Mavs Finish Tournament Play at Tennessee State Cla
Mar 6, 2013 | General, Softball
Weekly Release
Live Audio (vs. Tennessee State only)
Omaha closes tournament play this weekend at the Tennessee State Classic in Nashville, Tenn. All games will be played at Tiger Field on the Tennessee State campus. UNO plays Indiana on Friday at 10 a.m. and Saint Louis at Noon. Then on Saturday, the Mavs play Alabama State at 11:30 a.m. and Tennessee State at 3:30 p.m. UNO closes play on Sunday against Mississippi Valley at 9:30 a.m.
Series History
UNO is 0-3 vs. Indiana, the last loss (6-1) coming in 1983 at the Creighton Classic. UNO is 1-1 vs. Alabama State with both meetings coming last year at the Alabama State Invitational. UNO beat ASU, 12-4 (5 inn.), on Feb. 17, 2012 for its first Division I win before falling 4-0 the next day. The Mavs have never played Saint Louis, Tennessee State or Mississippi Valley.
The Teams
The Mavs are off to a 17-2 start, marking the best start since the 2003 season when the Mavs began 19-1. The Mavs opened their season with eight straight wins and most recently put together a nine-game win streak before losing to then-No. 18 Washington.
Indiana enters the weekend with a 10-10 record. The Hoosiers have lost six in a row, five coming on a trip to Fullerton, Calif. last weekend. Of Indiana's 10 losses, six have come to Pac-12 foes.
Saint Louis is 4-6 on the season. The Billikens have played just once since Feb. 24, a 3-2 eight-inning win over Northern Illinois on March 3.
Alabama State is 1-14 overall and has lost five in a row. The Hornets' lone win was 5-0 over Eastern Illinois on Feb. 17.
Tennessee State is 5-11 but has won five of its last seven after starting 0-9. The Tigers are hosting their second tournament this season, as TSU went 1-3 at the Tennessee State Invitational from Feb. 23-24.
Mississippi Valley is 6-12 but went 4-1 at the Tiny Laster HBCU Tournament last weekend. The Devilettes beat Maryland Eastern Shore twice, Savannah State and South Carolina State.
Last Time Out
The Omaha softball team went 4-1 at the Colorado State Classic last weekend. The Mavs beat Brown twice (9-3 and 13-0, 5 inn.), Bradley (10-6) and Colorado State (3-2, 8 inn.). UNO's only loss was a 10-2 defeat to No. 18 Washington in its final game on Sunday. The Mavs won a season-high nine straight games before falling to Washington. The Mavs outscored their opponents a combined 37-21 at the tournament. Allie Mathewson hit .444 from the leadoff position with three home runs, eight RBIs, one triple and a team-best seven runs scored. Mathewson had her second multi-homer game of the season with two home runs in a 13-0 win over Brown on Sunday. She went 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBIs in a 10-6 win over Bradley on Friday and was a double shy of the cycle.
Up Next
The Mavericks open their home schedule on Tuesday, March 12 against Nebraska at 5 p.m. The game with the Huskers is part of a two-game home-and-home series. UNO will play at NU on March 19 at 5 p.m.
About the Mavericks
• Leadoff hitter Allie Mathewson paces the Mavs with a .391 batting average, eight home runs, 22 RBIs, four doubles, one triple and 21 runs scored.
• Junior Amber Lutmer has a .340 batting average with nine home runs and 30 RBIs. Lutmer also has two doubles, one triple and has a team-best .925 slugging percentage.
• Freshman Sydney Hames has a .400 batting average to lead the Mavs, but she has started just eight games.
• The Mavs' have gotten big contributions from two of their freshmen. Catcher Campbell Ditto hits .339 with five doubles, three triples, three homers, 11 RBIs and a team-high 22 runs scored. Ditto is an athletic catcher, going 5-for-5 on the basepaths so far this season. Ditto's eight-game hitting streak to begin the year is the longest by a Mav this season. Second baseman Tara Trede is hitting .358 with a triple, six RBIs and 11 runs scored. Trede tied the school record with three stolen bases in one game on Feb. 23.
• Molly Negrete hits .348 with two home runs, 16 RBIs, four doubles, one triple and 11 runs scored.
• In the circle, junior ace Dana Elsasser leads the Mavs with a 9-2 record and 1.88 ERA, along with two saves. Elsasser has nine complete games and four shutouts, along with a combined shutout. Senior Ashton Hughes is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA and one save. Sophomore Kat Barrow is 3-0 with a 2.07 ERA in three starts.
Mavs in the Summit
In their first year in The Summit League, the Mavs have made their mark atop many statistical categories. UNO leads the league with 116 runs scored, five triples, 23 home runs, 106 RBIs, 70 walks drawn, a .409 on-base percentage and .515 slugging percentage. The Mavs' .318 batting average ranks second behind Kansas City (.324). The Mavs' pitching staff has a conference-best 1.98 ERA and has the second-best opponent batting average against (.223).
Scouting Indiana
Amanda Wagner hits .383 with five doubles, one home run and eight RBIs. Breanna Saucedo hits .524 but has had just 21 plate appearances. Kassi Farmer has two home runs and a team-high 13 RBIs. Lora Olson is 5-4 with a 2.01 ERA. Meaghan Murphy is 5-6 with a 3.07 ERA.
Scouting Saint Louis
Jessica Van Nostrand hits .323 with a team-best eight RBIs and three doubles. Lindsay Friedman hits .250 with one home run and three RBIs. Brianna Lore is 1-4 with a 3.80 ERA in seven starts and three relief appearances. Laney Kneib is 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA in three starts and six relief appearances.
Scouting Alabama State
Meagan Dixon is hitting .435 with the Hornets' only home run of the season to go with four RBIs and four doubles. Brehanna Rodrigues hits .366 and no other starter hits over .216. The Hornets use a rotation of three pitchers. Destyni Valencia (1-5) has the lone win and a 12.21 ERA.
Scouting Tennessee State
Jennifer Givens hits .429 with one triple and seven RBIs. Kiarra Freeman hits .396 with nine runs scored. Ashley Haynes hits .379. Shea Morris is 3-6 with a 3.50 ERA, while Olivia Gamache is 2-5 with a 2.59 ERA. Those are the only pitchers the Tigers have used so far this season.
Scouting Mississippi Valley
Mississippi Valley's stats do not take into account its last five games. In the Devilette's first 13 games, Alex Robertson hit .463 with two home runs and seven RBIs to lead the Devilettes. Nicole Burr hits .407 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Alicia Lorenz is 0-7 with a 6.33 ERA. Kimberly Spivey is 2-4 with a 6.62 ERA. Cassandra Rivera has appeared in three relief appearances and has a 2.62 ERA.
Mavs Dig the Long Ball
The Mavericks have hit 25 home runs through 19 games after hitting just 18 home runs all of last season. UNO crushed 12 homers in the first five games at the UNCW Beach Blast to set the tone. Amber Lutmer (nine), Allie Mathewson (eight) and Campbell Ditto (three) lead the charge. Molly Negrete and Tonya Peterson each have two, and Ashton Hughes has one.
Climbing the School Record Charts
• Junior Amber Lutmer ranks second in school history with 31 career home runs. Leslie Svoboda (2005-08) holds the school record with 44 career homers.
• Lutmer is tied for 13th in career RBIs with 115. Svoboda also holds that record with 192.
• Senior Lindsay Redding is tied for 12th in career stolen bases with 40. Toni Novak (1994-97) holds the record with 113 career steals.
• Sophomore Tonya Peterson ranks third in school history with 17 times hit by pitch. The school record is 22, set by Tiffany Jones from 1999-2002.
• Junior pitcher Dana Elsasser has a career ERA of 1.31, which ranks eighth in school history.
• Elsasser's career opponent batting average of .205 ranks third all-time.
Elsasser Earns Second Summit League Honor
Dana Elsasser was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season on Feb. 25. Elsasser contributed in all four of the Mavericks' wins at the Jackson State Tournament by posting a 2-0 record in her two starts and earning saves in the other two games. The right-handed hurler allowed no earned runs with two complete games and one shutout. She allowed 10 hits and just one unearned run total in 15.0 innings pitched with two walks and 12 strikeouts, while limiting opponents to a .204 batting average. The award is the sixth career weekly conference pitching award for the Hershey, Neb., native. It's also her second of the season after earning the Feb. 11 honor for leading the Mavs to a perfect opening weekend at the UNCW Beach Blast with a 3-0 record and a 0.78 ERA.
Mathewson Accomplishes Incredible Feat
Sophomore Creighton transfer Allie Mathewson made the most of her Maverick debut, hitting a leadoff home run in the first at-bat of the season for the Mavs on Feb. 8 against Iona. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she did it again in the Mavs' second game of the season. And then again in the third game. Indeed, the Papillion-La Vista South product led off three straight games to begin the season with a home run, something that has never been done before in school history. She ended the UNCW Beach Blast with four home runs to her credit.
Elsasser Back in Circle after Stellar Sophomore Season
Although just a junior, pitcher Dana Elsasser has already established herself as one of the all-time great pitchers in UNO history. Elsasser posted a 1.07 ERA as a sophomore in 2012, which ranked second among all Division I pitchers. Her 23 earned runs allowed were the fewest among any Division I starting pitcher who pitched at least 150.0 innings last season.
Mathewson A Welcome Addition
The Mavericks got some good news in the offseason when Creighton standout Allie Mathewson decided to transfer to UNO after playing one season with the Bluejays. As a freshman, Mathewson hit .339 while starting all 54 games in the outfield or at first base. She earned All-Missouri Valley Conference Second-Team honors after hitting five home runs and seven doubles while scoring a team-high 44 runs. She also stole a team-best 13 bases in 16 attempts.
Welcome to The Summit League
The UNO softball team begins its first season in The Summit League in 2013 after a 24-18 record last year in its first Division I season. The Mavs were a one-year member of the Great West Conference last year with Houston Baptist, North Dakota and Utah Valley. UNO went 3-3 in conference games and finished third at the conference tournament. The Mavericks begin Summit League competition on March 15 with a home doubleheader against North Dakota State. Each Summit League series is three games with a doubleheader scheduled for the first day of each series. The Mavs will play one series against all eight opponents for 24 conference games. UNO cannot qualify for The Summit League Championship until 2016.
Mavs Picked Fifth in Summit League Poll
The Mavs were picked to finish fifth out of nine teams in The Summit League Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's nine head coaches. The Mavericks, newcomers to The Summit League this season, received 38 points in the poll. Four-time defending champion North Dakota State was picked to win the league again this season with 64 points and eight first-place votes. Fort Wayne tallied 56 points and received the other first-place vote, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Western Illinois came in third with 46 points, while Kansas City came in fourth with 40 points to barely edge the Mavericks. Following UNO in sixth was South Dakota (28), with IUPUI (26), South Dakota State (17) and Oakland (9) rounding out the poll. The top four teams in the regular season standings, excluding the Mavericks, will compete for The Summit League Softball Championship at the Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo, N.D., May 9-11. The tournament champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament.
Live Audio (vs. Tennessee State only)
Omaha closes tournament play this weekend at the Tennessee State Classic in Nashville, Tenn. All games will be played at Tiger Field on the Tennessee State campus. UNO plays Indiana on Friday at 10 a.m. and Saint Louis at Noon. Then on Saturday, the Mavs play Alabama State at 11:30 a.m. and Tennessee State at 3:30 p.m. UNO closes play on Sunday against Mississippi Valley at 9:30 a.m.
Series History
UNO is 0-3 vs. Indiana, the last loss (6-1) coming in 1983 at the Creighton Classic. UNO is 1-1 vs. Alabama State with both meetings coming last year at the Alabama State Invitational. UNO beat ASU, 12-4 (5 inn.), on Feb. 17, 2012 for its first Division I win before falling 4-0 the next day. The Mavs have never played Saint Louis, Tennessee State or Mississippi Valley.
The Teams
The Mavs are off to a 17-2 start, marking the best start since the 2003 season when the Mavs began 19-1. The Mavs opened their season with eight straight wins and most recently put together a nine-game win streak before losing to then-No. 18 Washington.
Indiana enters the weekend with a 10-10 record. The Hoosiers have lost six in a row, five coming on a trip to Fullerton, Calif. last weekend. Of Indiana's 10 losses, six have come to Pac-12 foes.
Saint Louis is 4-6 on the season. The Billikens have played just once since Feb. 24, a 3-2 eight-inning win over Northern Illinois on March 3.
Alabama State is 1-14 overall and has lost five in a row. The Hornets' lone win was 5-0 over Eastern Illinois on Feb. 17.
Tennessee State is 5-11 but has won five of its last seven after starting 0-9. The Tigers are hosting their second tournament this season, as TSU went 1-3 at the Tennessee State Invitational from Feb. 23-24.
Mississippi Valley is 6-12 but went 4-1 at the Tiny Laster HBCU Tournament last weekend. The Devilettes beat Maryland Eastern Shore twice, Savannah State and South Carolina State.
Last Time Out
The Omaha softball team went 4-1 at the Colorado State Classic last weekend. The Mavs beat Brown twice (9-3 and 13-0, 5 inn.), Bradley (10-6) and Colorado State (3-2, 8 inn.). UNO's only loss was a 10-2 defeat to No. 18 Washington in its final game on Sunday. The Mavs won a season-high nine straight games before falling to Washington. The Mavs outscored their opponents a combined 37-21 at the tournament. Allie Mathewson hit .444 from the leadoff position with three home runs, eight RBIs, one triple and a team-best seven runs scored. Mathewson had her second multi-homer game of the season with two home runs in a 13-0 win over Brown on Sunday. She went 3-for-4 with a career-high five RBIs in a 10-6 win over Bradley on Friday and was a double shy of the cycle.
Up Next
The Mavericks open their home schedule on Tuesday, March 12 against Nebraska at 5 p.m. The game with the Huskers is part of a two-game home-and-home series. UNO will play at NU on March 19 at 5 p.m.
About the Mavericks
• Leadoff hitter Allie Mathewson paces the Mavs with a .391 batting average, eight home runs, 22 RBIs, four doubles, one triple and 21 runs scored.
• Junior Amber Lutmer has a .340 batting average with nine home runs and 30 RBIs. Lutmer also has two doubles, one triple and has a team-best .925 slugging percentage.
• Freshman Sydney Hames has a .400 batting average to lead the Mavs, but she has started just eight games.
• The Mavs' have gotten big contributions from two of their freshmen. Catcher Campbell Ditto hits .339 with five doubles, three triples, three homers, 11 RBIs and a team-high 22 runs scored. Ditto is an athletic catcher, going 5-for-5 on the basepaths so far this season. Ditto's eight-game hitting streak to begin the year is the longest by a Mav this season. Second baseman Tara Trede is hitting .358 with a triple, six RBIs and 11 runs scored. Trede tied the school record with three stolen bases in one game on Feb. 23.
• Molly Negrete hits .348 with two home runs, 16 RBIs, four doubles, one triple and 11 runs scored.
• In the circle, junior ace Dana Elsasser leads the Mavs with a 9-2 record and 1.88 ERA, along with two saves. Elsasser has nine complete games and four shutouts, along with a combined shutout. Senior Ashton Hughes is 4-0 with a 1.88 ERA and one save. Sophomore Kat Barrow is 3-0 with a 2.07 ERA in three starts.
Mavs in the Summit
In their first year in The Summit League, the Mavs have made their mark atop many statistical categories. UNO leads the league with 116 runs scored, five triples, 23 home runs, 106 RBIs, 70 walks drawn, a .409 on-base percentage and .515 slugging percentage. The Mavs' .318 batting average ranks second behind Kansas City (.324). The Mavs' pitching staff has a conference-best 1.98 ERA and has the second-best opponent batting average against (.223).
Scouting Indiana
Amanda Wagner hits .383 with five doubles, one home run and eight RBIs. Breanna Saucedo hits .524 but has had just 21 plate appearances. Kassi Farmer has two home runs and a team-high 13 RBIs. Lora Olson is 5-4 with a 2.01 ERA. Meaghan Murphy is 5-6 with a 3.07 ERA.
Scouting Saint Louis
Jessica Van Nostrand hits .323 with a team-best eight RBIs and three doubles. Lindsay Friedman hits .250 with one home run and three RBIs. Brianna Lore is 1-4 with a 3.80 ERA in seven starts and three relief appearances. Laney Kneib is 3-2 with a 2.88 ERA in three starts and six relief appearances.
Scouting Alabama State
Meagan Dixon is hitting .435 with the Hornets' only home run of the season to go with four RBIs and four doubles. Brehanna Rodrigues hits .366 and no other starter hits over .216. The Hornets use a rotation of three pitchers. Destyni Valencia (1-5) has the lone win and a 12.21 ERA.
Scouting Tennessee State
Jennifer Givens hits .429 with one triple and seven RBIs. Kiarra Freeman hits .396 with nine runs scored. Ashley Haynes hits .379. Shea Morris is 3-6 with a 3.50 ERA, while Olivia Gamache is 2-5 with a 2.59 ERA. Those are the only pitchers the Tigers have used so far this season.
Scouting Mississippi Valley
Mississippi Valley's stats do not take into account its last five games. In the Devilette's first 13 games, Alex Robertson hit .463 with two home runs and seven RBIs to lead the Devilettes. Nicole Burr hits .407 with three home runs and 11 RBIs. Alicia Lorenz is 0-7 with a 6.33 ERA. Kimberly Spivey is 2-4 with a 6.62 ERA. Cassandra Rivera has appeared in three relief appearances and has a 2.62 ERA.
Mavs Dig the Long Ball
The Mavericks have hit 25 home runs through 19 games after hitting just 18 home runs all of last season. UNO crushed 12 homers in the first five games at the UNCW Beach Blast to set the tone. Amber Lutmer (nine), Allie Mathewson (eight) and Campbell Ditto (three) lead the charge. Molly Negrete and Tonya Peterson each have two, and Ashton Hughes has one.
Climbing the School Record Charts
• Junior Amber Lutmer ranks second in school history with 31 career home runs. Leslie Svoboda (2005-08) holds the school record with 44 career homers.
• Lutmer is tied for 13th in career RBIs with 115. Svoboda also holds that record with 192.
• Senior Lindsay Redding is tied for 12th in career stolen bases with 40. Toni Novak (1994-97) holds the record with 113 career steals.
• Sophomore Tonya Peterson ranks third in school history with 17 times hit by pitch. The school record is 22, set by Tiffany Jones from 1999-2002.
• Junior pitcher Dana Elsasser has a career ERA of 1.31, which ranks eighth in school history.
• Elsasser's career opponent batting average of .205 ranks third all-time.
Elsasser Earns Second Summit League Honor
Dana Elsasser was named Summit League Pitcher of the Week for the second time this season on Feb. 25. Elsasser contributed in all four of the Mavericks' wins at the Jackson State Tournament by posting a 2-0 record in her two starts and earning saves in the other two games. The right-handed hurler allowed no earned runs with two complete games and one shutout. She allowed 10 hits and just one unearned run total in 15.0 innings pitched with two walks and 12 strikeouts, while limiting opponents to a .204 batting average. The award is the sixth career weekly conference pitching award for the Hershey, Neb., native. It's also her second of the season after earning the Feb. 11 honor for leading the Mavs to a perfect opening weekend at the UNCW Beach Blast with a 3-0 record and a 0.78 ERA.
Mathewson Accomplishes Incredible Feat
Sophomore Creighton transfer Allie Mathewson made the most of her Maverick debut, hitting a leadoff home run in the first at-bat of the season for the Mavs on Feb. 8 against Iona. In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she did it again in the Mavs' second game of the season. And then again in the third game. Indeed, the Papillion-La Vista South product led off three straight games to begin the season with a home run, something that has never been done before in school history. She ended the UNCW Beach Blast with four home runs to her credit.
Elsasser Back in Circle after Stellar Sophomore Season
Although just a junior, pitcher Dana Elsasser has already established herself as one of the all-time great pitchers in UNO history. Elsasser posted a 1.07 ERA as a sophomore in 2012, which ranked second among all Division I pitchers. Her 23 earned runs allowed were the fewest among any Division I starting pitcher who pitched at least 150.0 innings last season.
Mathewson A Welcome Addition
The Mavericks got some good news in the offseason when Creighton standout Allie Mathewson decided to transfer to UNO after playing one season with the Bluejays. As a freshman, Mathewson hit .339 while starting all 54 games in the outfield or at first base. She earned All-Missouri Valley Conference Second-Team honors after hitting five home runs and seven doubles while scoring a team-high 44 runs. She also stole a team-best 13 bases in 16 attempts.
Welcome to The Summit League
The UNO softball team begins its first season in The Summit League in 2013 after a 24-18 record last year in its first Division I season. The Mavs were a one-year member of the Great West Conference last year with Houston Baptist, North Dakota and Utah Valley. UNO went 3-3 in conference games and finished third at the conference tournament. The Mavericks begin Summit League competition on March 15 with a home doubleheader against North Dakota State. Each Summit League series is three games with a doubleheader scheduled for the first day of each series. The Mavs will play one series against all eight opponents for 24 conference games. UNO cannot qualify for The Summit League Championship until 2016.
Mavs Picked Fifth in Summit League Poll
The Mavs were picked to finish fifth out of nine teams in The Summit League Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's nine head coaches. The Mavericks, newcomers to The Summit League this season, received 38 points in the poll. Four-time defending champion North Dakota State was picked to win the league again this season with 64 points and eight first-place votes. Fort Wayne tallied 56 points and received the other first-place vote, as coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Western Illinois came in third with 46 points, while Kansas City came in fourth with 40 points to barely edge the Mavericks. Following UNO in sixth was South Dakota (28), with IUPUI (26), South Dakota State (17) and Oakland (9) rounding out the poll. The top four teams in the regular season standings, excluding the Mavericks, will compete for The Summit League Softball Championship at the Ellig Sports Complex in Fargo, N.D., May 9-11. The tournament champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Softball Tournament.
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
C/IF
/ Softball
OF/IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
