SFA Set for Tulsa Tournament
2/22/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 22, 2007
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - Tournament Time: The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack softball team will resume play this weekend when the Ladyjacks take part in the Holiday Inn Select Tulsa Festival. The tournament runs from Feb. 23 through 25 at Tulsa's Donna Hardesty Sports and Recreation Complex. The field includes Missouri State, Eastern Illinois, Creighton and host team Tulsa. SFA (3-6) will kick the weekend off Friday with a 9 a.m. game against Missouri State. The Ladyjacks will stay on the field for an 11:30 meeting with Eastern Illinois. SFA will then meet Creighton and Tulsa on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively. Based on their performances on the first two days, the teams will be seeded for two semifinal games on Sunday, with the winners squaring off for the tournament championship.
Last Time Out: Texas A&M swept SFA in a doubleheader on Wednesday. The Aggies took an 8-0 victory in the opener, then posted a 9-1 win in Game 2. Texas A&M entered the two-game set ranked No. 2 in the USA Today/NFCA Top 25 Poll. The Aggies showed why against SFA, pounding out 25 hits in the two games, while holding SFA to one run on nine hits. Junior first baseman Jessica Tullos led the way for SFA at the plate. Tullos was 3-for-5 with a double and the only RBI of the day for the Ladyjacks. Sophomore pitcher Kari Hugie started in Game 2 and shut A&M out through four innings. She was touched for three runs in the fifth and gave way to reliever Debra Boles for the sixth, when the Aggies tacked on six more runs.
The Opponents: Three of SFA's four opponents for this weekend enter the tournament with winning records. Creighton has the best mark at 5-0. The Blue Jays are outscoring their opponents by an average of more than 8.5 runs per game and batting .401 as a team. Eastern Illinois is 3-2 on the season. The Panthers have lost two of their last three games but are coming off a 12-2 win over Alabama A&M in the Central Arkansas Tournament. Missouri State brings a 5-4 mark to the weekend. The Bears opened the season on a five-game win streak, but they lost all four contests in the Crowne Plaza Classic in Houston last weekend. Tulsa has played more games than any other team in the field, and the Golden Hurricane has had the worst luck, so far. Tulsa is 3-8 on the year and has dropped four of its last five contests.
The Coaches: SFA is coached by Jenifer Wells. Wells is in her second season at SFA, where she holds a 23-34 (.404) record. In her five-year collegiate coaching career, Wells is 159-142 (.528). Creighton is coached by Brent Vigness; Eastern Illinois is coached by Kim Schuette; Missouri State is coached by Holly Hesse; Tulsa is coached by John Bargefeldt.
• For complete notes, click the "Series Notes" link in the side bar of the Softball home page.
- SFA -
