Central Michigan University Athletics
Busy Week On Tap For CMU Softball Complex
4/17/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
MOUNT PLEASANT -- The Central Michigan University Softball Complex hasn’t had any action yet this season, but that will change quickly this week as the Chippewas host games on five of the next six days, including three doubleheaders.
Wintery conditions in the Midwest cancelled or postponed four home dates earlier this season so Tuesday’s doubleheader against No. 9-ranked Michigan (32-7, 4-2 Big Ten) will serve as the home opener. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. CMU then hosts Oakland (9-19, 3-3 Mid-Continent) in a rescheduled twinbill on Wednesday, April 18 at 2 p.m., before returning to Mid-American Conference play on the weekend.
CMU welcomes Toledo (6-24, 2-8 Mid-American) for a doubleheader on Friday, April 20, before closing out the home season with single games against Bowling Green (23-6, 8-2 Mid-American) on both Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.), April 21-22.
“This is a big week for us,” coach Margo Jonker said. “It is important that we get back into a rhythm and on a roll. With this week now being our only home games this year, I anticipate it will spur the intensity of our play.”
The Chippewas play their first nationally-ranked team of the season when Michigan comes to town on Tuesday. The last time the Wolverines visited Mount Pleasant in 2005 they were ranked No. 1 nationally and CMU posted a 5-4 victory in the opening game of a doubleheader.
“To have Michigan come to our field is a great bonus for our program,” Jonker said. “Michigan is ranked in the top 10 nationally again and our two programs have a mutual respect for each other, especially the coaching staffs. It is a great game whenever we play each other, whether it is on our field or U-of-M’s Alumni Field.”
Last season was a great example as the two teams played late into the night under the lights in Ann Arbor with the nightcap going 18 innings before the international tie-breaker rule helped end it with a 3-1 Maize and Blue victory.
On Wednesday, the Chippewas may have a hard time getting their game in against Oakland if recent history is any indication. The Chippewas and Golden Grizzlies were supposed to play back on April 3 but wintery conditions postponed that game. CMU and Oakland have been cancelled each of the three previous years because of weather, so the senior classes have never faced each other. CMU leads the all-time series against OU, 9-1.
On the weekend the Chippewas’ focus will turn back to league play with a pair of Northwest Ohio schools hitting the road for Mount Pleasant.
Toledo is first up for a twinbill on Friday. Both games against the Rockets last season were decided by one run with the Rockets posting a 1-0 shutout while CMU took the nightcap, 4-3 in eight innings.
Bowling Green and first-year coach Shannon Salsburg then visit the CMU Softball Complex on the weekend. The Falcons sport both the top team batting average (.286) and pitching ERA (1.74) this season and trail only Kent State in the overall MAC standings. BGSU’s only MAC losses this season were against KSU.
The Chippewas were fortunate to get some games in last week, playing just a pair at Eastern Michigan on Friday. They were originally scheduled as single games on Saturday and Sunday but were moved up because of forecasted weather. CMU had a midweek game against Michigan State postponed until April 25.
CMU took the opener against EMU, 7-2, but fell in the nightcap, 9-1.
“I liked our intensity and tenacity in game one but we didn’t maintain that level in game two,” Jonker said. “After that the team talked and identified that the inconsistency has to stop. We have to come to play every inning with the same intensity and that is something we will work on this week.”
The Chippewas used a pair of two-run homers by Kari Seddon and Jacque Benedict to cruise to the win in the opener as Ali Pettit picked up the win. Benedict finished with three RBI and Suzie Giroux notched three hits.
In the nightcap, reigning MAC Player of the Year Lauren Clark hit a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first and it was all EMU after that. CMU was held to just two hits while Eastern had more runs (nine) than hits (seven). Two Chippewa errors allowed for six unearned runs in the game.
Week of Promotions: Several special events will be held this week at the CMU Softball Complex. Following is a rundown of the activities:
Tuesday vs. Michigan: Maroon and Gold Day -- Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day -- Senior Citizen Day
Friday vs. Toledo: Parents’ Day
Saturday vs. Bowling Green: Youth Day (Autographs) -- Strike Out Cancer
Sunday vs. Bowling Green: Senior Recognition -- Alumni Day -- Strike Out Cancer
Strike Out Cancer: The Chippewa softball program is looking to help strike out cancer during its games against Bowling Green this weekend. The team is raising money for the American Cancer Society. CMU is accepting pledges based on the number of strikeouts recorded by Chippewa pitchers or runs scored by the CMU team. To make a pledge or for more information, contact assistant coach Erin Sweeney at 989-774-3263 or sween1em@cmich.edu. (The event was originally scheduled for the Buffalo series that was cancelled because of weather).
That’s A Lot of Wins: Two of the most successful coaches in NCAA softball history will square off on Tuesday when CMU hosts Michigan. Carol Hutchins, the Wolverines’ head coach, sports 1,012 career victories while CMU’s Margo Jonker has tallied 927 wins. They entered this season ranked sixth and ninth, respectively, in NCAA history.
Bring on the Wolverines: Junior Amy Hudson has experienced a great deal of success against Michigan in her career. In CMU’s 5-4 win over the No. 1-ranked Wolverines her freshman year, Hudson went 3-for-3 with three runs scored while leading off each inning she made a plate appearance. In last year’s 18-inning thriller in Ann Arbor, Hudson tied the CMU single-game record for hits when she went 5-for-6 and was intentionally walked twice.
Making them Count: Freshman Kari Seddon only has 10 hits this year but three of them are homers. She’s tied with Jacque Benedict for the team lead in that category and both players went deep in CMU’s 7-2 win at Eastern Michigan on Friday. Seddon is batting a team-high .417 in MAC action this season with a team-high five RBI in five games played.
The B in RBI is for Benedict: Jacque Benedict drove in three of CMU’s runs in the 7-2 win at Eastern Michigan on Friday. She sports a team-high 15 RBI and needs just one more to tie her career high of 16 that she set as a sophomore. Two of Benedict’s RBI against the Eagles came on a two-run homer, her third of the season. Benedict now has eight career roundtrippers and needs one more to tie for ninth on CMU’s career chart. Teammate Lindsey Calme also has eight in her career.
A Break in the Routine: During CMU’s spring break week trip to Florida, the Chippewas played 14 games over 10 days. Since then, CMU has played a total of eight games over the 36 days preceding Tuesday’s home opener versus Michigan.
Hit and Run: Michigan assistant coach Michelle Brundage was the leading hitter on the 2000 gold medal-winning USA Olympic Softball Team while CMU’s head coach Margo Jonker was an assistant coach … CMU’s two hits in the nightcap at Eastern Michigan tied a season low; the Chippewas also tallied just a pair of hits against Texas-Arlington in the third game of the year … CMU ranks fifth in the MAC in hitting (.260), seventh in pitching (3.38 ERA) and eighth in fielding (.949) … the Chippewas are just 1-for-24 (.042) with the bases loaded this season and freshman Christina Novak has the lone hit … CMU is 8-0 when leading after five innings … Tracy Kaatz’ .376 batting average ranks third in the MAC while her 14 stolen bases are fifth … CMU hasn’t faced another ranked team this season but the Chippewas did play North Carolina (currently ranked No. 23) when the Tar Heels were unranked; UNC won, 2-1.
On Deck: The Chippewas have a rescheduled game at Michigan State on Wednesday, April 25. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. CMU then heads on the road for a MAC doubleheader at Miami on Friday, April 27, and single games at Ball State on Saturday and Sunday, April 28-29.
