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Bowling Green State University Athletics
Softball Gears Up For Season-Opening Tourney March 3-5
February 21, 2000 | Softball
Feb. 21, 2000
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio - UP NEXT: The Bowling Green State University softball team will open the 2000 season next weekend. The Falcons will be competing at the Golden Panther Invitational on March 3-5. The tournament, hosted by Florida International University, will be held in Miami, Fla. BGSU will face Eastern Michigan, Robert Morris and Wichita State, in addition to the host school, before entering consolation or championship bracket play on the tourney's final day.
Following that tournament, the Falcons will play a series of games over the next week, with opponents including Buffalo, Boston University, North Carolina A&T, Stetson and arch-rival Toledo.
THE RECORDS: The Falcons ended the 1999 season with a 21-27 record. BGSU qualified for the MAC Tournament for the second consecutive year.
The Falcons finished MAC action with a 15-11 league mark, good for second place in the East Division. BG, after beginning the conference schedule with a 4-7 record, won 11 of the final 15 MAC contests.
Eastern Michigan went 31-26 last year, and finished third in the MAC's West Division with a 16-11 league mark.
Florida International, competing as an independent, finished 27-32 in 1999. FIU is in the Sun Belt Conference this year.
Robert Morris went 22-23-1 overall and finished second in the Northeast Conference with a 13-5 record.
Wichita State went 21-38 a year ago, finishing eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 6-10 league mark.
THE COACHES: BGSU's Leigh Ross-Shaw begins her second season as a collegiate head coach. She assumed the top job after two years as BG's assistant coach. The Ottawa Lake, Mich., native came to the Falcon program in 1996 after serving as the head coach at Notre Dame Academy for four seasons. Ross-Shaw, a 1992 graduate of the University of Toledo, still holds numerous UT and MAC records, and remains the all-time conference leader in batting average (.398), at-bats and hits. She set a MAC record by hitting .447 as a senior en route to All-America Second-Team honors.
Amy Kyler starts her second season as Ross-Shaw's assistant. Kyler, quite possibly the top pitcher in Cleveland State history, graduated from CSU in 1997. She played professionally with the Carolina Diamonds of the Women's Pro Softball League for two years before joining the expansion Akron Racers for the 1999 campaign. Bobbie Molyneux is in her first year as a volunteer assistant with the Falcon softball squad.
EMU's Nancy Oestrike is 54-110 in three years at the helm of the Eagles. She has a record of 104-148-2 in her sixth year as a collegiate head coach.
FIU's Kim Gwydir is 51-60 in two years at the school and 167-129 in six years overall.
RMC's Craig Coleman is 239-177-2 in nine years, all with the Colonials.
WSU's Judy Favor is in her first season at the school, and has an overall coaching record of 276-87 in her eighth year.
THE SERIES: The Falcons lead the all-time series with Eastern Michigan, 35-26. The Eagles, however, won both meetings last season, with a 6-1 win in Ypsilanti (April 9) in the regular season breaking an 11-game BG winning streak in the series. In the MAC Tournament, the Eagles downed BG, 1-0.
BGSU won the only previous meeting with Wichita State, a 3-2 decision in a 1986 tourney at Northern Iowa.
The Falcons and Robert Morris split a pair of games in 1995, with BG winning a 4-2 game and RMC coming back to take a 10-2 decision. Both games were played in Columbus, Ohio.
The Falcons have never met Florida International in softball.
MAC PRESEASON POLL: In the Mid-American Conference preseason poll, the Falcons were tabbed to finish fourth in the East Division. Ballots were cast by each of the 12 softball head coaches, with a first-place vote worth six points, a second-place vote worth five, etc. BGSU was chosen to win the East Division by one of the league's coaches. BGSU also was picked to finish fourth by the league coaches in last year's preseason poll.
East Division (FPV) Points 1. Kent (7) 66 2. Ohio (3) 48 3. Akron (1) 47 4. Bowling Green (1) 38 5. Miami 35 6. Marshall 18West Division (FPV) Points 1. Central Mich. (8) 67 2. Northern Ill. (4) 64 3. Ball State 38 4. Eastern Michigan 36 5. Western Michigan 31 6. Toledo 16 FPV - first-place votes CMU was picked to win MAC Tournament
BEST YEAR IN A WHILE: The Falcons finished the 1999 MAC schedule with a 15-11 record, good for a winning percentage of .577. That was the highest success rate in league play since the 1993 team went 26-9 (.743) and won the league crown.
BG's overall winning percentage was .438 (21-27), the school's best since that 1993 squad went 34-18 (.654).
ROUND-TRIPPIN': Entering the 1999 season, the BGSU single-season record for homers was eight. Last year's edition of the Falcons obliterated that mark by hitting 19 round-trippers. In fact, the 1999 team had an eight-game span in which the team hit eight homers.
SEASON OUTLOOK: "Changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes."
Sure, it's the title of a Jimmy Buffett song, but the aforementioned phrase also applies to the 2000 edition of the Bowling Green State University softball team.
After seeing the Falcons gradually move up in the Mid-American Conference standings in each of the last few years, head coach Leigh Ross-Shaw hopes that her players take a different view on making the MAC Tournament. Ross-Shaw, entering her second year in charge after two years as a BG assistant, has been a part of MAC Tournament-qualifying teams in each of the last two seasons.
This spring, however, she wants her squad to view reaching the league tourney not as the final goal, but as a step along the way to a higher goal.
"We've talked about that," Ross-Shaw said. "Last year, it was kind of like once we got to the MAC Tournament, that was good enough. We didn't think, `hey, we could win this.' And, I think it takes time to develop that kind of mentality, but our team feels now that it isn't enough just to get to the league tournament anymore."
The Brown and Orange went 21-27 overall last year, once again playing a tough non-conference schedule. When conference play rolled around, the Falcons went 15-11 and were in contention for the East Division title until the final weekend before finishing second.
BGSU had great success offensively in 1999, hitting .262 as a team and shattering the school record for home runs. The Falcons' 19 round-trippers smashed the previous school seasonal mark of five.
Ross-Shaw welcomes back six of last year's top-eight hitters, including the top-four, but the pitching staff is another story. All-MAC performer Garrett Gholston, a workhorse over the past few years, is gone, as is Amy Hamilton, who was the number-two starter for most of her career.
The returning hurlers combined to throw just 13 percent of the innings last spring (41 of 317), and the three returnees - all sophomores - threw only 20 innings as a group in MAC action.
The coaching staff of Ross-Shaw and Amy Kyler, a professional pitcher with the Akron Racers, recognize that pitching may be the biggest unknown facing the squad this year.
"When we started fall practice, our biggest question mark was, `how will our pitchers do?'" said Ross-Shaw. "We were really impressed with them in the fall, though.
They have worked hard, thrown more than our pitchers have ever thrown, and have had a great deal of one-on-one coaching. They each have a strong pitch, and they can hit their spots. So, I think we're going to surprise a lot of people with our pitching. They have a lot of raw power and raw talent, they just haven't been through a lot of situations."
The likely ace of the youthful staff is Jessie Milosek. The sophomore has the most experience on the staff, and showed flashes of greatness last year. Milosek spun a one-hitter at Cleveland State last April, but was the hard-luck loser in that game.
Sophomores Andrea Genter and Rebekah Tipton also return. Genter was used solely in relief last year, while Tipton's two starts included one at Central Michigan.
Freshman McKenna Houle also will figure into the mix.
"I can't say who would be our number-one, number-two, etc., right now," said Ross-Shaw. "Jessie has the most experience, so we may go to her early on, but they all have their strengths.
"McKenna has really come in with a bang. She throws just as hard as Jessie. Genter has got good movement, and will form a great combination with either Jessie or McKenna. Rebekah is certainly going to get her time, too.
"They are all going to get their chances, because they will all be here for at least the next three years."
Ross-Shaw has the luxury of two solid catchers to guide the youthful hurlers. Fifth-year senior Colleen Bates and sophomore Holly Frantz each should see time under the mask.
Bates, after an all-league campaign in 1998, struggled somewhat last year by her standards, but still had a solid season. She had a game-ending homer vs. Marshall, and recorded a .973 fielding percentage on the year.
"Bates and Frantz will split time," said the coach. "Bates is a fantastic shortstop, head-and-shoulders above a lot of the shortstops in this league, so she'll be getting a lot of time there.
"Holly is a solid outfielder as well, so they will probably each catch one game of a doubleheader, and play at their other spot in the other game. They're both very versatile players."
In the infield, an all-league player has moved to a new position, while two other players with All-MAC caliber could fight it out for another spot.
Junior Angie Domschot, coming off a stellar season which saw her lead the team in a plethora of categories, has made the transition from shortstop to second base. Domschot hit a team-best .356 last spring, and had a .558 slugging percentage and 27 runs batted in as a leadoff hitter.
"Angie did a great job at short last year, but she's more comfortable at second," said Ross-Shaw. "You can just tell, by watching her, that she sees the field better from that spot. It's almost like she knows the game better from that side of the field. She's going to do a great job."
Freshman Liz Tuza, the latest in the pipeline of graduates from Toledo's Notre Dame Academy, will back Domschot. Tuza is a solid hitter, according to Ross-Shaw, and could get a number of pinch-hitting chances.
At third base, a pair of solid players will battle it out. Senior Erin Zwinck has been hampered by injuries over the last year, but still hit .336 to place third on the team a year ago. Junior Lynsey Ebel hit .301 and tied the school record with five homers in 1999. Ebel became the team's regular second baseman midway through the conference schedule last year, but will move back to her natural position.
"We've got a real dilemma at third," said Ross-Shaw. "Both players will get time, with the huge bats they carry. Zwinck is coming off of shoulder surgery, so we may have to wait and see with her.
"Lynsey Ebel has really come on. She is such a solid player, and I can't wait to see her play this year. She feels like she can be in charge out there, and it's the same thing with Zwinck.
"Believe me, they're both going to be in the lineup."
Sophomore Mandy Aurand, a transfer from Kent, will be a backup primarily at third, but could play several infield spots.
At shortstop, freshman Libby Voshell could see extended time. A high-school teammate of Milosek in Brighton, Mich., Voshell will likely split time with Bates, with walk-on Jessica Jenkins seeing spot duty at both short and second.
"This could be the year we have a true freshman starting at shortstop," said Ross-Shaw. "Libby has really been doing a great job. She's the type of player that makes you say, `wow, that kid is smooth.' She has great range, a great arm and a good bat.
"Jess Jenkins has great tools, too. She will eventually have a spot - that's how confident I feel about her."
At first base, junior Nikki Rouhana is finally healthy after battling a hamstring injury much of last season. Sophomore Natalie Phillips also will vy for time at first.
"`Ro' is now completely healed," said Ross-Shaw. "She is a solid first baseman. She's a great infield leader, communicates well, and has a great arm.
"Natalie really impressed me in the fall. She did everything right. We are going to be asking both of them to come up with big plays this year, and I've got every confidence in both of them."
A bevy of players are battling for the three outfield spots. Senior Carmen Hitterdal and junior Jen Domschot may have the inside track on forming two-thirds of the lineup.
Hitterdal looks to be the starter in center for the third consecutive year. She led the team in stolen bases and sacrifice hits last year, and was a solid number-two hitter in the lineup.
Jen Domschot primarily played right field, but saw some time at first base, and may see spot duty there, as well as in left. Despite missing two weeks of the '99 campaign due to injury, she hit .349 - second-best on the team behind her twin sister - and earned All-MAC Second-Team honors.
Frantz is a contender for an outfield spot, as is junior Morgan LaNicca and sophomore Renee Rosemeier. A pair of freshmen, Kandice Machain and Crystal Wilson, also figure into the outfield mix.
"I need to find the three strongest outfielders with the three best bats," said Ross-Shaw. "We've got a very young outfield, and I need to see how everything shakes out."
The Falcons have a daunting non-conference schedule once again. BG will play in tournaments at Florida International and Virginia, and also will play a series of games at the Walt Disney Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida. Non-league tilts with Wright State, Oakland, Dayton, Detroit and Cleveland State also dot the schedule.
In league play, the new scheduling format sees division rivals Kent and Akron coming to BG for three games each. The Falcons will play three games at both Marshall and Ohio, and will play home-and-home twinbills with travel partner Miami. BG will play two games apiece against four West Division foes.
For Ross-Shaw, it all comes back to her young kids getting experience and the older players continuing to progress and develop team chemistry.
"We've been working on the basics," she said. "We want to improve our defense, and we want to be prepared for any situation.
"In the past, when Garrett wasn't on the mound - or Jennifer Wolf before her - they were sometimes afraid out there. In the fall, though, they realized that they still had a job to do, no matter who was on the mound. They have an understanding now that, `this is my pitcher, and I need to make the plays no matter what,' and that is going to help us in the long run.
"A lot of these kids are new to the lineup, or new in terms of playing next to each other. We've got new kids at short, at second, in the outfield, at pitcher, basically almost all the way around. But, they've got their confidence back, and they have that mentality now.
"They know that they have the ability to not only go to the MAC Tournament, but to maybe win a game, two games, or more. And, that's a great thing."
So, time will tell if the change in the Falcons' attitudes will result in positive changes in latitudes. If that is the case, BG players and fans alike could be singing a happy tune come tourney time.
FALCON QUICK FACTS
UP NEXT BGSU at FIU Golden Panther Invite March 3-5 * Miami, Fla. March 3 * vs. Eastern Michigan * 1:00 p.m. * at Florida Int'l * 3:00 p.m. March 4 * vs. Wichita State * 9:00 a.m. * vs. Robert Morris * 11:00 a.m. March 5 * Cons./Champ. Bracket Play1999 BGSU FINAL RECORDS Overall: 21-27 Mid-American Conference: 15-11 Finish: Second in East Division MAC Tournament Record: 0-2
HEAD COACH - Leigh Ross-Shaw (Toledo, 1992) BGSU Record: 21-27 (one year) Overall Record: 21-27 (one year)
1999 MAC STANDINGS East Division Team (Overall)_______________MAC Kent (34-18)_______________20- 8 Bowling Green (21-27)______15-11 Akron (27-28)______________13-13 Ohio (27-34)_______________13-14 Marshall (24-28)____________8-17 Miami (15-36)_______________8-17
West Division Northern Illinois (35-19)__22- 4 Central Michigan (41-18) $_20- 8 Eastern Michigan (31-26)___16-11 Western Michigan (17-29)____9-17 Ball State (22-38)__________8-18 Toledo (17-37)______________7-21 $ MAC Tournament Champion
BOWLING GREEN RECORDS All-Time: 456-525-8 (.465) (1978-present / 22 seasons) MAC: 220-207-1 (.515) (1983-present / 17 seasons)
