Week 1 Notes |
A-Sun Weekly Release
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University softball team will get its inaugural Division I season underway this weekend, taking part in the Georgia State Panther Invitational.
The Norse will face off against Presbyterian and host Georgia State on Saturday before closing out the event on Sunday, facing Oakland and Georgia State. A full schedule and live stats links are available on nkunorse.com.
NKU closed out the 2012 season with a 38-21 record, marking the program's highest win total since 2006, when the Norse went 41-21 and was, as in 2012, a regional runner-up in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Having lost just one senior from the 2012 squad, plus the addition of six new faces to this year's club, have the Norse ready to step up to this year's challenge.
A WORD ABOUT PRESBYTERIAN: The Blue Hose enter the weekend with a 1-4 record, having defeated Wisconsin in their season opener before dropping their next four games, two of them in extra innings. Jennifer Marshall leads the way at the plate thus far, posting a .364 batting average, one of five Blue Hose over the .300 mark on the weekend. Kensley Loudermelk will be PC's go-to pitcher, having posted a 1-2 record with a 5.06 earned run average in 18 innings of work.
A WORD ABOUT GEORGIA STATE: The Panthers are 1-3 on the season, getting a 10-9 victory over former NKU rival SIU Edwardsville in the Bulldog Kickoff Classic, hosted by Mississippi State. Panther outfielder Ashley Christy was named to the all-tournament team after registering three hits and scoring four runs. Kaitlyn Medlam picked up GSU's victory in the circle on the weekend and sports a 1-2 record with a 3.07 ERA in 13.2 innings.
A WORD ABOUT OAKLAND: The Golden Grizzlies , like the Norse, get their 2013 season underway this weekend after posting a 10-38 record in 2012. Oakland returns junior Erika Polidori, who posted a .379 batting average with six home runs, 15 RBI and 17 stolen bases, as the team's top hitter. Senior Abbie Richardson looks to contribute again in the circle after posting a 4.84 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 81 innings of work.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS: NKU softball was picked to finish tied for eighth in the Atlantic Sun Conference this year, according to the coaches' preseason poll. Florida Gulf Coast, the A-Sun's lone participant in the NCAA Tournament last year, was the unanimous choice to repeat as league champions. Kennesaw State, USC Upstate, Lipscomb and Jacksonville rounded out the top five.
EVERYDAY EMILY: Senior
Emily Schwaeble continues to be one of NKU's most dominant forces both at the plate and in the circle. Schwaeble enters the 2012 season second on NKU's career home run list with 26, including 12 last year, and second on the career RBI list with 123. Also dominant in the circle, Schwaeble threw her first collegiate no-hitter in a 3-0 win over Lincoln Memorial on March 6, 2012. She repeated the feat in a 9-0 win over Urbana on March 20. On the NKU career lists, Schaweble ranks fourth in strikeouts (439), seventh in wins (39) and eighth in shutouts (10).
AT FIRST ON FIRST: Junior infielder
Natalie Papi was a consistent member of the Norse offense in 2012, leading the team by reaching base in 19 consecutive games. Papi also led the Norse last season with four three-hit games, and was one of just two players on the team to claim four games of three hits or more.
HOMER HAPPY: The Norse were strong on the long ball in 2012, launching 58 moon shots on the season to set a new single-season team record, which previously stood at 37 homers in 2009. The mark was also more than any Atlantic Sun team was able to muster last season, though FGCU and Kennesaw State each had 50 home runs last year. NKU ranked 21st among all Division II teams in home runs per game (0.98) and 71st in slugging percentage (.443).
CHASING 500: Head coach
Kathy Stewart has a chance this season to chase down her 500th coaching victory. Already the winningest coach in NKU softball history, Stewart enters the season with 472 career wins over her 15 years in the dugout for the Norse.
