Central Michigan University Athletics
Softball Heads To NCAA Tournament at UCLA
5/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 18, 2004
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- Sometimes you do get a second chance. The Central Michigan University softball team (32-17 overall, 21-3 Mid-American) has received an at-large bid to the NCAA Softball Championship's field of 64 teams giving it a second chance after falling in the Mid-American Conference Tournament with an 0-2 record last weekend in Akron, Ohio.
CMU heads to the Region 2 site at UCLA this Thursday through Sunday, May 20-23. The seventh-seeded Chippewas face No. 2 seeded Alabama (42-18) on Thursday, May 20 at 11:30 a.m. (PDT).
"I think it is awesome that we got an at-large selection," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "I think the key was us beating some highly ranked teams this season in Oklahoma and Washington and also victories over DePaul and Michigan State. Our regular season MAC record had a lot to do with it as well. It was a combination of our entire year that got us here. Getting an at-large bid is great for our program and our conference."
The regional is comprised of eight teams playing a double-elimination tournament. The winner receives a bid to the Women's College World Series, May 27-31, in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Also in the Chippewas' regional are No. 1 seed and defending national champion UCLA (39-9), No. 3 Long Beach State (48-11), No. 4 Louisville (40-17), No. 5 Missouri (27-24), No. 6 Cornell (39-11) and No. 8 Mississippi Valley State (31-13). UCLA is currently ranked fifth nationally in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches' Poll while Alabama comes in at No. 15 and Long Beach State No. 18.
Should CMU win its first game, its second game against the Long Beach State/Cornell winner will be televised nationally on ESPN on Friday, May 21, at noon PDT.
This marks the first time in the MAC's history that a conference school has received an at-large bid to the tournament.
CMU is making its 13th trip to the NCAA Championship. It marks the fifth appearance in the last six years after the Chippewas made four straight trips from 1999 to 2002. CMU made an appearance in the World Series in 1987.
The Maroon and Gold won the MAC regular season title with a 21-3 slate and its at-large bid credentials were boosted by a pair of victories over Top 10 ranked teams during the season, then No. 5 Oklahoma (3-2) and then No. 4 Washington (1-0).
"College athletics is all about the players and ours are so excited," Jonker said. "We're ready to do whatever it takes to take the next step. We know we need to pick up our game, especially after last weekend, but maybe that will help motivate us. We played emotionless in the MAC Tournament but I believe our emotion will be back this weekend. I asked the seniors at the selection show what we need to do to pick up our game and they said that making the tournament is all the team needs."
All of the Chippewas' games will be broadcast locally in Mount Pleasant on the radio. Afternoon games will air on WMMI-AM 830 with night games set for WCZY-FM 104.3.
 | Central Michigan in the NCAAs 1983 - at Columbia, S.C. (1-2) 1985 - at Fullerton, Calif. (0-2) 1986 - at Bloomington, Ind. (0-2) 1987 - at Mount Pleasant (2-1) 1991 - at Los Angeles, Calif. (0-2) 1994 - at Fresno, Calif. (0-2) 1996 - at Ann Arbor (1-2) 1997 - at Ann Arbor (3-2) 1999 - at Ann Arbor (0-2) 2000 - at Ann Arbor (2-2) 2001 - at Stanford, Calif. (1-2) 2002 - at Ann Arbor (1-2) |
Tournament History: The Chippewas are 11-23 all-time in the NCAA Tournament while making 12 previous trips. CMU earned NCAA Tournament berths in 1983, 1985, 1986, 1987 (World Series Appearance), 1991, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. It marks the second time CMU has been selected for a regional hosted by UCLA. CMU played there in 1991 and lost both games to the host Bruins, 4-0 and 5-0. Five of CMU's last six regional appearances have been in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the lone non-Michigan appearance the 2001 regional at Stanford. CMU has won at least one regional game in its last three NCAA Tournament appearances, including an opening-game win over No. 1 seeded Stanford (2-1, 13 innings) in 2000.
What's at Stake: The eight regional champions will head to the Women's College World Series, May 27-31, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. CMU made one appearance there in 1987 and the Chippewas went 1-2 for a fifth-place finish.
Scouting the Field:
No. 1 UCLA -- 39-9 Overall, 12-8 Pac-10 (At-Large Bid)
The No. 5-ranked Bruins are led by one of the country's top hitters, Caitlin Benyi. She is batting .388 with 13 doubles, 20 homers and 36 RBI. Keira Goerl is 23-7 in the circle with a 1.16 ERA and 215 strikeouts. UCLA is the defending national champion.
No. 2 Alabama -- 42-18 Overall, 18-12 SEC (At-Large Bid)
The Crimson Tide was bumped from the SEC Tournament after a pair of one-run losses. Alabama, ranked 15th nationally, is led by Jackie McClain's .406 batting average and 29 RBI. Stephanie VanBrakle has hit nine homers and driven in 39 runs. All three Alabama pitchers have at least 13 wins with VanBrakle sporting a 16-9 slate and 1.79 ERA.
No. 3 Long Beach State -- 48-11 Overall, 18-3 Big West (Automatic Bid)
The No. 18-ranked 49ers are led by Jamie Farnworth and her .345 batting average and 32 RBI. Two other players have driven in over 30 runs, including Arleigh Thorp and Colleen Burdick. Long Beach State has a balanced pitching staff with three 10-game winners, led by Meredith Cervenka's 19-5 slate with a 1.16 ERA.
No. 4 Louisville -- 40-17 Overall, 19-5 Conference USA (At-Large Bid)
The Cardinals have lost five straight entering the tournament, including two extra-inning games. Audrey Rendon is hitting .417 while Lacy Wood is batting .359 with eight homers and 38 RBI. Kady Garrick is 17-7 with a 1.74 ERA and Aja Sherman 15-6 with a 1.39 ERA.
No. 5 Missouri -- 27-24 Overall, 13-4 Big 12 (At-Large Bid)
The Tigers are making their 10th NCAA Tournament appearance. Head coach Ty Singleton and Missouri finished second in the Big 12 Tournament.
No. 6 Cornell -- 39-11 Overall, 12-4 Ivy League (Automatic Bid)
The Big Red have won 17 straight games, including taking a best-of-three playoff against Brown for the Ivy league championship. Lauren May is hitting .415 with 16 homers and 56 RBI. Sarah Sterman is 21-7 with a 1.66 ERA.
No. 8 Mississippi Valley State -- 31-13, Southwestern Athletic (Automatic Bid)
The Delta Devils earned the Southwestern Athletic Conference's automatic bid.
CMU Against the NCAA Field this Season: The Chippewas went 7-10 against the 64-team NCAA Tournament field this season. The wins came against DePaul (4-3), Oklahoma (3-2), Washington (1-0), Lehigh (2-0), Michigan State (3-0), Bowling Green (3-1) and Bowling Green (3-2). The losses were against UMass (1-0), Georgia (8-0), Oklahoma (8-2), Creighton (5-1), Texas A&M (7-0), Florida State (9-0), Michigan (4-0), Michigan (3-0), Bowling Green (4-3) and Bowling Green (3-0). CMU played five of the eight teams participating in the Georgia Regional this week.
At the Helm: Central Michigan University softball coach Margo Jonker is in her 25th season at the helm of the Chippewa softball program. She sports a career record of 864-464-5. Jonker has now led the Chippewas to 11 MAC titles, 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament and one appearance each in the NCAA Women's College World Series and the AIAW National Championships. She was an assistant coach for the gold-medal winning 2000 USA Olympic team. The Holland, Mich., native is a member of four Hall of Fames, including the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (inducted in 2003).
MAC Champions: The Chippewas' won their 11th MAC regular season title this year. The 11 MAC softball titles are the most in conference history. Toledo is the next closest with three championships. CMU's MAC title this year continues CMU's "ring tradition" at least three more years. Every four-year player in the history of Central Michigan University softball has earned at least one MAC championship ring. Current Chippewa senior Amber Puchalski now has three championship rings.
Puchalski MAC Pitcher of the Year: Chippewa senior Amber Puchalski was named Mid-American Conference "Pitcher of the Year" for the second time in her career. She was also tabbed as a freshman. Puchalski went 15-1 in MAC regular season play with a 0.96 ERA and 144 strikeouts. She led the MAC in wins, strikeouts and opponent batting average (.131) while ranking second in ERA.
More Notes and Numbers on Amber Puchalski:
* Puchalski's season high for strikeouts this season is 17 in an 11-inning game at Ball State. She fanned 16 in a regulation game at Kent State earlier in the year tying her career high for a seven-inning game.
* Puchalski is now 21-9 this season and of her nine losses, four are to teams who were ranked in the Top 10 at the time -- No. 6 Georgia, No. 5 Oklahoma, No. 5 Florida State and No. 9 Michigan. She tossed a shutout against then No. 4 Washington (1-0).
* Puchalski currently has 231 strikeouts this season, good for fourth in the CMU record book. She has four of the top five single season marks in school history.
* Puchalski has 33 career shutouts to tie Linda Pagett for the CMU career record. * Puchalski set the MAC career strikeout record earlier this season against Toledo. The old record of 842 was formerly held by Toledo's Tami Johnston (1984-87).
* Puchalski set the MAC career victories record earlier this season against Ball State. The old record of 77 was held by CMU's Tina Kinney (1997-2000) and Ball State's Bernie Coffman (1986-89).
* Puchalski threw a no-hitter in the opening weekend of MAC action at Akron. It was the eighth of her career. She tossed a CMU career record six as a freshman, one as a sophomore and now one as a senior.
* Puchalski has been named MAC West Division "Pitcher of the Week" five times this season and 18 times in her career.
* Puchalski has fanned 10 or more batters in 12 games this season.
All-MAC Honorees: Two Chippewas were named first team All-MAC in senior pitcher Amber Puchalski and junior outfielder Christin Sobeck. Sophomore designated player Christan Dhondt was named second team all-league. It marked the third time Puchalski was named to the first team squad while Sobeck and Dhondt received postseason honors for the first time each.
30-Win Plateau: CMU has won 30 games for the eighth time in the last nine years and the 19th time overall. The Chippewas posted just 26 victories last season.
Don't Need Much: CMU is 26-3 this season when scoring at least three runs in a game and 18-0 when scoring four or more.
Two Chippewas Head Home: Two CMU players are heading back to their home state of California for the regional. Senior Amber Puchalski is from Corona while sophomore Allie Hansen is from Agoura Hills.
Youth is Served: CMU is a relatively young team with just two seniors and one junior in the starting lineup. Only two Chippewas have played in an NCAA Tournament game before, senior Amber Puchalski and junior Christin Sobeck.
CMU Players Career Stats in the NCAA Tournament:
Amber Puchalski -- 5 games, 2-3 record, 3.94 ERA, 21.1 innings pitched, 20 hits, 14 runs, 12 earned runs, 17 BB, 15 K
Christin Sobeck -- 3 games, 1-for-8 (.125), 3B, RBI
Tough Schedule: CMU's first eight games this season were against teams who made the NCAA Tournament field -- DePaul, Oklahoma, UMass, Georgia, Washington, Oklahoma, Lehigh, Creighton. CMU also played eight games this season against teams ranked in the current USA Today/ESPN Top 25 poll.
Shut Down: The Chippewas were shut out twice in the MAC Tournament after failing to score a run in just one of the 24 games during the MAC regular season.
MAC Stats: As a team, CMU ranks seventh in the MAC in hitting (.241), third in pitching (1.89 ERA) and fourth in fielding (.960). Marshall is tops in hitting (.268), Bowling Green in pitching (1.55) and Buffalo in fielding (.965). In MAC only games, CMU ranks fourth in hitting (.252), second in pitching (1.32) and sixth in fielding (.964).
Olympic Assistant Heads to Home of Olympians: CMU head coach Margo Jonker was an assistant coach on the gold medal-winning 2000 USA Olympic team. Six members of the team that she helped coach were UCLA Bruin alums -- Christie Ambrosi, Jennifer Brundage, Shelia Douty, Lisa Fernandez, Stacy Nuveman and Dot Richardson.
Offensive Lull: The Chippewas were held to just six total hits in the two games of the MAC Tournament last week. CMU was held to that few hits in back-to-back games only one other time this season when it posted three in a 1-0 loss to UMass before getting no-hit by Georgia. The Chippewas responded to those two losses by defeating then No. 4-ranked Washington the following day, 1-0.
Bright Spots: Two Chippewas were able to put the bat on the ball last week despite CMU's offensive troubles. Junior Christin Sobeck and freshman Lindsey Calme each posted a hit in both games to extend personal hit streaks. Calme enters the regional with a seven-game hitting streak while Sobeck has raised hers to five games.
Hit and Run:
* The Chippewas are 15-2 this season when posting eight or more hits in a game.
* CMU has 13 triples this season to its opponents two.
* Thirteen of CMU's 19 home runs were in MAC regular season play.
* CMU is 9-4 in one-run games this season and 8-1 in games decided by two runs.
* CMU is 4-0 this season in extra innings games.
* CMU was 10-1 at home this season with the lone loss coming against rival Western Michigan.
MAC Tournament Game Recaps:
Miami 1, Central Michigan 0
The No. 4 seeded RedHawks used three straight bunt singles to start the game and score the contest's only run. CMU starter Amber Puchalski gave up just six hits, four of them bunts. She fanned nine but the Chippewa offense tallied just four hits. CMU had a runner at third on two occasions but couldn't push it across the plate (one was pegged at home on a double steal attempt).
Bowling Green 3, Central Michigan 0
The No. 6 seeded Falcons eliminated CMU from the tournament by putting together a couple of two-hit innings to tally one run in the fourth and two in the fifth for a 3-0 victory. CMU notched just two hits in the game as tournament MVP Jody Johnson fired a shutout against the Chippewas. Amber Puchalski took the loss after giving up six hits and all three runs in four and two-thirds innings. Reliever Jessica Garvin came on for one and two-thirds innings of relief work.
Chippewas Picked to Win MAC West Division: CMU was tabbed to win the Mid-American Conference West Division in the preseason coaches poll. Only the top three selections in each division were announced. Picked to finish behind the Chippewas in the West were Western Michigan and Bowling Green. The top three favorites in the East were Marshall, Miami and Kent State. Marshall was picked to win the MAC Tournament.
