Feb. 17, 2010

Complete Weekly Release

For Immediate Release
Contact: Brandon Kolditz
wkolditz@memphis.edu; (901) 871-5475

2010 Blues City Classic Schedule
Friday, February 19
9 a.m.      Indiana State vs. Appalachian State
11:15 a.m.  Indiana State vs. McNeese State
1:30 p.m.   Memphis vs. Appalachian State
3:45 p.m.   Memphis vs. IPFW
6 p.m.      SEMO vs. McNeese State
8:15 p.m.   SEMO vs. IPFW

Saturday, February 20
9 a.m.      McNeese State vs. IPFW
11:15 a.m.  SEMO vs. Indiana State
1:30 p.m.   IPFW vs. Appalachian State
3:40 p.m.   Memphis vs. Indiana State
6 p.m.      SEMO vs. Appalachian State

Sunday, February 21
10 a.m.     Appalachian State vs. McNeese State
12 p.m.     Memphis vs. McNeese State

MEMPHIS - The University of Memphis softball team will host the fourth annual Blues City Classic beginning Friday at the Tiger Softball Complex. The three-day, six-team tournament will feature a combined 13 games with Appalachian State, IPFW, Indiana State, McNeese State, Memphis and Southeast Missouri fighting to earn tournament champion.

Memphis will play Appalachian State at 1:30 p.m. on Friday and IPFW at 3:45 p.m. The Tigers then host Indiana State at 3:45 p.m. on Saturday and close with McNeese State on Sunday at noon.

The Tigers are still looking for their first Blues City Classic championship. Last year, a champion was not decided due to only two games being played as a result of inclement weather. Evansville won the first tournament title in 2007 and Morehead State won it in 2008. The Tigers finished second in both those years with a 3-1 mark.

History: Memphis vs. Blues City Classic Opponents
The U of M will meet all four opponents in the Blues City Classic for the first time. Memphis is 2-1 against teams from the Southern Conference, 1-2 against teams from The Summit League, 1-2 against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference and 4-1 against teams from the Southland Conference.

Live Coverage
Every game in the Blues City Classic can be followed through live stats provided by CBS College Sports GameTracker. Additionally live streaming video of every game in the tournament is also available for free through Memphis All-Access. Links to the live broadcasts can be found on the Blues City Classic tournament page at GoTigersGo.com.

Last Week
Memphis opened the 2010 season by splitting a home doubleheader with Wichita State on Saturday. After the Centenary Spring Tournament in Shreveport, La., was canceled due to snow, the two teams arranged for the last minute match-up in Memphis. The Tigers won the opening game, 11-2, in five innings and tied a program record with four home runs in the contest. In game two, the Shockers came back and scored three runs in the seventh to steal a 4-1 victory despite a 12 strikeout performance by freshman Carly Hummel in her collegiate debut.

Next Up
Memphis will next host a midweek doubleheader against Belmont on Tuesday, February 23, at 3 and 5 p.m. at the Tiger Softball Complex. The Tigers will then travel to Santa Barbara, Calif., to compete in the UCSB Gaucho Classic where the U of M will play Drexel, North Dakota State, Wisconsin and UC Santa Barbara.

A Breaking Debut
Carly Hummel set a Memphis freshman record with 12 strikeouts in her collegiate debut. The 12 K's ranks in a tie for second place in school history, one behind the record of 13 set by former ace Jenna Kubesch against Alcorn State in 2007. Hummel is the first Tiger to record 10 or more strikeouts in a game since Rayna McClinton struck out 11 against UTEP in 2008. She is the fourth different Tiger to record 10 or more strikeouts in a game. Jenna Kubesch (9), Nicki Johnson (1) and Rayna McClinton (1) are the other three.

Senior RBI Machine
Senior Leigh Rowan went 3-for-6 (.500) with six RBI and a run scored in a doubleheader against Wichita State. The outfielder accounted for 50 percent of the RBIs in the two games. Rowan finished 2-for-3 with five RBI in game one, including a three-run homer to help Memphis run rule Wichita State, 11-2. Her five RBI in game one ranks tied for fourth all-time in school history and is the highest total since March 14, 2007 when Melissa Nance set a school record with eight RBI against Lipscomb. Rowan knocked in the only Memphis run in game two against WSU.

Bombs Away
Sophomore first baseman Jessica Phillips lined two home runs in the season opener against Wichita State to help the Tigers tie a school record with four dingers in the game. The two home run performance also ties a school record. Phillips had three home runs as a freshman in 2009.

Opening Weekend
After opening the season with an 11-2 victory over Wichita State, Memphis is now 3-2 in the first game of the season. It was the first opening game victory for the U of M since 2007. The Tigers split a doubleheader with Wichita State and have now gone 11-10 on opening weekend. Last year, the U of M opened the season at the South Alabama Invitational in Mobile, Ala., and went 1-3 in the tournament.

Scouting Appalachian State
• Appalachian State returns seven letterwinners, six starters and one pitcher from a 2009 season that saw the Mountaineers finish 26-29 and 14-9 (T2nd) in the Southern Conference.

• Junior Katie Boyd was named the Southern Conference preseason Player of the Year. She is coming off a 2009 season where she led the conference in eight offensive categories and broke the SoCon record for slugging percentage (.879), on base percentage (.590) and walks (64). She was second in the nation in walks and tied for 10th in home runs with 1.

• Boyd was named to the first team preseason all-conference as a utility player and junior Sarah Rappe earned second-team honors as an outfielder.

• The Mountaineers were picked to finish fourth in the Southern Conference.

Scouting IPFW
• IPFW returns 15 letterwinners, eight starters and all three of its pitchers from a 2009 squad that finished 14-24 and 9-13 (7th) in The Summit League.

• Amy Tudor begins her first season as head coach for the Mastadons. Tudor spent the previous two years at Belmont.

• IPFW was picked to finish eighth in the Summit League preseason poll.

• The Matadors only lost one starter from 2009's squad.

• Sophomore Courtney Cronin was named to the 2009 all-league second team after going 9-7 with a 1.85 ERA and 108 strikeouts.

• Sophomore Cassie Wolfe led the team last year in RBI (17), home runs (5) and runs scored (16) and was fourth on the team in batting average (.261).

• The Mastadons open the season in Memphis at the Blues City Classic.

Scouting Indiana State
• Indiana State returns 10 of 19 letterwinners and two of three pitchers from a 2009 squad that finished 20-27 and 10-15 (8th) in the Missouri Valley Conference.

• The Sycamores were picked to finish ninth in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason poll. Last year, Indiana State finished eighth in the final MVC standings and had three seniors--Katie Armour, Meredith Simpson and Darcy Wood--honored as first-team all MVC.

• Indiana State opens 2010 with a young roster. Thirteen of the 18 players on its roster are underclassmen (eight freshman and five sophomores).

• The Sycamores open their season at the Memphis Blues City Classic.

Scouting McNeese State
• McNeese State returns 10 of 14 letterwinners from a squad that finished 31-28 in 2009 and 18-6 (2nd) in the Southland.

• Junior shortstop Molly Guidry and junior outfielder Lindsey Langner were selected to the Southland Conference Preseason team. Guidry had a .265 batting average with 30 RBI last season and Langner hit .269 with 30 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. The Cowgirls were picked to finish fifth in the Southland.

• Freshman Meagan Bond struck out 11 in her collegiate debut to help McNeese State beat Hawaii, 2-1, in the Cowgirls season opener in Honolulu last week.

• Sophomore outfielder Claire Terracina was named to the Paradise Classic All-Tournament team. Terracina hit .357 with four walks and three stolen bases and helped the Cowgirls beat Hawaii in the season opener with a 2-for-4 performance.