North Dakota State
Buffalo
NDSU Softball Treks Southwest for New Mexico Invitational
2/25/2014 11:37:00 AM | Softball
| 2014 University of New Mexico Invitational |
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Friday, Feb. 28: North Dakota State (9-5) vs. Buffalo [N.Y.] (8-3) 11 a.m. CT | Albuquerque, N.M. Friday, Feb. 28: North Dakota State vs. Idaho State (6-5) 1:30 p.m. CT | Albuquerque, N.M. Saturday, March 1: North Dakota State vs. Idaho State 11 a.m. CT | Albuquerque, N.M. Saturday, March 1: North Dakota State at New Mexico (1-13) 6 p.m. CT | Albuquerque, N.M. |
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Sunday, March 2: North Dakota State vs. Buffalo [N.Y.] 10 a.m. CT | Albuquerque, N.M. |
| Social Media: @NDSUAthletics | @NDSUsoftball |
| Complete Game Notes (PDF) |
Setting the Scene
- After a record-setting and perfect 5-0 weekend at the Houston Hilton Plaza Invite, the Bison will travel to New Mexico to participate in the University of New Mexico Invitational Friday, Feb. 28 - Sunday, March 2.
- NDSU matched the school record for runs in a single-inning, scoring 12 in the top of the 3rd, in the Bison's 18-4 win over Nicholls State Saturday.
- Maritza Lopez-Portillo tied a school single-game record with two home runs in the 18-4 victory over Nicholls State. She became the 10th player in school history to accomplish that feat.
- Pitcher Krista Menke posted a 1.15 ERA in four appearances and three starts in the circle at the Houston Invite. She struck out 24 and only allowed four earned runs on 16 hits in 24.1 innings of work. With the four victories, Menke improved her season record to 7-1.
- NDSU will face Buffalo (N.Y.) and Idaho State twice and battle host New Mexico once in the New Mexico Invitational.
Series History
- Buffalo: NDSU's pair of contests against Buffalo will be the second and third meetings all-time. The Bison lead the series 1-0, defeating the Bulls back in 2011, 2-0.
- Idaho State: The Bison's two games against Idaho State will mark the inaugural two meetings for NDSU and the Bengals.
- New Mexico: NDSU's tangle with the Lobos will be just the second all-time meeting in the series. The Bison trail 1-0 after falling to New Mexico in 2007, 9-1.
Scouting the Opponents
- Buffalo: The Bulls come into the New Mexico Invitational with a record of 8-3. Buffalo, a MAC member, is led by Holly Luciano (.406 avg., 13 H, 32 AB, 1 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .594 SLG%, 4-6 SB). The Bulls primary pitcher is Tori Speckman (1.77 ERA, 5-2, 5 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 47.1 IP, 37 H, 12 ER, 10 BB, 47 SO, .214 b/avg.).
- Idaho State: The Bengals enter the New Mexico Invite with a 6-5 overall record. Idaho State, a member of the Big Sky Conference, is paced by Terah Blackwell (.368 avg., 14 H, 38 AB, 4 2B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, .553 SLG%), Vicky Galasso (.303 avg., 10 H, 33 AB, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .619 SLG%) and Maddy Hickman (.333 avg., 10 H, 30 AB, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .533 SLG%). In the circle, the Bengals primary pitcher is Haley Douglas (6.38 ERA, 3-3, 2 CG, 37.1 IP, 57 H, 34 ER, 22 BB, 13 SO, .341 b/avg.).
- New Mexico: The Lobos, a member of the Mountain West Conference, enter the weekend with an overall record of 1-13. New Mexico is led by Naomi Tellez (.364 avg., 12 H, 33 AB, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .636 SLG%) and Chelsea Anaya (.349 avg., 15 H, 43 AB, 1 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .558 SLG%). In the circle, the Lobos main pitcher is Carrie Sheehan (6.11 ERA, 1-6, 1 CG, 44.2 IP, 85 H, 39 ER, 13 BB, 22 SO, .405 b/avg.).
Catching-up with the Bison: NDSU enters the weekend with an overall record of 9-5 after going a flawless 5-0 last weekend in the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational. The Bison are led offensively by Cheyenne Garcia (.375 avg., 15 H, 40 AB, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, .550 SLG%, 5-5 SB) and Logan Moreland (.326 avg., 15 H, 46 AB, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .391 SLG%, 4-6 SB). Krista Menke (1.62 ERA, 7-1, 6 CG, 2 SHO, 1 SV, 56.0 IP, 43 H, 13 ER, 25 BB, 53 SO, .215 b/avg.) leads the herd in the circle. As a team, NDSU is hitting .306 while holding opponents to a .248 avg. The Bison have compiled a team ERA of 3.55.
Balanced Production: Through 14 games, NDSU has seven players with at least seven RBI.
Power Hitters: The Bison have hit a combined 12 home runs in their first 14 games. Alex Sobrero, Cheyenne Garcia, Logan Moreland, Brandi Enriquez, Jenna Isbel and Dani Renner each have one long ball while Jenina Ortega, Amanda Grable and Maritza Lopez-Portillo have gone yard twice.
Base Stealers: NDSU has six players who have stolen at least two bases through 14 games. Cheyenne Garcia leads the team, stealing a perfect 5-of-5 bases, while Logan Moreland is second with four successful attempts in six tries. Brandi Enriquez (3-3), Alex Sobrero (2-2) and Jenna Isbel (2-2) round out the Bison with at least two stolen bases.
Menke Named Summit League Pitcher of the Week: North Dakota State's Krista Menke and Omaha's Dana Elsasser and were named the Summit League Softball Pitchers of the Week for their performances Feb. 17-23.
Menke collects her sixth career Pitcher of the Week award and first this season after going undefeated (4-0) at the University of Houston Hilton Plaza Invite. The right-handed hurler recorded three complete-game victories, including a pair of three-hitters to open and close the tournament. She started the weekend fanning nine batters and allowing no earned runs in a 3-1 win over Nicholls State and followed that up with her second win of the day, throwing 3.1 innings in relief to earn the 9-4 win over Columbia. In the junior's second start of the weekend, the Friend, Neb., native defeated Houston, who was receiving votes in latest USA Today/NFCA Top-25 poll. In the tournament finale, she struck out six and held Columbia to three hits. For the weekend, Menke fanned 24 batters, while yielding 16 hits, nine walks and four earned runs in 24.1 innings of work for a 1.15 ERA.
Bison in The Summit League Statistics
Relevant Team Statistics:
- Batting Average: 4th (.306)
- Home Runs: 2nd (12 HR)
- RBI: 3rd (72)
- Stolen Bases: 2nd (22 SB)
- Slugging Percentage: 2nd (.463)
- Innings Pitched: 5th (86.2 IP)
- Hits: 2nd (80)
- Earned Runs: 3rd (44)
- ERA: 5th (3.55)
- Strikeouts: 6th (81)
Bison Tabbed First in Summit League Softball Preseason Poll
Two-time defending regular season champion, North Dakota State was tabbed as the favorite to win the 2014 Summit League Softball Championship in a poll of the league's seven head coaches.
The Bison tallied 33 total points and four first-place votes after winning their second-consecutive regular season title and third in the last six years.
NDSU returns 13 players from last season's team that went 33-16 and 17-1 in league play, including first team all-league honoree Jenina Ortega and second team selections Brandi Enriquez, Amanda Grable and Cheyenne Garcia.
Omaha was picked second and received one first-place vote. The Mavericks welcome back a quartet of all-league members, including the 2013 Summit League Freshman of the Year Campbell Ditto. Joining Ditto are Dana Elsasser, Amber Lutmer and Allie Matthewson.
Fort Wayne, the 2013 Summit League Tournament champion, was tabbed third and collected two first-place votes. The Mastodons return four all-league performers in Alex Bousquet, Ashleigh Bousquet, Larissa Franklin and Miranda Kramer.
South Dakota and Western Illinois tied for fourth while IUPUI and South Dakota State rounded out the poll at sixth and seventh.
Up Next
The Bison head to Palo Alto, Calif., to participate in the Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic March 7-9.
