The third-place BYU softball team will resume conference play at Gail Miller Field with doubleheaders against San Diego State, Friday at 1:30 p.m. and UNLV Saturday at noon.
Last Week
The Cougars defeated Utah State in both games of a doubleheader in Logan Wednesday, 8-0 and 4-1. They split doubleheaders with New Mexico Friday, losing the first game 2-0 before winning 7-0, and with Colorado State Saturday, losing 7-3 before bouncing back after a lengthy rain delay to win 10-4 in the nightcap.
BYU Probable Starters
•C -Angie Christiansen - R/R, Sr. (.198, 19 hits, 9 runs, 11 RBI)
•1B - Mindy Hanson - R/R, Sr. (.257, 29 hits, 13 runs, 17 RBI)
•2B - Kari Pringle - R/R, Jr. (.299, 29 hits, 12 runs, 11 RBI)
•SS - Becca Erickson - R/R, Sr. (.231, 27 hits, 18 runs, 6 HR, 26 RBI)
•3B - Elizabeth Pierce-Boydston - R/R, Jr. (.305, 43 hits, 24 runs, 26 RBI)
•CF -Lindsey Hodgen-Kelly - R/R, Sr. (.305, 36 hits, 29 runs, 10 RBI, 17 SB)
•RF - Oli Keohohou- R/R, Fr. (.487, 55 hits, 51 runs, 17 HR, 55 RBI)
•LF - Liz Smith- L/R, Jr. (.279, 38 hits, 26 runs, 5 RBI, 10 SB)
•DH - Brooke Cadiente - R/L, So. (.300, 42 hits, 28 runs, 8 HR, 39 RBI)
•P - Meghann Pricer - R/R, Sr. (10-4, 2.16 ERA, 84 SO, 112.1 IP)
Nation's Elite
After playing in 46 games, freshman Oli Keohohou is among the nation's elite in a variety of categories. She leads the NCAA's with a .487 batting average, and is second in home runs with 17 in 46 games, an average of .37 homers per game. She is fifth in runs batted in with 55, averaging 1.20 RBI a game. As a team, BYU is 15th in the nation in scoring with 248 runs in 47 games, an average of 5.28 a game.
Conference Leaders
Keohohou leads the Mountain West Conference in batting average (.487), runs scored (50), slugging percentage (1.053), on-base percentage (.630) and is tied for the league lead with three triples. Pitcher Meghann Pricer leads the league in opponents batting average (.221). As a team, BYU leads the conference in batting average (.286), slugging percentage (.453), on base percentage (.368) runs scored (248) and triples (17). Cougar pitchers have allowed the fewest hits (275) and runs (127) in the conference, while BYU opponents are batting .239, the lowest in the conference.
Team Leaders
After 47 games, Keohohou leads the team in batting average (.487), hits (55), home runs (17), RBI (55), runs scored (51), walks (47), triples (3) and slugging percentage (1.053). Elizabeth Pierce-Boydston leads the team in at-bats (141) and doubles (9). Lindsey Hodgen-Kelly leads the team with 17 stolen bases.
Scouting San Diego State
The Aztecs have a 29-20 record, including a 4-6 conference record and are currently in fifth place. They split a pair of games with UNLV last week, winning 1-0 and losing 8-2. They also beat UC Riverside 2-1 in 13 innings. Tiffany Goudy has a .322 batting average and 49 hits, including 20 RBI. Kellie Nordhagen has a .333 batting average and 55 hits, including 9 RBI. Sandra Durazo is 18-10 with a 1.52 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 180 innings pitched and was recently named the MWC Pitcher of the Week.
Scouting UNLV
The Rebels have a 25-21 record, including a 6-6 conference record and are currently in fourth place. They split a pair of games with SDSU last week, winning 8-2 and losing 1-0. Rachel Goodpaster is hitting .379 with 47 hits, including eight home runs and 28 RBI. Samantha Kimura is batting .324 with 48 hits, including 12 doubles and 30 RBI. Kacey Ellis is 11-8 with a 2.07 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 125.1 innings of work.
Softball/Baseball Complex
The newly-opened Gail Miller Field at BYU's Miller Park has 2,100 chair seats all in the lower bowl, making it one of the top-10 seating softball facilities in the NCAA. The dimensions are 210 feet down the left and right field lines and 220 in center field. The field faces northwest and is located west of the BYU Marriott Center. The one-of-a-kind mirrored-image softball/baseball complex was made possible by primary donors Larry and Gail Miller, together with Sy and Betty Kimball. The tensile roof is constructed from a teflon fabric made by Japan's Birdair Corporation and is pulled taut by cables, similar to the design on the Denver International Airport.
Miller Park was built by Sahara construction with Salt Lake City
architect Valentiner/Crane. A shared press box houses radio and TV broadcasts and seating for print media and game-day operations. There are
separate locker rooms for visitors and Cougar clubhouses for both softball and baseball. The complex includes concession stands, a memorabilia mezzanine, handicapped seating, an elevator, an umpire room, a hosting facility, an equipment room, training room, indoor batting cages and coaches offices. Both fields are lighted. The softball scoreboard is located in right field and was manufactured by Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota.
Coach Mary Kay Amicone
Mary Kay Amicone was named BYU's first-ever varsity softball coach on May 6, 1999, three months after the announcement was made to upgrade the softball team from club to varsity status. In her first season, she led the team to a 16-27 (.372) record, including a 7-13 conference record, good for fifth place. Prior to becoming the head coach at BYU, Amicone served as an assistant coach at the University of Utah (1991, '93-95, '98-99). During that time, the Utes finished fifth ('91) and seventh ('94) at the NCAA Women's College World Series and were regional participants in 1995. She is assisted by Gordon Eakin and Lisa Hall.
Coaches Quotes
"This is a critical weekend for us because we are so close in the standings with San Diego State and UNLV. We need to have a good weekend and all of the goals we have for this season will be right on. "--Mary Kay Amicone
Preseason Mountain West Conference Coaches' Poll
BYU was picked by the coaches in the Mountain West Conference to
finish fifth in the conference in the preseason poll released Jan. 25. In-state rival University of Utah, where BYU head coach Mary Kay Amicone played and was an assistant coach for seven years, was picked to finish first.
Mountain West Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Utah (5) 25
2. New Mexico (1) 20
3. San Diego State 15
4. Colorado State 11
5. BYU 10
6. UNLV 9
Player/Coach Interviews
Practices are held daily at 1 p.m. at Gail Miller Field, west of the Marriott Center. Player or Coach Amicone interviews may be arranged in advance through Shane Bevell, BYU Athletic Media Relations, at (801) 378-8999. Additional information may be obtained through e-mailing Shane at amr-3@byu.edu or by fax at (801) 378-3520.