WEEKLY RELEASE: Vikings looking to make statement at Mizuno Tournament of Champions :: Regional points on the line as Western meets CCAA foes

March 25, 2008

BELLINGHAM, Wash. -- After a two-week layoff, the Western Washington University softball team returns to action this weekend at the Mizuno Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif. The Vikings are slated to play five games against California Collegiate Athletic Association opponents during cross-pool play, before competing in championship round action on Sunday. The tournament features the top teams from the West Region and every game has strong post-season implications. The first NCAA Division II West Regional ratings will be released later this week.

On Friday, the Vikings meet Cal State Dominguez Hills (11:30 a.m.), Sonoma State (4 p.m.) and San Francisco State (6:15 p.m.) in a triple-header on Friday, before wrapping up the cross-pool round robin with Saturday morning contests versus No. 17 Cal State Dominguez Hills (9 a.m.) and No. 22 Humboldt State (11:30 a.m.).

SCOUTING CHICO STATE

The Wildcats (15-18, 8-12 CCAA) have won six of their last nine games, including three of four against No. 17 Cal State Dominguez Hills last weekend, thanks in large part to a pitching staff with a cumulative 2.42 earned run average. Lauren Walker (6-7) leads the team with a 2.15 ERA, while mound-mate Krystal Shaw (9-8) has won a team-best nine games and held opponents to a .218 batting average. Chico is hitting just .242 as a team with a pair of homers. Chelsea Lundberg is the team's top threat, hitting .389 with 16 runs batted in. Megan Bera has a .307 average and has swiped nine bases this season. The two teams are meeting for the first time since Western overcame a 10-2 fifth-inning deficit to win 13-12 in eight innings at the 2007 Tournament of Champions.

SCOUTING SONOMA STATE

The Seawolves (9-18, 1-13 CCAA) are just 1-10 dating back to a 4-1 loss to Western at the Central Washington Invitational. During that span, Sonoma has been shut out four times and scored just nine runs. Leading hitter Megan Ochylski (.368, 3 HR, 11 RBI) has not played since the loss to the Vikings. In her absence the Seawolves are led by Dani Lopez, who sports a .267 average with four homers and nine RBI. Brittany Williams (4-7) leads the pitching staff with a 2.41 ERA. Overall, Sonoma's pitching staff has a 3.39 ERA.

SCOUTING SAN FRANCISCO STATE

Jordana Freemer leads the Gators (17-13, 7-9 CCAA), who have won seven of their last nine games, with a .368 average, five home runs and a .646 slugging-percentage. Monica Amburgey and Kendra Wood are hitting .344 and .330, respectively, for San Francisco State, which has a team average of .276 and has pounded out 23 home runs to date. Eight Gators have hit at least one homer this season. Wood leads the pitching staff with a 1.41 ERA and a 7-1 record in 11 appearances. Ashley Jackson (7-6) leads the team with 18 appearances and 16 starts. She has a 2.48 ERA and is holding opponents to a .260 batting average. The Gators took two of three meetings from the Vikings in 2007 and lead the all-time series 5-4.

SCOUTING CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS

Two weeks ago the Toros (16-14, 10-8 CCAA) swept a four-game set from Humboldt State earning a No. 17 national ranking. But CSU Dominguez Hills stumbled last weekend dropping three of four games at Chico State. Five Toros are hitting over .300, paced by Liz Vasquez. Vasquez boasts a .363 average and has nine extra base hits in 91 at bats. Regina Farfan (8-5) and Kaci Carroll (3-7) have split the starting duties for CSUDH, turning in respective ERAs of 2.94 and 3.64. Freshman Kristin Tanaka has sparked the Toros off the bench and out of the bullpen. Tanaka is hitting .435 in 23 at bats and has a 3.23 ERA and a 5-2 record in the circle. Tanaka was named the NFCA Player of the Week following a 3-0 performance and a 1.17 ERA in the series sweep of Humboldt State.

SCOUTING HUMBOLDT STATE

The Lumberjacks (24-11, 10-4 CCAA) have won six of eight since dropping four straight to Cal State Dominguez Hills. First baseman Natalie Galletly, a CCAA Player of the Year candidate, has led the charge this season with a .385 average, seven home runs and 32 RBI. Nikkie Ketteringham (.362, 15 RBI), Caitlin Klug (.346, 14) and Melissa Slattery (.336, 24) join Gellatly at the top of the Humboldt State lineup. Senior Lizzy Prescott has started 23 of 35 games in the circle for the Lumberjacks. Prescott is 20-5 with a 1.36 ERA , while limiting opposing hitters to a .186 average and striking out 183 in 166-2/3 innings. The former GNAC rivals are meeting for the first time since April 30, 2006. The Vikings trail in the all-time series 36-11.

MAC DADDY

Western hurler Sarah McEnroe returns after missing the first 21 games because of academic ineligibility. McEnroe burst onto the GNAC scene in 2007, finishing her rookie campaign with a 12-3 overall record and a 2.43 ERA. McEnroe was even better in conference play with a 6-0 ledger and a 1.60 ERA. The Woodinville, Wash., native was passed over by the GNAC all-star selections but did manage to earn NFCA West Region Second-Team honors in 2007.

GOING LONG

Sophomore Meghan Flem belted a pair of home runs at the Lead-Off Classic, lifting her within one of Western's career record. Carlena Herd hit 12 home runs for the Vikings from 1999-2002. Flem set the single-season mark as a freshman in 2007 with nine home runs. Flem's home runs against MSU Billings and Cal State Stanislaus each held up as the game-winning run in a pair of Viking victories. Flem has now homered against every GNAC team with the exception of Seattle U.

VIKING CAREER HOME RUN LEADERS
Player	           Years	     Total
Carlena Herd	1999-2002	        12
Meghan Flem	2007-Pres.	        11
Adrienne Moore	2002-2005	        11
Cortney Walton	2004-2006          9
Ashley Osman	2004-2007          9

RECORD WATCH

Senior catcher and designated hitter Liza Teichler is closing in on the Viking career record for doubles and is also approaching the top five for hits and runs batted in. In 2007, Teichler hit .368 (64-for-174) with 15 doubles, four home runs, 40 RBI and 33 runs scored, earning GNAC Player of the Year accolades. Here is a look at how she stacks up against the top-5 in the Western record books:

Name		Hits	Name		2Bs	Name 		RBI
Jen Brandolini	194	Cathy Johnson	 38	Cathy Johnson	104
Jessi Williams	174	Liza Teichler	 28	Carlena Herd	103
Andi Greenen	166	Andie Greenen	 25	Adrienne Moore	 90
Mandy Harvey	153	Carlena Herd	 25	Carlena Herd 	 84
Cathy Johnson	151 	Adrienne Moore	 24  	Megan McPhee  	 77
#13 L. Teichler	131				#6 L. Teichler	 72

POWER OUTAGE

Western hit six home runs in 166 at bats through the first seven games of the season, translating to one homer for every 26.7 at bats. The Vikings were well ahead of their 2007 pace, which saw the team hit a school-record 34 home runs. Since Caitlin Dotlich's solo home run versus Saint Martin's on February 28, Western has failed to hit a round tripper in 399 at bats.

OUT OF THE BOX

With two wins at Northwest Nazarene on March 13, the Vikings opened a GNAC season 4-0 for the first time since 2005, matching the best league start in program history. After splitting a pair of conference tilts at Central Washington on March 15, the defending champion Vikings stand alone in first place at 5-1.

TOPPING THE CHARTS

Michelle Wrigley ranks eighth in the GNAC and leads all freshmen with a .388 average. Wrigley is currently riding a six-game winning streak in which she is hitting .409 (9-for-22) with four runs batted in. The freshman outfielder has at least one hit in ten of her last 11 games, batting .436 (17-for-39) over that stretch.

Liza Teichler

LT TIME

Western catcher Liza Teichler has turned her season around over the last four games, garnering eight hits in 19 at bats for a .421 batting average. In the process, Teichler has lifted her season average .077 points from .220 to .297. Five of her 12 RBI have come in the last four games. Teichler is tied with Meghan Flem for the team lead in that category.

WALK THIS WAY

Lisa Pendergrast had a career high two walks in a five-inning loss to Central Washington. The free-swinging Pendergrast had walked just once in her first 20 games this season and only 18 times through the first 108 games of her career. A career .270 hitter, she has lifted her average to .339 with five multi-hit performances in 2008.

HITTING IN THE CLUTCH

Western hitters have risen to the occasion this season, posting a .274 average with two outs and batting .336 with runners on base compared to a .222 mark with the bases empty. In addition, the Vikings' are hitting .351 with runners in scoring position and a robust .568 with runners on third and two outs. Western has driven in 30 runs in two-out situations this year.

BATS TELL THE STORY

The Vikings have followed a simple formula to victory in 2008, winning every game in which they have out hit their opponent. Western is 15-0 when out-hitting the opposition and 0-6 when being outhit.

WALKING OFF WITH A WIN

Senior Lisa Pendergrast sparked a pair of Viking victories with walk-off base hits in a series against Montana State Billings. Pendergrast's double to right center scored Caitlin Dotlich from first base to give Western a 2-1 win in eight innings on March 6. The following day, the right fielder singled to center, plating the winning run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pendergrast is 9-for-20 (.450) over the last six games, driving in four of her seven RBI during that span. Pendergrast was named co-Player of the Week in the GNAC for March 2-9.

COMING UP ROSES

Junior transfer Jessica Rosencrants pitched 28 of a possible 39 innings in six games at the Lead-Off Classic. Rosencrants finished the tournament with a 3-1 record, a 2.00 ERA and a .229 opponents' batting average. Rosencrants pitched the final 16-2/3 innings of the tournament for the Vikings, retiring 50 of 56 batters and allowing just three runs. She set a school record by retiring 21 straight during one stretch in which she cut down eight Western New Mexico Mustangs and 13 MSU-Billings Yellowjackets in order. Rosencrants finished the week with 25 strikeouts and just two walks en route to being named GNAC Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 10-16.

Caitlin Dotlich

STARTING WITH A BANG

Freshman Caitlin Dotlich's first hit was a memorable one. Dotlich smacked a three-run homer during a four-run Viking first inning in a 7-1 win over Eastern New Mexico on Feb. 15. In doing so, Dotlich became the first Western player to homer for her first career base hit since teammate Morgan Parkerson. Parkerson collected her first career hit on April 7, 2006 with a two-run shot against Western Oregon.

NATIONAL WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY

Western catcher Liza Teichler and former pitcher Jackie Quint were among those honored on the floor of the Washington State Senate on Feb. 6 for National Women and Girls in Sports Day. The annual resolution is passed by the senate each year in an effort to recognize the commitment and courage of female athletes.

30 ROCK

Western won a school record 34 games during the 2007 season, the fifth 30-win season in program history. With 30 wins in 2008, Viking head coach Lonnie Hicks would match former bench boss Art Phinney with a school record 186 career wins. Hicks is currently 171-136, good for a .557 winning percentage, in seven seasons at Western.

TRIPLE THREAT

Three Viking newcomers were teammates at Inglemoor High School. Pitcher Emily Hardin and catchers Samantha Rutherford and Michelle Wrigley all started and lettered for the Inglemoor Vikings the past three seasons. As seniors, the trio led the team to a 24-5 mark and a third-place finish in the Class 4A state tournament.

REST FOR THE WEARY

Viking sophomores Hannah Becker and Megan Fowler are each redshirting during the 2008 season while recovering from injuries. Both players were projected starters. Becker hit .264 with four home runs and 19 RBI as a catcher during her freshman year, while Fowler started 39 games in a utility role.

CONFERENCE CHAMPS

The Vikings captured the program's first Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship in 2007. Western finished with a 15-5 league mark, edging Western Oregon with a double header sweep on the final weekend of the regular season.

REGIONAL WRAP UP

Western qualified for the NCAA Division II West Regional for the second time in program history last season, winning a school record 34 games in the process. The Vikings suffered a pair of close losses to Cal State Stanislaus (2-0) and Sonoma State (3-1) in regional action at Turlock, Calif.

2007 ACCOLADES

Western swept all three major Great Northwest Athletic Conference awards in 2007. Departed senior Jackie Quint was named Pitcher of the Year, while battery mate Liza Teichler was honored as the league's Player of the Year. Head Coach Lonnie Hicks capped the trifecta when he took home Coach of the Year accolades. Quint, Teichler and center fielder Misty Britt were named first-team GNAC all-stars, while infielders Nicole Walker and Meghan Flem were second-team picks. Three Vikings earned regional honors. Teichler and pitcher Sarah McEnroe were named second-team All-NFCA West Region all-stars. Teichler was also named to the Daktronics West Region first-team, while Quint earned second-team honors.

ON THE WEB

For up-to-date statistics, box scores of every game, records, stories, etc., see the Western Athletic web page at www.wwuvikings.com. Live statistics for home games will be available on the Western GameDay page. Up-to-date league standings and statistics can be found on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference web page at www.gnacsports.com.