Colorado State University Athletics
Softball Preview: SDSU Invitational
2/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 22, 2006
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Leading Off: The Rams travel to San Diego, Calif., for the SDSU Aztec Invitational this weekend. They will face off against Western Kentucky, Long Beach State, Kentucky, Loyola Marymount and Indiana State.
600th Career Win: Colorado State Head Coach Mary Yori picked up her 600th career win last weekend in the victory over Central Michigan on Saturday. This pushes her career total to 602-283 (.680).
Scoring First: The Rams boast a 6-0 record this season when they have been the first team to put a run on the board.
A First For Everything: The Rams posted their first "W" against Central Michigan this weekend, bringing the all-time series record to 1-2. The last time these two teams faced each other was in 1986. USA Today/NFCA Division I Poll: The Rams made their way onto the USA Today/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll with their performance last weekend, receiving 12 votes.
MWC Sweep: Colorado State sophomore third baseman Lauren Cusick and freshman righthander Kim Klabough have been named Mountain West Conference Softball Player and Pitcher of the Week, respectively. Cusick, from Salem, Ore., totaled a 1.294 slugging percentage for the weekend to lead the team. Cusick tied her career high with four at bats versus Central Michigan. She posted a career high 4 RBI against Oregon State and went 11-for-17 (.647) in the tournament. Her two home runs against Oregon State and two runs against Oregon give her new career highs. She also led the team with 22 total bases this weekend. Klabough, a Sierra Vista, Ariz., native, picked up two wins for the Rams at the UNLV Desert Classic. The freshman began the weekend with a 5-4 victory over Notre Dame, in which she struck out a career-high nine batters in 6.1 innings of work. Her second win of the weekend came against No. 18 Oregon. Klabough picked up the complete game victory over the Ducks, allowing just one run and striking out five batters. Klabough picked up the second save of her career in 2.0 innings of work against Cal Poly and also pitched 4.2 innings of relief against No. 14 Oregon State. With the Rams trailing the Beavers 7-2, Klabough came on to pitch the remainder of the game and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out two batters.
UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic Wrap-up: Colorado State went 4-1 this past weekend in the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. The squad opened tournament play against Notre Dame, beating them 5-4. Juniors Jessica Strickland and Stacey Leigh both recorded a home run against the Fighting Irish. Game two brought the Chippewas of Central Michigan. The Rams easily downed them by a final score of 10-4 with home runs coming from Strickland and junior Brittany Huerta. CSU's two wins on Saturday pushed the Rams to 4-0 in the tournament as they beat No. 18 Oregon 6-1 and Cal Poly 5-4. Several errors by the Ducks put the Rams on base. Sophomore Lauren Cusick led off with her first home run of the season followed by the second steal of her career in the fifth inning. Freshman Renee Welty also added a home run. Senior transfer Tara Harbert added two stolen bases against Cal Poly to push the Rams just ahead of the Mustangs. The Rams dropped in their final game on Sunday against No. 14 Oregon State, losing by a final score 8-7 despite two homers from Cusick.
Strick-tly Business: Junior Jessica Strickland leads the team with a 1.050 slugging percentage on the season. She added two home runs this weekend to push her season total to six and her career total to 18. Strickland also leads the team with 40 at bats, 14 runs and 17 RBI. She hit her first triple of the season against Central Michigan and struck out a season high five batters.
Thief: Senior transfer Tara Harbert has recorded seven of the team's eight stolen bases so far this season, taking two against Cal Poly. Harbert is second on the team with 39 at bats and first with 27 assists. Harbert also posted a career high two runs in three hits in the game against Central Michigan. She also tied Strickland with 19 at bats this weekend and totaled a team high 14 assists from her second base position.
Home-ward Bound: The Colorado State softball squad added eight home runs this weekend to the season total. Sophomore Lauren Cusick tied her season total from last year, hitting three home runs this weekend, two in the last game against Oregon State. Junior Jessica Strickland hammered two, pushing her into the school's top five with a career total of 18. She has six so far this season, surpassing her 2005 total of five. Junior Stacey Leigh and freshman Renee Welty both hit the first home run of their careers. Leigh scored in the top of the seventh against Notre Dame, while Welty homered in the bottom of the fifth against No. 18 Oregon. Junior Brittany Huerta also added one, setting her just behind Strickland in career totals with 17.
Good Eyes: Freshman Kim Klabough and senior Katie Dean both were patient at the plate this weekend. They each had a walk in the Central Michigan and Notre Dame games. Dean leads the team with six walks this season. Klabough and sophomore Lauren Cusick trail her with five a piece.
Welty: Freshman Renee Welty had a career high two hits against Central Michigan. Welty had seven hits in 16 total at bats for the weekend and recorded a career high 3 RBI versus Oregon. She was also third on the team with four RBI for the weekend.
Wisely: Freshman Jenna Wisely posted career highs with two at bats, one hit and one walk against Central Michigan.
