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Oklahoma isn't a bad team! OU's been to the WCWS for quite a few years in a row. Youngstown State and Kent State weren't exactly world beaters, but as the defending NC it's nice to get a draw like that.

We could need a little magic this weekend. We're heading to Knoxville for a super-regional against a very tough Tennessee team. It's going to be hard to come by runs with Ritter vs. Abbott.

Look what the cat dragged in. :biggrin:
 
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Q&A With Linda Kalafatis


OSU mentor on the upcoming season

Ohio State head coach Linda Kalafatis talked with ohiostatebuckeyes.com this week about the upcoming season.

August 3, 2006

Question: Coach, your entire pitching staff returns and you add a talented freshman to the mix in the circle. Is the pitching staff in 2006-07 the strength of the team and what are your expectations for that group?

Answer: "I definitely believe in the ability of all of the players we will have in the circle for us. We will need them all so it's important for our team to play good defense and score runs for whoever is throwing for us. It's also very important that when we hire the new pitching coach, that he or she quickly establishes a relationship with each of our pitchers and works with them on their different pitches and, maybe more importantly, on their mental preparation. We will certainly be a more experienced staff and now that ASA 18U Gold is competing at 43 feet, Megan Miller and other freshmen pitchers will have many months of adjusting to the college distance. I would expect that with great focus and hard work, our pitching staff will be a strength for our team."

Q: Defensively, shortstop appears to be the biggest hole you need to fill, along with finding another third baseman to compliment Jamee Juarez when she is pitching. What are your options at those two spots?
A: "This team is in great position to have a great season with most of our starters returning. Last year we had good production from all of our seniors, but Billie Carder was outstanding at shortstop for us and it will be the position that certainly has the biggest question mark leading into a new year. We'll have considerably more depth in the infield with the addition of our new players. However, we expect that Whitney Cooper will be the player that answers the shortstop question. We'll make sure we look at many players at several positions, but Whitney has a very strong arm, a great glove, good size and is a terrific athlete with great leadership potential - all of the attributes a great shortstop should have. We are very excited about her potential and her work ethic to be the best.

At third base, we could see any number of players and most, if not all, will be rookies. Tory Haddad has her goals set to be that player, but I also know we have some other players coming in who have a lot of experience in the infield. Rebecca Schultz and Arlynda Flores are two players we'll be interested to see where they will fit in with our team. Jamee had her best year defensively last season and has proven to be an excellent third baseman so it's those games when she's on the mound that we will need someone new to play fearlessly at third base. In the end, we'll put the best players in the spots that will allow our team to have the most success."

Q: What are a couple of the most important things you would like to see the team improve on from last season?
A: "That's easy - I would definitely like to see us give up less runs. Our line-up should continue to produce at the level we've been used to the last couple of years as one the top offensive teams in the conference and country. If we're going to be a Top 25 team, then we have to give up less runs. Part of that is pitching, part of that is defense and the last part of that is focus and intensity. I think we will be much better in all of those areas this season. Although our fielding percentage was on pace with the national average, we were well below the Big Ten average. I don't like to see our team down towards the bottom of the conference in any stat category, and we're usually not, but it goes to show how solid the Big Ten Conference is defensively. Defense will definitely be a focus this season and we're excited to mix so many young players (seven rookies) with our seasoned veterans. Our five seniors will work hard to finish as one of the most successful classes in school history and they will do a great job of guiding our team to reaching its potential."


### Go Bucks! ###​
 
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Erica Beach Joins Ohio State Softball Staff

Former Arizona State All-American named Buckeye assistant/pitching coach

Sept. 4, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Former collegiate All-American and current National Pro Fastpitch All-Star Erica Beach has been named an assistant softball coach at Ohio State, OSU head coach Linda Kalafatis announced. Beach, who also was a four-time Verizon Academic All-American at Arizona State (1999-02), completes the staff of Kalafatis and former Nebraska All-American Ali Viola.

Kalafatis, who will be in her 11th season at Ohio State in 2006-07, has guided the Buckeyes to a .640 winning percentage since 2000, which ranks third in the Big Ten during that period, thanks in part to talented pitching staffs. In 2007, the Buckeyes return all three members of their pitching staff, which Kalafatis believes Beach will make even better.

"I'm excited and eager to have Erica Beach join our Buckeye softball program," Kalafatis said. "Erica has always been a star on the mound and in the batting line-up for all of the teams she has played on. Consequently, she will work not only with our pitching staff, but she will be valuable to our hitters and she will oversee several administrative areas. Erica experienced tremendous success in the classroom and on the ball field as a student-athlete and those are the same things we want our players to strive for. Her winning attitude and her energy will be infectious with not only our pitchers, but all of our team members, campers and future recruits. With Coach Viola and Coach Beach on staff, our players will learn from some of the best."

"Having the chance to coach at The Ohio State University is by far one of the biggest honors I have ever received," Beach said. "I am so excited to share my knowledge and passion of the game with this team and truly look forward to working with such a respected staff. Coach Kalafatis is one of the best in the country and I can't wait to help her lead this team to a championship. I can't wait to get started and meet the team. Coach Kalafatis has already made me feel like family and I look forward to being a part of this already prestigious athletic department."

Equally talented as a pitcher and a hitter, Beach earned All-Pac 10 honors all four years and was named an All-American twice. She led the Sun Devils to the NCAA tournament four times and to the Women's College World Series twice, including a school-best third-place finish in 2002, the same season Ohio State won a school-record 55 games and came within a game of reaching the World Series. Beach was named to the 2002 Women's College World Series All-Tournament Team.

In the Arizona State record book, Beach ranks third all-time in wins (79), third in home runs (27) and RBI (153) and fourth in strikeouts (501). In the single-season record book, her 33 wins in 2002 are the most in program history and her 48 RBI in 2000 are tied for third.

Beach earned a bachelor of arts in broadcasting from Arizona State in May 2003 and that fall began her professional career in Europe. She played for the Sparks Haarlem in Haarlem, Netherlands, leading the team to the 2003 European Cup championship when she was named the European Cup Most Outstanding Pitcher. In 2004 and 2005 she played for the Arizona Heat in the National Pro Fastpitch League and was an All-Star in 2004.

Last month, Beach helped lead the New England Riptide to the NPF championship.

"Winning the championship with the Riptide was definitely a highlight of my softball career," Beach said. "I have never seen a team work together like this one and I'm so proud to have been a part of it."

Beach began her coaching career at the same time as her professional playing career. She led a junior squad in the Netherlands to the Dutch Junior League championship, then spent the next three years as an assistant coach at high schools in the Phoenix, Ariz., area. On the staff of two programs at the same time, she helped lead Phoenix Country Day High School and Chaparral High School to the state tournament twice (2003, 2004). This past spring she served as an assistant coach at Boulder Creek High School in Anthem, Ariz.

Shortly after graduating from Arizona State, Beach founded U.S. Fastpitch Camps, an instructional camp that has regional sites around the country. She also has been a personal softball instructor in Phoenix since 2002.

Last year's Ohio State pitching staff returns intact in 2006-07, including senior Jamee Juarez and sophomores Kim Reeder and Courtney Pruner. The Buckeyes report for fall practice Sept. 13.




### GO BUCKS! ###​
 
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Ohio State Goes 5-0 at College Fall Classic


Douglas named Offensive MVP, Miller named most valuable pitcher

Oct. 16, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State softball team wrapped up its fall schedule last weekend with a 5-0 performance at the College Fall Classic in North Lewisburg, Ohio. The Buckeyes topped Cedarville 11-0, Findlay 3-1, Northern Kentucky 7-0, Ohio Dominican 5-1 and Wright State 10-2.

Ohio State senior Christina Douglas (Mesa, Ariz./Dobson) was named the Offensive Most Valuable Player of the Classic, while freshman Megan Miller (Woodland Hills, Calif./El Camino Real) was named the Most Valuable Pitcher.

"We accomplished a lot of things, in one sense, but it also showed us some things we need to work on," Linda Kalafatis, Ohio State head coach, said. "It gave us some playing experience for our young kids, for sure, and for some of our returners, too. They definitely understand the plan and are willing to give and willing to work hard to become a championship team."

In the 11-0 tournament-opening win over Cedarville on Saturday, sophomore Courtney Pruner (Akron, Ohio/Ellet) and senior Jamee Juarez (La Puente, Calif./Wilson) combined for the shutout, while freshman Leah Ledford (West Chester, Ohio/Lakota West) went 3-for-3 with two home runs and a double. Douglas went 2-for-3 with a homer and a double, while Pruner also provided two hits.

In the nightcap Saturday, Miller notched her first of two wins in the Classic in Ohio State's 3-1 win over Findlay, a game that saw sophomore Kim Reeder (Salinas, Calif./Notre Dame H.S.) earn the save. Freshman Sam Marder (Calabasas, Calif./Calabasas) drove in two of the Buckeyes' runs, including one in the first inning and the other in the third. Juarez doubled twice and senior Megan Schwab (Glendale, Ariz./Sunrise Mountain) added two base hits. Junior Liz Caputo (Riverside, Calif./Riverside Poly) singled in the first and scored on Marder's double.

On Sunday, the Buckeyes began play with a 7-0 win over Northern Kentucky as Reeder tossed a one-hitter in the five-inning contest. Pruner and Schwab both homered, while Marder went 3-for-3 and junior Brittany Vanderink (Hiram, Ohio/Crestwood) went 2-for-3.

Ohio Dominican played the Buckeyes to a 1-1 stalemate through the early stages of the game before Ohio State smacked four home runs for a 5-1 win. Miller earned her second win of the weekend in the circle, while Douglas hit two solo home runs. Marder and Pruner hit back-to-back homers and freshman Tory Haddad (Valparaiso, Calif./Fort Walton Beach) collected two hits.

Juarez, with 54 wins in her career, won her only start of the weekend in the Classic finale against Wright State.

"In fact we only threw Jamee one game all fall," Kalafatis said. "We got all the freshmen a lot of playing time, not just (pitcher) Megan Miller. Before the Wright State game, I told the team that we hadn't jumped on anyone all fall, so that was our focus going into that game and the kids responded."

On their way to a 10-2 win, the Buckeyes scored four runs in the first inning and six more in the third to end the game early. Senior Lauren Daykin (Melbourne, Australia/Manatee C.C., Fla.) provided a three-run home run in the first inning, while Juarez, Schwab, Marder and freshman Whitney Cooper (Barstow, Calif./Barstow) all had two hits each.

The Buckeyes, 39-23 a year ago and 11-7 in the Big Ten for a fourth-place finish, now begin phase two of their fall agenda, which shifts to strength and conditioning and individual instruction.


### GO BUCKS! ###​
 
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Douglas Named 2007 Ohio State Softball Captain


Three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete will be in her third year as a starter in 2007

Dec. 14, 2006

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Ohio State softball team has elected senior first baseman Christina Douglas as its captain for the 2007 season, head coach Linda Kalafatis announced this week. A native of Mesa, Ariz. (Dobson H.S.), Douglas will be in her third year as a starter in 2007 and is a three-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.

Annually among the team leaders in doubles and runs batted in, Douglas received the team's Buckeye Spirit Award as a freshman and was named the Most Improved Player as a sophomore when she made the move from right field to first base and made the spot her own.

"Christina has had an increased sense of determination ever since her senior year began," Kalafatis said. "She has taken on more of a leadership role, which is why she was selected captain by her teammates. I am very proud of the way that Dougie comes to work every day, her work ethic and intensity have always been a part of who she is. I know Dougie will use her fellow seniors as resources to make certain that distractions are kept to a minimum so that the 2007 Buckeyes can perform at our very best. I'm counting on them."

"This is an honor, especially since it was my team that put their faith in me," Douglas said. "It's a big responsibility, but we have a very good team and we already have very good direction. We have a lot of good leadership from a lot of people already, so I know I don't have anything to be worried about. This is just a huge honor for me."

Coming off a 39-23 season and trip to the NCAA regionals, Douglas and her teammates began preparing for the 2007 season in August. Ohio State went undefeated in its fall schedule and the leadership Douglas displayed was apparent in all phases of the program.

"Dougie has the mental toughness of a warrior and has a never-give-in attitude," Tom Palumbo, Ohio State strength and conditioning coach, said. "This means a lot because she is a standout on a team of Buckeyes who are dedicated in the weight room and on the field. Christina was the obvious choice for captain."

The Buckeyes begin preseason practice in early January in preparation for their 2007 season-opener at the Arizona State Kajikawa Classic Feb. 9-11 in Tempe, Ariz., when they will face defending national champion Arizona, among others.

### GO BUCKS! ###​
 
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