Mavs Set for Diamond 9 Citrus Classic
Feb 26, 2014 | Softball
The Omaha softball team takes its seven-game winning streak to Kissimmee, Fla., this weekend for the Diamond 9 Citrus Classic at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The tournament features some of the biggest names on the Mavericks' schedule this season with Maryland, Syracuse, Fordham, Illinois State and Notre Dame all set to take the diamond with the Mavs. UNO begins play on Friday at 12:15 p.m. (CT) against Maryland and will play Syracuse immediately after at 2:30 p.m. (CT). On Saturday, the Mavs play Fordham at 2:30 p.m. (CT) and Illinois State at 4:45 p.m. (CT). UNO wraps up the tournament on Sunday at 11 a.m. (CT) against No. 23 Notre Dame. Check OMavs.com for live stats and possible live audio links.
The Teams
Omaha (11-3) has won seven in a row and capped a perfect 5-0 weekend at the UTSA Mid-Major Classic with the tournament title. The Mavericks have eight players hitting over .300. Leadoff hitter Allie Mathewson paces the Mavs with a .447 average, four home runs, 12 RBI and 16 runs. Catcher Campbell Ditto hits .350 with four homers and 13 RBI. Senior first baseman Amber Lutmer hits .341 and has a Summit League-best seven home runs and 27 RBI through 14 games. Dana Elsasser is the ace with an 8-1 record, 1.48 ERA and a save. She is holding her opponents to a .168 batting average this season.
Maryland (1-14) has struggled to start the season, but three of its losses have come to ranked teams. Shannon Bustillos hits .319 with five doubles and seven RBI. She is the only Terrapin hitting over .300. Brenna Nation is 0-6 with a 3.94 ERA, and Kaitlyn Schmeiser is 1-2 with a .516 ERA.
Syracuse (4-6) is led by Julie Wambold's .400 batting average, three home runs and six RBI. Jasmine Watson hits .321 with three homers and seven RBI. Lindsay Taylor is 1-3 with a 4.05 ERA. Christina Clermont has started four games and appeared in seven but has figured into just one decision for a 1-0 record and 5.70 ERA.
Fordham (5-8) enters the weekend having lost five in a row at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Elise Fortier hits .333 with three home runs and 11 RBI to lead the team. Michele Daubman is 3-5 with a 2.92 ERA. Lauren Quense (1-1, 1.75 ERA) and Rachel Gillen (1-2, 4.67 ERA) also split time in the circle.
Illinois State (5-9) is hitting just .189 as a team this season. Kolby Hoffman hits .265 with two home runs and eight RBI to lead the team. Regan Romshek is 4-4 with a 2.95 ERA, while Taylor Baxter is 1-5 with a 7.00 ERA.
Notre Dame (10-3) was ranked 24th in last week's NFCA Top 25 poll. The Fighting Irish are led by Karley Wester, who is hitting .436 and is 7-for-9 in stolen bases. Emilee Koerner hits .386 with five home runs and 14 RBI. Laura Winter is 6-2 in the circle with a 2.11 ERA. Allie Rhodes is 3-1 with a 1.14 ERA.
Series History
UNO has never played Maryland, Syracuse, Fordham or Notre Dame. The Mavs are 2-1 all-time against Illinois State with the last game in 1978.
Up Next
The Mavs will be in Fort Collins, Colo., next week for the Colorado State Spring Tournament. UNO will play Dayton twice, Colorado State twice and Southern Utah once.
Maverick Notes
• The Mavericks went a perfect 5-0 at the UTSA Mid-Major Classic in San Antonio to capture the tournament title and extend their win streak to seven games. UNO opened with a 15-14 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday, then followed with a 3-1 victory over UTSA. The Mavs began day two with a 12-6 win over A&M-Corpus Christi and topped Bryant 14-5 in five innings. Omaha capped the perfect weekend with a 4-1 win in eight innings against host UTSA Sunday morning.
• Amber Lutmer was sensational for the Mavs. She hit .556 on the weekend and had four home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.222 slugging percentage. Lutmer hit two grand slams among her four home runs and had an exceptional doubleheader on Saturday, going 7-for-8 with three home runs, 12 RBI and five runs.
• Lutmer reached base in every game last weekend to extend her consecutive reached base streak to 47 games dating back to last season.
• Dana Elsasser (8-1) earned four of the five wins in the circle. She posted a 1.08 ERA in 26.0 innings pitched, allowing just four earned runs in four appearances. Elsasser started three games and picked up complete-game wins in all of them. She also came on in relief in the fourth inning of a slugfest against A&M-Corpus Christi and pitched 4.0 no-hit, shutout innings.
• Campbell Ditto hit .533 for the weekend with a double and home run with a team-high nine runs and five RBI. Mara Eeman had a career weekend, hitting .500 with two home runs and seven RBI. Tara Trede hit .417, and Allie Mathewson hit .353 with two homers, a double, triple, seven runs and eight RBI.
• Freshman Lizzie Noble made her first pitching appearances of the season, throwing 6.0 innings with a 3.50 ERA. Noble made the start against Bryant and earned the win, throwing all 5.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts. The Mavericks pounded out 14 runs to end the game in five innings. She also pitched an inning of relief in the tournament-opening win over A&M-Corpus Christi.
• Freshman Lia Mancuso has reached base in all 14 games to start her Maverick career. Mancuso is hitting .314 and has a team-high 13 walks with 14 runs scored.
Lutmer Named National Player of the Week by CollegeSportsMadness.com
Omaha senior first baseman Amber Lutmer was named National Field Player of the Week by CollegeSportsMadness.com on Feb. 25. The honor comes one day after Lutmer earned Summit League Player of the Week. Lutmer had a monster weekend at the UTSA Mid-Major classic to lead the Mavs to a perfect 5-0 record. She hit a team-high .556 with four home runs (two grand slams) and a team-best 17 RBI on the weekend. Lutmer had a 1.222 slugging percentage and a .619 on-base percentage.
Elsasser, Lutmer Take Summit League Awards
Dana Elsasser was named Summit League Co-Pitcher of the Week, and first baseman Amber Lutmer earned Summit League Player of the Week, the league office announced on Feb. 24. Elsasser was the league's pitcher of the week four times last season, and this marks the ninth career weekly honor for the Hershey, Neb., native. She shared the weekly award with North Dakota State's Krista Menke. Elsasser earned four of the Mavs' five wins at the UTSA Mid-Major Classic and posted a 1.08 ERA in 26.0 innings pitched. For Lutmer, it was her first career Summit League weekly honor and the third weekly conference award in her career. She had a monster weekend, hitting a team-high .556 with four home runs (two grand slams) and a team-best 17 RBI on the weekend.
2014 Begins With Scarpello's 600th Win
UNO head coach Jeanne Scarpello reached her 600th career win in the season-opening 7-0 victory over Weber State on Feb. 7. Scarpello, the all-time winningest coach in UNO softball history, now has an all-time record of 602-190-1 in her 15th year as the head coach of the Mavs.
Standout Seniors
UNO's senior class is small in numbers, but is critical to the Mavs' success. Pitcher Dana Elsasser and first baseman Amber Lutmer are both in their final seasons at UNO, and both will wind up among the greatest Mavericks of all-time. Elsasser, the Mavericks' ace the past two seasons, was arguably the most dominant pitcher in the Summit League as a junior with a league-best 0.62 ERA in conference games. Elsasser's career 1.21 ERA ranks fifth-best in school history, and her .195 opponent batting average is second-best. Her 52 career wins rank tied for ninth in school history and her 28 shutouts are fourth. Lutmer has proven to be one of the top power hitters in UNO history, and she has numerous career offensive records in her sights. She has 41 career homers and needs four to break Leslie Svoboda's school record of 44. Lutmer has 159 career RBI to rank second and needs 34 to break Svoboda's mark of 192. Lutmer is sitting on 88 walks and with three more would be the new school-record holder, surpassing Svoboda's 90 free passes.
Ditto Phenomenal in Freshman Season
Catcher Campbell Ditto was named Summit League Freshman of the Year in 2013 and was the second-team all-league catcher after one of the best freshman seasons in UNO history. She posted a .376 batting average to finish fourth in the league and tallied seven home runs, 30 RBI, 34 runs, 11 doubles and four triples. In conference play only, Ditto was third in the league in batting average (.438), on-base percentage (.533) and fourth in slugging percentage (.771).
NFCA All-Region Pick Mathewson Shines in First Season at UNO
UNO center fielder Allie Mathewson was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region First Team in 2013, the only Summit League player to earn that honor. Mathewson, a sophomore transfer in 2013 who spent her freshman season at Creighton, is the first Maverick to be selected to the NFCA All-Region First Team since 2011 and the 60th all-region first-team pick in UNO history. However, she is the first honoree since the Mavericks began their Division I transition prior to the 2012 season. A native of Papillion, Neb., Mathewson posted a team-high .395 average in her first year at UNO. Serving as the Mavs' leadoff hitter every game, Mathewson brought power to the top of the batting order with 11 home runs and 36 RBI to rank second on the team in both categories. Not since 2008 has a Maverick hit at least .395 with double-digit homers (Leslie Svoboda, .427, 10 home runs). Mathewson is also the first leadoff hitter in school history to hit double-digit home runs.
Mavs Picked Second in Summit League Preseason Poll
The Omaha softball team was picked second in the Summit League Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's seven head coaches. The coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. The Mavericks received 31 total points, including one first-place vote, to finish two points behind North Dakota State, which has won the regular-season title two years in a row. The Bison received four first-place votes while Fort Wayne received two and finished third with 29 total points. South Dakota and Western Illinois tied for fourth with 18 points, while IUPUI (12) and South Dakota State (6) rounded out the poll in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Five Newcomers Join Mavs in 2014
Omaha softball head coach Jeanne Scarpello has signed five recruits to join the Mavs as freshmen in 2014. Three hail from Nebraska, while one comes from Missouri and the other from Kansas. “We're thrilled to have these five outstanding players join the Maverick softball program,” Scarpello said. “Each one adds a new dimension to our team, and we are excited about their futures. They all possess outstanding character and a tremendous work ethic.” Three of the signees come from the Omaha area. Infielder Nicole Warren was a standout at Papillion-La Vista South, while Lia Mancuso starred at Omaha Central playing both outfield and infield. Pitcher/outfielder Lizzie Noble joins the Mavericks after a record-breaking career at Bennington, while pitcher Cheyenne Baxter brings her 6-0 frame from Norborne High School in Norborne, Mo., about 60 miles east of Kansas City, and Megan Stegman brings a versatile resume from Washington, Kan.
Mavericks Sign Five for 2015
Omaha softball head coach Jeanne Scarpello has signed five recruits to National Letters of Intent to join the Mavericks in the 2014-15 school year. The class is made up of five incoming freshmen: Jaycee Bernholtz (Liberty, Mo.), Jaylee Hinrichs (Lincoln, Neb.), Kelly Pattison (Lockport, Ill.), Kylie Schwarting (Omaha, Neb.) and Megan May (Lincoln, Neb.). “We are very, very pleased with our 2014 class,” Scarpello said. “As we get closer to being eligible for Summit League and NCAA Tournament play, it's important for us to find the right student-athletes to be a part of our program, and we feel that we've found that with these five. They have a great combination of power, speed and defensive skill, and they all come from winning teams. We love their competitiveness and think they will fit in right away with our current team members next fall.”
The Teams
Omaha (11-3) has won seven in a row and capped a perfect 5-0 weekend at the UTSA Mid-Major Classic with the tournament title. The Mavericks have eight players hitting over .300. Leadoff hitter Allie Mathewson paces the Mavs with a .447 average, four home runs, 12 RBI and 16 runs. Catcher Campbell Ditto hits .350 with four homers and 13 RBI. Senior first baseman Amber Lutmer hits .341 and has a Summit League-best seven home runs and 27 RBI through 14 games. Dana Elsasser is the ace with an 8-1 record, 1.48 ERA and a save. She is holding her opponents to a .168 batting average this season.
Maryland (1-14) has struggled to start the season, but three of its losses have come to ranked teams. Shannon Bustillos hits .319 with five doubles and seven RBI. She is the only Terrapin hitting over .300. Brenna Nation is 0-6 with a 3.94 ERA, and Kaitlyn Schmeiser is 1-2 with a .516 ERA.
Syracuse (4-6) is led by Julie Wambold's .400 batting average, three home runs and six RBI. Jasmine Watson hits .321 with three homers and seven RBI. Lindsay Taylor is 1-3 with a 4.05 ERA. Christina Clermont has started four games and appeared in seven but has figured into just one decision for a 1-0 record and 5.70 ERA.
Fordham (5-8) enters the weekend having lost five in a row at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic. Elise Fortier hits .333 with three home runs and 11 RBI to lead the team. Michele Daubman is 3-5 with a 2.92 ERA. Lauren Quense (1-1, 1.75 ERA) and Rachel Gillen (1-2, 4.67 ERA) also split time in the circle.
Illinois State (5-9) is hitting just .189 as a team this season. Kolby Hoffman hits .265 with two home runs and eight RBI to lead the team. Regan Romshek is 4-4 with a 2.95 ERA, while Taylor Baxter is 1-5 with a 7.00 ERA.
Notre Dame (10-3) was ranked 24th in last week's NFCA Top 25 poll. The Fighting Irish are led by Karley Wester, who is hitting .436 and is 7-for-9 in stolen bases. Emilee Koerner hits .386 with five home runs and 14 RBI. Laura Winter is 6-2 in the circle with a 2.11 ERA. Allie Rhodes is 3-1 with a 1.14 ERA.
Series History
UNO has never played Maryland, Syracuse, Fordham or Notre Dame. The Mavs are 2-1 all-time against Illinois State with the last game in 1978.
Up Next
The Mavs will be in Fort Collins, Colo., next week for the Colorado State Spring Tournament. UNO will play Dayton twice, Colorado State twice and Southern Utah once.
Maverick Notes
• The Mavericks went a perfect 5-0 at the UTSA Mid-Major Classic in San Antonio to capture the tournament title and extend their win streak to seven games. UNO opened with a 15-14 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday, then followed with a 3-1 victory over UTSA. The Mavs began day two with a 12-6 win over A&M-Corpus Christi and topped Bryant 14-5 in five innings. Omaha capped the perfect weekend with a 4-1 win in eight innings against host UTSA Sunday morning.
• Amber Lutmer was sensational for the Mavs. She hit .556 on the weekend and had four home runs, 17 RBI and a 1.222 slugging percentage. Lutmer hit two grand slams among her four home runs and had an exceptional doubleheader on Saturday, going 7-for-8 with three home runs, 12 RBI and five runs.
• Lutmer reached base in every game last weekend to extend her consecutive reached base streak to 47 games dating back to last season.
• Dana Elsasser (8-1) earned four of the five wins in the circle. She posted a 1.08 ERA in 26.0 innings pitched, allowing just four earned runs in four appearances. Elsasser started three games and picked up complete-game wins in all of them. She also came on in relief in the fourth inning of a slugfest against A&M-Corpus Christi and pitched 4.0 no-hit, shutout innings.
• Campbell Ditto hit .533 for the weekend with a double and home run with a team-high nine runs and five RBI. Mara Eeman had a career weekend, hitting .500 with two home runs and seven RBI. Tara Trede hit .417, and Allie Mathewson hit .353 with two homers, a double, triple, seven runs and eight RBI.
• Freshman Lizzie Noble made her first pitching appearances of the season, throwing 6.0 innings with a 3.50 ERA. Noble made the start against Bryant and earned the win, throwing all 5.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts. The Mavericks pounded out 14 runs to end the game in five innings. She also pitched an inning of relief in the tournament-opening win over A&M-Corpus Christi.
• Freshman Lia Mancuso has reached base in all 14 games to start her Maverick career. Mancuso is hitting .314 and has a team-high 13 walks with 14 runs scored.
Lutmer Named National Player of the Week by CollegeSportsMadness.com
Omaha senior first baseman Amber Lutmer was named National Field Player of the Week by CollegeSportsMadness.com on Feb. 25. The honor comes one day after Lutmer earned Summit League Player of the Week. Lutmer had a monster weekend at the UTSA Mid-Major classic to lead the Mavs to a perfect 5-0 record. She hit a team-high .556 with four home runs (two grand slams) and a team-best 17 RBI on the weekend. Lutmer had a 1.222 slugging percentage and a .619 on-base percentage.
Elsasser, Lutmer Take Summit League Awards
Dana Elsasser was named Summit League Co-Pitcher of the Week, and first baseman Amber Lutmer earned Summit League Player of the Week, the league office announced on Feb. 24. Elsasser was the league's pitcher of the week four times last season, and this marks the ninth career weekly honor for the Hershey, Neb., native. She shared the weekly award with North Dakota State's Krista Menke. Elsasser earned four of the Mavs' five wins at the UTSA Mid-Major Classic and posted a 1.08 ERA in 26.0 innings pitched. For Lutmer, it was her first career Summit League weekly honor and the third weekly conference award in her career. She had a monster weekend, hitting a team-high .556 with four home runs (two grand slams) and a team-best 17 RBI on the weekend.
2014 Begins With Scarpello's 600th Win
UNO head coach Jeanne Scarpello reached her 600th career win in the season-opening 7-0 victory over Weber State on Feb. 7. Scarpello, the all-time winningest coach in UNO softball history, now has an all-time record of 602-190-1 in her 15th year as the head coach of the Mavs.
Standout Seniors
UNO's senior class is small in numbers, but is critical to the Mavs' success. Pitcher Dana Elsasser and first baseman Amber Lutmer are both in their final seasons at UNO, and both will wind up among the greatest Mavericks of all-time. Elsasser, the Mavericks' ace the past two seasons, was arguably the most dominant pitcher in the Summit League as a junior with a league-best 0.62 ERA in conference games. Elsasser's career 1.21 ERA ranks fifth-best in school history, and her .195 opponent batting average is second-best. Her 52 career wins rank tied for ninth in school history and her 28 shutouts are fourth. Lutmer has proven to be one of the top power hitters in UNO history, and she has numerous career offensive records in her sights. She has 41 career homers and needs four to break Leslie Svoboda's school record of 44. Lutmer has 159 career RBI to rank second and needs 34 to break Svoboda's mark of 192. Lutmer is sitting on 88 walks and with three more would be the new school-record holder, surpassing Svoboda's 90 free passes.
Ditto Phenomenal in Freshman Season
Catcher Campbell Ditto was named Summit League Freshman of the Year in 2013 and was the second-team all-league catcher after one of the best freshman seasons in UNO history. She posted a .376 batting average to finish fourth in the league and tallied seven home runs, 30 RBI, 34 runs, 11 doubles and four triples. In conference play only, Ditto was third in the league in batting average (.438), on-base percentage (.533) and fourth in slugging percentage (.771).
NFCA All-Region Pick Mathewson Shines in First Season at UNO
UNO center fielder Allie Mathewson was named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-Midwest Region First Team in 2013, the only Summit League player to earn that honor. Mathewson, a sophomore transfer in 2013 who spent her freshman season at Creighton, is the first Maverick to be selected to the NFCA All-Region First Team since 2011 and the 60th all-region first-team pick in UNO history. However, she is the first honoree since the Mavericks began their Division I transition prior to the 2012 season. A native of Papillion, Neb., Mathewson posted a team-high .395 average in her first year at UNO. Serving as the Mavs' leadoff hitter every game, Mathewson brought power to the top of the batting order with 11 home runs and 36 RBI to rank second on the team in both categories. Not since 2008 has a Maverick hit at least .395 with double-digit homers (Leslie Svoboda, .427, 10 home runs). Mathewson is also the first leadoff hitter in school history to hit double-digit home runs.
Mavs Picked Second in Summit League Preseason Poll
The Omaha softball team was picked second in the Summit League Preseason Poll, voted on by the league's seven head coaches. The coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. The Mavericks received 31 total points, including one first-place vote, to finish two points behind North Dakota State, which has won the regular-season title two years in a row. The Bison received four first-place votes while Fort Wayne received two and finished third with 29 total points. South Dakota and Western Illinois tied for fourth with 18 points, while IUPUI (12) and South Dakota State (6) rounded out the poll in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Five Newcomers Join Mavs in 2014
Omaha softball head coach Jeanne Scarpello has signed five recruits to join the Mavs as freshmen in 2014. Three hail from Nebraska, while one comes from Missouri and the other from Kansas. “We're thrilled to have these five outstanding players join the Maverick softball program,” Scarpello said. “Each one adds a new dimension to our team, and we are excited about their futures. They all possess outstanding character and a tremendous work ethic.” Three of the signees come from the Omaha area. Infielder Nicole Warren was a standout at Papillion-La Vista South, while Lia Mancuso starred at Omaha Central playing both outfield and infield. Pitcher/outfielder Lizzie Noble joins the Mavericks after a record-breaking career at Bennington, while pitcher Cheyenne Baxter brings her 6-0 frame from Norborne High School in Norborne, Mo., about 60 miles east of Kansas City, and Megan Stegman brings a versatile resume from Washington, Kan.
Mavericks Sign Five for 2015
Omaha softball head coach Jeanne Scarpello has signed five recruits to National Letters of Intent to join the Mavericks in the 2014-15 school year. The class is made up of five incoming freshmen: Jaycee Bernholtz (Liberty, Mo.), Jaylee Hinrichs (Lincoln, Neb.), Kelly Pattison (Lockport, Ill.), Kylie Schwarting (Omaha, Neb.) and Megan May (Lincoln, Neb.). “We are very, very pleased with our 2014 class,” Scarpello said. “As we get closer to being eligible for Summit League and NCAA Tournament play, it's important for us to find the right student-athletes to be a part of our program, and we feel that we've found that with these five. They have a great combination of power, speed and defensive skill, and they all come from winning teams. We love their competitiveness and think they will fit in right away with our current team members next fall.”
Players Mentioned
RHP
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
C/IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
OF/IF
/ Softball
OF/RHP
/ Softball
C/OF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
