Pirates Road Swing Continues at Oklahoma Classic
March 14, 2015 | Softball
| Oklahoma Classic | |
| Dates | Saturday, March 14 - Monday, March 16 |
| Times | Saturday, March 14 1 p.m. - Iowa vs. East Carolina 3:15 p.m. - Iowa at Oklahoma 5:30 p.m. - East Carolina at Oklahoma Sunday, March 15 11 a.m. - East Carolina vs. Iowa 1:15 p.m. - East Carolina at Oklahoma 3:30 p.m. - Iowa at Oklahoma Monday, March 16 7 p.m. - Iowa at Oklahoma |
| Location | Norman, Okla. | OU Softball Complex |
| Game Notes | East Carolina | The American |
| Coverage | Live Stats |
| @ECUScoreboard | |
Digging In
The East Carolina softball team is looking to snap a four-game losing streak as the Pirates head to Norman Oklahoma for the Oklahoma Classic. ECU will take on Iowa and Oklahoma in the three-day tournament. The Pirates and the Hawkeyes will meet at 1 p.m., before going head-to-head with the No. 6-ranked Sooners at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday's schedule pits the Pirates and Hawkeyes against each other at 11 a.m. before ECU battles it out with Oklahoma at 1:15 p.m.
The Series vs. the Hawkeyes
East Carolina and Iowa will meet for just the third time in program history and the all-time series is tied 1-1. In their first-ever meeting, the Hawkeyes shutout ECU, 5-0, on March 14, 1992 at the South Florida Tournament. However, in their most recent meeting, the Pirates edged the Hawkeyes, 1-0, on February 12, 2011 at the Red and Black Showcase in Athens, Ga.
The Series vs. the Sooners
ECU and Oklahoma will meet for the third time in program history and for the first time since 1994. The Sooners hold the lead in the all-time series, 2-0. In their first encounter in 1993, Oklahoma edged the East Carolina, 2-1, at the USF Softball Classic in Tampa, Fla. A year later at the same tournament, the Sooners routed the Pirates, 11-1. The Pirates are looking for their first-ever victory over the Sooners this weekend.
About East Carolina
East Carolina goes into the Oklahoma Classic with a 7-16 record. ECU is looking snap a four-game losing streak after dropping 12 of its last 13 contests. On the year, the Pirates are hitting .263 with a .370 slugging percentage while posting a .344 on-base percentage. The Pirates have accumulated 91 RBIs, 10 home runs, 27 doubles and 93 runs scored. The Pirates are led offensively by Kacie Oshiro's .395 (17-for-43) batting average. The sophomore, who has seen action at both designated player and in the outfield, also owns a slugging percentage of .465, while her on-base percentage is .435. Oshiro also adds eight RBIs, five runs and three doubles. Junior centerfield Meredith Mitchell has brought her batting average up to .367 (22-for-60) which is good for second on the team. Junior shortstop Casey Alcorn has been a consistent part of the ECU lineup this year as she is the team-leader in several offensive categories including slugging percentage (.531), runs (17), doubles (5). Redshirt senior catcher Abby Wynne has also paced the offense as she boasts a .319 batting average while leading the squad in home runs (4), while contributing 14 runs, nine RBIs, eight walks and two doubles. In the circle, senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian has been effective for the Pirates with a team-best 2.71 ERA while owning a record of 4-4. She has made 15 appearances this season with 11 starts and has posted five completed games and three shutouts. The Greenville, N.C., native has logged 54.1 innings of work while allowing 21 earned runs on 64 hits, while striking out 31 and walking nine.
Quality Opponents
This season East Carolina softball will face several quality opponents throughout a competitive schedule. The slate features a number of teams which rank in the top 50 in RPI as well as nine opponents which appeared in the 2014 NCAA Regionals. The Pirates' conference schedule is just as demanding as four (UCF, Houston, Tulsa, USF) of the seven American Athletic Conference schools saw action in the NCAA Regionals a year ago. Two of the Pirates opponents are ranked in the Top 25 poll in No. 6/5 Oklahoma and No. 17/15 UCF. Additionally, East Carolina has five teams (South Carolina, James Madison, Virginia Tech, NC State and Utah) on its schedule that are currently receiving votes.
Movin' on Up
Senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Christian is moving up in the East Carolina record books as she is ranked sixth all-time in appearances (128), games started (93) and innings pitched (593.2). She also comes in seventh in wins (53), strikeouts (313) and complete games (53). This season, the Greenville, N.C., native is 4-4 with a team-best 2.71 ERA with five completes games and three shutouts. She has recorded 31 strikeouts in 54.1 innings of work with just nine walks.
Casey at the Bat
Junior shortstop Casey Alcorn has been solid thus far for the Pirates. The Hummelstown, Pa., native owns a .281 batting average and a team-best .531 slugging percentage. She leads the team in several offensive categories including slugging percentage, runs (17) and doubles (5). She also has added three home runs, for second on the team, one triple, 15 RBIs, eight walks and two stolen bases. In addition to her offensive prowess, Alcorn has also been an integral part of the ECU defense earning 22 starts at shortstop. Alcorn leads the team in assists with 57 and has recorded 33 putouts.
Just in Kacie
Sophomore Kacie Oshiro, who has seen action as the designated player as well as in the outfield this season, has found herself not only in the starting lineup, but also leading the Pirates with a .395 (17-for-43) batting average. The Mililani, Hawaii native has been a key component in the Pirates' lineup as she has seen more time in the No. 2 hole after recording eight RBIs, five runs and three doubles in 16 games. Oshiro has come up big in pressure situations as she boasts a .423 batting average with runners on base and has successfully advanced base runners more than 50-percent of the time (.593, 16-for-27).
Don't Even Try It
Redshirt senior catcher Abby Wynne has been stout behind the plate this season. She has done an excellent job throwing out 57.9-percent of runners attempting to steal. In addition to her solid defense, Wynne has also produced on the offensive end as well. She is hitting .319 (22-for-69) with 14 runs scored, nine RBIs, four home runs, two doubles with four stolen bases in as many attempts. Her four homers lead East Carolina.
Speed on the Base Paths
Junior centerfielder Meredith Mitchell is leading the Pirates this season with five stolen bases in as many attempts. She has now amassed 17 stolen bases on 20 tries throughout her ECU career. Just behind her on the year are freshman Mary-Sloan Bradford and redshirt senior catcher Abby Wynne who are both 4-for-4. As a team, East Carolina has swiped 18-of-19 stolen bases in 23 games thus far.
Walk This Way
Freshman left fielder Mary-Sloan Bradford has drawn 18 walks in 21 games to lead the Pirates. Her 18 walks is also good for tops in the American Athletic Conference. The product of Windermere, Fla., owns an on-base percentage of .443. Once on base, Bradford does her job on the base paths has she has scored 15 times and has swiped four bases in as many attempts.
All-Tournament Honors
At the Outrigger Resorts Hawaii Spring Fling Tournament junior centerfielder Meredith Mitchell was the lone Pirate named to the All-Tournament Team. She led the team with a .455 batting average after going 5-for-11 in five games. Additionally, she scored three runs, drove in one run and tallied six total bases. Mitchell drew two walks and recorded a double to own a slugging percentage of .545, while registering a .538 on-base percentage during the tournament. The all-tournament team nod was her second of the year as she was also named to the Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team along with five of her teammates. The Pirates had a successful season-opening tournament as ECU saw six players receive Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team honors. After winning the tournament, freshmen Ashley Cruise and Mary-Sloan Bradford were named Most Valuable Pitcher and Most Valuable Player, respectively. Additionally, sophomore Ali Ramirez, juniors Casey Alcorn and Mitchell, along with redshirt senior Abby Wynne were also named to the Pirate Classic All-Tournament Team.
Returning Home
Keli Harrell, East Carolina's all-time saves leader, returned to her alma mater on January 22 as she was hired as an interim assistant coach. Her hiring marks Harrell's second stint on the Pirates' coaching staff as she previously served as a graduate assistant from 2007-10. During that time, she played an integral role in guiding ECU to lead the league in several pitching categories, including earned run average (1.45), strikeouts (467), and wins (44). In her final year on staff, Harrell helped lead East Carolina to its first-ever Conference USA Tournament Championship as the Pirates made an appearance in the NCAA Regionals for just the third time in program history. She looks to bring the same success to the Pirates in 2015.
Quick Hits
? On January 15, head softball coach Beth Keylon-Randolph was granted an extended administrative leave of absence due to personal reasons.
? Sophomore catcher Alex Mycek will redshirt the 2015 season due to an injury.
? Freshman Ashton Stowe is out indefinitely due to injuries.
On Deck
East Carolina continues its road swing as the Pirates take on the Elon Phoenix on Wednesday, March 18 at Hunt Softball Park in Elon, N.C. The Pirates and Phoenix will meet for the 22nd time in program history and East Carolina leads the all-time series 16-4-1. Live stats will be available on ECUPirates.com.
