CHARLESTON, Ill. -- The 2014 edition of Eastern Illinois softball will take the field this weekend as the Panthers open up the season at the three-day Rosemont Rumble on Feb. 7-9. Hosted by Illinois-Chicago, eight teams will compete on a pair of fields inside the comfy Dome at Rosemont.
EIU begins weekend play on Friday, facing the host Flames at 1 p.m. on Field #1, before immediately taking on IUPUI at 3:30 on Field #2. Then on Saturday, EIU will battle Illinois at 11:30 a.m. on Field #1, followed by a quick 2 p.m. rematch with IUPUI. Eastern finishes up tourney action on Sunday with a 9 a.m. battle versus Western Illinois.
Central Michigan, Drake and Loyola (Chicago) will also partake in the weekend tourney, but the Panthers are not scheduled to play those regional rivals.
UIC ROSEMONT RUMBLE SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7
1:00 pm … Field 1 – EIU vs. UIC … Field 2 – IUPUI vs. Drake
3:30 pm … Field 1 – Illinois vs. UIC … Field 2 – IUPUI vs. EIU
6:00 pm … Field 1 – Illinois vs. Loyola … Field 2 – CMU vs. Drake
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8
11:30 am … Field 1 – EIU vs. Illinois … Field 2 – CMU vs. Drake
2:00 pm … Field 1 – CMU vs. UIC … Field 2 – IUPUI vs. EIU
4:30 pm … Field 1 – Loyola vs. WIU … Field 2 – IUPUI vs. Illinois
7:00 pm … Field 1 – Loyola vs. UIC … Field 2 – WIU vs. Drake
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9
9:00 am … Field 1 – WIU vs. EIU … Field 2 – CMU vs. Illinois
11:30 am … Field 1 – Loyola vs. IUPUI … Field 2 – WIU vs. UIC
... Home team in each contest is underlined
... Opponents & times (central) subject to change
... Live stats will be available via links above... with link to complete tourney information (directions to fields, results, etc.) also above.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
• Opening the 2014 season on February 7 marks one of the earliest Panther spring starts in school history.
• Since joining the OVC back in 1997, EIU owns a 3-14 record in season-openers, which includes an overall 22-35 tally when beginning the year in a weekend tourney. In 2009, EIU finished with a perfect 4-0 tally en route to the season-opening New Mexico State Classic championship.
• Last season, EIU owned the fourth best team ERA in the nation (.159), with current senior Hanna Mennenga ranking second and seventh for strikeouts (11.00) and hits allowed (3.88) per seven-innings.
• In 2013, Mennenga also set a pair of long-standing school-records in the circle with her 291 total Ks, which topped the previous mark owned by former EIU standout Zam Mogill that had stood since 1983. Mennenga's 23-5 overall record last spring also set a new EIU tally for winning % (.821).
QUICK LOOK AT PANTHERS
With 14 letter winners returning, the defending Ohio Valley Conference regular-season champion Panthers will look to continue the squad's winning ways this season under new head coach Angie Nicholson.
After being picked to finish second in the OVC West Division last year, the Panthers instead nabbed the squad's second regular-season league title in three years, thanks to a 36-14 overall mark and league-best 20-3 conference finish.
Four returning all-conference honorees return, led by senior pitcher Hanna Mennenga, who nabbed OVC 'Pitcher of the Year' and First Team All-OVC kudos last spring. Senior infielder Carly Willert and junior catcher/utility Hannah Cole also earned First Team All-OVC accolades.
Meanwhile, fellow senior Stephanie Maday added to her career all-conference tally with additional Second Team honors in 2013.
Other key starters include senior infielders Reynae Hutchinson and Ashleigh Westover, plus junior Bailey O'Dell. Starting seniors Brooke Owens and Morgan Biel also return as designated hitter/utility and outfielder, respectively.
Led by Mennenga and Maday, the Panther pitching staff, which finished with a No. 4 NCAA team rank for ERA in 2013, also sports senior Janele Robinson.
Six additional newcomers will look to make an immediate impact to the Panther squad this spring.
PANTHERS UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
Entering her 14th season as a head coach, including nine at a NCAA DI program, Angie Nicholson arrives to Eastern after coaching seven seasons at perennial Horizon League power Cleveland State.
She sports a 347-264-1 all-time record (228-182-1 in DI), having previously led her Viking squads to two regular-season league titles and an appearance at the NCAA Regional thanks to a conference tourney championship.
As a two-time Horizon League 'Coach of the Year' honoree herself, Nicholson has mentored three conference Players of the Year and a trio of Pitchers of the Year. In her final season at CSU last spring, she coached both the Horizon League Player and Newcomer of the Year.
QUOTING COACH NICHOLSON
"Things are going really well with the girls really excited, and a bit anxious of course, to get going," said Nicholson. "They are definitely hungry and ready to prove to both themselves and others what they are capable of doing this season. People are going to see a different team this spring.
"I am really looking forward to seeing us play this weekend," she added. "With everyone thankfully healthy, I just want us to get out there, face other pitchers and see where we stand right now. It's important to use the weekend to find out what we need to work on and learn from both the good and bad. That's the only way we'll get better each and every time we step out on the field."
SCOUTING THE WEEKEND COMPETITION
The Panthers own an all-time 38-66-1 mark against the four squads that EIU will be playing at this weekend's season-opening tourney.
Tourney host ILLINOIS-CHICAGO finished with a 23-25 record last season, including a first place finish in the Horizon League. This year the Flames return 11 letterwinners, yet lost six standouts from that championship squad. EIU trails UIC, 2-13 all-time, and have lost the last five meetings, including their last matchup back in 2001.
IUPUI went 18-31 last spring, finishing seventh in the Summit League off a 7-16 mark. Sixteen letterwinners return this season, including seven starters. Eastern enjoys a sizeable 14-7 all-time advantage in the previous meetings with the Jaguars, including sweeping IUPUI in a pair of home games last spring.
Even though EIU crushed rival ILLINOIS, 12-1, in a five-inning road rout last spring, the Fighting Illini continue to enjoy a 14-2 series advantage in the previous matchups. Illinois went 22-27 in 2013, including a 11-12 Big Ten mark to capture sixth place. Thirteen letterwinners, including nine of ten starters, return for the Illini this season.
WESTERN ILLINOIS returns 13 letter winners from last season's 14-23 squad that captured sixth place in the Summit League, with eight of nine starters also returning. EIU and WIU have not met on the softball field since 2006, as the two squads tied before the Panthers earned a victory in tourney play over in Indiana State. Eastern currently trails the Leathernecks, 20-32-1, in the all-time series history.
POSSIBLE PANTHER STARTERS
According to coach Nicholson, here are the potential EIU starters this weekend:
Pitchers: "We have three great pitchers and all are very equal, but different, with each complimenting the other. I'm so looking forward to having a real pitching "staff", sharing duties and doing what is best for the team. Right now, Stephanie (Maday) is our hardest thrower, Hanna (Mennenga) has the most movement, while Janelle (Robinson) will keep you off balance."
Catchers: "We also have three catchers, with Hannah (Cole) and Brooke (Owens) also offensive players, who we'll need to try and keep in the lineup when they aren't catching. So they will obviously be battling for catching and the DP spot, or even at first base. Plus add newcomer Ashlynne (Paul) into the mix."
Infielders: "Ashleigh (Westover) will be at third and Bailey (O'Dell) at short, although Hannah Rachor is biting at her heals. We have Carly (Willert) at second, and either Amber (Toenyes), Reynae Hutchinson, Rachor, and Kylie Bennett battling it out for first base. Plus don't forget Cole or Brooke are also possible at first while freshman Annie Crouch has proven to also be a strong infielder and can play anywhere."
Outfielders: "Hailey Beck is our starting center, while right and left are our holes. At right we've got April Markowski while Jennette Isaac is at left, with the addition of Markowski and Rachor also battling for an outfield position. In addition, Kaylie (Pruett) and returner Morgan Biel are also strong possibilities."
Utility/Baserunners: "Cole or Owens should be our go-to designated players, while I expect Pruett and Biel to be utilized as our primary base runners."
FIVE PANTHERS EARN PRESEASON COLLEGE SPORTS MADNESS ALL-OVC HONORS
Five different EIU players recently picked up six preseason honors by the online publication, College Sports Madness (www.collegesportsmadness.com), with reigning OVC 'Pitcher of the Year' Hanna Mennenga earning the same such honor, as the senior also picked up First Team kudos.
Joining Mennenga on the First Team are infielder Carly Willert and junior utility Hannah Cole. Meanwhile, senior pitcher Stephanie Maday and junior infielder Bailey O'Dell were both selected to the Second Team.
PANTHERS PICKED SECOND IN OVC WEST, FOURTH OVERALL IN PRESEASON
Earning a pair of first place votes, Eastern Illinois softball has been predicted to finish second in the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference West Division title race, as announced by the league office this afternoon.
Jacksonville State has been selected to win the East Division, while SIUE was picked to take the West Division in the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference softball race as voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. As the defending OVC Tournament Champions, the Gamecocks picked up 12 first-place votes and 120 points while the Cougars picked up 19 first-place nods and 129 points.
In other West Division rankings, UT Martin is picked to finish behind the Panthers in third place with one first-place vote and 93 points, while Murray State earned two first-place nods and 82 points to finish fourth. Austin Peay (49) and Southeast Missouri (37) round out the West.
Meanwhile, Eastern Kentucky is picked to finish second in the East after earning 12-first place votes and 118 points. Tennessee Tech is selected to finish third with 86 points, followed by Morehead State (79), Belmont (54) and Tennessee State (35).
Last year, EIU nabbed their second OVC regular-season title in three years, while JSU earned its fourth league tournament crown.
Conference play is set to start in mid-March, while the end-of-season 2014 OVC Softball Championship will feature the top eight teams in the middle of May on the campus of the top seed.
UP NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS
Following the weekend play in the windy city, the Panthers continue early-season tourney play as Eastern travels to Monroe, La., to compete in the three-day Mardi Gras Classic being hosted by Louisiana-Monroe. EIU will also face Grambling and Houston Baptist.
... for more info, contact Bart Rettberg, Asst. SID
