Cougars Head to Stanford for NCAA Regional

After winning the regular season and conference tournament titles for the first time in school history in only its second year of NCAA Division I competition, the BYU (35-24) softball team will enter the 2001 NCAA Regional Tournament in Palo Alto, Calif., as the No. 5 seed and play No. 11 Nebraska, Thursday at 9 a.m. (PDT).

NCAA Region VI • Palo Alto, Calif. • May 17-20

Thursday, May 17

Game 1: #1 Stanford (48-13-1) vs. #6 Hofstra (36-24) at 2 p.m. (PDT)

Game 2: #2 Nebraska (49-13) vs. #5 Brigham Young (35-24) at 9 a.m. (PDT)

Game 3: #3 Pacific (47-11) vs. #4 Central Michigan (36-18) at 11:30 a.m. (PDT)

Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2 at 4:30 p.m. (PDT)

Friday, May 18

Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 at 11 a.m. (PDT)

Game 6: Winner of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 3 at 1:30 p.m. (PDT)

Game 7: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 5 at 4 p.m. (PDT)

Saturday, May 19

Game 8: Loser of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7 at 11 a.m. (PDT)*

Game 9: Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7 at 1:30 p.m. (PDT)

Game 10: Winner of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 9 at 4 p.m. (PDT)

Sunday, May 20**

Game 11: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10 at 1 p.m. (PDT)

Game 12: Winner of Game 11 vs. Loser of Game 11 at 3 p.m. (PDT)*

* if necessary

** Games may be changed due to no Sunday play policy for BYU.

Last Week

The Cougars won the Mountain West Conference Tournament in Albuquerque, N.M. They beat New Mexico in the first round, 4-3, but lost to Utah 7-6 in 10 innings in the second round. That loss forced another game against the Utes which BYU won 6-5, advancing to the title game where they defeated San Diego State 4-3.

BYU Probable Starters

•LF - Liz Smith- L/R, Jr. (.284, 52 hits, 34 runs, 12 RBI, 12 SB)

•CF -Lindsey Hodgen-Kelly - R/R, Sr. (.316, 50 hits, 34 runs, 14 RBI, 20 SB)

•RF - Oli Keohohou- R/R, Fr. (.467, 64 hits, 69 runs, 21 HR, 60 RBI)

•3B - Elizabeth Pierce-Boydston - R/R, Jr. (.315, 57 hits, 30 runs, 38 RBI)

•SS - Becca Erickson - R/R, Sr. (.205, 31 hits, 22 runs, 7 HR, 27 RBI)

•2B - Kari Pringle- R/R, Sr. (.283, 36 hits, 13 runs, 18 RBI)

•1B - Mindy Hanson - R/R, Sr. (.255, 38 hits, 18 runs, 21 RBI)

•C -Angie Christiansen - R/R, Sr. (.194, 25 hits, 13 runs, 14 RBI)

•DH - Brooke Cadiente - R/L, So. (.328, 58 hits, 37 runs, 13 HR, 53 RBI)

•P - Maryon DeWitt-Wallentine- R/R, Sr. (17-15, 3.41 ERA, 170 SO, 200.1 IP)

2001 MWC Honors

Junior Elizabeth Pierce-Boydston, senior Lindsey Hodgen-Kelly and freshman Oli Keohohou were all named to the 2001 All-MWC Team for the first time. Keohohou was also named MWC Freshman of the Year while coach Mary Kay Amicone was named MWC Coach of the Year. After being named the first BYU head coach, Amicone led the Cougars to a 16-27 record in its first year of Division I competition. This season, she has led BYU to a 35-24 record, a 19-win difference, including the regular season and conference tournament titles. At the 2001 MWC Tournament, Keohohou was named to the all-tournament team along with Brooke Cadiente, who was also named tournament MVP.

Nation's Elite (as of May 6)

After playing in 54 games, freshman Oli Keohohou is among the nation's elite in a variety of categories. She is second in the NCAA's with a .466 batting average and second in home runs with 20 in 54 games, an average of .37 homers per game. She is eighth in runs batted in with 59, averaging 1.09 RBI a game. As a team, BYU is 12th in the nation in scoring with 298 runs in 55 games, an average of 5.42 a game.

Team Leaders

After 59 games, Keohohou leads the team in batting average (.467), hits (64), home runs (21), RBI (60), runs scored (69), walks (73), triples (3) and slugging percentage (1.029). Liz Smith leads the team in at-bats (183). Pierce-Boydston leads the team in doubles (14). Hodgen-Kelly leads the team with 20 stolen bases.

Scouting Nebraska

The Huskers enter the regional with a 49-13 record, including a 16-2 Big 12 Conference record, while winning the regular season conference title, and finished the season ranked No. 11 nationally. Kim Ogee is batting .323 with 63 hits, including 11 doubles and 29 RBI. Jamie Fuente has a .323 batting average and 60 hits, including six home runs and 27 RBI. Nicole Trimboli is batting .292 with 56 hits, including eight home runs and 45 RBI. Pitcher Leigh Ann Walker is 21-6 with a 1.35 ERA and 269 strikeouts in 171.1 innings of work, while Peaches James is 15-6 with a 1.22 ERA and 121 strikeouts in 137.1 innings of work. BYU played Nebraska three times this season, losing all three games. The Cougars lost 4-1 on March 2 in the Red Desert Classic before losing both games of a doubleheader in Lincoln April 10, 4-1 and 4-3.

Scouting Stanford

The Cardinal have a 48-13-1 record, including an 11-10 PAC-10 Conference record and ended the season ranked the No. 4 team in the nation. Jessica Mendoza is batting .409 with 72 hits, including 15 doubles, 13 home runs, 36 RBI and 30 stolen bases. Sarah Beeson has a .409 batting average with 74 hits, including 22 doubles, 11 home runs and 63 RBI. Kira Ching is batting .263 with 51 hits, including 14 doubles, seven home runs and 38 RBI. Pitcher Dana Sorensen is 22-3 with a .42 ERA and 259 strikeouts in 166.1 innings of work, while Maureen LeCocq is 16-7 with a 1.23 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 136.1 innings of work.

Scouting Pacific

The Tigers have a 47-11 record, including a 16-5 Big West Conference record, and finished the season ranked No. 18 in the nation. Estee Okumura is batting .344 with 56 hits, including 38 RBI. Adrienne Ratajczak has a .336 batting average and 47 hits, including 14 doubles, five home runs and 26 RBI. Barbara Moody is batting .331 with 57 hits, including 18 doubles and 21 RBI. Pitcher Cindy Ball is 30-7 with a 1.19 ERA and 202 strikeouts in 252.1 innings of work, while Jennifer Dacre is 17-4 with a 1.43 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 137.0 innings pitched.

Scouting Central Michigan

The Chippewas enter the regional with a 36-18 record, including a 20-4 Mid-American Conference record and a conference title. Hope Robertshaw is batting .345 with 55 hits, including 13 doubles and 32 RBI. Becky Manson has a .301 batting average and 50 hits, including eight doubles and 11 RBI. Jennifer Skuta is batting .291 with 44 hits, including 13 doubles, four home runs and 25 RBI. Pitcher Amber Puchalski is 25-7 with a 1.04 ERA and 246 strikeouts in 189.0 innings of work, while Jenni Rasmussen is 5-6 with a 1.42 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 79.0 innings of work.

Scouting Hofstra

The Pride have a 36-24 record, including a 20-6 America East Conference record. Amanda Hallaway is batting .348 with 55 hits, including eight home runs and 34 RBI. Lisa Ciavardini has a .341 batting average and 61 hits, including 13 doubles, six home runs and 39 RBI. Lindsay Sawyer is batting .328 with 38 hits, including eight doubles and 21 RBI. Pitcher Shannon Luther is 18-13 with a 1.81 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 216.0 innings of work, while Kelly Blois is 12-10 with a 1.86 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 150.1 innings pitched.

Player of the Week Honors

March 6

Keohohou earned her first-ever Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honor for her performance at the Red Desert Classic March 2-3. In four games, Keohohou went 5-10 (.500) with four home runs, six RBI, four runs scored and one double. In the 7-6 upset of No. 12 Washington, she hit a solo home run to tie the game at 4-4 in the fifth inning and then hit a three-run shot in the sixth to give the Cougars a 7-4 lead. She ended the game going 2-for-3 with two hits and four RBI while also scoring two runs. Keohohou scored the only run of the game against No. 17 Nebraska with a solo home run in the fourth inning. Against Southern Utah, she went 2-for-3 with a home run and a double while also scoring a run.

May 1

Keohohou earned her second Mountain West Conference Player of the Week award for her performances against San Diego and UNLV April 27-28. She hit .571 (4-for-7) with two RBI, five runs scored, two home runs and was walked seven times in four games. After hitting a home run in the series against SDSU, Keohohou was perfect from the plate (3-for-3) in the two-game series against UNLV and drew five walks. In the first contest, she went 2-for-2 with a home run and two runs scored, while reaching base safely in her only at bat in game two.

May 8

Sophomore Brooke Cadiente earned her first Mountain West Conference Player of the Week award for her performance against the University of Utah May 4-5. Cadiente hit .538 (7-for13) with eight RBI, three runs scored, two home runs and a double in the four games against Utah. In the first game of the series, Cadiente went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and a run scored in the 14-7 loss. She went 1-for-3 in BYU's 5-1 victory in the second game. In Provo, Cadiente went 3-for-3 at the plate, with four RBI and another three-run home run, her 11th of the season, leading the Cougars to a 14-11 win. In the regular season finale, Cadiente went 0-for-2 but drove in the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning of BYU's 2-1 victory.

Coach Mary Kay Amicone

Mary Kay Amicone was named BYU's first-ever varsity softball coach on May 6, 1999, three months after the announcement was made to upgrade the softball team from club to varsity status. In her first season, she led the team to a 16-27 (.372) record, including a 7-13 conference record, good for fifth place. Prior to becoming the head coach at BYU, Amicone served as an assistant coach at the University of Utah (1991, '93-95, '98-99). During that time, the Utes finished fifth ('91) and seventh ('94) at the NCAA Women's College World Series and were regional participants in 1995. She is assisted by Gordon Eakin and Lisa Hall.

Coaches Quotes

"We are thrilled to be where we are--in the West and in the postseason. We are peaking at the right time. We are playing as well as we have all season. We've played a competitive schedule that has helped us prepare for this type of situation."--Mary Kay Amicone

Cougars to Host 2002 MWC Tournament • Softball/Baseball Complex

Because BYU won the 2001 MWC regular season title, it will host the 2002 MWC Tournament.

The newly-opened Gail Miller Field at BYU's Miller Park has 2,100 chair seats all in the lower bowl, making it one of the top-10 seating softball facilities in the NCAA. The dimensions are 210 feet down the left and right field lines and 220 in center field. The tensile roof is constructed from a teflon fabric and is pulled taut by cables, similar to the design on the Denver International Airport. A shared press box houses radio and TV broadcasts and seating for print media and game-day operations. There are separate locker rooms for visitors and Cougar clubhouses for both softball and baseball. The complex includes concession stands, a memorabilia mezzanine, handicapped seating, an elevator, an umpire room, a hosting facility, an equipment room, training room, indoor batting cages and coaches offices. Both fields are lighted. The softball scoreboard is located in right field and was manufactured by Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota.

INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS

Batting

At bats: 6 - Smith vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

6 - Hanson vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

6 - Smith vs University of Utah (May 12, 2001)

Runs scored: 4 - Keohohou vs San Diego (3-10-01)

Hits: 4 - Keohohou vs Portland State Univ (3-9-01)

RBIs: 5 - Cadiente vs Southern Utah (Apr 13, 2001)

5 - Ellis vs UNLV Rebels (Apr 28, 2001)

Doubles: 2 - Hanson vs Northern Iowa (3-9-01)

2 - Boydston vs University of Utah (May 04, 2001)

Triples: 2 - Boydston vs Northern Iowa (3-9-01)

Home runs: 2 - Cadiente vs Northwestern State (Feb. 10,2001)

2 - Keohohou vs Michigan State (2/16/01)

2 - Keohohou vs Washington (Mar. 2, 2001)

2 - Cadiente vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

Total bases: 8 - Cadiente vs Northwestern State (Feb. 10,2001)

8 - Keohohou vs Michigan State (2/16/01)

8 - Keohohou vs Washington (Mar. 2, 2001)

8 - Boydston vs University of Utah (May 04, 2001)

8 - Cadiente vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

Walks: 6 - Keohohou vs University of Utah (May 12, 2001)

Strikeouts: 3 - Boydston vs Illinois State (Feb 17, 2001)

3 - Boydston vs Nebraska (Mar. 2, 2001)

3 - Smith vs Texas Tech (Mar 15, 2001)

3 - Erickson vs Nebraska (Apr 10, 2001)

Sac hits: 2 - Boydston vs University of Iowa (Feb 17, 2001)

2 - Pringle vs Boston College (Mar 09, 2001)

Stolen bases: 3 - Hodgen-Kelly vs Utah State (Mar 21, 2001)

Runners LOB: 5 - Smith vs Texas-San Antonio (Feb. 9, 2001)

5 - Ellis vs University of Iowa (Feb 17, 2001)

5 - Smith vs Texas Tech (Mar 15, 2001)

5 - Hanson vs Louisville (Mar 17, 2001)

5 - Cadiente vs UNLV (Apr 06, 2001)

5 - Christiansen vs Colorado St. Rams (Apr 21, 2001)

Fielding

Putouts: 13 - Hanson vs San Diego (3-10-01)

Assists: 6 - Erickson vs Univ. of New Mexico (Apr 20, 2001)

6 - Pricer vs Colorado St. Rams (Apr 21, 2001)

6 - Erickson vs UNLV Rebels (Apr 28, 2001)

Errors: 3 - Ellis vs University of Utah (May 04, 2001)

3 - Erickson vs University of Utah (May 12, 2001)

Passed balls: 1 - Christiansen vs Texas-Arlington (Feb 08, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs University of Tulsa (3-10-01)

1 - Christiansen vs University of Iowa (Mar 15, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs Utah State (Mar 21, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs Univ. of New Mexico (Mar 31, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs UNLV (Apr 06, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs Nebraska (Apr 10, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs Colorado St. Rams (Apr 21, 2001)

1 - Christiansen vs Univ. of New Mexico (May 10, 2001)

Pitching

Innings pitched: 8.0 - Pricer vs San Diego (3-10-01)

8.0 - DeWitt-Wallentine vs Texas Tech (Mar 15, 2001)

Strikeouts: 11 - DeWitt-Wallentine vs Nebraska (Mar. 2, 2001)

Wild pitches: 3 - Pricer vs Illinois State (Feb 17, 2001)

3 - Polk vs Miami University (Mar 17, 2001)

Hit batters: 2 - DeWitt-Wallentine vs New Mexico (Mar 31, 2001)

2 - Capra vs Southern Utah (Apr 13, 2001)

2 - Capra vs University of Utah (May 04, 2001)

TEAM GAME HIGHS

Batting

At bats: 41 - vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

Runs scored: 14 - vs U of Utah Utes (May 05, 2001)

Hits: 15 - vs San Diego (3-10-01)

15 - vs Southern Utah (Apr 13, 2001)

RBIs: 12 - vs Southern Utah (Apr 13, 2001)

Doubles: 4 - vs Oregon State (Feb 03, 2001)

4 - vs Louisiana Tech (Feb 10, 2001)

4 - vs U of Utah Utes (May 05, 2001)

Triples: 3 - vs Northern Iowa (3-9-01)

Home runs: 5 - vs Southern Utah (Mar. 3, 2001)

Total bases: 26 - vs Southern Utah (Mar. 3, 2001)

Walks: 9 - vs University of Utah (May 12, 2001)

Strikeouts: 13 - vs Nebraska (Mar. 2, 2001)

13 - vs Texas Tech (Mar 15, 2001)

Sac hits: 4 - vs University of Iowa (Feb 17, 2001)

Sac flies: 2 - vs Louisiana Tech (Feb 9, 2001)

Stolen bases: 5 - vs Colorado State (Mar 29, 2001)

Hit by pitch: 2 - vs St. Mary's (Feb 03, 2001)

2 - vs Louisiana Tech (Feb 10, 2001)

2 - vs Michigan State (2/16/01)

Caught stealing: 2 - vs Michigan State (2/16/01)

2 - vs UNLV (Apr 06, 2001)

Runners LOB: 14 - vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

Hit into DP: 2 - vs University of Iowa (Feb 17, 2001)

2 - vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

Fielding

Putouts: 30 - vs University of Utah (May 12, 2001)

Assists: 14 - vs Univ. of New Mexico (Apr 20, 2001)

Errors: 6 - vs University of Utah (May 11, 2001)

Passed balls: 1 - vs Texas-Arlington (Feb 08, 2001)

1 - vs University of Tulsa (3-10-01)

1 - vs University of Iowa (Mar 15, 2001)

1 - vs Utah State (Mar 21, 2001)

1 - vs Univ. of New Mexico (Mar 31, 2001)

1 - vs UNLV (Apr 06, 2001)

1 - vs Nebraska (Apr 10, 2001)

1 - vs Colorado St. Rams (Apr 21, 2001)

1 - vs Univ. of New Mexico (May 10, 2001)

DPs turned: 2 - vs San Diego State (May 12, 2001)

Pitching

Innings pitched: 10.0 - vs University of Utah (May 12, 2001)

Strikeouts: 11 - vs Nebraska (Mar. 2, 2001)

Wild pitches: 3 - vs Illinois State (Feb 17, 2001)

3 - vs Miami University (Mar 17, 2001)

Hit batters: 3 - vs University of Utah (May 04, 2001)