S T A N F O R D A THLETICS A Tr a d i t i o n o f E x c e l l e n c e

121 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship award winners, including five in 2008-09. 111 National Championships won by Stanford teams since 1926. 90 Stanford student-athletes who earned All-America status in 2008-09. 80 NCAA Championships won by Stanford teams since 1980. 48 Stanford-affiliated athletes and coaches who represented the United States and seven other countries at the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing, China. 33 Consecutive years Stanford teams have won at least one national championship. 31 Stanford teams that advanced to postseason play in 2008-09. 20 Different Stanford teams that have won at least one national championship. 15 Consecutive Learfield Directors’ Cups. 14 Stanford teams that finished ranked in the Top 10 in their respective sports in 2008-09. 12 Stanford student-athletes who earned conference Athlete of the Year honors in 2008-09. 10 Stanford student-athletes who earned Academic All-America recognition in 2008-09. 6 Stanford teams that earned perfect scores of 1,000 in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Report Rate in 2008-09. 6 Regular season conference championships won by Stanford teams in 2008-09. 4 Pac-10/Toyo Tires Scholar Athletes of the Year Awards in 2008-09. 3 National Freshman of the Year honors in 2008-09. 3 National Coach of the Year honors in 2008-09. 2 National Player of the Year honors in 2008-09. 2 National Championships won by Stanford teams in 2008-09 (men’s gymnastics, women’s rowing). 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL THE NATION’S PREMIER UNIVERSITY

The world all at once: Limitless possibilities are at the heart of Stanford University.

Global positioning systems and gene splicing, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Grapes of Wrath, the football huddle and the T-formation, Yahoo! and Google—all bear the mark of a Stanford individual. At Stanford, you will find the entire universe of what humankind knows and is endeavoring to know. From your first days on campus, this universe will be yours to explore, yours to discover. Stanford will ask that intellectual curiosity be your compass, that excellence be your true north.

Along the way, you will have the guidance of extraordinary faculty mentors who are at the forefront of advancing the world’s understanding of subjects ranging from geophysics to history to bioscience to musical composition. You will also have the friendship of fellow students who will awe and inspire you as much for their humanity as for their talents. As you pursue the questions that interest you most, your mentors and friends will give you the freedom to risk temporary failure as you push yourself both intellectually and personally—along with the freedom and encouragement to pursue what you love.

Your reward will be the exhilaration of discovery—the exhilaration of true excellence.

– Courtesy of Stanford University

2 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM BEYOND CAMPUS

From bustling cosmopolitan cities to quiet coastal retreats, the San Francisco Bay Area is The Golden Gate Bridge incomparable. First-class attractions, world-class athletics, cultural diversity, remarkable skylines and breathtaking views make this region one of the world’s most popular destinations.

Stanford’s campus is located less than an hour’s drive from San Francisco to the north, just minutes from the Silicon Valley to the south and within easy reach of the breathtaking coastal cities that line the Pacific Ocean to the west.

South of the Stanford campus are the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara, the anchors to the Silicon Valley. Computer firms and software companies can be found throughout the region, which is considered the leader among the world’s technology industry.

One of the world’s greatest stretches of coastline is located within a short Yosemite National Park drive from Stanford. To the south is the Monterey Peninsula, which includes the picturesque towns of Monterey, Carmel and Santa Cruz. The Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row and 17-Mile Drive along Pebble Beach are musts for visitors.

Further north and east of Marin County is the home to the Napa Wine Country and within a few hours drive from the Bay Area is Lake Tahoe, home to some of the finest skiing in the country and the wonders of Yosemite National Park.

The Bay Area is also home to six major professional sports franchises, including the , Oakland Raiders, , Oakland A’s, and .

Other local attractions include the Stanford Golf Course, Paramount’s Great America Theme Park (Santa Clara, 15 minutes away), Santana Row shopping center (San Jose, 25 min. away), Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Carmel Valley (Santa Cruz, 45 min. away) and Pebble Beach (Monterey, 1.5 hours away).

AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants San Francisco Bay

WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 3 NOTABLE ALUMNI

Jerry Yang Larry Page and Sergey Brin – Founders of Google Co-founder of Yahoo

Herbert Hoover – 31st President of the United States Phil Knight – Founder of Sandra Day O’Connor – Sally Ride – First American Nike Supreme Court Justice Woman in Space Stanford alumni are some of the most distinguished people in the world today. These include leaders in government, medicine, business, law, politics, education, sports and entertainment, among other fields. Stanford’s diverse alumni include the founders of Nike, Yahoo!, Hewlett-Packard and Google, a U.S. President, numerous elected government officials, Supreme Court justices, actors, actresses, athletes, a former Miss America and the first American woman in space, to name a few. Stanford alums range from the “Father of the Internet” Vincent Cerf and author John Steinbeck to Academy Award- Reese Witherspoon Jennifer Connelly winning actresses Jennifer Connelly and Reese Witherspoon … Academy Award Winning Actress Academy Award Winning Actress Olympic Gold Medalist or top athletes , , , and John McEnroe. Companies founded by Stanford graduates include: • Cisco Systems • Cypress Semi • eBay • E*Trade • Excite • Hewlett-Packard Kerri Walsh • IDEO Pro Football Hall of Fame Olympic Gold Medalist • Intuit Tiger Woods – Professional Golfer • Netflix • Nike • The Learning Company • Silicon Graphics • Sun Microsystems • Tandem • Trilogy • Varian Associates • Yahoo! Ted Koppel – Network News Anchor

Mike Mussina World Series Champion 4 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM CAMPUS LIFE

2010 PRINCETON REVIEW RANKINGS

- No. 1: School That Runs Smoothly - No. 2: Great Financial Aid - No. 4: Happiest Students - No. 4: Best Classroom Experience - No. 11: Easiest To Get Around - No. 18: Best Quality of Life - No. 19: Class Discussions Encouraged - No. 20: Dorms Like Palaces

WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 5 HOME OF CHAMPIONS

Julia Smit Ashley Hansen Women’s Swimming Drew Storen Softball 2009 NCAA Champion Pac-10 Freshman of the Year 200 and 400 IM 2009 MLB First Round Draft Pick

15 STRAIGHT NCAA DIVISION I DIRECTOR’S CUP AWARDS 111 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Camille Gandhi Field Hockey 97 NCAA NorPac Player of the Year CHAMPIONSHIPS 59 MEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS 38 WOMEN’S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS 409 INDIVIDUAL NCAA CHAMPIONS

Carly Janiga Women’s Gymnastics Kawika Shoji Pac-10 All-Around Champion Men’s Volleyball First Team All-American First Team All-American

Austin Staab Men’s Swimming NCAA Champion 100 Butterfly

Myles Bradley Sho Nakamori Men’s Track and Field 60 Meter MPSF Indoor Champion Men’s Gymnastics Foluke Akinradewo MPSF Gymnast of the Year Women’s Volleyball Co-National Player of the Year

6 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM Women’s Rowing Lindsay Taylor 2009 NCAA Champions Women’s Soccer First Team All-American Pac-10 Freshman of the Year

Ashley Hansen Softball Pac-10 Freshman of the Year

Missy Penna Softball First Team All-American Lauren Centrowitz Women’s Track and Field Pac-10 Champion 5,000 meters

Men’s Gymnastics 2009 NCAA Champions Jayne Appel Women’s First Team All-American Pac-10 Player of the Year

Kawika Shoji Men’s Volleyball First Team All-American

Elaine Breeden Alex Clayton Women’s Swimming Men’s Tennis 2008 NCAA Champion ITA All-American 200 Butterfly NCAA Quarterfinalist

Jimmie Sandman Men’s Water Polo First Team All-American MPSF Co-Player of the Year

WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 7 STANFORD SOFTBALL A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

12 CONSECUTIVE YEARS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

2 WOMEN’S APPEARANCES

6 NCAA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

1 PAC-10 CHAMPIONSHIP

11 40-WIN SEASONS

147 CONSECUTIVE WEEKS IN THE NFCA/USA TODAY POLL

112 WEEKS IN THE NFCA/USA TODAY TOP-10

27 ALL-AMERICA HONORS

44 ALL-PACIFIC REGION SELECTIONS

84 ALL PAC-10 AWARDS

1 PAC-10 PLAYER OF THE YEAR

4 PAC-10 DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

54 NFCA SCHOLAR-ATHLETES

79 PAC-10 ALL-ACADEMIC AWARDS

10 ESPN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT SELECTIONS

2 OLYMPIANS

8 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 9 STANFORD ALL-AMERICANS

Stanford has a history of consistently producing All-American softball players, with at least one athlete recognized in each of the last 12 seasons. In six of those years, the has had a school-record three players honored. Since 1998, 14 players have combined for 27 All-America awards, including nine first-team selections.

In 1998, just a season after head coach John Rittman took the reins of the program, a trio of juniors - pitcher Marcy Crouch, pitcher Becky Blevins and designated player Michele Acosta – led Stanford to its first NCAA Tournament and were later recognized as the school’s first All-Americans. The next season, Jessica Mendoza arrived on The Farm, and earned the school’s inaugural first-team All-America award after hitting .415 with 57 RBI as a rookie. The Three-Time All-American Stanford left fielder went on to earn three more first-team honors, and became Sarah Beeson the school’s first four-time first-team All-American.

Last season, outfielder Alissa Haber joined pitcher Dana Sorensen, first baseman Sarah Beeson and outfielder Catalina Morris as Stanford’s three-time All-Americans. Olympian Lauren Lappin and Missy Penna are both two-time honorees for the Cardinal.

Also in 2009, Ashley Hansen became the sixth freshman All-American in school history, following in the footsteps of Mendoza (1999), Sorensen (2000), Morris (2003), Michelle Smith (2005) and Haber (2007).

In 2010, the Cardinal returns two of its three All- Americans from a year ago - Haber and Hansen.

Stanford All-Americans Michele Acosta – 1998 Becky Blevins – 1998 Michele Acosta Marcy Crouch – 1998 Jessica Mendoza – 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 Kellie Wiginton – 1999 Sarah Beeson – 2000, 2001, 2002 Dana Sorensen – 2000, 2001, 2004 Catalina Morris – 2003, 2005, 2006 Jessica Allister – 2004 Lauren Lappin – 2004, 2005 Michelle Smith – 2005 Alissa Haber – 2007, 2008, 2009 Missy Penna – 2008, 2009 Ashley Hansen – 2009

Ashley Hansen

Four-Time All-American Jessica Mendoza

10 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM Becky Blevins Missy Penna

Alissa Haber

Lauren Lappin

Three-Time All-American Catalina Morris

Marcy Crouch

Jessica Allister

Michelle Smith

Three-Time All-American Dana Sorensen

Kellie Wiginton

WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 11 STANFORD AND USA SOFTBALL

Rosey Neill and Alissa Haber

Jessica Mendoza

John Rittman

Stanford softball has a tradition of producing players who go on to compete internationally with the USA Softball program. Over the years, Cardinal players have represented Team USA at such events as the , the U.S. Cup, the ISF World Championships, the Pan Am Games, the World Cup of Softball, the Junior Pan Am Championships, the Junior World Championships, the World University Games, the Japan Cup and the Canada Cup.

Highlighting Stanford’s success are its two Olympians, Jessica Mendoza ’02 and Lauren Lappin ’06. Mendoza, a veteran outfielder for the USA Team, was a key member of the gold medal-winning team in Athens in 2004 and the silver medal-winning team in Beijing in 2008. Mendoza started every game in left field and hit .333 with two doubles, four home runs and nine RBI over the course of the ’08 Games. Lappin, an Olympic alternate as a rising junior at Stanford in 2004, was a key utility player for Team USA in Beijing.

Stanford head coach John Rittman was a member of the USA Team coaching staff from 2001-2008, which included coaching in two Olympic Games. Rittman was an assistant coach for the team that captured gold in Athens in 2004, as well as the team that went 8-1 and took home silver in Beijing in 2008. Ashley Hansen

Current Stanford players Rosey Neill ‘10, Alissa Haber ‘10 and Ashley Hansen ‘12 competed on the USA Junior Team that won gold at the 2007 ISF Junior World Championships in Enschede, Netherlands and the 2006 Junior Pan Am Championships in Puerto Rico. Hansen was the only high school player invited to the U.S. Women’s National Team selection camp in September 2007.

Last summer, Haber, Hansen and Lappin helped the U.S. Women’s National Team capture the gold medal at the KFC World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City as well as the 2009 Canada Cup Championship. Haber and Lappin also won gold at the Japan Cup in Sendai City, Japan, while Hansen competed with the USA team that claimed gold at the Pan Am Qualifier in Maracay, Venezuela.

A number of other Stanford players have competed on USA Elite Teams over the years. Catalina Morris ’06 was a member of the 2004 and 2005 USA Elite Teams, with teammate Dana Sorensen ’04 joining her on the latter squad. Jackie Rinehart ’07 competed on the Elite Team in 2004, and won a gold medal at the World University Games in Taiwan in 2006. Kellie Wiginton ’00 was a member of the 1995 USA Junior World Team, while Sarah Beeson ’02 was a member of numerous USA National Team pools.

12 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM Kellie Wiginton Lauren Lappin

Dana Sorensen

Jessica Mendoza

Alissa Haber

Catalina Morris

WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 13 BOYD AND JILL SMITH FAMILY STADIUM

The Stanford softball team plays its home games at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium, located just south of Sunken Diamond. The first phase of construction was completed prior to the 1997 season, while the second phase, completed in the spring of 2001, included permanent seating, restroom facilities, a new batting cage and a press box. Last season, the stadium was upgraded with a new outfield wall.

The stadium has a fixed seating capacity of 820 and a total capacity of 1,500, scalable to 3,500. The stadium has fixed, theater-style seating with individual seats. Wheelchair seating is located throughout the facility. The field surface is a bermuda rye blend, mowed to one inch.

Stanford has enjoyed much success at its home park over the years. Since the stadium was built, the Cardinal has gone 278-97-1 (.741) at home, including a record 31 wins there in 2009. The team annually hosts a number of preseason tournaments, welcoming teams from around the country to compete in its home facility.

Over the last nine seasons, the stadium has played host to four NCAA Regionals (2001, 2004, 2007, 2009) and two NCAA Super Regionals (2005, 2009). At home, the Cardinal has won 14 postseason contests and captured three regional titles.

14 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM STANFORD LOCKER ROOM

WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 15 ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Stanford softball players are challenged to excel both in the classroom and on the field. In the latest Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores, which measure eligibility, retention and graduation over a four-year period, all 35 teams at Stanford exceeded the NCAA’s standards.

Over the past six years, Cardinal softball players have been recognized with Pac-10 academic awards 33 times. In 2009, pitcher Missy Penna and third baseman Shannon Koplitz were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team. Penna went on to become Stanford’s second Academic All-American, joining Sarah Beeson who was the program’s first honoree in 2002.

Stanford was among the top-50 Division I teams recognized for academic excellence with the NFCA/ Girls Got Game Team Academic Award last year. Stanford was the only Pac-10 team honored, boasted the highest team GPA in the conference (3.277) and was one of six teams in the top-50 that advanced to a 2009 NCAA Super Regional. Six Stanford players – Penna, Koplitz, Autumn Albers, Christina Goswiller, Alissa Haber, and Erikka Moreno – earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete awards last season.

16 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM 2010ARDINAL C SOFTBALL 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL

Tablef o Contents 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL Stanford University ...... 2 QUICK FACTS San Francisco Bay Area ...... 3 Stanford Alumni ...... 4 Campus Life ...... 5 General Information Home of Champions ...... 6-7 Location: Stanford, Calif. Tradition of Excellence ...... 8-9 Enrollment: 15,140 (6,812 undergraduates) Stanford All-Americans ...... 10-11 Nickname: Cardinal Stanford and USA Softball ...... 12-13 Colors: Cardinal and White Smith Family Stadium ...... 14 Home Field (Capacity): Smith Family Stadium (820) Stanford Locker Room ...... 15 Conference: Pacific-10 Academic Excellence ...... 16 President: John Hennessy Table of Contents ...... 17 Athletic Director: Bob Bowlsby 2010 Stanford Roster ...... 18 Senior Woman Administrator: Beth Goode 2010 Outlook ...... 19-22 Website: www.GoStanford.com Head Coach John Rittman ...... 24-25 Coaching/Support Staff ...... 26-28 Coaching Staff Athlete Profiles ...... 29-56 Head Coach: John Rittman (New Mexico State ‘86) 2009 In Review ...... 57-61 Record at Stanford (Years): 562-258-3 (13 years) Scholarship Funding ...... 62 Career Record (Years): Same Year-by-Year Results ...... 64-68 Associate Head Coach: Trisha Ford (Saint Mary’s ’99) All-Time Roster ...... 69 Assistant Coach: Laura Severson (Stanford ’06) Cardinal Record Book ...... 70-73 Volunteer Assistant Coach: Missy Penna (Stanford ’09) Yearly Batting Leaders ...... 74 Softball Office Phone: (650) 725-2631 Postseason Results ...... 75 Awards ...... 76-77 Team Information Stanford in the Poll ...... 78 Stanford University ...... 80-81 2009 Record: 48-11 Athletic Director Bob Bowlsby ...... 82 2009 Conference Record (Finish): 13-8 (4th) Principles That Guide Us ...... 83 2009 Postseason Finish: 4-2, NCAA Super Regional Stanford’s Champions ...... 84-85 Final Ranking: 9/10 TV/Radio Roster ...... 86 Starters Returning/Lost: 7/2 Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/3 Pitchers Returning/Lost: 1/1 Newcomers: 7 Media Information Interview requests for players and coaches must be coordinated with the Media Relations Stanford Athletic Media Relations office. Interview requests should be Softball Contact: Regina Verlengiere submitted at least 24 hours in advance. Visit www.gostanford.com for news Softball Contact Phone (Office): (650) 723-0996 releases, player profiles and updated statistics. Softball Contact Phone (Cell): (805) 478-4198 Softball Contact Email: [email protected] Credits: The 2010 Stanford softball guide was written and edited by Regina Media Relations Fax: (650) 725-2957 Verlengiere. Design, layout and production by Maggie Oren. Photography Mailing Address: by David Gonzales, Kyle Terada and USA Softball. Athletic Media Relations Arrillaga Family Sports Center 641 East Campus Drive Stanford, CA 94305-6150

2010 SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 17 2010 STANFORD ROSTER 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL

Top row (L – R): Head Coach John Rittman, Associate Head Coach Trisha Ford, Volunteer Coach Missy Penna, Melisa Koutz, Christina Goswiller, Alix Van Zandt, Jaquilyn Edwards, Assistant Coach Laura Severson, Athletic Trainer Tara Hodge, Director of Sports Performance Brandon Marcello. Middle row: Teagan Gerhart, Jenna Becerra, Mary Kate Smith, Maya Burns, Alissa Haber, Jenna Rich, Rosey Neill, Shannon Koplitz. Bottom row: Ashley Chinn, Ashley Hansen, Sarah Hassman, Kelsey Gerhart, Caitlin Breen, Autumn Albers, Tegan Schmidt.

2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL ROSTER No. Name Pos. B/T Yr. Ht. Hometown (High School) PRONUNCIATION GUIDE 1 Jenna Becerra P/INF/OF R/R SO 5-8 Camarillo, Calif. (Westlake) Jenna Becerra – Be-SARAH 2 Jenna Rich P/INF R/R FR 5-9 El Segundo, Calif. (El Segundo) Alissa Haber – HEY-ber 3 Ashley Hansen INF L/R SO 5-7 Chandler, Ariz. (Corona del Sol) Kelsey Gerhart – GARE-heart 4 Sarah Hassman OF S/R SO 5-6 Cupertino, Calif. (Monta Vista) Teagan Gerhart – TEE-gan GARE-heart 5 Melisa Koutz INF R/R JR 5-10 Valencia, Calif. (Saugus) Christina Goswiller – gos-WILL-er 6 Alissa Haber OF L/L SR 5-8 Newark, Calif. (Newark Memorial) Shannon Koplitz – COPE-litz 7 Ashley Chinn P R/R JR 5-6 Belmont, Calif. (Carlmont) Melisa Koutz – Cowtz 8 Mary Kate Smith INF R/R SO 5-10 Tampa, Fla. (Chamberlain) Tegan Schmidt – TEE-gan 9 Tegan Schmidt UTL L/R FR 5-4 Rocklin, Calif. (Whitney) 10 Jaquilyn Edwards OF L/R FR 5-9 Tustin, Calif. (Foothill) 11 Caitlin Breen OF L/L FR 5-6 Burlingame, Calif. (Burlingame) 12 Autumn Albers OF L/R JR 5-3 Danville, Calif. (San Ramon Valley) 13 Rosey Neill C R/R SR 5-7 Laguna Hills, Calif. (Laguna Hills) 15 Teagan Gerhart P/INF R/R FR 5-8 Norco, Calif. (Norco) 16 Kelsey Gerhart C/OF R/R FR 5-7 Norco, Calif. (Norco) 19 Alix Van Zandt INF R/R FR 5-10 Bellevue, Wash. (Sammamish) 25 Maya Burns C/UTL R/R SO 5-8 San Mateo, Calif. (St. Ignatius) 27 Brittany Minder C R/R JR 5-3 Moreno Valley, Calif. (Valley View) 33 Christina Goswiller INF R/R SO 5-9 Manhattan Beach, Calif. (Mira Costa) 36 Shannon Koplitz INF/OF R/R SR 5-6 New Orleans, La. (Benjamin Franklin)

COACHING STAFF Head Coach: John Rittman (14th season, New Mexico State ’86) Associate Head Coach: Trisha Ford (Seventh Season, Saint Mary’s ’99) Assistant Coach: Laura Severson (First Season, Stanford ’06) Volunteer Assistant Coach: Missy Penna (First Season, Stanford ’09)

18 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM 2010 SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE 2010 OUTLOOK 2010UTLOOK O 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL

A New Decade of Stanford Softball The Stanford softball team begins the 2010 season with high expectations featuring Helping lead the Cardinal pitching staff is junior Ashley Chinn, who won 13 games a strong combination of experience and young talent. Among a core group of veterans, last season. She has already broken into Stanford’s career top 10 in several categories the Cardinal return two All-Americans, and four All-Pac-10 Conference team members. including shutouts, strikeouts (193) and complete games (26). With several postseason Together the upperclassmen joined by seven highly touted freshmen will face one of appearances and two no-hitters already under her belt, Chinn enters her third season the nation’s top schedules as they compete for a Pac-10 title, and strive to return to the with the prospect of building on her success as a strong force in the circle for the Women’s College World Series. Cardinal. After posting the best winning percentage in school history (.814) last season and Also representing Stanford in the circle this season is a pair of talented freshmen. advancing to its fourth NCAA Super Regional in five years, the Cardinal look to battle for Newcomers Teagan Gerhart and Jenna Rich will both have the opportunity to contribute its first NCAA title in 2010. significantly for the Cardinal this season. “This year’s team has a nice blend of talent,” said Stanford head coach John Gerhart is a two-time county player of the year who garnered all-state and all-CIF Rittman. “We have a solid nucleus of veterans with a great deal of talent, experience honors as a pitcher for Norco High School in Southern California. As a state champion, and leadership mixed with a very talented freshman class.” Gerhart holds Norco’s single season wins record. With seven upperclassmen on its roster of 20, the Cardinal is still a fairly young team. Rich will add another level of depth in the circle for the Cardinal this season. Also However, the team’s veterans look to continue their production and success at several a talented middle infielder, she will help to strengthen Stanford’s pitching staff. An El key positions. Seniors Alissa Haber, Shannon Koplitz, and Rosey Neill have been starters Segundo, Calif., native, Rich is an accomplished athlete who earned several All-America, since their first year on The Farm and with their sights set All-state and All-league honors at El Segundo High on Oklahoma City, enter their senior season with experi- School. ence and leadership. Along with juniors Autumn Albers, Ashley Chinn, Melisa Koutz, and Brittany Minder, these Catchers veterans look to improve upon their two straight NCAA Two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Rosey Super Regional appearances with a trip to the Women’s Neill returns to the catching position for the Cardinal in College World Series and a finish at the top. her senior season. As one of the nation’s top catchers and Together the juniors and seniors have combined to power hitters, she has started all 181 games in Stanford’s produce 360 runs, 583 hits and 72 home runs. Along with last three seasons behind the plate. Neill is a two-time Haber’s three All-America nods, this group of veterans All-Pac-10 team member, and ranks among Stanford’s has garnered seven All-Pac 10 awards, five all-region career leaders in several categories, including slugging honors and various team awards. percentage, runs batted in, and home runs. Leading the Stanford’s veterans are joined by 13 underclassmen, team last season in home runs with nine, Neill brought lead by sophomore All-American, Ashley Hansen. Hansen her career total to 35, placing her third on the list for earned last season’s Pac-10 Freshman of the Year award most home runs in school history. and was the only freshman represented on the All-Pac-10 Competing with Neill for time behind the plate in 2010 First Team. Hansen had one of the best rookie seasons in is junior Brittany Minder, sophomore Maya Burns, and program history. She became one of only three Cardinal freshman Kelsey Gerhart. The Cardinal will look to use players, joining her teammate Haber and four-time, first- the versatility of its catchers behind the plate as well as team All-American Jessica Mendoza, to record a .400 in other areas. batting average for the season. As a very capable catcher, Burns spent most of her “I think one of the keys to our success will be to freshman campaign playing right field, adding 39 hits and get contributions from our younger players and to get 19 RBI to the Stanford offense. improvement from our veterans,” said Rittman. Minder has contributed in many ways for the Cardinal Rittman is one of the most respected and accom- beyond her catching role. Last season she had 44 at bats, plished coaches in collegiate softball. As a member of hitting her second career homerun, while driving in six the U.S. Olympic coaching staff from 2001 to 2008, he Rosey Neill runs. helped Team USA to a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Newcomer Gerhart adds to the depth behind the plate Olympic Games and a silver medal in Beijing in 2008. as well. A good receiver, Gerhart may also see action in With Rittman at the helm for 13 seasons, Stanford has the outfield this season. posted 13 consecutive winning seasons, made 12 straight NCAA postseason appearances, tallied 11 40-win seasons and compiled a .685 winning Infield percentage. Stanford’s defensive experience certainly does not stop short at the infield positions. Rittman is confident that the Cardinal will pick up where it left off last season and As a unit there is a great deal of talent and depth. Sophomore All-American Ashley expects big things in 2010. Hansen will be joined by three-year veteran Shannon Koplitz and returning starters “Although we had a lot of success last year we want to build on that success and Jenna Becerra, and Melisa Koutz. improve this season. We have a talented group of veterans with postseason experience Hansen, a member of the 2009 and 2010 U.S. National Teams, had a stellar rookie combined with a group of talented freshmen that will compete for playing time. We have season a year ago at shortstop. In 2009 she became the second Stanford player to earn the tools necessary to compete for a championship,’” said Rittman. the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year honor, and led the team with 55 RBI and five triples. Following is a look at the 2010 by position: She finished second behind Alissa Haber in batting average (.400), hits (84), doubles (24), runs (46) and slugging percentage (.619). Hansen was the only freshman on the Pitchers All-Pac-10 Conference First Team and became the only freshman on the 2009 USA Stanford enters the season with a strong mix in the circle despite graduating two- Softball’s National Player of the Year top-25 watch list. time All-American Missy Penna in 2009. Penna is the Cardinal’s most decorated pitcher With Hansen’s ability to play either shortstop or second base, the Cardinal will have in program history, holding the career and single season record for wins, strikeouts, consistency up the middle. Joining Hansen in the middle infield will be freshman Jenna shutouts and innings pitched. She is back on The Farm as a volunteer assistant coach Rich. She will contribute her versatility at either middle infield position and will also be a for the 2010 season to assist the team in accomplishing its many goals. serious power threat at the plate for the Cardinal. Also with middle infield capability is utility player, Jenna Becerra. Becerra is a jack- of-all-trades that can play all four infield positions. She contributed 22 hits, 20 RBI, and

20 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM 2010 SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE 2010UTLOOK O 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL a .300 slugging percentage in her 56 games last season. Primarily as a designated The team returns to The Farm to host the Stanford Nike Invitational Feb. 26-28 player in 2009, Becerra can be looked to for several infield positions if needed. and will face 2009 NCAA Tournament participants Illinois, Nevada and Fresno State. Koplitz, a senior leader, will be a solid defender at the third base position for the sec- Sacramento State and UC Riverside round out the challenging schedule for the weekend. ond straight season. She is a versatile athlete who has played several positions for the After hosting its first of three home tournaments, Stanford will hit the road for two Cardinal during her career. The New Orleans, La., native earned her second All-Pac-10 consecutive weekends. The first stop will be Palm Springs, Calif., for the Cathedral City nod in 2009 and has provided defensive stability and offensive improvement in each of Classic, where seven of the eight Pac-10 teams will be in action. The Cardinal then her three seasons. heads to Fullerton, Calif., for the DeMarini Invitational. In these two tournaments, nine of Koutz is another returning starter in the Stanford infield. The junior contributed 41 11 Stanford opponents competed in the 2009 NCAA tournament, including Tennessee, hits and 24 RBI as a sophomore and is currently fourth in career fielding percentage in Northwestern, North Carolina, and Texas A&M. program history. Now an upperclassman, Koutz will be relied upon for her consistent The Cardinal hosts back-to-back home tournaments in March before entering the defense and continued offensive growth. competitive Pac-10 season. Among the opponents in Stanford’s 10-game pre-confer- Rounding out this talented group is freshman Alix Van Zandt from Bellevue, Wash., ence home stand are 2009 NCAA postseason teams Cal Poly and BYU. Stanford will who will push for playing time and has potential at third base. Another versatile new- match up against St. Mary’s, Pacific, Santa Clara, Princeton, UC Santa Barbara and Cal comer from Rocklin, Calif., is Tegan Schmidt, who is currently out rehabilitating an State Bakersfield twice during this stretch as well. Stanford will also play home games injury. against UC Davis, Apr. 6, and Bay Area rival San Jose State, Apr. 21. The Pac-10 will again present a difficult challenge, Outfield as six of the eight conference teams return from NCAA In left field, Stanford returns three-time All-American Super Regional appearances. Three are back this sea- Alissa Haber, who has led the Cardinal in almost all son from the 2009 Women’s College World Series, while offensive categories since her rookie season. Also repre- five conference teams along with Stanford open the senting the 2009 and 2010 U.S. National teams, Haber 2010 season ranked in the NFCA top-25 poll. hit an impressive .443 last season and was the Division “The Pac-10 Conference is the best softball confer- I leader in doubles with 26. For her Stanford career, she ence in the country from top to bottom,” said Rittman. is at the top of nearly every offensive category. Haber’s “This conference brings out the best in our team and career batting average ranks second only to two-time prepares us for our goal – to win a National Olympian Jessica Mendoza. As a senior and one of the Championship.” nation’s best players, Haber will provide leadership in Highlighting the 2010 Stanford home season are the outfield, looking to finish her Stanford career with a three Pac-10 contests with California, Apr. 1-3, at Smith Women’s College World Series appearance and a 2010 Family Stadium and three games with UCLA, the reign- National Championship. ing Pac-10 Champion, Apr. 23-25. The Cardinal also Joining Haber in the outfield are returning starters has a three-game series against 2008 NCAA Champion Sarah Hassman and Maya Burns. With phenomenal Arizona State at home Apr. 30 through May 2. Stanford speed and range in center field, Hassman is one of the will play its final home series against Oregon, May best defensive outfielders in the nation. As a rookie she 13-15. led the team with 19 stolen bases and scored 28 runs The road to the 2010 Women’s College World Series, on 39 hits. Burns saw most of her time in right field June 3-9, begins with NCAA regional opening round last season in a successful transition from catching to action May 21. the outfield. She supplied 39 hits and 19 RBI in her first season on The Farm. Additionally, the pair was named to the All-Pac-10 Freshmen Team. Other Stanford outfielders working to establish critical roles in 2010 are junior Autumn Albers and freshmen Caitlin Breen, Jaquilyn Edwards, and Kelsey Gerhart. Albers has been a consistent leader for the Shannon Koplitz Cardinal improving her speed, defensive and offensive skills. A reliable base runner and hard worker, Albers along with the freshmen will strengthen the outfield core. The newcomers are developing well and will pro- vide versatility for the Cardinal offense. Schedule Traditionally, Stanford plays a very challenging preseason schedule as it prepares for the rigors of the Pac-10 Conference grind. This season is no different. Coach Rittman believes the 2010 schedule may be the Cardinal’s toughest one yet. Stanford will play 29 games against teams who made appearances in the 2009 postseason, a preseason bout with the 2009 NCAA runner-up, Florida, in early March and three conference games with reigning National Champion, Washington in Seattle. Stanford is scheduled to play 21 games against preseason top-25 teams in 2010, beginning with No. 25/24 Fresno State at home on February 21. “We have always had a tough schedule, but I think this year’s schedule may be even more difficult with the teams we are matched up against in tournaments. We always try to play a difficult schedule and are very excited about playing tough teams to prepare us for our Pac-10 schedule,” explained Rittman. Stanford opens the season at the Paradise Softball Classic in Honolulu, Hawai’i. There, the Cardinal will take on Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Feb. 11, in its season opener and continues play against McNeese State and Hawai’i over the weekend. Alissa Haber

2010 SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM • 21 2010PPONENTS O 2010 STANFORD SOFTBALL

Series Record vs 2010 Schedule Opponents Date Opponent Time School Win Loss % Paradise Softball Classic Alabama 2 3 0.400 Feb. 11 Texas A&M Corpus Christi 4 p.m. (HT) Arizona 8 47 0.152 (1 Tie) Feb. 12 McNeese State 3 p.m. (HT) Arizona State 22 28 0.440 Feb. 12 Hawai’i 7 p.m. (HT) Arkansas 2 0 1.000 Feb. 13 TBA TBA (HT) Auburn 2 0 1.000 Feb. 13 TBA TBA (HT) Baylor 1 1 0.500 Birmingham-South 1 0 1.000 Stanford Nike Invitational Boston College 2 0 1.000 Feb. 19 Illinois 2:30 p.m. Boston University 1 1 0.500 Feb. 19 UC Riverside 4:45 p.m. Bowling Green 1 1 0.500 Feb. 20 Nevada 11:15 a.m. BYU 5 1 0.833 Feb. 20 Sacramento State 1:30 p.m. California 21 31 0.404 Cal Poly 9 3 0.750 Feb. 21 Fresno State 3:45 p.m. Campbell 2 0 1.000 Cathedral City Classic Central Michigan 2 1 0.667 Feb. 25 Tennessee 8 p.m. Coastal Carolina 2 0 1.000 Coll. of Charleston 2 0 1.000 Feb. 26 Northwestern 3:30 p.m. Coll. of Notre Dame 2 0 1.000 Feb. 26 Long Beach State 6 p.m. CS Fullerton 14 4 0.778 Feb. 27 Texas A&M 10 a.m. CS Northridge 6 3 0.667 Feb. 28 Syracuse 9 a.m. DePaul 1 0 1.000 Feb. 28 UNLV 11 a.m. Drake 2 0 1.000 East Carolina 1 0 1.000 DeMarini Invitational Eastern Kentucky 1 0 1.000 Rosey Neill Mar. 5 Florida 1:30 p.m. Eastern Michigan 2 0 1.000 Mar. 5 Cal State Fullerton 6 p.m. Florida 0 1 0.000 Oregon State 36 15 0.706 Mar. 6 North Carolina 1:30 p.m. Florida A&M 1 0 1.000 Pacific 19 10 0.655 Penn State 6 0 1.000 Mar. 6 Northwestern 6 p.m. Florida Atlantic 3 0 1.000 Florida International 1 0 1.000 Point Loma 0 2 0.000 Mar. 7 Indiana 11:15 a.m. Florida State 1 0 1.000 Portland State 7 1 0.875 Stanford Louisville Slugger Classic Fordham 1 0 1.000 Princeton 4 1 0.800 Providence 1 0 1.000 Mar. 19 Santa Clara 6 p.m. Fresno State 12 7 0.632 Georgia 2 1 0.667 Purdue 3 0 1.000 Mar. 20 Princeton 2:30 p.m. Georgia Tech 1 1 0.500 Robert Morris 1 0 1.000 Mar. 20 Saint Mary’s 4:45 p.m. Georgia Southern 1 0 1.000 Sacramento State 22 6 0.786 Mar. 21 Cal Poly 1:30 p.m. Harvard 2 0 1.000 Saint Mary’s 25 6 0.806 Mar. 21 Saint Mary’s 3:45 p.m. Hawai’i 5 1 0.833 San Diego 1 2 0.333 Hofstra 5 1 0.833 San Diego State 10 3 0.769 Mar. 23 UC Davis 2 p.m. Illinois 3 0 1.000 San Francisco State 7 0 1.000 Stanford Invitational Illinois-Chicago 7 1 0.875 San Jose State 19 10 0.655 Illinois State 2 0 1.000 Santa Clara 37 4 0.902 Mar. 26 Cal State Bakersfield 2:30 p.m. Indiana 1 0 1.000 Seton Hall 2 0 1.000 Mar. 26 BYU 4:45 p.m. Iowa State 1 0 1.000 Sonoma State 0 4 0.000 Mar. 27 UC Santa Barbara 1:30 p.m. Jacksonville 1 0 1.000 South Carolina 1 0 0.750 (1 Tie) Mar. 27 Cal State Bakersfield 6 p.m. Kansas 4 0 1.000 Southern Illinois 1 1 0.500 Mar. 28 Pacific 1:30 p.m. Kentucky 3 0 1.000 Southern Mississippi 1 0 1.000 Lehigh 1 0 1.000 Southern Utah 1 0 1.000 Apr. 1 California* 7 p.m. Long Beach State 10 4 0.700 (1 Tie) South Florida 3 1 0.750 Apr. 2 California* 7 p.m. Long Island 1 0 1.000 St. John’s 1 0 1.000 Apr. 3 California* 1 p.m. Louisiana-Lafayette 1 0 1.000 SW Missouri State 1 1 0.500 Apr. 6 UC Davis 6 p.m. Louisville 1 0 1.000 SW Texas State 1 0 1.000 Apr. 9 Oregon State* 3 p.m. Loyola-Chicago 1 0 1.000 Syracuse 1 0 1.000 Tennessee 3 2 0.600 Apr. 10 Oregon State* 12 p.m. Loyola Marymount 6 4 0.600 LSU 3 2 0.600 Tenn. – Chattanooga 1 1 0.500 Apr. 11 Oregon State* 11 a.m. Marist 1 0 1.000 Tennessee Tech 1 0 1.000 Apr. 16 Arizona* 7 p.m. Maryland 1 0 1.000 Texas 0 4 0.000 Apr. 17 Arizona* 7 p.m. Massachusetts 5 2 0.714 Texas A&M 0 3 0.000 Apr. 18 Arizona* 12 p.m. McNeese St. 1 0 1.000 Texas A&M – CC 2 0 1.000 Apr. 21 San Jose State 6 p.m. 2 0 1.000 Texas State 1 0 1.000 Apr. 23 UCLA* 7 p.m. Miami (Ohio) 1 0 1.000 Texas Tech 11 0 1.000 Toledo 2 0 1.000 Apr. 24 UCLA* 1 p.m. Michigan 3 3 0.500 Michigan State 0 1 0.000 Tulsa 2 0 1.000 Apr. 25 UCLA* 12 p.m. Midd. Tennessee St. 1 0 1.000 UAB 1 0 1.000 Apr. 30 Arizona State* 7 p.m. Minnesota 2 0 1.000 UC Davis 10 3 0.769 May 1 Arizona State* 1 p.m. Mississippi State 2 1 0.667 UCLA 14 40 0.259 May 2 Arizona State* 12 p.m. Missouri 8 0 1.000 UC Riverside 3 0 1.000 May 4 Santa Clara 6 p.m. Nebraska 4 3 0.571 UC Santa Barbara 11 2 0.846 May 7 Washington* 6 p.m. NE Louisiana 1 1 0.500 UNLV 5 0 1.000 Utah 6 1 0.857 May 8 Washington* 4 p.m. Nevada 2 0 1.000 New Mexico 2 0 1.000 Utah State 7 0 1.000 May 9 Washington* 12 p.m. New Mexico State 1 1 0.500 Vermont 2 0 1.000 May 13 Oregon* 7 p.m. North Carolina 1 0 1.000 Virginia 1 0 1.000 May 14 Oregon* 6 p.m. North Dakota State 1 0 1.000 Wagner 1 0 1.000 May 15 Oregon* 12 p.m. Northwestern 2 5 0.286 Washington 21 31 0.404 May 21-23 NCAA Regionals Northwestern State 1 0 1.000 Western Kentucky 1 0 1.000 May 28-30 NCAA Super Regionals Notre Dame 3 0 1.000 Western Michigan 3 1 0.750 Ohio 2 0 1.000 Wichita State 3 0 1.000 June 3-9 Women’s College World Series Willamette 0 2 0.000 (Oklahoma City, Okla.) Ohio State 1 0 1.000 Winthrop 1 0 1.000 *Denotes Pac-10 Conference Game Oklahoma 2 1 0.667 Oklahoma State 5 4 0.556 Wisconsin 4 0 1.000 Oregon 28 20 0.583 Overall Record 606-346-3 (.635)

22 • WWW.GOSTANFORD.COM 2010 SOFTBALL MEDIA GUIDE