University of Minnesota Athletics
2002 Softball Season Outlook
1/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Softball
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Minnesota boasts two of the most dominant pitchers in school history in junior Angie Recknor and sophomore Piper Marten. The two stand atop virtually every single-season school mark, including games pitched, innings pitched, strikeouts and complete games. The two have also posted two of the program's top five all- time single-season win marks.
After a superb initial season with a school record 227 strikeouts, Recknor posted a sparkling 0.99 earned run average in 2001, while posting double digit wins for the second consecutive season. The left-handed fireballer expects to once again be among the Big Ten Conference's elite.
Recknor is already third all-time in strikeouts in school history with 341 after two seasons. The junior is just 187 K's behind school record holder Jennifer Johnson (528, 1993- 97).
Marten followed Recknor's record setting season with one of her own. In her first year in Maroon and Gold, Marten earned third-team All-Big Ten accolades posting a 23-11 mark, eclipsing Recknor's school record with 249 strikeouts.
Marten posted a 0.80 ERA in 2001, which currently leads the career mark at Minnesota (minimum 100 IP). The sophomore also had a .250 batting average, while striking out just three times in 92 at bats.
< td>Sophmore Piper Marten
The Minnesota pitching staff had an ERA of 1.01 last season, which ranked 10th in the NCAA.
Co-head coaches Lisa Bernstein and Julie Standering welcome back one of the most prolific home run hitters in conference history. Junior Jordanne Nygren, who red-shirted in 2001, will move from second base, where she was an all-conference performer in 2000, to right field this season.
The power hitting Nygren had two of the top three home run seasons in school history smashing 14 round-trippers in each of her two previous seasons at Minnesota. She joins Shannon Beeler (43) as the only two Golden Gophers with more than 20 career home runs.
Nygren's move to the outfield will slide first-team All-Big Ten performer Tammi Hays to left field, while returning starter Veronica Roberts will patrol center.
Hays, a senior, led the Golden Gophers with a .331 batting average in 2001. She also led Gold Country with a .413 on-base percentage, 37 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.
The 22 swipes, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten last season, moved Hays into fifth all-time in school history with 61, just 20 behind Mischel Doerr's school record set in 1993.
Roberts will use her outstanding speed not only in the field, but on the base paths as well. The junior led the conference last season with four triples, after hitting five in her first season.
< td>Senior Tammi Hays</ a>
| < img src="/fls/8400/images/wsoftball/Hays1B.jpg" align=right border=2 hspace=10 vspace=10> |
Nichols will move to second to make room for outstanding first-year player Erin Wallace. Wallace was a four-time all- conference selection at Alisa Niguel in Laguna Niguel, California. Wallace has a tremendous arm and plays more like a senior with great instincts for the game.
Allie Fisk</ a> returns after starting all 59 games last season for Minnesota at third base. The junior led the Big Ten with 29 sacrifice bunts and tied for second on the team with 19 runs scored. Fisk will be challenged for the starting position by newcomer Rachel Keeney.
Keeney is an all-around athlete earning all-conference honors in softball, basketball and tennis at Burnsville High School. She has the ability to play any infield position and will be a key element at the plate.
The infield will be rounded out by Hailee Nanchy at first base, with Recknor spelling her occasionally when not on the mound. Nanchy was fifth in the conference in both defensive chances (460) and putouts (431), while posting a .991 fielding percentage. Nanchy, who started all 59 games last season for Minnesota, also hit .230, while driving in 17 RBI.
Meghan Smith will return behind the plate to direct one of the most solid defenses in the conference. The senior catcher has started 145 games in her career and was second for the Gophers with 460 chances and 374 putouts in 2001, while throwing out 13 baserunners. Smith did not commit an error until the 15th game of the 2001 season.
Smith will share the catching duties with fellow senior Christine Lindberg. Lindberg has good power, posting a .400 slugging percentage last season. She was third on the team last year with two home runs, including a three-run blast in her first at- bat.
Anne Thul</ a> was called upon last season to handle the hitting duties as the Gopher designated player. She earned third-team All-Big Ten honors with a .225 batting average in 80 at-bats.< P>
< td>Senior Christine Lindberg</ tr>
The Gopher bench will be deep in talent with returnee Kelley Palkovich, along with newcomers Kolu Paye and Christina Zimmerman.
Minnesota will open its season with the IronKids Bread Softball Classic for the fifth consecutive year after claiming the title in 2001. The Golden Gophers will host Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Wisconsin-Green Bay and UMKC from Feb. 7-10 in downtown Minneapolis.
The Golden Gophers will then travel to Raleigh, N.C. for the Triangle Classic, Feb. 15-17, followed by the Worth Classic in Fullerton, Calif., March 1-3. Minnesota will spend the following two weeks of March in Florida, playing in the Florida State and Florida Atlantic Tournaments, along with match-ups versus Florida Atlantic and Florida International, before returning home for Big Ten action.
The Golden Gophers will host 13 games at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium, including 10 conference tilts, before six teams are invited to the Big Ten Tournament at the site of the regular season champion, May 9-11. From May 16-19, 48 selected teams will play in the 2002 NCAA Championships. The final eight will head to Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series May 22-28 at Don E. Porter Stadium.
< td>Junior Angie Recknor
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Minnesota boasts two of the most dominant pitchers in school history in junior Angie Recknor and sophomore Piper Marten. The two stand atop virtually every single-season school mark, including games pitched, innings pitched, strikeouts and complete games. The two have also posted two of the program's top five all- time single-season win marks.
After a superb initial season with a school record 227 strikeouts, Recknor posted a sparkling 0.99 earned run average in 2001, while posting double digit wins for the second consecutive season. The left-handed fireballer expects to once again be among the Big Ten Conference's elite.
Recknor is already third all-time in strikeouts in school history with 341 after two seasons. The junior is just 187 K's behind school record holder Jennifer Johnson (528, 1993- 97).
Marten followed Recknor's record setting season with one of her own. In her first year in Maroon and Gold, Marten earned third-team All-Big Ten accolades posting a 23-11 mark, eclipsing Recknor's school record with 249 strikeouts.
Marten posted a 0.80 ERA in 2001, which currently leads the career mark at Minnesota (minimum 100 IP). The sophomore also had a .250 batting average, while striking out just three times in 92 at bats.
< td>Sophmore Piper Marten
The Minnesota pitching staff had an ERA of 1.01 last season, which ranked 10th in the NCAA.
Co-head coaches Lisa Bernstein and Julie Standering welcome back one of the most prolific home run hitters in conference history. Junior Jordanne Nygren, who red-shirted in 2001, will move from second base, where she was an all-conference performer in 2000, to right field this season.
The power hitting Nygren had two of the top three home run seasons in school history smashing 14 round-trippers in each of her two previous seasons at Minnesota. She joins Shannon Beeler (43) as the only two Golden Gophers with more than 20 career home runs.
Nygren's move to the outfield will slide first-team All-Big Ten performer Tammi Hays to left field, while returning starter Veronica Roberts will patrol center.
Hays, a senior, led the Golden Gophers with a .331 batting average in 2001. She also led Gold Country with a .413 on-base percentage, 37 runs scored and 22 stolen bases.
The 22 swipes, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten last season, moved Hays into fifth all-time in school history with 61, just 20 behind Mischel Doerr's school record set in 1993.
Roberts will use her outstanding speed not only in the field, but on the base paths as well. The junior led the conference last season with four triples, after hitting five in her first season.
< td>Senior Tammi Hays</ a>
| < img src="/fls/8400/images/wsoftball/Hays1B.jpg" align=right border=2 hspace=10 vspace=10> |
Nichols will move to second to make room for outstanding first-year player Erin Wallace. Wallace was a four-time all- conference selection at Alisa Niguel in Laguna Niguel, California. Wallace has a tremendous arm and plays more like a senior with great instincts for the game.
Allie Fisk</ a> returns after starting all 59 games last season for Minnesota at third base. The junior led the Big Ten with 29 sacrifice bunts and tied for second on the team with 19 runs scored. Fisk will be challenged for the starting position by newcomer Rachel Keeney.
Keeney is an all-around athlete earning all-conference honors in softball, basketball and tennis at Burnsville High School. She has the ability to play any infield position and will be a key element at the plate.
The infield will be rounded out by Hailee Nanchy at first base, with Recknor spelling her occasionally when not on the mound. Nanchy was fifth in the conference in both defensive chances (460) and putouts (431), while posting a .991 fielding percentage. Nanchy, who started all 59 games last season for Minnesota, also hit .230, while driving in 17 RBI.
Meghan Smith will return behind the plate to direct one of the most solid defenses in the conference. The senior catcher has started 145 games in her career and was second for the Gophers with 460 chances and 374 putouts in 2001, while throwing out 13 baserunners. Smith did not commit an error until the 15th game of the 2001 season.
Smith will share the catching duties with fellow senior Christine Lindberg. Lindberg has good power, posting a .400 slugging percentage last season. She was third on the team last year with two home runs, including a three-run blast in her first at- bat.
Anne Thul</ a> was called upon last season to handle the hitting duties as the Gopher designated player. She earned third-team All-Big Ten honors with a .225 batting average in 80 at-bats.< P>
< td>Senior Christine Lindberg</ tr>
The Gopher bench will be deep in talent with returnee Kelley Palkovich, along with newcomers Kolu Paye and Christina Zimmerman.
Minnesota will open its season with the IronKids Bread Softball Classic for the fifth consecutive year after claiming the title in 2001. The Golden Gophers will host Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Western Illinois, Wisconsin-Green Bay and UMKC from Feb. 7-10 in downtown Minneapolis.
The Golden Gophers will then travel to Raleigh, N.C. for the Triangle Classic, Feb. 15-17, followed by the Worth Classic in Fullerton, Calif., March 1-3. Minnesota will spend the following two weeks of March in Florida, playing in the Florida State and Florida Atlantic Tournaments, along with match-ups versus Florida Atlantic and Florida International, before returning home for Big Ten action.
The Golden Gophers will host 13 games at Jane Sage Cowles Stadium, including 10 conference tilts, before six teams are invited to the Big Ten Tournament at the site of the regular season champion, May 9-11. From May 16-19, 48 selected teams will play in the 2002 NCAA Championships. The final eight will head to Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series May 22-28 at Don E. Porter Stadium.
