FROM THE MOUND
After playing 22 consecutive non-league games, Colgate (17-5) finally will compete against Patriot League competition. The Raiders travel to Bethlehem to take on Lehigh (12-8) in a four-game set beginning at noon on Saturday at Kaufman Field. The two teams will also have a noon start Sunday as well. This is a match-up of the top two teams in the league's preseason poll. Last year, the Mountain Hawks took three of four from the Raiders in Hamilton.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
Colgate first started softball in 1979. Since that first pitch, the Raiders have compiled a 580-536-2 overall record. Colgate has appeared in three NCAA Tournaments back in 1999, 2003 and 2007.
THE HEAD COACH
Vickie Sax is in her 13th season at the helm of the program and holds a career mark of 303-267-1 since accepting the position. The veteran coach posted her 300th victory with a 4-0 blanking of Hartford on March 20 in Kissimmee, Fla. Since 1998, she has tallied nine seasons of 20 or more victories, including last season's 25-18 record. In 2004, Sax piloted Colgate to a 34-17 record, a school record for wins in a single-season. She has been honored as the Patriot League Coach of the Year three times – in 2003; shared the honor in 2007 and outright won it again in 2009.
BRIEF LAST WEEKEND RECAP
Colgate went 3-1 at Delaware State's Sean Savage Epilepsy Awareness Tournament. In the opener, Jesse McCarrick and Lacy Ver Steeg combined to pitch a perfect game as the Raiders blanked Maryland-Eastern Shore 9-0 in a five-inning affair. It was the second perfect game in Colgate history and seventh no-hitter. The other perfect game came on April 28, 2003 as Elana Isaac had a five-inning outing versus Lafayette. After falling to Delaware State 13-4 in the second game, Colgate returned to defeat North Carolina Central 7-5 and Howard 5-2 Sunday. Jennifer Ortega led the offense hitting .462 (6-13) with two doubles, one triple, one homer and five RBI.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS
Heading into its doubleheader versus Princeton, Wednesday, Lehigh sports a 12-8 mark on the diamond. The Mountain Hawks have won five of their last six games, including taking three of four from Niagara last weekend. Offensively, Lehigh is led by sophomore Julie Fernandez (.418, 0 HR, 9 RBI), junior Alex Cueva (.413, 2 HR, 13 RBI) and the most recent Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week in sophomore Jennifer Colquhoun (.351, 3 HR, 24 RBI). On the mound, junior Briana Gaumer (3-2, 4.58) and senior Tiffany Curtis (8-4, 4.64) lead the way. The Mountain Hawks have pushed across an average of 4.95 runs per game and possess a team batting average of .281.
ALL-TIME SERIES AND LAST SEASON RESULTS
After 74 meetings, Lehigh holds a comfortable 52-22 lead in the all-time series that dates back to 1983. The Mountain Hawks escaped Hamilton by winning three of four games, two of which were slugfests. Lehigh outscored Colgate 37-26 in the four-game set. Colgate managed to win the second game of the weekend series 6-3, the lowest scoring game of the weekend. Of the returning starters, both Jennifer Ortega and Nicole Siedhof had some success at the plate versus Lehigh. Ortega went 3 of 15 with two homers and five RBI, while Siedhof delivered two homers in one game for the Raiders.
INSEASON WEEKLY AWARDS
For the third time in her career, Michelle Hollebeke was named the Patriot League pitcher of the week on March 22. The sophomore went 5-0 on the week with a 0.50 earned run average. In her 28 innings of work, she scattered 15 hits and only allowed two earned runs, while walking five and striking out 12. She went the distance on a six-hitter in a 4-0 victory over Hartford in her last outing in Florida. She became the second Raider to receive league weekly honors this year. Jennifer Ortega was named the player of the week March 8.
SISTER ACT
Natalie and Nicole Siedhof are the third set of sisters to play together at Colgate during Sax's tenure. Ironically, the second pair, hold the same first names (one spelled a bit differently) – Natalie and Nichole Rawson.
STREAKING FRESHMAN
First it was Jennifer Ortega's 15-game hitting streak. Now, it's Alana Dyson. The freshman enters play this weekend carrying a 15-game hitting streak. Dyson, who has hit safely in 20 of 22 games thus far, is 20 of her last 49 (.408) from the plate during this recent stretch. She has a dozen stolen bases in her last 11 games.
A FEW MORE STREAKERS
While the hitting streaks of Ortega and Dyson's have been bantered about, two other Raiders have modest hit streaks heading into this weekend's clash at Lehigh. Stephanie Hartquist, who holds a nine-game hit streak, is 12 of her last 28 (.429) with 10 RBI during this stretch, while Natalie Siedhof carries an eight-game streak into the series with Lehigh. She is 11 of 23 (.478) with three homers and nine RBI in her last eight performances.
SILENT BUT DEADLY
Stephanie Hartquist heads into the weekend as one of the Patriot League's top hitters – ranking third (.424). The sophomore is a hit at the plate regardless of the situation. Hartquist is hitting .448 with the bases empty, .571 while leading off an inning, .464 with runners in scoring position, .583 with runners on third and less than two outs and .478 with two outs in an inning.
SETTING THE TABLE
Colgate hitters have a .511 batting average (72 of 141) when leading off an inning. Jennifer Ortega is 13 of 18 (.722) when leading off an inning for the Raiders, while Stephanie Hartquist is running second at 8 of 14 (.571). Five players have batting averages over .500 when leading off an inning.
RALLY ON TWO
Forty percent of Colgate's runs batted in have come with two outs. Nicole and Natalie Siedhof have a combined 17 of the Raiders' 47 two-out RBI with nine and eight respectively.
ALL-TIME LIST UPDATES
With her homer versus Howard, sophomore Jennifer Ortega moved into a tie for fifth all-time in career home runs (11), while senior hurler Jesse McCarrick moved into ninth on the career wins (26) and strikeouts (168) list. Stephanie Hartquist's nine doubles thus far this season is tied for 20th on the single season list at Colgate. Ortega's fourth homer of the year versus the Bison moved her into a tie for 17th on the single-season charts with Natalie Siedhof.
TOP DOGS
Colgate is well represented in the most recent Patriot League weekly statistical categories. As a team, the Raiders lead every offensive category absent doubles, a statistic they rank second – only one double behind leader Army. Jennifer Ortega leads in four categories – runs scored (25), total bases (51), stolen bases (13) and slugging percentage (.750), while Stephanie Hartquist is in the top spot in three categories – doubles (9), hits (28), and sacrifice flies (3). Three other Raiders hold the top spot in four other categories offensively. On the mound, Michelle Hollebeke leads the way in four categories – ERA (1.20), opponents batting average (.190), innings pitched (64.0), and wins (9).
WALK THIS WAY
After 22 games, Colgate batters trot to first base an average of 4.50 times per game via a walk or 86 on the season. Six Raiders have already reached double figured walk totals thus far. Brittany Hanrahan leads the Patriot League with 20 walks to date, while the Siedhof sisters, Natalie and Nicole Siedhof have 15 and 14 respectively. Last year, the Raiders walked 135 times in 43 games, or an average of 3.14 per game. On the other side of things, Colgate hitters have fanned only 74 times.
ON THE BASE PATHS
Last year, Colgate stole 42 bases in 59 attempts. Fast forward a year later, the Raiders have already equaled their stolen base output for 2009 with 42 in 52 stolen base attempts. Jennifer Ortega is off to a strong start with 13 stolen bases, while freshman Alana Dyson has been successful 12 of 13 times. Colgate's school record of 58 stolen bases was set in 2000. Individually, Amanda Paolucci broke the single-season school record back 2000.
PICKED SECOND IN THE PATRIOT
Colgate was chosen to finish second in the 2010 preseason Patriot League poll. The Raiders amassed 36 votes including one first place nod as they edged Bucknell by two votes. Lehigh, which has either won outright or shared the regular-season title the last 11 years, was chosen as the prohibitive favorite after capturing nine of 12 first place votes and 49 points.
