 21-4
Pac-10: 15-12
Non-Conference: 29-5
Top-25 On Day of Game: 24-15
Top-25 At Any Time In Season: 29-15
Versus NCAA Tournament Field: 24-15
One-Run Games: 8-10
Two-Run Games: 5-2
Current Streak: Won 1
Longest Win Streak: 9
Longest Loss Streak: 3
Shutouts: 27-5
In 5-6 Innings: 9-0
In Extra Innings: 1-4
Last Year Overall At This Time: 48-13
Day Games: 36-14
Night Games: 9-2
On Monday: 1-0
On Tuesday: 4-0
On Wednesday: 1-0
On Thursday: 2-0
On Friday: 13-1
On Saturday: 15-10
On Sunday: 8-6
SCORING BY INNING
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 EX TOT
UW 55 27 29 45 29 39 27 3 5 259
OPP 13 8 9 20 21 8 4 3 8 94
UW RECORDS WATCH
INDIVIDUAL
Wins
(1) 27, Jennifer Spediacci, 1998
1999 24, Jamie Graves
Strikeouts
1999 215, Jennifer Spediacci (5/15/99)
CAREER--PITCHING
ERA
(1) 1.25, Heather Meyer, 1995-96
(2) 1.30, Jennifer Spediacci, 1997-cur.
(3) 1.37, Jamie Graves, 1997-cur.
Strikeouts
(1) 543, Jennifer Spediacci, 1997-cur. (4/16/99)
SEASON--HITTING
Batting Average
(1) .472, Angie Marzetta, 1993
1999 .459, Becky Newbry
Hits
(1) 94, Angie Marzetta, 1993
1999 85, Becky Newbry
Triples
(1) 6, Michelle Church, 1994
1999 5, Becky Newbry
Sacrifice Hits
(1) 12, Kelly Hauxhurst, 1999
Slugging Percentage
(1) .690, Sara Pickering, 1997
1999 .643, Becky Newbry
On-Base Percentage
(1) .524, Jennifer Cline, 1993
1999 .519, Becky Newbry
CAREER--HITTING
Runs
(1) 188, Sara Pickering, 1994-97
1999 178, Becky Newbry (133)
Triples
(1) 16, Becky Newbry, 1996-cur.
SEASON--PITCHING
ERA
(1) 1.24, 1998
1999 0.90
Shutouts
(1) 28, 1995, 1998
1999 27
Innings Pitched
(1) 471.1, 1995
(1999) 413.2
Runs
(1) 103, 1998
1999 94
Runs/7 Innings
(1) 1.63, 1998
1999 1.59
Hits/7 Innings
(1) 4.53, 1998
1999 4.59
Doubles
(1) 39, 1994
1999 30
Strikeouts
(1) 365, 1998
1999 361
Strikeouts/7 Innings
(1) 5.78, 1998
1999 6.12
Walks
(1) 81, 1998
1999 67
Batting Average Against
(1) .182, 1998
1999 .183
Slugging Percentage Against
(1) .238, 1998
1999 .236
SEASON--HITTING
Sacrifice Hits
(1) 58, 1999
SEASON--PITCHING ERA
(1) 1.15, Jennifer Spediacci, 1998
1999 0.84, Jamie Graves
1999 0.98, Jennifer Spediacci
TEAM
INDIVIDUAL HUSKY HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1999 SEASON
1 Becky Simpson, Fr., OF - has 39 appearances, including 33 as a PR...has 11 runs and one stolen base.
4 Melissa Downs, Jr., 1B - 3rd on team in BA (.308), RBI (24), F% and multi-hit games (16)...all-Pac-10 hm... collected a hit in 18 of first 21 games, ending stretch with .459 average...3
5 Christie Rosenblad, So., 2B - hitting .252 overall and .262 in Pac-10; anchors 2B with a .960 F%; has 9 runs; 1 HR
6 Jamie Graves, Jr., P - 0.84 ERA ranks 1st in Pac-10, 9th in nation and would school record; first-team all- Pac-10 and all-Pacific Region; 24-9 record; handed UCLA 1st loss of season; just 16 walks in 184.2 IP; had 18.1 straight scoreless IP in the midst of 38 consecutive innings without an earned run
7 Kim DePaul, So., 3B - has started every game since her arrival, mostly at 3B; played 13 in RF and 1 at 2B this season; .289 BA; leads team in HBP with 9, needing just 2 for the school record; leads UW in HR (7) and is 2nd in RBI (35), 2B (14) and BB (25)
9 Becky Newbry, Sr., RF - saved best year for her last; leads UW in most offensive categories: BA (.459), RBI (48), H (85), 2B (15), SB (23), slug% (.643), OB% (.519); consummate utility player, earning All-America honors twice while playing every position in the field but pitcher in her career; has a hit in all but 11 games this year; first-team all-Pac-10 and all-Pacific Region; broke school record in career triples (16) and honing in on the season hits and career runs records.
10 Rosie Leutzinger, Jr., SS - has started every game at SS; leads team in R (47), SB (23); 2nd in H (57); second team all-Pac-10 and all-Pacific Region hm; tied for 4th on UW career SB list (79); hitting .302 in leadoff spot
11 Jeanine Giordano, Sr., C - defensive leader on team; helping UW lead Pac-10 in throwing out base thieves; has just one error all season; started all 58 games she has played
14 Erin Helgeland, Jr., CF - has 17 R and 12 RBI; had 5-game hitting streak late in season; batting .203
15 Jessica Bork, Fr., OF - played in 29 games, mostly as pinch runner; has 5 runs and 3 SB
16 Shannon Walsh, Fr., P - has pitched just 3.1 innings; has 102 AB as DH; 17 H, 12 RBI
18 Kelly Hauxhurst, So., LF - has perfect 1.000 F%; hitting .271 with 36 R; 13 of 18 RBI came with two outs; 14 SB
20 Jenn Sumsky, Fr., IF - has played 14 games, mostly as PR or PH; has 2 R; 3-for-13 from plate
21 Bridget Wilcox, Fr., P - 1.06 ERA in 26.1 IP; 17 SO; picked up win vs. Portland State on Mar. 5
23 Jennifer Spediacci, Jr., P - 0.98 ERA is second in Pac-10, 20th in nation; leads Pac-10 in opp. BA (.144); established new UW strikeout records this year for season (215) and career (543); pitched 43 straight innings without an earned run; first-team all-Pac-10; two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week in 1999
31 Jenny Topping, Fr., RS - tore ACL Feb. 19 vs. Michigan; out for season; had 3 HR in 1st 5 collegiate games
