March 5, 2008
Aggie Classic Game Notes
Tournament Information
Host: Texas A&M
Location: College Station, Texas
Facility: Aggie Softball Complex
Gametracker: Available at fightingillini.com
Illinois' Schedule (all times Central)
Friday, March 7
vs. Louisiana-Lafayette • 10 a.m.
vs. BYU • 12:15 p.m.
Saturday, March 8
vs. BYU • 10 a.m.
vs. #3/4 Texas A&M • 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 9
vs. #18/20 Louisiana-Lafayette • 10 a.m.
Top of The Order
Illinois is...
...7-0 when leading after 4 innings
...7-0 when having more hits than opponent
...6-0 when scoring first
...6-2 when hitting at least one home run
Leading Off
Home Run Queen: Shortstop Angelena Mexicano tied the school's career home run record on Friday against Central Michigan then waited only a day before claiming the top spot for herself, going deep against Florida Atlantic. Her two long balls on the weekend put her at 34 career home runs, moving ahead of former All-American first baseman Jenna Hall in the record book. She also leads the team with seven on the season.
Rounding the Bases: Illinois belted a total of nine home runs over the weekend at the Miken Classic, nearly matching their season total of 13 coming into the tournament. Six different Illini went deep, with Mexicano, Shanna Diller and Katrina Ross each homering twice over the weekend. The Illini bashed five home runs in their tournament opener against Rutgers, tying the team's single game record. It marked just the second time in history that five different Illini homered in a game.
Becoming a Trend: The Illini are not far off the pace they set last year as the national home run leader, currently averaging 1.10 per game, having homered in 12 out of 20 games so far this season. The Orange and Blueh went deep at least twice in seven of those games and have also had two four-game streaks with at least one long ball.
From Top to Bottom: The Illini got contributions from across the board this weekend, as every starter crossed the plate and drove in at least one run. Mexicano led the way with six RBIs, while she and centerfielder Sarah Bryers each scored six runs. Bryers batted .600 and slugged 1.100 on the weekend, with a home run and three RBIs.
The Last Shall Be First: The bottom of the order came up big for the Illini at the Miken Classic, as the 7-8-9 batters hit a combined .316 while slugging .763 with four home runs, nine RBIs and 11 runs scored.
The Wright Stuff: Ashley Wright had an outstanding weekend, picking up two wins and allowing no earned runs through nine innings pitched. With Wright in the circle, Illinois made quick work of its opponents, using the eight-run-rule to claim victory in both of her appearances. She has won her last three starts in a row.
Offensive Explosion: Illinois offense exploded over the weekend, outscoring its opponents, 32-7, including two shutouts. The Illini also held a 47-21 hitting advantage.
The Scouting Report
Louisiana-Lafayette: The Ragin' Cajuns are off to a hot start again in the 2008 season. After finishing the 2007 season with a record of 46-18 and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, the Cajuns are currently 12-3. Louisiana's pitching has been especially stellar this season, collecting seven shutouts thanks in part to the emergence of freshman pitcher Ashley Brignac going 8-2 with a 1.40 ERA. Senior Holly Tankersley is an offensive leader for the Ragin' Cajuns, batting .383 with 23 RBIs. Freshman Katie Smith leads the team in batting with a .486 average along with 17 hits.
BYU: The 2007 season was very successful for the Cougars. They went 46-20 overall, and won the Mountain West Conference with a 16-4 conference record. At the start of the 2008 season, they continued this success opening with six consecutive wins. With back-to-back losses heading into this weekend's tournament, BYU looks to get back on the winning track, and sophomore Angeline Quiocho will play an important part. Currently, she leads the team in batting with .462 and 14 RBIs. Another underclassman, freshman Caschjen Davis, has been a strong offensive player batting .405 with 17 hits. Senior pitcher Christina Gwyn Trice has been the Cougars' top pitcher this season, accumulating a 1.15 ERA and compiling a 5-2 record.
Texas A&M: After making a run to the Women's College World Series last year, Texas A&M has carried that success into the 2008 season. The 22-3 Aggies are led by seniors Amanda Scarborough, batting .472 with 12 RBIs, and Megan Gibson who leads the team with five home runs and 23 RBIs. Not only has Gibson been productive on the offensive side of the ball, but she also has been the ace in the circle for A&M this season, going 12-0 with a 0.73 ERA. The Aggies are coming off a 4-1 weekend at the NFCA Leadoff Classic, with their lone loss coming to UMass. Before that loss A&M had won 13 games in a row.
