2008 Lady Buckeyes Softball. Defending Big Ten Champions

[scooter1369]

The 2008 season schedule is out.

OSU Official Site - Softball

Due to a weird quirk, Ohio State will finish the regular season against Ohio U.

I'll begin a break down of the competition in the near future.

Cal State Fullerton, the team that ended Ohio State's run in the regionals last season, appears on the schedule on February 22nd, in Palm Springs. Count on Ace Junior Pitcher Kim Reeder circling that game.

[scooter1369]

Stetson Tournament (Deland, Florida) February 8th-10th

University of Detroit-Mercy Titans



2007 season record 12-31
vs Horizon conference 3-14
ooc record 9-17
neutral site 7-9
vs. Lefty 0-3

2007-2008 Roster

No. Name Pos. Yr. B/T Hometown/High School
1 Jacqueline Nortman OF Jr. R/R Groves, TX/Msgr. Kelly Catholic
2 Courtney Gill C So. R/R Surrey, BC/Earl Marriott
6 Caitlin McPartlin INF So. R/R Trenton, MI/Trenton
7 Lauren Memmer P Fr. R/L Davisburg, MI/White Lake
10 Chelsea Lathrop OF Fr. R/R Colleyville, TX/Grapevine
13 Breanna Sesoko C Fr. R/R Anaheim Hills, CA/Canyon
14 Ellen Sinclair UTL Fr. L/R Chatham, ONT/Chatham-Kent
15 Erica Houthoofd INF So. R/R Unionville, MI/USA
17 Kristen Gulock INF Fr. R/R Warren, MI/Regina
18 Danielle Garshott OF So. R/R Milford, MI/Milford
21 Jill Perry P So. L/L Ortonville, MI/Brandon
22 Jessica Liebner INF So. R/R Ortonville, MI/Brandon
23 Kristen Sclater INF Fr. R/R Taylor, MI/Kennedy
33 Kelli Short P Sr. R/R Toledo, OH/Rogers/Owens CC
40 Katelyn McCutcheon OF So. R/R Pleasant Ridge, MI/Ferndale


Last season's big star was Kaleigh Rafter, who will not be on the roster this year due to her position on Team Canada.

More on UDM to come soon.

To be continued....

[MrsB]

Enough is enough let's playyyyyyyyyyyy ball!
Brittany Vanderink will captain the 2008 Ladies softball team
Link

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? The defending Big Ten champion Ohio State softball team has elected senior second baseman Brittany Vanderink as its captain for the 2008 season. One of six starters back from the Buckeyes? squad that went 40-18 a year ago, Vanderink is a two-time All-Big Ten selection and ranks sixth in program history with a .338 career batting average.

[BB73]

lantern

Softball ready for season opener
by: Josh Ellis

Linda Kalafatis

The No. 22 Ohio State softball team took to the field and the skies as it opened its 2008 season Tuesday. The defending Big Ten Champions are coming off one of their best seasons in program history with a 40-18 record while claiming both the regular season and tournament championships. Beginning today with the Stetson Lead-Off Classic in DeLand, Fla., the Bucks will play in five tournaments throughout the next six weeks. The Buckeyes will travel to Florida twice, followed by a trip to California, Las Vegas and then back to California before returning home to start the Big Ten schedule.

"We've gotten away from calling them pre-season tournaments," coach Linda Kalafatis said. "But these tournaments are a real critical piece in RPI and making it to the (NCAA) tournament."

The reigning Big Ten Coach of the Year added although the young team, which includes 13 freshman and sophomores, might go through growing pains and lineup changes, it needs to do so while still winning games.

Cont'd ...

[MrsB]

We start out a winner!
Link
Softball: Vanderink?s Ninth Inning Single Lifts No. 22 Ohio State Past Detroit, 2-0

In season-opener, junior Kim Reeder strikes out eight in one-hit shutout
DeLAND, Fla. ? In its 2008 season opener, the 21st-ranked Ohio State softball team got a two-run single in the top of the ninth inning from senior captain Brittany Vanderink to break a 0-0 game and give the Buckeyes a 2-0 win over Detroit Friday at Patricia Wilson Field in the opener of the Stetson Lead-Off Classic.
Junior Kim Reeder struck out eight and allowed only one hit in a nine-inning shutout. She retired 17 of the first 18 batters she faced and gave up only a second-inning single. With her 34th career win, Reeder moves into a tie for seventh on the Ohio State career wins list with Krinon Clark (1991-94). Reeder now owns 299 career strikeouts, which are eight away from fourth-place in OSU history.
Reeder owns two no-hitters in her career, but Friday marked her first career one-hitter.
Four freshmen and three sophomores were in the starting lineup for the defending Big Ten champions in the season-opener Friday, including all but Vanderink at second base in the three spot and senior Liz Caputo at center field in the nine spot.
Vanderink led the Buckeyes with two hits, while freshman Dee Dee Hillman and sophomore Sam Marder both had a hit.

[JCOSU86]

Sam!!!!!!

[Bestbuck36]

Great weekend ladies! Need to cut down on the errors as the season matures though.

You'd be hard pressed to find a better battery this season than Reeder and Marder. There may be some but these two could give anybody a run for their money.

If I was 10 years younger......!

[scooter1369]

This truly is a young, talented team. This year will be a good with some growing pains. Next year, this team is going to be damn good.

Can't wait til they come home to play. I love sitting at Buckeye Field watching the girls play and then moving over to Bill Davis for some Baseball.

[scooter1369]

The 18th ranked Lady Bucks leave Miami with an 8-2 record and head for Palm Springs California,

Lady Bucks Schedule in the Palm Springs Tournament:

Fresno State Feb 22nd @ 1:30
Cal State Fullerton Feb 22nd @ 6:00
Stanford Feb 23rd @ 3:30
Oregon State Feb 23rd @ 6:00
Fordham Feb 24th @ 12:00

[Bestbuck36]

My God Sam is on a tear!

We never should have lost that Georgia game, waay too sloppy early on.

The FIU game seemed to be a little tired. Their pitcher pitched a great game also.

We'll see how good or bad we are this weekend!

Go Lady Bucks!!!!!

[scooter1369]

Originally Posted by Bestbuck36

My God Sam is on a tear!

We never should have lost that Georgia game, waay too sloppy early on.

The FIU game seemed to be a little tired. Their pitcher pitched a great game also.

We'll see how good or bad we are this weekend!

Go Lady Bucks!!!!!

Cal State Fullerton has our number right now, knocking the Bucks out of the Regionals last year at Buckeye Field. Even our coaches consider CS Fullerton a "rival" program in softball.

Stanford and Fresno State also have respectable squads. Oregon State is pretty good too. Those west coast teams are just awesome at times. I have a feeling this will be the toughest preseason tournament for the ladies.

They don't even play a home game until late March. By then they will have nearly 25 games played. Softball season hs to start later in the year. Its not a winter sport. And while February may bring nice weather to Miami, Deland, Palm Springs and Las Vegas, that just isn't the case for teams north of the Mason Dixon. Indoor batting practice can only take you so far.

Honsetly, I think Softball should be a fall sport. Less rain, cooler temps, drier air. Fall ball leagues get teams a lot of beneficial playing time because they are less interupted by weather.

[scooter1369]

Ladies knock off Fresno State in Game One of their double header, 1-0 in 7 innings. Kim Reeder went the distance allowing only 4 hits.

Cal State Fullerton game set for first pitch in 30 minutes. Not sure, but I think Bodekar will be in the circle.

[scooter1369]

Bodekar is in fact in the circle. Through two, she has allowed on hit and fanned one

Middle of 2, Bucks lead 1-0 on Sam Marder's RBI single driving in Brittany Vanderink

[scooter1369]

Bucks lead 3-0 in the fifth

Sam Marder at the plate

[scooter1369]

Marder just went yard again.

4-0 Bucks