St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Softball Opens BIG EAST Play This Weekend
3/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 20, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's softball team (8-9) opens BIG EAST play this weekend as the squad travels to Chicago and South Bend. The Red Storm takes on No. 21/24 DePaul in doubleheader on Saturday at noon (CST) and plays two games against Notre Dame on Sunday at 11 a.m.
• Live stats will be available for the DePaul tilt at depaulbluedemons.com and at und.com for St. John's doubleheader vs. Notre Dame. Live video will also be available Red Storm-Irish matchup at their website.
• St. John's trails the all-time series with DePaul 11-1, and with Notre Dame 26-0. The Red Storm was topped by the Blue Demons last season, 2-1 and 4-0. Notre Dame outscored St. John's in 2008, 5-0 and 8-4.
• Senior slugger Roxy Struble continues to lead the Red Storm offense, pacing the team in batting average (.382), hits (21), doubles (6), home runs (2), RBI (12), total bases (33) and slugging percentage (.600). Struble was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on March 16 for the third time this season.
• St. John's pitching boasts 13 complete games and four shutouts in 17 games this season. The staff has struck out 164 batters in just 113.1 innings. Sophomore Linzee Sumrall set a new career-high with 16 strikeouts in 6.0 innings against Utah and boasts a 1.42 ERA on the season.
STORM FRONT
• Sophomore leadoff hitter Chelsea Durning continues to be the sparkplug for the Red Storm offense. She leads St. John's in runs (10), walks (5), HBP (3) and on-base percentage (.456). Over the past week at the Hawai'i Spring Fling, Durning hit .353 (6-for-17) with two runs.
• After transitioning to catcher after playing most of last season at third base, sophomore Kacee Cox is beginning to pick up where she left off last season. Cox, who was the team's offensive leader a season ago, has four runs, two doubles, a home run and 2 RBI in her past 10 games. The Simi Valley, Calif. native has also done a great job behind the plate, managing the pitching staff to a 2.30 ERA and 154 strikeouts in just 106.1 innings.
• Freshman Kristi Cady is proving to be a stalwart in the Red Storm lineup and in center, playing every game for St. John's this year. Cady's six doubles are tied for the team lead and her five stolen bases pace the squad. She is also second on the team with seven runs.
• Freshman shortstop Jenna Berger led the Red Storm with two RBI this past week in Honolulu. Classmate Rachel Paragas also had two RBI along with her first career home run vs. Radford.
• Senior Melissa Pilley made three starts and four appearances at the Hawai'i Spring fling. The outfielder hit .375 (3-for-8) and drove in her first-career RBI which proved to be the game-winner vs. Wisconsin.
• Junior transfer Stacia Dopudja has settled into the five spot in the Red Storm lineup. The Southeast Missouri State transfer has four runs, four doubles, a home run and five RBI for St. John's this year.
• Sumrall has a 1.42 ERA on the season with 84 strikeouts in 54.1 innings this season. Classmate Kat Lawrence has kept up in the K department, striking out 76 batters in 56.0 innings in 10 appearances this year.
SCOUTING DE PAUL
• The DePaul Blue Demons are 11-7 on the season after going 51-28 a year ago and 16-6 in the BIG EAST Conference.
• DePaul is led by head coach Eugene Lenti who is 983-480-6 in 27 seasons with the Blue Demons.
• 14 letterwinners return from last year's team along with eight starters and all three pitchers.
• Blue Demons is batting .299 as a team and has a team ERA of 2.62.
• Senior third baseman Amber Patton leads DePaul with a .438 batting average in 18 games and has 18 runs, a double, two triples and seven RBI and four stolen bases this year.
• Senior catcher Jackie Tarulli-Fisher paces the Blue Demons with five home runs and 20 RBI to go along with a .339 batting average.
• Junior Becca Heteniak is batting .400 through 18 games and leads with 20 RBI. Heteniak is also the team's ace, leading the squad with a 2.38 ERA in 12 starts and 61 strikeouts in 61.2 innings.
• Sophomore Lindsay Dean has a 2.75 ERA and 6-2 record for DePaul.
SCOUTING NOTRE DAME
• The Notre Dame Fighting Irish is 10-10 this year after going 38-22-1 last season, and 14-8 in-conference.
• The Irish is led by head coach Deanna Gumpf and is 289-136-1 in seven years at the helm of the team.
• ND returns 14 letterwinners, seven starters and both pitchers from last year's squad.
• Notre Dame is batting .270 as a team and has a team ERA of 2.21.
• Sophomore Sadie Pitzenberger paces the Irish with a .354 batting average in 20 starts along with nine runs, two doubles and four RBI.
• Junior infielder Christine Lux leads Notre Dame with five doubles, four home runs and 16 RBI in 52 at-bats.
• Senior Brittney Bargar is 7-5 on the season and boasts a 1.38 ERA with 58 strikeouts in 81.0 innings.
• Sophomore Jody Valdivia has three wins, four complete games and 42 strikeouts in 42.1 innings over nine starts.
ON DECK
St. John's returns home on March 25th to Red Storm Field in Queens, when the squad takes on Rider. The Broncs and Red Storm will play two games starting at 3 p.m.
