March 25, 2011
Stanford Invitational Complete Notes 
GAME 29-33
COASTAL CAROLINA (14-13) TRAVELS TO STANFORD INVITATIONAL
Date: Friday, March 25-Sunday, March 27
Times: 3:45 p.m. (PT)/8 p.m. (PT)/11:15 a.m. (PT)/6 p.m. (PT)/9 a.m. (PT)
Place: Boyd & Jill Smith Family Stadium, Stanford, Calif.
Live Stats: Gametracker via www.GoCCUSports.com
TV/Live Video: None
Chants Travel to California for Stanford Invitational
The Coastal Carolina University softball team (14-13) is back on the road for the first time since the opening weekend as it travels to the Stanford Invitational March 25-27. The Chanticleers open the tournament facing #12/13 Stanford and Pacific Friday, March 25 at 3:45 p.m. (PT) and 8 p.m. (PT). Coastal then plays UC Riverside on Saturday March 26 at 11:15 a.m. (PT) and Pacific against at 6 p.m. (PT) The Chants close the tournament on Sunday, March 27 with a game against Sacramento State at 9 a.m. (PT).
Scouting Stanford
The #12 ranked Cardinals enter this weekend coming off of a 12-game winning streak, having not lost a game since February 25. Hosting this weekend's Invitational, Stanford is 7-1 at home and hasn't lost a home game since the February 25th loss to Memphis. Key players for Stanford are junior shortstop Ashley Hansen, sophomore second baseman Jenna Rich and junior centerfielder Sarah Hassman. Hansen leads the Cardinals with a .526 batting average, 41 hits, 13 doubles, three triples, a .576 on-base percentage and has only struck out once this season. Hansen was also named to the national Preseason Player of the Year Watch List and was selected to the First Team Preseason All-American by ESPN.com. Rich leads the team with seven home runs and 31 RBI. Hassman has totaled 33 runs and 18 stolen bases this season, the most for the Cardinals. Ace pitcher Teagan Gerhart has a 1.69 ERA, a 12-3 record in 15 game starts, 11 complete games, 91.0 innings pitched, 100 strikeouts and a .198 opponent batting average. Gerhart was named the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 28-Mar. 6 having gone 3-0 that weekend.
Series vs. Stanford
Currently, the Cardinal leads the overall series 2-0. The last meeting between the two teams was on Feb. 21, 2004 in the Palm Springs Classic as Stanford won 3-1.
Scouting Pacific
Pacific is coming off a three-game winning streak with two games still to play before entering this weekend's tournament. Key players for the Tigers are freshman outfielder Megan Foglesong, junior infielder Nicole Matson and ace pitcher Nikki Armagost. Foglesong leads the team with four stolen bases and is one of three players with a team high of 18 runs scored. Matson leads the Tigers with six home runs and also has the team high 18 runs. Armagost leads the batting lineup with a .440 batting average, 33 hits, 26 RBI and a .506 on-base percentage. As Pacific's ace pitcher, Armagost has a 3.45 ERA, a 7-6 record in 14 game starts, seven complete games, 75.0 innings pitched and 62 strikeouts.
Series vs. Pacific
Currently, the Tigers lead the series 1-0 and the last time the two teams met was on Feb. 21, 2004 in the Palm Springs Classis as Pacific won 10-1.
Scouting UC Riverside
UC Riverside enters this weekend having gone 1-1 in a double header against Canisius on Tuesday. Key players for the Highlanders are senior shortstop Kameryn Hebenton and sophomore outfielder Kayla White. Hebenton leads the team with a .417 batting average, 18 runs, a .527 on-base percentage and eight stolen bases. White leads UCR with 30 hits, seven doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI. White was named Big West Player of the Week after hitting .529 in the Highlanders opening weekend tournament in Las Vegas Feb. 11-13. Ace pitcher for UC Riverside is junior Jordyn McDonald. McDonald has a 4.45 ERA, a 5-6 record in 12 game starts, seven complete games, 83.1 innings pitched, 58 strikeouts and a .349 opponent batting average. McDonald was also named Big West Pitcher of the Week after going 1-1 with a 1.00 ERA at the Highlanders home aTen Construction Tournament Feb. 18-20.
Series vs. UC Riverside
This will be the first meeting between the Highlanders and the Chanticleers.
Scouting Sacramento State
Sacramento State has had a week-long break to prepare for competition this weekend after cancelling their Capital Classic due to weather. Junior first baseman Alyssa Nakken is a key component to the Hornets lineup. Nakken has started every game this season and leads the team with 13 runs, 17 hits, six doubles, and a .418 on-base percentage. Ace pitcher for the Hornets is freshman Taylor Stroud. Stroud has a 1.37 ERA, a 4-4 record, five complete games, 56.1 innings pitched, 32 strikeouts and a .203 opponent batting average. The Hornets will take on Oregon State at home Thursday before heading to the Stanford Invitational.
Series vs. Sacramento State
This will be the first meeting between the Hornets and the Chanticleers.
Weather Forecast
Friday: Showers, 59 degrees. Saturday: Showers, 56 degrees. Sunday: Partly cloudy, 62 degrees.
Road Woes
After a 23-game homestand, including four home tournaments, the Chanticleers return to the road for its last regular season tournament of the season in California. The only other road trip Coastal has taken this season was opening weekend at the Palmetto State Showdown, hosted by South Carolina. Currently the Chants are 1-3 on the road, falling to USC Upstate, South Carolina and Winthrop, but defeating Furman to start the season.
Going Back Home
Six members of the 2011 squad will be returning home as Coastal travels to California this weekend. Three Chants are from California in senior Michelle Evans from Upland, sophomore Jazmin Daigle from Spring Valley and freshman Desiree Zaragoza from West Covina. In addition to the California girls, two members are from Washington in sophomore Cacia Pierre from Woodinville and freshman Beth Kassuhn from Dupont and one player is from Arizona in junior Chelsea Pineda from Coolidge. It will be the first time all six players will have the opportunity to play close to home.
Last Time In California
The only other time Coastal has played out west in the regular season was in 2004 when the Chants played in the Palm Springs Classic. Coastal faced both Stanford and Pacific in the event, losing to both. The Chanticleers only win in the tournament was against then #24 Oregon State, 2-1, on Feb. 20, 2004.
Two Chants Get Their Wings
Two members of the 2011 softball squad will get their wings this weekend as Coastal travels to the Stanford Invitational in California. South Carolina natives, senior Katelin Edwards and freshman Courtney Howell, will get to not only experience their first airplane, but also get to see the west coast.
Coastal Finishes Longest Homestand in Program History
After Tuesday's game against South Carolina, the Chanticleers finished their 23-game homestand, the longest homestand in program history. The Coastal squad finished the span with a 13-10 record after one game was cancelled due to inclement weather. The next longest consecutive home span was in 1992 when the Chants played 19-straight games at the CCU Softball Field. Last season, Coastal played a 15-game homestand. During this season's 23 consecutive home games, junior Chelsea Pineda led the team with a .323 batting average, but freshman Brooke Donovan was not far behind with .321 and led the team with 25 hits.
Productive Bench
Already this season, Coastal Carolina has scored 87 runs as a team and 23 of those runs have come off the bench from either a pinch runner or pinch hitter. With so much speed on the bench, it means that approximately 26% of the Chanticleers' runs scored have come from players on the bench. Freshman Courtney Howell leads the pinch runners with eight runs scored while freshman Brooke Donovan leads the starters with 12 runs scored.
Tough Road Ahead...
In this week's polls, two teams the Chanticleers have already played and one team the squad will play this week are either ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes. Stanford is holding down the #12 spot on the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Poll and the #13 spot on the USA Today/NFCA Division I Poll. Georgia Tech is receiving votes in both polls and Kansas is receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
Up Next
The Chanticleers open Big South Conference play as they face Charleston Southern on Wednesday, March 30 in a doubleheader. The first game is slated to begin at 2 p.m.
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