Softball will Play Neighboring Cal in 2004 Season Opener
1/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Jan. 29, 2004
This Week: The Saint Mary's softball team will launch its2004 season this weekend. The Gaels and first year coach Megumi Takasaki open at home in a doubleheader against the Cal Bears, Sunday, February 1, played on Cottrell Field. The first pitch will be thrown at 10:00 AM.
Scouting the Cal Bears: The California softball team, which has competed in the national championship game for two consecutive years, will host Sacramento State for a doubleheader on Saturday, Jan. 31 at Levine-Fricke Field. Saint Mary's will then host their Bay Area rival in Moraga, CA in another doubleheader. The Bears went 49-20 (10-11 Pac-10) in 2003 to reach the College World Series for the fifth straight year. Cal returns 11 players from last season and welcomes five newcomers. Anchoring the team's starting rotation for the second consecutive year is junior Kelly Anderson. Last season Anderson had an ERA of 1.05 and 23 wins. In the infield, College World Series All-Tournament selections Vicky Galindo (19 steals, .324) and Chelsea Spencer (.318) bring talent and experience to the lineup. Kaleo Eldridge and Lindsay James will protect the outfield for Cal. Eldredige posted 30 RBI and James was an All-Pac-10 selection in her first season. The Bears, who are lead by Coach Diane Ninemire, rely on sound defense, smart base running and situational hitting.
Gaels versus Bears: Cal has never lost to the Gaels. The Bears are 34-0 against Saint Mary's. In 2003, Cal swept a doubleheader over the Gaels in Berkeley 8-2, and 8-1.
2004 Season Outlook: The 2004 season will mark the Gaels' second season as a part of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference. Looking ahead at the Gaels' 2004 season, Coach Takasaki says the schedule will be tough, but that opponents shouldn't count on Saint Mary's as an easy win, but rather as a fierce competitor. "They better look out, they can't slack," remarked Takasaki. The Gaels will face many Pac-10 teams including Oregon State and Cal, in addition to a competitive conference that includes Loyola Marymount and Santa Clara. The team will also travel to Hawaii to participate in the Hawaii Paradise Classic tournament in early spring. The Gaels will open the season against Takasaki's alma mater Cal. "I'm very excited for Cal. I played softball with their head coach, and we lost to them 0-2 in fall ball. It should be great," says Takasaki. "I don't see any breaks during the season, but I'm looking forward to showing off our stuff. The girls are working hard; I hope it pays off," comments Takasaki. The Gaels will depend greatly on their most experienced pitcher, senior Jennifer Eaton. The right-handed pitcher has a career 2.63 ERA with 31 career wins. Eaton went 12-13 last season with 102 strikeouts. Junior Claudia Williams will act as the Gaels' dependable first baseman and go-to hitter with her .319 batting average from 2003 and 18 career runs and 40 career RBI. Senior Jennifer Arnold will also assist the Gaels' batting with her 2004 .219 batting average with 23 RBI. In the outfield, senior Jordann Bass is a vital part of the Gaels' defense, with a .935 fielding percentage. Eleni Papilias will start behind the plate for the Gaels, with a .939 fielding percentage.
Meet the Coach: Entering her first year as the head coach for the Saint Mary's softball team is Megumi Takasaki. Takasaki comes to Saint Mary's after spending three years working in the Spanish Olympic Training Center in Barcelona, Spain. Takasaki was given the opportunity to develop a softball program in the Olympic center for players ranging from 14 to 29 years of age. The goal of the program was to prepare the players for competition on the National Senior and Junior softball teams. During her time at the Olympic Training Center, she was also the top assistant coach for the Spanish National Team. She helped lead the team to a No. 5 ranking in Europe. Following an outstanding career as a member of the California softball program, Takasaki embarked on a one-year stint in the Women's Professional Softball League. She was a member of the Carolina Diamonds during the summer of 1999. While at California, Takasaki enjoyed a four-year career as a starting catcher for the Golden Bears. During her tenure at Cal, she helped her team advance to the NCAA Regional Tournament each year, while advancing to the College World Series in 1996 and 1999. She currently ranks in the top-five in four career offensive categories at Cal. She ranks third in runs scored (128), fourth in at-bats (740), and fifth in home runs (15) and hit by pitch (10). Takasaki, a 2000 graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Biology, understands the importance of being a complete student-athlete. Her scholarship and athleticism were demonstrated at Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, California, where she was a National Merit Scholarship finalist and participated in the International Baccalaureate program. While participating as a six-sport athlete in soccer, swimming, basketball, volleyball, cross-country as well as in softball, she earned her conference's athlete of the year honors during her senior year. As the head softball coach at Saint Mary's, she will work to develop her team to be competitive within the Pacific Coast Softball Conference as well as promoting to her players the importance of academics.
Next Week: The Gaels will spend time away from the Bay Area as they travel to Honolulu, Hawaii for the Hawaii Paradise Classic. Games will be played on February 5, 6, and 7 at the University's Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium. The Gaels will play Tennessee at 2:00 PM on the first day of the tournament, followed by Oregon State and University of Alabama at Birmingham on February 6, beginning at 2:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Saint Mary's will conclude play on Saturday, February 7 against Hawaii and BYU, beginning at 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM.
Saturday, May 23
Sunday, May 17
Sunday, May 17
Sunday, May 17
