2013-2014
Sof tball
Softball
KAITIE HARRISON RACHEL ROSS
2013-14 Quick Facts General
School Name.........................................Wittenberg University Location............................................. Springfield, Ohio 45501 Founded..........................................................................1845 Enrollment......................................................................1,950 Nickname......................................................................Tigers Home Field........................... Betty Doughman Dillahunt Field Capacity............................................................................300 National Affiliation...................................... NCAA Division III Conference.......................... North Coast Athletic Conference President........................................... Laurie M. Joyner, Ph.D. Alma Mater.................Loyola University New Orleans, 1986 Interim Athletics Director....................................Jeff Ankrom Alma Mater...................................................Otterbein, 1978 Athletics Phone............................................. (937) 327-6450
Coaching Staff
Head Coach................................................... Laura Matthews Alma Mater...................................................... Dayton, 2008 E-mail......................................... matthewsl@wittenberg.edu Record at Wittenberg.........................23-13 (2013-present) Career Record............................................................. Same Assistant Coach................................................Hope Creasy Softball Office................................................ (937) 327-6460 Athletic Trainer................................................. Ellen Crosbie Assistant Athletic Trainer.............................Greg Schneider Assistant Athletic Trainer............................... Molly Hopkins
Softball History
First Year............................................. 1980 (1985 as varsity) All-Time Record..................................................... 510-540-1 NCAC Regular Season Championships.............................2 NCAC Tournament Championships....................................1 NCAA Tournament Appearances........................................2 Last NCAA Tournament Appearance............................2003 Result..............................................................W, Cabrini 3-2 L, Muskingum 2-10 L, Cabrini 3-10
LAURA ROSE
Team Information
2013 Overall Record......................................................23-13 2013 NCAC Record (Finish) ..............................10-6 (T-2nd) Letterwinners Returning.................................................... 11 Loren Combs, Lacey Eigel, Emma Ficke, Kaitie Harrison, Kaela Hughes, Shelby Knapp, Shannon Lance, Ali Newton, Laura Rose, Rachel Ross, Ashlee Wright
Letterwinners Lost...............................................................3 Erica Ford, Aubrey Mendez, Julia Williams
Starters Returning................................................................8 Loren Combs, Kaitie Harrison, Kaela Hughes, Shelby Knapp, Shannon Lance, Laura Rose, Rachel Ross, Ashlee Wright
Starters Lost.........................................................................2 Aubrey Mendez, Julia Williams
Find the Tigers on facebook.com/wittenbergathletics facebook.com/wittsoftball
ASHLEE WRIGHT
CREDITS: 2013-14 Team Viewbook designed by John Strawn ‘07, associate director of sports information Photography by university photographer Erin Pence ‘04
Coaching Staff Head Coach Laura Matthews Laura Matthews joined the Wittenberg coaching staff in 2012, beginning her first season as a head coach in 2013. A 2008 graduate of the University of Dayton, Matthews arrived at Wittenberg after a successful four-year stint as an assistant coach at Lake Forest College. After serving as one of the team’s hitting coaches and working with the team’s infielders in 2009 and 2010, Matthews took over the pitching staff her last two years and helped the Foresters drop their team earned run average by 0.70 runs per game in 2012. In her first season at the helm in Springfield, Matthews led the Tigers to a 23-13 overall record that opened with the best 9-game start in program history and concluded with second-place finishes in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) regular season standings and the league tournament. Lake Forest posted an overall record of 72-68-1 during Matthews’ four years on campus. The Foresters reached the Midwest Conference Tournament each of the last four years and secured the No. 1 seed after
winning the South Division in three of those seasons. In 2010, Lake Forest finished second in the conference tournament en route to a 24-14-1 overall record. At one point, the team ranked 24th nationally. Matthews also worked as the internship and alumni programs coordinator in Lake Forest College’s Career Advancement Center from 2010-12. Prior to that, she worked as a business development associate for Kemper Sports Management for two years, representing the company at trade shows and conferences. Before graduating Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management from the University of Dayton, Matthews served a pair of internships in her hometown of Nashville, Tenn., as a sports marketing intern with Vanderbilt University in 2006 and with the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League in 2007. Matthews was a four-year starter at catcher at Dayton, capping her career with second-team ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Softball Team in 2008. That season, she posted career-bests in hits (44), runs (37), doubles (8), runners caught stealing (16) and a team-best .462 on-base percentage while starting all 51 games behind the plate for the Flyers.
Assistant Coach Hope Creasy Hope Creasy joined the Wittenberg University coaching staff in August 2012. In addition to her duties as the Tigers’ assistant softball coach, Creasy serves as Wittenberg’s athletics facilities coordinator. Creasy arrived in Springfield after two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at Georgia Southern University. While there, she assisted with all aspects of the softball program, including organizing practice sessions, creating scouting reports, fundraising, recruiting and organizing community service activities as the team won regular season and tournament Southern Conference championships and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Her coaching success followed on the heels of Creasy’s tremendous collegiate career at Radford University. A four-year starter in the outfield for
the Highlanders, Creasy was a first-team all-conference honoree two times and a member of the Big South All-Academic Team in 2008. She earned All-Virginia honors three times, and she capped her career with first-team NFCA All-Mid-Atlantic Region honors and Big South Conference Woman of the Year in 2010. During her career at Radford, Creasy helped the Highlanders to their first two Big South regular season and tournament championships in 2009 and 2010, and the program broke new ground for the university with a berth in the 2010 Athens Regional championship. She still ranks in the top 10 in program history for career home runs, slugging percentage, hits, doubles, RBIs, total bases, games played, starts and sacrifice flies. Creasy earned her bachelor of science in sports administration from Radford in 2010 and her master of science in sport management from Georgia Southern in 2012.
Head Coaching Ledger Name Caroline Zimmerman Vickie Rill Shielah Lingenfelter Pam Brenning Angel Prinos Becky Hall Laura Matthews Totals
Year(s) Seasons Games Wins Losses Ties Win Pct. 1980-87, 89-90 10 219 78 141 0 .356 1988 1 26 7 19 0 .269 1991-96 6 167 83 84 0 .497 1997 1 32 19 13 0 .594 1998 1 29 14 15 0 .483 1999-2012 14 542 286 255 1 .529 2013-present 1 36 23 13 0 .639 1980-present 34 1051 510 540 1 .486
2013-2014 SOF TBALL
CAMPUS Wittenberg’s stunning 95-acre, rolling, wooded terrain is situated in the heart of Springfield, Ohio. An impressive blend of traditional European classicism and contemporary architecture is abundant amongst the 26 buildings throughout campus.
The University
ADMISSION Wittenberg consistently selects academically strong students. Of entering freshman, approximately 65 percent graduated in the top fifth of their high school classes. Each new class combines National Merit Scholars, Ohio Academic scholars and Lutheran Scholars. STUDENTS What strikes most people when they visit Wittenberg is the genuine friendliness and welcoming nature of the campus and its residents. There are more than 1,950 full-time students currently enrolled, representing more than 37 states and approximately 23 foreign countries; 45 percent of students are male, 55 percent are female. FACULTY Wittenberg’s 195 outstanding classroom instructors all consider students their top priority. With an average class size of 20 and a student-faculty ratio of 12-to-1, Wittenberg faculty and students have numerous opportunities for meaningful interaction both in and out of the classroom. PROGRAMS OF STUDY Wittenberg has more than 60 majors, minors and special programs from which to choose. Among these majors are such outstanding interdisciplinary programs as East Asian Studies, Russian and Central Eurasian Studies and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology.
MYERS HALL OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES Wittenberg encourages off-campus opportunities that complement the classroom experience: pursuing an internship, studying abroad, and getting involved in the community through volunteer programs and community service. STUDENT LIFE More than 150 campus organizations offer opportunities not only to have fun, but to gain management and leadership experience while at Wittenberg. These include 11 national fraternities and sororities, the Outdoors Club, WUSO radio station, Residence Life, Campus Ministries, Student Senate, Pre-Health Club and many more. ATHLETICS Wittenberg enjoys a long-standing reputation as an athletics powerhouse, fielding winning teams in many different sports. Wittenberg competes annually against the best competition that NCAA Division III has to offer. The athletics department offers 23 varsity intercollegiate athletic teams for men and women.
THE HOLLOW
RESIDENTIAL LIFE Wittenberg students live on campus in residence halls their first two years. Upperclassmen may choose to stay in the residence halls or move into Wittenberg’s campus housing, which includes apartments, houses and fraternity and sorority houses. FINANCIAL AID More than 98 percent of students are awarded financial aid at Wittenberg, thanks to the generosity and loyal support of more than 26,000 living alumni.
WEAVER CHAPEL
Athletics Facilities
ROSENCRANS FITNESS CENTER
BET T Y DOUGHMAN DILLAHUNT FIELD
Wittenberg Athletics Facilities The Wittenberg athletic facilities, a unique blend of old and new, provide opportunities for a wide variety of recreational and fitness activities. The Health, Physical Education and Recreation Center (HPERC) is the centerpiece of athletic activity. The main unit can be converted to three full-sized basketball courts, three volleyball courts or three tennis courts. It seats 3,000 spectators for intercollegiate athletic events, and 4,300 for concerts and other public events. A second unit houses six raquetball courts with an upper balcony for instruction and a 25-meter by 25-yard swimming pool with one- and three-meter diving boards, and a spectator viewing area. An athletic training room, locker rooms and team rooms are also located in the HPERC, which connects to the Wittenberg Field House, home of the Tigers since 1929, which houses offices and a state-of-the-art weight training facility. A 4,622-square-foot extension off the front of the HPERC opened in August 2005. The Bob Rosencrans Hall of Honor Fitness Center includes a wide range of weight training and cardiovascular equipment.
PAM EVANS SMITH ARENA
Edwards-Maurer Field and Earl F. Morris Track were renovated in 2005. EdwardsMaurer Field has a state-of-the-art artificial playing surface and Earl F. Morris Track is a 400-meter track outfitted with a similarly cutting-edge surface. The entire complex is lighted, and also serves as home to the Tiger football, track, field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer and men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. The David and Georgianna Albright Tennis Complex, a $2 million project completed in 1997, houses 12 tennis courts with a Dynaflex surface. Six of the courts are lighted, including two sunken center courts with space for seating. Situated a few blocks from campus are Bill Edwards Field, which offers playing and practice fields, and Betty Dillahunt field, home of the Tiger softball team. Less than two miles from campus Carleton Davidson Stadium, which opened in 2004, is the home of Tiger baseball. Owned and maintained by the City of Springfield, Carleton Davidson Stadium has seating capacity of 1,061, nearly half of which is under cover, a media center, locker rooms with showers and secured storage.
EDWARDS-MAURER FIELD
CARLETON DAVIDSON STADIUM
2013-2014 SOF TBALL
SCHEDULE/RESULTS
3/4 vs. Eastern Nazarene $ W, 1-0 3/4 vs. WPI $ W, 11-3 3/5 vs. Wartburg $ W, 7-3 3/5 vs. Regis (Mass.) $ W, 11-7 3/7 vs. Dominican (Ill.) $ L, 4-0 3/7 vs. Newbury $ W, 4-3 3/8 vs. Northland $ W, 6-1 3/8 vs. Penn St.-Behrend $ W, 11-0 (5) 3/9 vs. MCLA $ W, 9-2 3/23 at Thomas More L, 5-4 3/23 at Thomas More W, 4-2 3/30 OHIO WESLEYAN * L, 5-0 3/30 OHIO WESLEYAN * L, 5-3 4/2 at Kenyon * W, 7-4 4/2 at Kenyon * L, 8-6 4/6 at Allegheny * L, 8-2 4/6 at Allegheny * W, 4-3 4/13 HIRAM * W, 9-1 (5) 4/13 HIRAM * W, 9-5 4/14 at Wooster * W, 7-2 (10) 4/14 at Wooster * L, 5-1 4/17 DEPAUW * W, 2-1 4/17 DEPAUW * W, 4-1 4/20 DENISON * W, 2-1 4/20 DENISON * L, 8-5 4/21 at Wilmington (Ohio) L, 4-3 4/21 at Wilmington (Ohio) W, 5-3 4/26 at Oberlin * W, 2-0 4/26 at Oberlin * W, 5-1 4/27 CASE WESTERN L, 6-1 4/27 CASE WESTERN L, 8-2 4/28 JOHN CARROLL CCD 4/28 JOHN CARROLL CCD 5/3 vs. Kenyon # W, 4-1 5/3 vs. Allegheny # L, 8-1 5/4 at DePauw # W, 6-5 5/4 vs. Allegheny # W, 7-4 5/4 vs. Allegheny # L, 3-2 * NCAC Game # NCAC Tournament $ Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Fla.
2013 Season
SHELBY KNAPP
POSTSEASON AWARDS All-NCAC Newcomer of the Year - Loren Combs First Team - Kaitie Harrison, Laura Rose Second Team - Loren Combs Honorable Mention - Rachel Ross
KAELA HUGHES
In 2012-2013, the Wittenberg Tigers... • Won 4 North Coast Athletic Conference regular season championships in football, women’s soccer, volleyball and men’s golf. • Finished in the top 5 in the final North Coast Athletic Conference standings in 16 of 23 sports • Finished 4th in the final standings for the NCAC Dennis Collins Memorial All-Sports Trophy • Earned 8 NCAC Player of the Year trophies • Earned 2 NCAC Coach of the Year trophies and 1 Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year trophy • Placed 90 student-athletes on All-North Coast Athletic Conference teams • Placed 18 student-athletes on all-region teams and 6 on All-America teams • Earned 3 CoSIDA/Capital One Academic All-District awards • Finished 91st in the NACDA Director’s Cup (NCAA Division III all-sports comparison) thanks to postseason appearances by 4 teams
2014 Season 2014 Softball Schedule 3/1
at Transylvania (s)
TBA
3/1
vs. Marietta (s)
TBA
3/2
at Transylvania (s)
TBA
3/2
vs. Marietta (s)
TBA
3/7-15 Spring Break (Florida) 3/22 THOMAS MORE
1:00 PM
3/26 WILMINGTON (OHIO)
3:30 PM
3/29 at Case Western
1:00 PM
4/1
WOOSTER *
3:30 PM
4/5
at Ohio Wesleyan *
1:00 PM
4/9
KENYON *
3:30 PM
4/12 ALLEGHENY *
1:00 PM
4/15
OBERLIN *
3:30 PM
4/17
at Otterbein
3:30 PM
4/19
at Denison *
1:00 PM
4/23 at DePauw *
4:00 PM
4/26 at Hiram *
1:00 PM
4/28 at Ohio Northern
3:30 PM
LOREN COMBS
*NCAC games All games doubleheaders unless noted with (s) To schedule a home game visit, contact Coach Matthews at matthewsl@wittenberg.edu or 937-327-6460
SHANNON LANCE
WIT TENBERG SOF TBALL
2013-2014 SOF TBALL
Statement of Responsibility for Balance Between Academics & Athletics
Wittenberg Athletics Philosophy
Student-athletes are primarily responsible for balancing academics and athletics. However, recognizing the pressure that studentathletes face from competing time demands placed upon them by both professors and coaches, we establish the following statement of responsibility. The statement assumes that the student’s primary responsibility is to academic coursework and that practice sessions are always subordinate to class attendance. Students should work with advisers to schedule courses so that practices and contests are not in conflict with academic courses. Student-athletes are expected to contact professors in advance in order to resolve conflicts between class attendance and participation in athletic contests. It is recommended that student-athletes miss not more than four sessions of any class in a semester for regular season athletic contests. Permission of a Faculty Athletic Representative is required before additional excused absences will be permitted. Coaches will, as necessary, establish and maintain communications with the professors of team athletes regarding academic progress. Professors should feel free to contact coaches regarding the academic responsibilities of student-athletes.
The Wittenberg Athletic Department is an integral part of the university that strives to achieve the same standards of excellence that exist within various academic disciplines at the university. Further, the athletic department embraces the concept that the student-athletes are first and foremost students, possessing individual rights, academic abilities, personal interests and ambitions comparable to those of other members of the general student body. Wittenberg University is committed to the principles and practices of amateurism, student-athlete welfare, gender equity, sportsmanship and fair play, cultural diversity and overall athletics excellence, and this commitment shall reflect in every aspect of the athletics departmental operations.
The North Coast Athletic Conference and Wittenberg University work together to encourage good sportsmanship on the court, on the field and in the stands. The Wittenberg Athletics Department expects all competitors and spectators to help maintain an open, accepting and competitive environment in order to promote positive, enjoyable experiences for all involved with Division III athletics.