The University of Akron Athletics
Softball To Start Season At Cougar Classic
February 18 | Softball
- After UA's opening tournament was snowed out, the Zips
softball team will start the season this weekend at the College of
Charleston Cougar Classic (Feb. 19-21).
MEDIA INFORMATION
• Live scoring for the match-ups will be available here.
TEAM NOTES
• Playing in the tournament for the third consecutive season
Akron holds a 4-6 record in the event. Facing James Madison and
CofC once again the Zips picked up an impressive 2-1 win over CofC
to open the tournament last year but fell to James Madison 2-0.
Akron will also face Wagner and No. 15 Louisville this year.
• Facing a ranked opponent for the first time in head coach Julie
Jones tenure the Zips will face No. 15 Louisville (Feb. 21 at
1:30 p.m.) in the final match up of the tournament. The Zips last
faced UL in the Cardinal Red and Black tournament (March 2, 2007)
taking a 4-7 loss.
• Akron's 35 wins in 2009 tied the program mark for the most
wins since 1998 and earned the second most conference wins since
joining the Mid-American Conference in 1993.
• The Zips wrapped up last season with a bang as the seventh
seeded Zips posted three tournament wins in a single day at the
Mid-American Conference tournament which marked the most ever
tournament wins in the history of the program.
• Coach Jones picked up her 300th win last season claiming a
5-2 victory over Central Michigan (April 3) at Lee R. Jackson
Field.
• UA led the league last season in at bats (1,473), runs
scored (222), hits (425), sacrifice hits (88), stolen bases (132)
and putouts (1,156)
• Defensively Akron posted a .969 fielding average in 2009
behind only Western Michigan.
• Offensively last season Akron was second in the league in
batting average posting a .287 behind only Ohio.
PLAYER NOTES
• Garnering postseason nods in 2009 were then senior Lisa
McLean, junior Heather Bauer and sophomore
Andrea Arney. McLean racked
up first team nods, while Bauer claimed second team and Arney
landed on the All-Freshman squad.
• Academically the Zips also earned honors landing three on
the All-MAC Academic team in juniors Bauer, Sarah Earley and Alex
Feltes while Bauer and Earley also earned a spot on the CoSIDA
ESPN Academic All-District IV team.
• Posting the lowest ERA in the league to wrap up the 2009
season (2.35) the Zips also boasted the lowest ERA from an
individual pitcher in Bauer (1.80).
• Stolen bases were a key to UA's success in 2009 as they
accumulated a league-leading 132. Akron was led by conference
leader McLean who finished the year with 45.
• Roaming the grass this season will be three new faces. After
three seniors took care of the outfield in 2009 junior Monica
Shorter, Earley and Bauer will man the green during the 2010
season.
• Arney is fifth on the single-season strikeout list after
striking out 171 last season in 228.0 innings pitched.
OPPONENTS AT-A-GLANCE
JAMES MADISON
Game Time: Feb. 19 at 11:00 a.m. and Feb. 20 at 4:00
p.m.
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2010 Record: 0-0, 0-0 CAA
COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON
Game Time: Feb. 19 at 4:00 p.m.
Conference: Southern Conference
2010 Record: 0-2, 0-0 SoCon
WAGNER
Game Time: Feb. 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Conference: Northeast
2010 Record: 0-0, 0-0 NEC
No. 15 LOUISVILLE
Game Time: Feb. 21
Conference: Big East
2010 Record: 4-1, 0-0 Big East
