UCLA
freshman outfielder
Samantha Camuso('06-'07) continued her stellar frosh campaign by being named as one of the 25 finalists for the 2008 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Award, announced recently by ASA. Camuso, who leads the Bruins in hitting with a .390 average, is one of only three freshmen still in contention for one of the game's most prestigious awards. Playing in front of family and friends during UCLA's Bay Area trip the last weekend of April, Sam doubled in a 7-2 win over Cal, doubled home the winning run (her second hit) in a 1-0 duel with Stanford, and was 3-4 in a Sunday 4-1 victory over the Cardinal. Sammy also leads the 41-5 (13-2) Bruins with 15 doubles, two triples, and a slugging percentage of .574.
And speaking of those who have made the national Player of the Year Watch List, Illinois St. junior pitcher/first baseman
junior Amber Smith('05-'07)
(she made the list as a frosh two years ago), tied the Missouri Valley Conference career home run record of 39 with an April 27 bomb against Drake. Smith ('04-'06), also holds the Illinois St. career RBI mark.
We somehow overlooked her April 7 selection as conference Player of the Week, the fourth time Amber has won the award in her two-plus year career. Smith has been one of the Redbirds' most highly-honored players ever, having made first team all-conference and NFCA All Great Lakes Region following her first two campaigns. She also was selected as NFCA third team All-American and Easton All-American as a freshman sensation. This year, despite missing five games due to injury, Amber is hitting .330, with seven home runs and 27 RBI. Pressed into service as a pitcher, she also leads her team with a 13-7 record and 2.14 ERA. Now that's do-it-all production!
Marshall University senior infielder
senior infielder Samantha Rodriguez('04-'06)
was selected as Conference USA Hitter of the Week April 25, the second time in her career that she has been so honored. Sam finished the week 11-19 with three home runs, three doubles and seven RBI. Rodriguez has been named to the All-CUSA second team each of the last two seasons.
Belmont senior outfielder
Meghan Pipkin('04)
leads the Bruins with a .316 average, walks (27), hits (50) and stolen bases (35). Pipkin, the team's co-captain, holds the school's career stolen base record with 95.
Younger sister Laurel Pipkin had three hits for North Dakota St. in a 7-0 win over South Dakota St. Laurel ('04-'06) is the Bisons' second leading hitter at .349. She leads the team with 39 runs and is tied for the lead with 67 hits. Her team leads the Summit League with an 11-2 mark.
Cal State Northridge
junior infielder Micah Putnam('04-'05), who earlier jacked two home runs in a 4-2 road win over UOP, continues to be one of the Matadors' most effective offensive performers. Micah ranks second on the team with a .309 average, 34 hits, 21 runs, seven doubles, four homers, 53 total bases and a .482 slugging percentage. Karla Chaparro ('04-'05) is a new Northridge teammate, having transferrred in January from Diablo Valley College.
Cal frosh outfielder/pitcher
Valerie Arioto
doubled with two outs in the seventh for an April 30 walk-off win over U.C. Davis. It was Val's second walk-off double of the season, the first occurring in a 3-2 conference win over Oregon.
The Cal-U.C. Davis game featured six former Sorcerers - for Cal, Arioto and pitcher Marissa Drewrey (both Sorcerer Gold - Phil), along with infielders Lauren Bauer and Carrie Arth (both Sorcerer Gold - Pete), competing agains Aggies Julie Stauder and Sarah O'Neill (Sorcerer Gold - Phil). Drewrey got the win, firing a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts, raising her record to 25-13. It was Marissa's ninth game with 10 or more strikeouts.
Arioto is Cal's second leading hitter at .330 and leads the team with 59 hits, 14 doubles, four triples, 39 walks and an on-base percentage of .447. Stauder ('02-'05) leads Davis at .303 with 31 runs and an OBP of .412. O'Neill ('03-'05), who is featured on the cover of the Aggies' media guide, is hitting .255 and is second in homers with four, slugging at .418 and OBP at .362.
Katie Fleury
('06-'07)
continues her solid season as Notre Dame's shortstop, hitting .279 and leading the Fighting Irish with 37 runs and 27 walks. She is 10 for 10 in steals.
Thursday, April 17 Alum News Notes
Notre Dame
shortstop
Katie Fleury
('06-'07)
scored the first run ever in the school's new Melissa Cooke Stadium in a 10-5 win over Villanova. Two days later she hit the first Fighting Irish home run there in a 3-2 loss to Rutgers. Insiders say, that despite the fact that it was her first collegiate homer, Fleury had called her shot, betting teammates that she would be first to go yard in the new complex. On the year Katie is hitting .271 and leads the team in runs with 27. She is tied for the team lead with 21 walks and is 8-8 in stolen bases.
UCLA
freshman outfielder
Samantha Camuso('06-'07)
was named Pac-10 Player of the Week for April 1-7. The Redding native had a pair of two-hit games to give her 12 multiple hit contests to that point in the season. Sammy began the week with a 2-for-4 effort against Washington, sparking a six-run fourth inning with a two-run single to put the Bruins ahead 2-0. After hitting a single in victories over Stanford and Cal on Friday and Saturday, Camuso had another two-hit outing against the Bears on Sunday. Through April 13, Sammy led the Bruins in hitting at .383 and slugging at .567. She was tied for the team lead in doubles (12), triples (2) and total bases (68).
Camuso was the second former Sorcerer to be honored by the conference this season. Cal soph pitcher Marissa Drewrey was honored Mar. 25 as Pac-10 Pitcher of the Week.
And speaking of Marissa - while wearing the "We Love Delmar - Forever in Our Game" hair ribbon that former students of the late Delmar Himango received at his April 11 memorial service, Drewrey blanked Oregon St. two days later 3-0. She allowed six hits in racking up her 22nd win and eighth shutout. Drewrey's ERA dropped to 1.68 as she recorded her 220th strikeout of the year in 212 innings.
Bears teammate
Valerie Arioto doubled and scored Cal's third run in the win over the Beavers. Drewrey, Ariota, and Bears teammate Lauren Bauer (Sorcerer Gold-Pete) had attended the Himango memorial at Sorcerer Softball Academy in uniform, rushing to the event after Val slammed a walk-off double in an 11-inning 3-2 victory over Oregon.
Illinois St.
junior Amber Smith('05-'07)
carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and hit two home runs in an April 11 win over Bradley. Smith, who had been relieved in the sixth, hit her second bomb, a three-run shot, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the win. She had five RBI for the game. Smith is the Redbird's career home run leader. On the season Amber leads the team in homers (4), RBI (19), slugging (.580) and is second in average (.383) and total bases (47). In the circle she is 8-6 with a 2.22 ERA.
Marshall University
senior infielder Samantha Rodriguez('04-'06) slammed a two-run homer April 13 in guiding the Thundering Herd to 11-0 win over UAB. On the season, Sam ranks second on the team in homers (9), doubles (6), triples (2), runs (28), total bases (75) and slugging (.517).
Belmont senior outfielder
Meghan Pipkin('04) through April 13 was hitting .318, second on the club. She led the Bruins in runs with 24 and was tied for the team lead in hits with 41. Pipkin was fielding 1.000.
Julie StauderU.C. Davis junior infielder ('02-'05), continued to pace the Aggies in hitting with a .302 average through April 13. Her 27 runs and 22 walks also led the club, and she ranked second in hits (35), doubles (5), RBI (15), and total bases (45) in a breakout offensive season.
UNLV soph pitcher Stephanie Bregante ('07) pitched a 5-1 complete game victory over BYU on April 10. Steph struck out eight while giving up six hits. She evened her record at 12-12 for the season.
You can follow the exploits of former Sorcerers at schools across America on ultimatecollegesoftball.com.
Former Sorcerers Marissa Drewrey and Valerie Arioto
have played leading roles in propelling Calback into
its present top-25 status. Drewrey (Summer '05, Fall
'04,'05) is a sophomore pitcher for the Bears having a
breakout season. She was named Pac 10 Player of the
Week March 18 and through April 2 was 20-7 with a 1.59
ERA and 199 strikeouts. Her 20th win came on March 29
when she allowed only one run in a victory over
defending WCWS champion Arizona. She has recorded six
10-plus strikeout performances.
Valerie Arioto, a freshman (Fall '05 - '06 and Summer '05,
'06) through April 2 was hitting .353 for the Bears,
with 40 runs (second in Pac 10), four triples (first
in Pac 10), and 21 RBI. When not patrolling right
field Arioto has compiled a 1.88 ERA with 61
strikeouts.
UCLA freshman Samantha Camuso(Fall '06, Summer and Fall '07), has been a major force in the Bruins 31-3
record through April 2 as her team has climbed to the
top rung in the national polls. Sammy has hit .394
and slugged .596, both second on the club. She is
also second in home runs, runs, hits, RBI and total
bases, is tied for first in doubles and is first in
triples. Nothing changes with Sammy - she can still
rake.
Illinois St. junior Amber Smith(Summer '04-'06, Fall
'03-'05) went 6 for 8 in an April 2 double header
against Indiana State to raise her average to .369.
Smith established the school all-time career home run
mark as a sophomore, following a remarkable freshman
season in which she was named NFCA third team All
American.
North Dakota St. sophomore Laurel Pipkin(Summer and
Fall '04-'06) was named Summit League Player of the
Week Feb. 17, having gone 14-18 at the plate, with two
doubles. four RBI and three walks. Though April 2,
Pipkin was hitting .368 for the Bison, with 50 hits
(tied for team lead), 31 runs (team leader) and nine
steals (first on team).
U.C. Davis junior middle infielder Julie Stauder(Summer '02-'05 and Fall '02-'04) through April 2
leads the Aggies in average (.294), runs (23), hits
(31), triples (2), and on base percentage (.402).
Notre Dame freshman Katie Fleury(Fall '05-'06, Summer
'06-'07) has started all 28 games at shortstop
(through April 2) for the Irish. Fleury is hitting
.280 with 16 runs (tied for second), 16 hits (third)
and three doubles (third).
