Bowling Green State University Athletics
Wednesday, April 28
Notre Dame, Ind.
3:00 p.m.
Bowling Green State University
at
#25 Notre Dame
Falcons Set To Face Notre Dame Wednesday
April 27, 2010 | Softball
Complete Game Notes (.pdf)
Bowling Green, Ohio - The Bowling Green softball team hits the road for the final non-conference games of the season -- a doubleheader at Notre Dame Wednesday beginning at 3 p.m. The games were originally scheduled for April 7 but were postponed due to inclement weather. The Falcons will attempt to snap a seven-game non-conference losing streak dating back to a 3-0 win over Dartmouth at the Buzz Classic March 5. Bowling Green hit .292 during the past weekend but the Falcons have struggled to score outside of MAC play, posting a total of just seven runs in the last seven non-conference games.
Scouting the Competition
At 38-9 on the season, Notre Dame is ranked No. 23 in the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 poll dated April 20 and No. 25 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Division I poll dated April 27. The team has won four consecutive games in just five innings, including a three-game sweep of Villanova this weekend. They are 5-0 against the MAC this year, scoring at least eight runs in each contest.
The Irish rank third in the country in batting average at .342 and third in fielding percentage as well at .978.
Pitcher Jody Valdivia has put together one of the most impressive performances in the country this year, leading the country in wins (30-4), ranking second in shutouts (15), and posting 229 strikeouts.
Notre Dame's top seven batters all hit at least .325, led by Sadie Pitzenberger at .385. The Irish have scored 299 runs and allowed just 108.
Head Coach Deanna Gumpf is in her ninth season at the helm of the Irish and has been named Big East Coach of the Year twice, leading the team to four conference titles. Her career record is 370-162-1.
The two programs have met 15 times previously and Notre Dame holds a 9-6 edge in the series. When the teams last met, in 2006, the Irish pulled out a 1-0, 11-inning victory.
Last Time Out
Bowling Green hit .292 in four games on the weekend but the Falcons went 0-4 with a pair of losses to Ball State and Miami. On Friday, BGSU struggled on the mound and lost 17-4 and 12-3 to the Cardinals. The Falcons were better on the hill Saturday and Sunday but struggled to push runners across in 6-3 and 3-2 losses to the RedHawks. Freshman Paige Berger hit her 10th and 11th home runs of the season against Ball State, tying the single season school record set by current assistant coach Hayley Wiemer. In all, the Falcons hit five homers on the weekend and they all came off the bats of freshman -- two each from Berger and Hannah Fulk and one from Adrienne Dick.
FRESH FACES AT THE DISH
For much of the season, Bowling Green's offense has revolved around freshmen. In fact, 18 of the team's 23 homers have come from players who are putting on a collegiate uniform for the first time this year. Paige Berger leads the way with 11 bombs, but Hannah Fulk has added four, Adrienne Dick has two, and Andrea Arney has one. Of the team's 52 extra base hits, 32 have come from freshmen.
RECORDS ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN
Freshman Paige Berger has an opportunity to place her name among the single season all-time leaders in five different statistical categories. She is already tied for the single season record with 11 homers and her .851 slugging percentage is on pace to obliterate the program record of .746. She is also on pace to move into the top 10 in batting average, RBI, and walks.
FULK'S NOT FAR BEHIND
Freshman Hannah Fulk also has a chance to work her way into the record book as she is on pace to finish in the top 15 single season leaders in four statistical categories. With nine doubles, four homers, a .578 slugging percentage, and a team-best 16 walks, she could rank among the best Falcons ever in each of those stats.
NICE OF YOU TO STOP BY
After playing the first 15 games of the season on the road, the Bowling Green softball team finally settled down at Meserve Softball Field for the home opener on April 2. Over the next 16 days, the Falcons played 10 home games, winning six times. But April 18 was the last chance for Falcon fans to see the softball team play at home as the team hit the road for the final 14 games of the regular season, including 12 MAC road games in a row to conclude the year.
THE AWARDS KEEP PILING UP
Zada Lines and Paige Berger swept the weekly MAC awards on April 13, being named Pitcher and Player of the Week. Lines went 2-0 against Toledo and popped her first homer of the season. Berger hit .750 during the series, including a home run to help the Falcons to the sweep.
Earlier in the season, Melissa Bott was named MAC Scholar-Athlete of the Week for her performance from March 29 through April 4. She had a 0.93 ERA in 15 innings that week, going 2-1 with 10 scoreless innings on the mound in the team's sweep of Central Michigan. She has a 3.75 grade point average in middle childhood education.
Even earlier than that, freshman Hannah Fulk was named MAC Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after leading the team to a 2-2 record at the Red and Black Classic in Athena, Ga. She had three doubles and her first career home run on the week to bat .500 with an 1.100 slugging percentage. She also went 2-for-2 on the basepaths and walked five times.
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