Tournament Schedule:
Fri, Apr. 1 vs. Loyola Marymount at 2:15
p.m.
Fri, Apr. 1 at UNLV at 6:45 p.m.
Sat, Apr. 2 vs. BYU at 9:00 a.m.
Sat, Apr. 2 vs. UNLV at 1:30 p.m.
Follow the Game: Live stats will be available through www.GoSeattleU.com for all four games this weekend at the UNLV Pre-Conference Round-Up.
Last Time Out: The Redhawks put together a season-best performance last weekend versus British Columbia, going 2-1. Freshman pitcher Richelle Ashburn tallied back-to-back wins in the circle, the first wins of her collegiate career. The Redhawks defeated UBC 5-4 in nine innings on Mar. 26, and split results on Mar. 27. They fell in another nine inning battle, 5-4, and concluded the series with an 8-1 victory. Hannah Klein led the squad at the plate, behind seven hits, five RBIs and three runs.
On Deck: The Redhawks will open up Pacific Coast Softball Conference play with Weber State in a weekend series from Apr. 9-10, at home. SU is set to host three consecutive weekend series, before closing the year on the road.
Ashburn Earns First Career Win: Freshman pitcher Richelle Ashburn earned her first career victory on Mar. 26. The Redhawks outlasted the British Columbia Thunderbirds in nine innings, 5-4. The following day, she earned an 8-1 victory over UBC. In 16 innings pitched, she threw six strikeouts.
Final Non-Conference Weekend: This weekend’s UNLV Pre-Conference Round-Up will mark SU’s final non-conference action of the 2011 season. Tournament participant Loyola Marymount is a member of the PCSC, but they play in the Pacific Division, while the Redhawks are in the Mountain Division.
Klein Does Work at the Plate: Junior Hannah Klein was Seattle U’s top offensive performer over the weekend versus British Columbia. She was 7-for-13, with five RBIs, three runs and double. Her clutch performance over the three-game series helped SU win the season series over UBC.
Scouting Brigham Young: The Cougars of Brigham Young (17-14) are 6-1 in their last seven games played, including winning their last five consecutive games. They are most recently coming off a 9-0 five inning victory over Utah State on Mar. 29, and have seen wins over a pair of ranked squads this year.
Leading the BYU offense is Jessica Fitu’s .437 batting average and .777 slugging percentage. In 31 consecutive starts, she’s 45-for-103, with 39 RBIs, 22 runs, nine doubles, eight home runs and a triple.
Defensively, the Cougars have seen action from five different pitchers, with Paige Affleck leading the squad. In 24 appearances and 121.1 innings pitched, she holds a 2.60 ERA and a 10-9 record. She’s allowed 98 hits and 45 earned runs, while throwing 102 strikeouts.
Scouting Loyola Marymount: The Lions of Loyola Marymount (13-16) are riding a five-game win streak. They most recently defeated Canisius, 14-0, on Mar. 23 at home and earned an 8-2 victory over Ohio State on Mar. 22. LMU is led by Danielle Smith, who in 29 consecutive starts, is batting .398 and is 39-for-98. She has 17 runs, seven RBIs and a double on the year.
Defensively, Molly Medeiros leads the team with a 7-4 record. She has a 2.40 ERA in 87.1 innings pitched. Medeiros has allowed 84 hits, 39 earned runs and thrown 49 strikeouts. LMU has had five different players pitch this season.
Scouting UNLV: UNLV returns home after a 2-2 weekend at the Mustang Classic in San Luis Obispo, Calif. The Rebels are 16-12, seeing nine wins at home this season. Leading the UNLV four-player pitching staff is Amanda Oliveto. She is 13-5, most recently throwing a no-hitter over Cal Poly on Mar. 27. In 118.0 innings of work, she’s allowed 103 hits and 37 earned runs, while throwing 117 strikeouts.
At the plate, Tayler Aleman leads the team with a .448 batting average. In 20 games played, she’s 26-for-58, with 18 RBIs, 11 runs, six doubles and five home runs.