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Thursday, April 7, 2011 Editor: Jake Lovett sports iowastatedaily.com | 515.294.2003
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Iowa State Daily
Softball
ISU pitcher Rachel Zabriskie pitches during the Cyclones’ game against Northern Iowa on Tuesday at the Southwest Athletic Complex. Zabriskie had six strikeouts and allowed six hits in Iowa State’s 11-3 win over the Panthers. Photo: Jake Lovett/Iowa State Daily
Cyclones to host Gophers
Iowa State plans to use home field advantage against familiar team By Darrin.Cline iowastatedaily.com
Home field has been relatively friendly to the ISU softball team thus far this season. Standing at 8-3 playing in Ames, the team will try to use the friendly atmosphere as they play host to the University of Minnesota. The matchup will mark the first time the Gophers (19-16, 1-3 Big Ten) have played in Ames during Stacy Gemeinhardt-Cesler’s tenure with the Cyclones (17-13, 1-3 Big 12). “It’s just so nice playing at home because our fans are great and we have a lot of parents in town this week because we have so many games this week and that’s really nice for the players,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. While it is the Gophers’ first visit, the two teams are very familiar with each other. It will be the 70th meeting between the schools, in a series where Minnesota has a 39-30 advantage.
Last season, the Cyclones made the trip to the Minneapolis for a doubleheader. The teams split separate 6-5 decisions, with the Cyclone loss coming in an extra-inning thriller. “I think that they battle and we need to make sure that we play like we did [Tuesday] in order to have a good chance of winning,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. Iowa State’s recent demolition of rival Northern Iowa, 11-3, has set the stage for the squad to have a repeat performance, and pitcher Rachel Zabriskie stands just seven strikeouts away from cracking into the top 10 in Big 12 history. The troublesome offense for the Cyclones appears to be rectified following the UNI game. A combined four-home-run performance by Tori Torrescano and Erica Miller puts each at seven longballs on the season. The cooperative effort of the two power hitters and the dangerously fast lead off hitter Heidi Kidwell makes the top of the order an intimidating presence. Iowa State may be picking up steam, but it hosts a team searching for an identity. The Gophers are 1-4 in their last five games, including a disappointing series against Ohio State. The Buckeyes, 9-20 on the
season, blasted Minnesota 10-0 and rallied from a 5-1 deficit to make the sweep, 7-5. “I think they play a lot of competitive games and so do we so it will be a lot of fun,” Gemeinhardt-Cesler said. Thursday’s doubleheader will begin at 2 p.m. at the Southwest Athletic Complex.
Iowa State (17-13, 1-3)
vs.
Minnesota (19-16, 1-3)
Where: Southwest Athletic Complex When: 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday Notes: Iowa State beat Northern Illinois 11-3 Tuesday, including hitting four home runs as a team for the first time in school history. Minnesota has lost four of its last five games, including losing twice to Ohio State by a combined 17-5 in the series.
Baseball
Coyotes’ offense presents new challenges
Club prepares to shake off mistakes, refocus efforts By Nate.Ryan iowastatedaily.com
The ISU club baseball team is moving on from a mistake-filled weekend against Minnesota State-Mankato to begin preparation for the University of South Dakota. The Cyclones (3-5, 1-2 Mid-America) host the Coyotes (9-1, 3-0 Mid-America) on Saturday and Sunday. The Coyotes are powered by their offense, and haven’t been held under five runs in a game yet this season. They are led by captain Trevor Freudenthal who holds a .342 batting average on the year. Freudenthal has also hit four home runs and has 15 runs batted in. “They have a bunch of good hitters,” said ISU player-coach Tyler Strub. “Last year they could score at any time. I think they hit two to three home runs in one game last year.” Errors have caused problems in recent games and Cap Timm Field has seen recent field work. The Cyclones are hoping things will turn around against South Dakota. “We’re just taking a lot of infield and getting more used to the field,” Strub said. Senior shortstop Matt Coffey said improving play this weekend goes beyond just preparing physically. “You can only dive for so many balls and
word!
Iowa State vs.
South Dakota Where: Cap Timm Field When: Noon, 2 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m., 1 p.m. Sunday Notes: Iowa State (3-5, 1-2 Mid-America) will try to bounce back after struggling with errors during its last series against Minnesota State, Mankato. South Dakota have scored at least five runs in all of its games.
catch them,” Coffey said. “As long as you’re making the right mental choices, that’s the best you can do.” This will be Coffey’s first time facing the Coyotes, and he said that will give him the advantage. “That will actually make me focus more,” Coffey said.” “With a familiar opponent, you’ll get almost too comfortable with them.” Coffey said it was frustrating to strand runners on base last weekend, and the reason for it was a lack of the lineup being consistent. “It’s really a team effort,” Coffey said. “The top of the lineup and the bottom half of the lineup has to work together.” Player-coach Jeff Peterson remembers dropping a few games in South Dakota last year and doesn’t want to have a repeat in Ames this
Matt Coffey gets ready to hit a ball during the second Iowa State vs. Minnesota match Saturday afternoon at the Southwest Athletic Complex. Photo: John Scallon/Iowa State Daily
season. “They’re loud and they’re rowdy,” Peterson said. “They get in your face and get in your head. It was tough last year, but I think the tables will turn this year with it being on our home field and I hope to get a big crowd here.”
First pitch on Saturday is at noon with the second game beginning at 2 p.m. The two teams will square off at 11 a.m. Sunday before the finale at 1 p.m. All the games will be played at Cap Timm Field.
Sports Jargon of the Day: Walk-off
SPORT: Baseball or softball
DEFINITION: A hit that ends a game by bringing home the winning run in the home half of the final inning.
USE: The Dodgers picked up a clutch win with that walk-off home run against Arizona last night.