Colorado State University Athletics
SOFTBALL PREVIEW: University of San Diego Tournament
2/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
University of San Diego Tournament...
Colorado State travels to San Diego this weekend for the University of San Diego Tournament. The Rams, after going 5-0 last weekend, are looking for more wins this weekend. The first game is scheduled for 3 p.m. MT against UC Riverside on Friday, with the second game scheduled to start at 8 p.m. against tournament host, San Diego. On Saturday, the Rams continue play against Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. and Nevada at 5:30 p.m. The tournament concludes Sunday with the Rams facing Marshall at 10:30 a.m.
UC Riverside...
The Highlanders are 2-7 coming into the tournament this weekend. Katie Curtis leads the team with a .364 batting average. She also has two doubles and six RBI on the season. In the circle, Stephanie Marshall leads the Highlanders with a 1.70 ERA in 12.1 innings pitched. This will be the second meeting of the 2008 season for the Rams and Highlanders. The Rams won the first meeting, 7-6, in eight innings. All time against UCR, the Rams are 2-0.
San Diego...
The University of San Diego enters this weekend 2-6, getting its first wins last weekend against UC Riverside and Northern Colorado. The Toreros' top hitter is Carey Casciola who boasts a .444 batting average with a double and two RBI. In the circle, the Toreros are led by Alyssa Luna with a 3.71 ERA in 17 innings. All-time against USD the Rams are 2-0.
Loyola Marymount...
The Lions are 8-3 coming into the tournament this weekend. They are led by Chelsie Tysdal at the plate with a .457 batting average. She also has two doubles, five home runs, and 14 RBI. In the circle for the Lions is Tiffany Pagano who boasts a 1.48 ERA. She has pitched 47.1 innings and has recorded 58 strikeouts. Colorado State leads the all-time series with the Lions, 4-0.
Nevada...
Nevada enters the USD Tournament 9-3 after defeating No. 1 Arizona, 1-0, last weekend. The Wolf Pack is led at the plate by Sam Bias with a .382 batting average. She has recorded two doubles, one home run, and four RBI on the season. The Rams lead the all-time series with the Wolf Pack, 7-2.
Marshall...
The Thundering Herd is 5-6 heading into this weekend. They are led by Rachael Sofie at the plate with a .455 batting average and two doubles on the season. Marshall is led by Autumn Mitchell in the circle who posts a 1.40 ERA in 25 innings. She has allowed only five earned runs and has struck out 23 batters. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this weekend.
A League of Her Own...
Colorado State Head Coach Mary Yori has now won 201 games at the helm of the Rams. She surpassed 200 this past weekend in Las Cruces, N.M., when the Rams beat Illinois-Chicago, 9-5. Yori entered the 2008 season just eight wins away from 200 career wins at Colorado State. Yori notched her name into the CSU record books, becoming only the second coach in Colorado State history to reach 100 wins. Her record at CSU now stands at 201-176, making her the winningest coach in CSU softball history.
Back-to-Back Jacks...
The Rams hit two back-to-back home runs this weekend at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces Classic. The first pair were hit by senior Lauren Cusick followed by freshman Caitlan Stem in the bottom of the first inning against North Dakota State. Later in the same game senior Cayte Billman hit a walk-off home run right after sophomore Allison Majam to win the game for the Rams and clinch the tournament championship.
The .300 Club...
Seven Ram hitters boast a .300 batting average or better after two weekends of play. Senior Julia Kloppe leads the team with a .455 batting average followed by sophomore Ashley Munoz with a .432 average. Senior Lauren Cusick has a .410 average after 10 games and freshman Caitlan Stem and senior Cayte Billman are close behind Cusick with a .389 average. Sophomores Allison Majam and Robyn Mask round out the top seven with a .333 and .313 batting average, respectively. These seven players are responsible for 18 of the 19 doubles on the season and all 15 home runs. They also have recorded 48 of the team's 52 RBI.
Perfect Duo...
Senior Cayte Billman and junior Kim Klabough both added wins to their records this weekend. Billman is now 4-0 on the season and Klabough is 3-0. Billman has thrown 30 innings, giving up only six earned runs and one home run. Klabough has pitched 24 innings with 21 strikeouts and has yet to surrender a walk. Combined, the two pitchers have a 1.69 ERA with 42 strikeouts.
Player of the Week...
Colorado State senior Lauren Cusick was named MWC Player of the Week this week for her performance in the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces Classic. Cusick, from Salem, Ore., helped Colorado State to a 5-0 record in Week 2, on the way to a Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces Classic championship. In five starts, she hit .571 (12-for-21), including three doubles, a triple and four home runs. Cusick also plated seven RBI and scored 12 runs. During the tournament, she registered four multiple-hit games, with three hits in three of those games. In the Rams' tournament opener vs. UT-Arlington, the senior doubled, tripled and homered in consecutive at-bats, finishing a single shy of the cycle. She continued her hitting streak vs. North Dakota State, smashing two home runs and a double. Defensively, Cusick recorded a perfect fielding percentage with two putouts and 13 assists on the weekend.
National Attention...
The Rams received votes this past week in both national polls. In the NFCA/USA Today poll, the Rams received three votes. In the ESPN/USA Softball poll, the Rams received five. Four of the six MWC softball teams are listed in the polls with UNLV sitting at No. 18/21 (ESPN/NFCA) and San Diego State at No. 25/rv. Colorado State and BYU received votes in both polls.
Going, Going, Gone...
The Rams blasted 12 home runs this past weekend to give them a season total of 15 , which tie them for first place in the MWC with BYU. Eight of the 12 home runs came on Sunday in the games against Illinois-Chicago and North Dakota State. Against UIC, freshman Caitlan Stem and senior Cayte Billman each hit a home run. Stem's was a three-run shot to center field and Billman's was a grand slam to right center. In the NDSU game, senior Lauren Cusick homered twice along with sophomore Allison Majam. Stem and Billman also hit their second home runs of the day.
