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Vikings Host YSU & Robert Morris To End Home Schedule

Vikings Host YSU & Robert Morris To End Home Schedule
Posted: Apr 26, 2011

April 26, 2011

Contact: Brian McCann

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Games 40-42
Youngstown State (22-18, 5-10) at Cleveland State (22-17, 7-6)
Date: Fri., April 29 at 5:00 p.m. & Sat., April 30 at 1:00 p.m. (2)
Site: Viking Field (500), Cleveland, Ohio

Games 43-44
Robert Morris (19-24) at Cleveland State (22-17, 7-6)
Date: Mon., May 2 at 3:00 p.m. (2)
Site: Viking Field (500), Cleveland, Ohio

SETTING THE SCENE: Cleveland State returns to Viking Field this week to play the final five home games of the 2011 season. The Vikings will host Youngstown State for a three-game series, playing a single game at 6:00 p.m. on Friday (April 29) and a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday (April 30). CSU will then close out the home slate on Monday (May 2) with a 3:00 p.m. twinbill against Robert Morris. The two games against YSU on Saturday will serve as Senior Day for CSU seniors Kala Allred, Jessica Burt, Katelyn Ciminelli and Amy Powell, with the quartet being honored in a pre-game ceremony. With nine league games left on the schedule the Vikings (22-17) need to finish strong in order to move up the Horizon League standings and challenge for one of the two first round byes in the upcoming Horizon League Championship. CSU is in fifth place with a 7-6 mark but has series left with YSU (7th place), Detroit (9th) and Valparaiso (3rd).

2011 SEASON PREVIEW: The Vikings return all but two regulars from last years team that went 44-15 and won the Horizon League regular season crown. Tabbed as the favorites to win the league title this year, CSU has had to replace three-time Horizon League Pitcher of the Year Amanda Macenko and CSU career home run leader Lia Gordon. Reigning Horizon League Player of the Year Tess Sito moves to the circle to take over for Macenko, who won 118 games during her Vikings career including 38 last year. Sito has pitched well, going 18-14 with a 1.54 ERA in 220.2 innings, striking out 233 batters while walking just 54. Junior Megan Bashak (2-0, 1.50 ERA), senior Kala Allred (1-0, 4.77), junior Brittany Bate (1-2, 6.77) and sophomore Brandy Holmes (0-1, 7.00) have also seen time in the circle. The outfield is deep, featuring five returners, with Jessica Burt (.267, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 21 runs, 8-10 SB) starting every game including 35 at the two corner spots, Alicia Nichols (.196) starting 37 times in center and Megan Bashak (.143), Caila Ferro (.170) and Macall Sheppard (.189) each starting around half of the games. The starting infield will depend on who is starting in the circle as Sito (.344, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 22 runs, 15-19 SB) can start anywhere but third. The left side of the infield has been consistent as Andrea Nagy (.236, 2 HR, 14 RBI) has started every game, most at shortstop, after missing the 2010 season because of injury, and Gabby Gillilan (.265, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 11 runs) has started all but two games at third. Dara Toman (.288, 7 HR, 23 RBI, 18 runs) has split her time between first and second and Katelyn Ciminelli (.130) has been the primary starter at first base. Amy Powell (.230, 2 HR, 7 RBI), a second team all-league pick last year, has started every game behind the plate.

A STEADY STREAM: For the first time in program history, Viking softball games are being streamed live on the internet via the Horizon League Network. Six of the seven home games have been streamed so far with plans being in place to broadcast the remaining five regular season home games. The streaming, which is available for free, is part of an initiative by the CSU athletic department to broadcast approximately 100 live sporting events this season.

CSU IN THE NCAA STATS: The Vikings received several mentions in the most recent NCAA statistics, which were released on Tuesday (April 26) and include games played through Sunday (April 24). Individually, Tess Sito ranks 11th nationally in shutouts (9), 20th in strikeouts (233) 39th in ERA (1.54) and 51st in fewest walks allowed (1.71/g). As a team, CSU was 32nd in double plays per game (0.38) and 45th in ERA (2.13).

QUARTET TO BE HONORED AT SENIOR DAY: The April 30 doubleheader will serve as the annual Senior Day with Viking seniors Kala Allred, Jessica Burt, Katelyn Ciminelli and Amy Powell being honored in a pre-game ceremony. The quartet has combined to start in over 500 games in their careers, helping lead CSU to two Horizon League regular season titles, one tournament championship and the 2009 NCAA Championships. Ciminelli was a All-Horizon League first team selection in 2010 while both Burt and Powell earned second team honors.

1-0 AGAIN: The Vikings enter the week having won three of their last four games by a 1-0 margin with all three games being two-hitters thrown by Elyria High School grads. Tess Sito tossed the first two, claiming a pair of 1-0 wins over Loyola on April 17 and Megan Bashak came back on Saturday (April 23) to throw her first career shutout against UIC. The back-to-back games were the first time that the Vikings won consecutive games with a 1-0 score and just the third time that CSU played back-to-back 1-0 contests. Prior to the current strtech, CSU had never played three games 1-0 games in a four-game period. The Vikings are 44-26 all-time in games decided with a 1-0 score.

BATE CLAIMS PRESIDENT'S AWARD: The 21st annual John Konstantinos Athletics Academic Honors Luncheon was held on Tuesday (April 20) with Viking senior pitcher Brittany Bate walking away with one of the biggest honors of the day. Bate, who will graduate in May with a 3.93 GPA in criminology, sociology and psychology, received the President's Award which is given to the graduating senior with the highest GPA. Bate received an additional distinction by being one of four seniors who made the Dean's List in all seven semesters at CSU.

. . . AND 12 EARN ACADEMIC HONOR: Bate wasn't the only Viking to be honored at the luncheon on Tuesday as 12 softball student-athletes were recognized for having a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, the fifth-highest total among the 17 CSU intercollegiate sports. The honorees included Afton Allred, Jessica Burt, Gabby Gillilan, Brandy Holmes, Samantha Kash, Andrea Nagy, Amy Powell, Tess Sito, Ashlee Stolarski, Dara Toman, Hannah Yoe and Bate.

FOUR NOMINATED FOR ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA: The success of the Vikings in the classroom has resulted in four starters being nomined for the Capital One Academic All-America team, which is selected by the College Sports Information Director's of America (CoSIDA). The nominees include seniors Jessica Burt (3.39, psychology & communications) and Amy Powell (3.44, psychology) and sophomores Tess Sito (3.72, communication) and Gabby Gillilan (3.91, journalism and promotional communcation). The four will first appear on the all-district ballot, which will be announced on May 5, with the first team members advancing to the national ballot. The Academic All-America team will be announced on May 26. To be eligible for the team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA, be a starter or important reserve and be in their second full year at the school.

SITO ON THE PITCHING CHARTS: With two weeks to go in the regular season, sophomore Tess Sito is already having an impact on the CSU single season pitching charts. She enters the week ranking third all-time in shutouts (9), sixth in strikeouts (233) and innings pitched (220.2), seventh in strikeout ratio (7.4), seventh in games started (28), eighth in wins (18) and appearances (36), and 10th in ERA (1.54). She leads the Horizon League in wins, innings pitched and strikeouts.

A TOUGH TEAM TO COME BACK ON: One trend that has continued regarding the Viking pitching this season has their ability to hold a lead. CSU is 71-0 over the last three seasons when it takes a lead into the seventh inning, including a 17-0 record this year. Going back even further, CSU is 92-1 over the last four seasons, with the lone loss coming to Wright State in the semi-finals of the 2008 Horizon League Championship when CSU couldn't hold a 4-3 lead in the final frame, falling, 6-4.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES: The Vikings have fared well against their next several opponents, going 20-9 vs. Robert Morris, the most wins against a non-conference opponent, and 29-8 vs. Detroit, the fourth-highest win total against any opponent, trailing the 43 wins vs. Youngstown State, the 39 against Wright State and the 30 wins against both Green Bay and Loyola. . . although CSU has won 45 times vs. the Penguins, the Vikings trail the all-time series 43-45 and will be attempting to climb above .500 against them this week. . . if CSU accomplishes that, it will leave UIC (20-37) as the only team that the Vikings are below .500 against.

NEXT UP: The Vikings take to the road to close the regular season, playing a three-game series at Detroit (May 3-4) and three more at Valparaiso (May 7-8) before playing in the Horizon League Championship (May 12-14).