April 27, 2011
Thursday, April 21
3 p.m. - Santa Clara (6-23) at No. 9/10 California (30-9)
Levine-Fricke Field - Berkeley
Series Record vs. the Broncos: 73-0
Last Meeting: W, 8-0 (6) (4/28/10)
Coverage: Gametracker, Twitter
Promotions: Free admission for all!
BERKELEY - For their last nonconference match-up before the postseason, the No. 9/10 Golden Bears host Santa Clara on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The game is free for all to attend. California (30-9) looks to extend its all-time winning streak to 74 over the Broncos (6-23).
Parking Advisory
Parking will be extremely limited at Levine-Fricke Field. There are a limited number of spots to park at Levine-Fricke Field, but parking is available at the Underhill Lot. As with all of the previous home games, a shuttle will run to and from Underhill Lot. For complete information, please click here.
Probable Starters - Quick Notes
P: #52 Jolene Henderson - Went 2-1 with 21 innings pitched last week
C: #17 Lindsey Ziegenhirt - Slugged .625 last week
1B: #2 Jordan Wallace - Had a walk-off walk to upset the Sun Devils
2B: #10 Victoria Jones - Is tied for fourth on the team with 12 walks
3B: #7 Jace Williams - Outstanding ball played at third last weekend
SS: #18 Britt Vonk - Hit a team-high .400 last week
LF: #3 Jamia Reid - Scored a team-high three runs vs. Saint Mary's
CF: #1 Frani Echavarria - Knocked in two RBI to bring the Bears to victory on April 21
RF: #5 Elia Reid - Is a perfect 5-for-5 in steals
RF: #23 Ashley Decker - Hit the RBI single that ended the game over Saint Mary's in a win
Probable Reserves - Quick Notes
PH/3B: #22 Amy Bishop - Earned her first collegiate hit vs. Indiana (Feb. 13), pinch hit vs. Sac State
P: #7 Arianna Erceg - Earned the win over Oregon on April 17
C: #6 Taylor Vincent - Pinch hit vs. SMC and got a hit
P/1B: #12 Cassandra Vega - Owns a .667 batting average in six at bats
1B: #4 Alex Robben - Started two of three games last week
IF/PR: #33 Diane Leider - Cal's go-to pinch runner with one RBI over Saint Mary's
OF: #24 LaRisa Jones - Got a hit and played right field as a sub against the Gaels
LF: #3 Jamia Reid - Named the California Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week on March 14
Scouting SCU
• 2011 Information:
o Started the year 2-2 in division and have lost eight straight
o Have committed 44 errors as compared to 15 errors committed by their opponents
o Last Weekend:
Lost four straight games to University of San Diego in two doubleheaders
Top player, Briana Knight, and top hitter from last year, Kristin Welsh, were out and injured for the weekend
o Pacific Coast Softball Conference Record: 2-10
• Top Players:
o Briana Knight (OF) - 0.442 BA, 7 HR, 18 RBI
o Jamie Wallis (UT) - 17 R, 7 HR, 7 RBI
o Jenna Fong (P) - 6.42 ERA, 21 SO, 5-7 W-L
o Jessica Turner (P) - 9.85 ERA, 39 SO, 1-15 W-L
Bears Celebrate Friends of Jaclyn Adoptee
A year had transpired since Cal adoptee Bebe Wiggs had been out to Levine-Fricke Field. But the changes that went on during that year were monumental for the little four-year-old girl with cancer. The Golden Bears adopted Bebe, a local child with pediatric cancer, through the Friends of Jacyln Foundation. The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation (FOJ) is a non-profit, charitable organization that improves the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and their families. Last year, Bebe's father, Geoff, threw out the first pitch, but Bebe was more than up to the task this year. Bebe and her family - both her parents are Cal alums - attended the game against Stanford on April 23, which was good luck for the Bears upset Stanford, 4-1.
Henderson Named Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week
The Bears earned a 2-1 series title over arch rival Stanford in a large part due to the workhorse nature of Jolene Henderson, making the sophomore right-handed pitcher this week's California Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week. Jolene pitched all 21.0 innings for the Bears over the weekend, allowing just one earned run across the three games and limiting the Cardinal offense to a .217 batting average. Henderson went 2-1 in the circle with an incredible 0.33 ERA, which lowered her season ERA to 0.74 (from 0.78). In Friday's 2-0 win, Henderson struck out a weekend-high of five and did not issue any walks. En route to a 4-1 victory on Sunday, the Elk Grove, Calif., native fanned five and walked just one Cardinal batter. Henderson moves to 27-6 overall with a Pac-10 leading 218.2 innings pitched.
The Bears Versus Ranked Completion
With a series sweep over the Ducks and a 2-1 series victory over Stanford, Cal moves to 10-5 against ranked opponents.
- Feb. 18 vs. No. 8 Missouri: W, 1-0
- Feb. 25 vs. No. 20 LSU: W, 11-3
- March 18 vs. No. 20/16 Hawaii: W, 3-1
- April 1 vs. No. 4 Arizona State: L, 3-1
- April 2 vs. No. 4 Arizona State: L, 7-2
- April 3 vs. No. 4 Arizona State: W, 3-2
- April 8 vs. No. 6/7 Washington: W, 10-5 (5)
- April 9 vs. No. 6/7 Washington: L, 2-1 (8)
- April 10 vs. No. 6/7 Washington: L, 9-1 (6)
- April 15 vs. No. 17 Oregon: W, 5-0
- April 16 vs. No. 17 Oregon: W, 2-0
- April 17 vs. No. 17 Oregon: W, 5-2
- April 21 vs. No. 11/10 Stanford: W, 2-0
- April 22 vs. No. 11/10 Stanford: L, 2-1
- April 23 vs. No. 11/10 Stanford: W, 4-1
Last Time Versus Santa Clara
Behind a two home-run performance and three innings of work in the circle from Valerie Arioto, Cal routed Santa Clara, 8-0, on April 28, 2010 in a six-inning affair at Levine-Fricke Field. The Golden Bears also got a homer from freshman catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt and three innings from freshman Jolene Henderson to power past the Broncos on a rain-soaked afternoon. Cal built a 4-0 lead in the first and extended it to 7-0 with two runs in the second and one in the fourth before a rain delay. Arioto homered in the first and the sixth to help lead her Bears to victory, the 73-0 all-time against SCU.
Williams Leads Bears to Victory
Junior third baseman Jace Williams made many a great stops at third to notch a team-high 13 assists and was second on the squad, batting .375. April 24 was a great day for the Encinitas, Calif., native for she had six assists, which ties her season best, en route to a flawless defensive outing. One of Cal's four runs on April 24 came courtesy an RBI single, which plated Jamia Reid to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead. On April 22 - the first win of the series - Williams had a sacrifice hit to help move the runners around and Bears to eventually score.
It's Awards Season
NFCA National Player of the Week
Jolene Henderson (April 11-17)
Pac-10 Conference Pitcher of the Week
Jolene Henderson (Feb. 14-20)
Jolene Henderson (March 7-13)
Jolene Henderson (April 11-17)
Pac-10 Conference Player of the Week
Elia Reid (Feb. 28-March 6)
Lindsey Ziegenhirt (April 11-17)
California Muscle Milk Student-Athlete of the Week
Elia Reid (Feb. 28-March 6)
Jamia Reid (March 7-13)
Lindsey Ziegenhirt (April 11-17)
Jolene Henderson (April 18-24)
USA Softball Player of the Year Watch List
Valerie Arioto
Jamia Reid
Later This Week on the Diamond
The Bears close out an incredible 11-game homestand with their final four games at Levine-Fricke Field. The last home Pac-10 series starts Friday, April 29 at 3 p.m. versus defending national champion UCLA. The Bears and their baby sister Bruins continue Saturday, April 30 at 1 p.m. and close the series at noon on Sunday, April 31. Sunday will be a great day to bring the kids
Road Warriors
The Bears did not play within the friendly confines of Levine-Fricke Field in the serene setting of Strawberry Canyon in Berkeley until April 1, when Cal opened Pac-10 play with a three-game homestand against Arizona State. Until April Fool's Day, the Bears played all of their games on the road.
Who's On First?
Cal appears set to a return to the NCAA Tournament with 11 returning letterwinners, including star pitchers Jolene Henderson and Valerie Arioto. Coming back for her junior season is Jamia Reid, who bested her own steals record last year with 48 and landed on the All-Pacific First Team. Also returning to the field are six of Cal's 10 All-Pac-10 teamers, including junior outfielder Frani Echavarria, junior utility Jace Williams and sophomore catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt. A talented crop of eight freshmen will join the returners. Ready for her 24th season at the helm of the Bears is head coach Diane Ninemire, who won her 1,000th game last season.
Join the Bears in the Social Media Realm
This season, fans of the prestigious California softball team can get even closer to the Golden Bears - through Facebook and Twitter. Social media brings the fans closer to the teams, alerting followers to breaking news, photos and insider information. The Cal Softball Facebook page will feature links to CalBears.com stories, polls, unique photos as well as a weekly video segment - Off-Speed With Jolene - with sophomore pitcher Jolene Henderson. Fans can comment on stories and have conversations with other fans. Cal Softball Twitter is the best place to find game results, links to stories as well as photos and other insider information. You can ask questions of the Cal Softball Twitter and communicate with others as well.
• Facebook users can "like" Cal softball here
• Twitter users can "follow" Cal softball here
• Learn more about the Bears and social media here
Top of the Rankings to Ya!
The Bears began their season very close to where they ended the 2010 campaign - as the No. 12 team in the country. The nation's leading authority on rankings - the USA Today/NFCA Division I Top-25 and ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 polls - both heralded the Golden Bears as the No. 12 team in the country.
Opening Day
With its 14-1 smoldering of Cal State Bakersfield on Feb. 11 to start the season, Cal returned to successful opening day history after dropping the season opener last season, 3-2, to Texas A&M for the first time since 1997. In four of the past six season lid lifters, the Bears have scored 10+ runs.
Pac-10 Coaches Envisage Cal Finishing Fourth
If the predictions of the Pac-10 Conference's softball coaches come true, Cal will tie for fourth with Washington, according to the annual preseason coaches' poll. The Golden Bears, along with the Huskies, earned 26 votes for the possible fourth-place finish. Defending national champion UCLA and runner-up Arizona tied for first place, each amassing 46 points and four first-place votes. Arizona State holds sole possession of third with 30 points. Stanford came in behind archrival Cal in sixth place, earning four points less than the Bears. Oregon (21 points) and Oregon State (seven points) round out the poll in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
Remembering Last Season
The 2010 Bears chalked up yet another winning year and a successful run into the postseason to which the Bears are accustomed - advancing to Super Regional play after demolishing the Columbus Regional. In addition to posting their 37th consecutive winning record in 2010, the Bears finished 10-11 in the Pac-10 Conference to tie for fourth. The Bears were one of the seven Pac-10 teams to earn an at-large bid to the postseason, marking their 25th consecutive trip to NCAA tournament, which is the second-longest streak in the nation. Cal earned rankings in the top 25 of both polls for the entirety of this season, with ESPN.Com/USA Softball poll tagging the Bears as high as 11 (preseason-Feb. 23) and USA Today/NFCA's highest ranking was 12th, which occurred several times (preseason-Feb. 16, May 11). The Bears never dipped lower than 19 according to ESPN.com/USA Softball or 16th in the USA Today/NFCA poll.
Be a Bat Girl for the Bears
The Cal softball program is inviting girls (elementary through middle school) to be designated bat girls for the 2011 season at Levine-Fricke Field. Due to NCAA restrictions, those that have started high school are not eligible to be a bat girl. Space is limited so sign up quickly. Please indicate for which home games you would be available. Contact Operations Assistant Maria Uriarte at maria_uriarte@berkeley.edu to sign up or for more information.
Arioto, Reid Named to ASA Top-50 Watch List
Valerie Arioto and Jamia Reid were selected to the Amateur Softball Association of America (ASA)'s initial watch list for the 10th annual USA Softball National Collegiate Player of the Year Award. This award, which is considered one of the most prestigious honors in Division I women's collegiate softball, is designed to recognize outstanding athletic achievement by female collegiate softball players across the country.
Three Stellar Recruits To Join Cal in 2012
Three talented student-athletes signed their National Letters of Intent to join California softball, head coach Diane Ninemire announced in the fall. Cheyenne Cordes, Danielle Henderson and Breana Kostreba will suit up in the Blue and Gold for the Golden Bears in 2012. Cordes will make the short move from her hometown of Fairfield, Calif., to Berkeley next fall. With her, she will bring international experience from her time playing with the U.S. junior national team, winning a gold medal this past summer in Columbia. Henderson - was named First Team All-State Underclassman in 2009 and 2010 and thrice named First-Team All-League - can fill a number of positions on the field, where she will join her sister, current sophomore Jolene Henderson. Kostreba comes to Berkeley by way of Aptos, Calif., where she has already accumulated multiple accolades in just three years, including a league championship, and has national team and ASA experience as well.
The Paparazzi
Like any of the pictures on CalBears.com? They are available for purchase! GoldenBearSports.com, the official photographer of the Cal Athletics Department, has game photos available for purchase on their website at GoldenBearSports.com.
# 1 | Night and Day: Somewhere in between her freshman (2009) and sophomore seasons (2010), junior Frani Echavarria improved by leaps and bounds. She went from hitting a final .193 with five RBI and 17 runs as a freshman to ending 2010 as the squad's third best hitter at .339 and with the second-most hits (62) and third-most doubles (11). She received just desserts as a Pac-10 honorable mention.
#1 | Law & Order, Frani Style: Following her tenure at Cal, Frani Echavarria has aspirations of going to law school so she can become a defense attorney. She notes that she has always wanted to be a lawyer but would like to help people, thus the career as a public defender, so she can protect the innocent. She is also the first member of her family to attend college.
#1 | No Clowning Around: When asked for a unique fact, Frani Echavarria is quick to respond that she gets nervous around clowns! Frani is not alone for many people suffer from coulrophobia, a fancy word for the abnormal, exaggerated, or irrational fear of clowns.
#2 | Wallaces Breed Athletes: Excelling on the field is something that comes naturally to the Wallace family. Sophomore Jordan Wallace's father, Melvin, played with the San Diego Chargers. Her mother, Wendy, lettered in softball at Sacramento State.
#2 | Getting Hyphy: Though Jordan Wallace hails from a hotspot for hyphy and rap music in Vallejo, Calif., the sophomore stud is also a big country fan. Taylor Swift, Kellie Pickler and Faith Hill highlight her iPod.
#3 | Speed Demon: It took all but one season for junior Jamia Reid to run her way into the record books in steals. With her holding down the No. 1 spot in the Cal record books, it is no surprise that she excelled on the track as well. During her freshman year of high school, Reid was a key member of the Kennedy Park High School's 400-yard relay team that set a state record.
#3 | McDonald's for Me: While playing in Japan last summer with the U.S. Futures National Team, Jamia Reid did not particularly enjoy the Japanese fare Instead, the Buena Park, Calif., native ate a McDonalds, a restaurant she does not normally frequent.
#3 & #5 | All in the Family: As if their similar-sounding names and comparable looks weren't enough, Jamia Reid and Elia Reid are identical twins.
#5 | Getting Chewed Out: A little-known fact and personal pet peeve of Elia Reid is when people chew on their jacket strings.
#5 | Like a G6: As a prepster Elia Reid also competed in track and was an all-county performer in the 200-meter race. She still ranks on the Orange County High School Girls All-Time Top-25 List in the 100 and 200 meter events.
#6 | Brainiac Alert: Though all Cal student-athletes have smarts, ensuring they get into the No. 1 public institution in America, freshman catcher Taylor Vincent paces the Bears in brain power. At Foothill High School, Vincent served as the president and founder of the Physics Club. Majoring in physics as an undergraduate, Vincent hopes to get her Ph.D. in biophysics from Cal and to work on advancements in human prosthetics. She was a North Coast Section CIF scholar athlete from 2007-2010 and a member of the National Honor Society in 2010
#6 | She Got It From Her Mama...and Her Papa: With aspirations of earning a Ph.D., it is no wonder that freshman Taylor Vincent hails from an academically inclined family. Her father, Richard, owns an MBA from Pepperdine while her mother, Teri, is a nurse boasting certification in high-risk obstetrics.
# 7 | She's a Toys R US Kid: Standing in at 6-0, freshman pitcher Arianna Erceg is easily the tallest Bear on the Cal team. With her vertical reach, the team has taken to calling her a giraffe and even suggested the Toys R Us theme song be her walk-up song.
#7 | Stevie Wonder's Inspiration: It's left before right for hurler Arianna Erceg. When getting dressed for games and practice, the Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., native always has to put her left cleat on before her right. With practices like that, she could have served as the inspiration for Stevie Wonder's famous song "Superstition."
#9 | Iron Lion Zion: One of junior third baseman Jace Williams' favorite types of music is reggae, and not just because it is her namesake. She inherited her taste in music from her mother, who came up with middle name Marlee for her first-born daughter. Jace notes that 95 percent of the music on her iPod is reggae.
#9 | Island Fever: It's no wonder that Jace Williams has a predilection for reggae music. Half of her family has lived on the island of Maui for 15 years.
#10 | Awkward Turtle: On the first day of conditioning, freshman Victoria Jones made her presence known. She tripped and fell in front of the entire Cal football team.
#10 | Olympic Dreams: As a child, Victoria Jones dreamed of representing the United States at the Olympic games. But it was not the softball squad that Jones had her eyes on - it was the soccer team. At Vista High School, she made varsity soccer and was named the best offensive player her sophomore and senior years and notes that her best sports moment was traveling to Italy and Sweden to play soccer in the Gothia Cup.
#12 | Earth Shattering: During her sophomore year of high school, freshman Cassandra Vega shattered her knuckles but still managed to letter in varsity softball and water polo all four years.
#12 | It Runs in the Family: Unlike some of her teammates, Cassandra Vega has always been a Cal fan. Her uncle, David Ortega, played football at Cal so she's been a Bear fan since she was very little. One of her favorite things about Cal is that everyone knows what she's talking about when she says, "Go Bears!"
#13 | Major League: Tom Goodwin, uncle to sophomore Jayme Goodwin, played professional baseball from 1995-2004 on a gamut of teams: the Royals, Dodgers, Rangers, Rockies, Giants and Cubs.
#13 | Sprinting Away: A gifted sprinter and a threat for the Bears on the basepaths, Jayme Goodwin broke the Dublin high School record for the 4X4. A four year letterwinner on the track and basketball team, she took her teams to North Coast Sections twice with track and thrice with basketball.
#17 | You Look Familiar: Sophomore catcher Lindsey Ziegenhirt is not the first in her family to attend Cal for her older sister, Katie, graduated this past December from Berkeley. Though they may be several years apart, Lindsey and Katie still get mistaken for each other.
#17 | Mama's Girl: Prior to coming to Cal, Lindsey Ziegenhirt's mother, Laura, had been on the coaching staff for almost all of Lindsey's softball teams. Now that Lindsey is a Golden Bear, Laura still travels to every game to watch Lindsey and the pair breaks down the game together as if nothing has changed. A collegiate letterwinner herself, Laura played for Pacific, where she took her Tigers to the Women's College World Series as a senior captain.
#17 & #54 | Back on the Playground: Sophomores Lindsey Ziegenhirt and Jolene Henderson have been battery mates since they were seven-years-old. Growing up together just outside of Sacramento in Elk Grove, Calif., the pair went from rec ball teams to ASA to high school and now Cal. When looking at colleges, they wanted to go to one together and found a perfect fit in Berkeley.
#18 | Backpacking Around Europe: While some students may move around a country or a state multiple times before college, freshman Britt Vonk lived in different countries. She spent most of her youth in the Netherlands, but she also spent a year living in Spain while her father, Theo, coached a Spanish soccer team.
#18 | The Conquering Olympian: Freshman shortstop Britt Vonk has one thing no other Bear can claim: experience in the Olympic Games. Vonk played for the Dutch national team at the 2008 Olympics, which she notes as one of her best sporting moments. Her other is being the Dutch champions with the Tex Town Tigers.
#20 | Walk This Way: Senior pitcher Valerie Arioto is second on the career list with 170 walks to her credit in three years of ball. The 81 trips to first she garnered in 2010 place her fifth on the single-season list. Those 81 walks placed her first in the Pac-10 Conference and second in the nation.
#20 | Mama and Me: If senior Valerie Arioto is at a game, you can bet her mother is, too. Most of the time, both of Arioto's parents make the trip. Her mom has traveled with her twice to Japan when Arioto played with the U.S. Futures Team.
#22 | Baby of the Family: Even though junior infielder Amy Bishop is the youngest of four children, you'll hardly hear her complain about her siblings. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Growing up, the Bishop kids were all very involved in each other's lives, especially because of baseball and softball.
#22 | Student Leader Coming Through: Junior Amy Bishop, who walked onto the Cal team after playing softball in high school, is a stalwart on Cal's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, also known as Bear SAAC. What Bishop likes best about SAAC is that it gives student-athletes a chance to use sports as a vehicle for creating change on campus. The leadership group plans events, workshops and community service outings.
#23 | Have Bike and Phone, Will Travel: If you ask freshman Ashley Decker what's one thing she cannot live without, she will answer her phone. In her spare time, in addition to talking on the phone, Decker enjoys riding motorcycles and camping.
#23 | Native Nevadan: Of the eight freshman and 19 student-athletes on the squad, Ashley Decker is the only American not from the state of California. Decker came to Berkeley by way of Sparks, Nev. In each of her four years as a prepster at Spanish Springs High School, Decker was named to the first-team all-state and all-league, winning three Nevada state championships.
#24 | Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes: Freshman LaRisa Jones has some of the most unique footwear of any Bear on campus. In her spare time, Jones enjoys painting designs on shoes.
#24 | Golden-Bear Influence: One of the leading influences is LaRisa Jones' decision to come to Cal was the presence of former Cal softball players. Hailing from nearby Concord, Calif., Jones grew up around former players and watched many a game at Levine-Fricke Field.
#33 | Peruvian Princess: Sophomore Diane Leider's favorite food is Lomo Saltado, which is a Peruvian dish. Leider hails from a Peruvian family.
#33 | Model Material: When she was younger, Diane Leider was a model for Baby Gap and has been in a couple of commercials.
#54 | Bench Warmer: During her first years as a young softball player, sophomore pitcher Jolene Henderson was not very good, and she will be the first to tell you that. Her first coaches had to move her from the outfield, where she sat picking flowers, to the infield. Thanks to her parents, Henderson did not quit softball and grew into a member of the 2010 Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
#54 | Family Ties: Like her long-time teammate Lindsey Ziegenhirt, family played a large role for Jolene Henderson, as well. Henderson's father, Joe, coached her for years and her younger sister, Danielle, was Jolene's teammate on multiple teams, as well, and will join her in Berkeley next year.
