Oklahoma State University Athletics
Softball Heads To Las Vegas
February 10, 2005 | Cowgirl Softball
OSU's Louisville Slugger Classic Schedule (CST)
Friday, Feb. 11
Oklahoma State vs. Illinois, 10:30 a.m.
Oklahoma State vs. Portland State, 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 12
Oklahoma State vs. Hawaii, 10:30 a.m.
Oklahoma State vs. BYU, 3:30 a.m.
Sunday, Feb. 13
Oklahoma State vs. Oregon, 2 p.m.
HEAD COACH MARGARET REBENAR
Margaret Rebenar is in her 26th season season as a softball coach at Oklahoma State and fourth as a head coach. Rebenar joined the Cowgirl softball program in 1980 after serving as a pitching coach at UCLA for one season. After filling the assistant coach role for 22 seasons, Rebenar was named the head coach in 2001. Rebenar led the 2003 Cowgirls to a second-place finish in the Big 12 regular season race and their first NCAA Regional appearance in five years. Under her guidance, 23 players have earned All-American status 29 times, including Olympians Michele Smith, Melanie Roche and Lauren Bay. Rebenar brings a 97-69 record as a head coach into the tournament.
OSU AND THE LOUISIVLLE SLUGGER FIELD
Illinois
Illinois comes into the weekend with a 3-3 record after opening the season at the Getterman Classic. The Illini defeated Centenary twice, split with Louisiana-Monroe and dropped a pair to Baylor. Lee Ann Butcher leads the team with a .571 batting average and five runs scored. Three pitchers saw action for Illinois. Clair DeVreese (1-1) earned the start in four contests, posting a 3.72 ERA in 19.1 innings. Mary Miller (1-1, 2.70 ERA, 10 IP) and Jackelyn Diekempe (1-1, 6.23 ERA, 8.2 IP) each earned one start. Friday's game will be the first meeting between the Cowgirls and Illini.
Portland State
Portland State opens the season at the UNLV Desert Classic. The Vikings finished the 2004 campaign 19-36 overall and in a tie for third place in the Pacific Coast Conference. PSU returns nine letterwinners and four starters, including pitcher Michelle Hext who led the staff with 189 IP and a 2.44 ERA. Catcher Rose Rutledge also returns after finishing second on the squad for batting average (.318) and hits (50). The series between Oklahoma State and Portland State is tied 1-1. The Cowgirls won 4-3 in nine innings last spring at the Cal State Fullerton Invitational.
Hawaii
Hawaii is 3-1 on the year after defeating IPFW, Washington and Jacksonville. The lone loss came against Oregon at the Hawaii Paradise Classic. Kristi Yoshizawa leads the team with a .500 batting average. Shannon Tabion leads the pitching staff with a 0.70 ERA in 10 innings. OSU holds a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series with Hawaii. The Cowgirls played UH twice in 2003 at the Chevron Paradise Classic hosted by Hawaii. The Wahine won the first meeting 6-1 but the Cowgirls posted a 3-0 shutout in the second game.
BYU
BYU jumped out to a 3-0 start following wins against Utah Valley State College and Southern Utah at the St. George Tournament. Offensively, the Cougars are led by Paige Paramore with a .636 batting average and two home runs. Daniella Urincho is close behind, hitting .600, also with two home runs. Three pitchers split time for BYU on its opening weekend. Summer Tobias (1-0, 2.57 ERA, 7 IP) led the staff with two starts. Brooke Boyce (1-0, 1.80 ERA, 5 IP) earned one start while Daniella Urincho (1-0, 0.00 ERA) tossed six innings in relief. The series between OSU and BYU is tied 1-1. BYU came away with a win last time the teams met, defeating the Cowgirls 4-2 at the Speedline Invitational in 2002.
Oregon
Oregon is off to a 3-1 start after opening the season at the Hawaii Paradise Classic. The Ducks lone loss came to ninth-ranked Washington after defeating Indiana-Purdue/Fort Wayne, Jacksonville and Hawaii. T.J. Eadus and Joanna Gail lead the team with .667 batting averages. Alicia Cook (2-0, 9 IP, 0.00 ERA) and Amy Harris (1-1, 10 IP, 1.40 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Oklahoma State holds a 9-4 lead in the series with the Ducks but Oregon has won three of the last four. The two teams met twice at the NCAA Regionals in 2003. The Cowgirls claimed a 2-1 win in the first battle but Oregon eliminated OSU with a 7-6 win in 12 innings.
