Softball Returns to California for the Judi Garman Classic

After taking a week off to final exams, the DePaul softball teams returns to the diamond in Fullerton, California for the Judi Garman Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The Blue Demons are joined by some of the nations best teams and take on Uta

CHICAGO After taking a week off to final exams, the DePaul softball teams returns to the diamond in Fullerton, California for the Judi Garman Classic, hosted by Cal State Fullerton. The Blue Demons are joined by some of the nations best teams and take on Utah and Arizona on Thursday, San Diego State and UNLV on Friday and finish with Washington on Saturday before heading back to Chicago for the Easter holiday.

The Blue Demons (17-6) are ranked 14 in the USA Today/NFCA poll, while they 18 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball polls. DePaul enters the tournament on a four-game winning streak and is led by sophomore All-American pitcher Becca Heteniak. The Simi Valley, California native leads the pitching staff with a 1. 22 ERA and averages 6.5 strikeouts per outing. Heteniak along with freshmen Lindsey Dean and Brittney Yniguez return to home to California for the second time this season.

DePaul was in Fresno, California March 6-9 for the Bingham Toyota Classic. The Blue Demons finished the Classic with a 5-1 record and picked up wins against then-No. 14 Houston, Santa Clara, Sacramento State, Cal Poly and Rhode Island. Preseason All-American senior Sandy Vojik was named to the All-Tournament team after registering a hit in each contest and registered several game-changing RBI hits. Vojik along with junior infielder Amber Patton enter the weekend on a seven-game hitting streak. Patton leads the Blue Demons with 26 hits this season and is third on the team with a .361 batting average.

The Blue Demons need Patton and Vojik to stay a consistent threat as the team faces some of the stiffest competition they have seen this season. Day one pits DePaul against Utah (14-13) and 2007 National Champion Arizona at 1 p.m. (CST) and 8 p.m., respectively. The Blue Demons have won all five previous meetings with Utah with their last meeting coming in 2004. No. 7/8 Arizona (18-6) holds a 9-3 series advantage over DePaul and eliminated the Blue Demons from the 2007 Women’s College World Series with a 3-0 victory.

Friday evening DePaul squares off with No. 25/T22 San Diego St at 8 p.m. and UNLV at 10 p.m. The Blue Demons and Aztecs (24-9) have each won two games in the series with DePaul winning the last meeting, 4-3 in 2005. The Rebels (19-13-1) have yet to win in five tries with DePaul. The Blue Demons and UNLV tangled in 2007 in Las Vegas. DePaul won the hard-fought 11-inning marathon game 8-6 with the Rebels.

On Saturday, the Blue Demons have a chance to avenge their other 2007 WCWS loss when they face No. 18/19 Washington at 1:15 p.m. The Huskies (19-6-1) have won 10 of teams 11 meetings, including a 2-1 victory in 2007.

DePaul assistant coach Cat Osterman will be with the Blue Demons this weekend as the USA National team is competing at the Judi Garman Classic. Osterman an Olympic Gold Medalist, is splitting time between the DePaul dugout and National team pitching circle in 2008 as the National team prepares for the Beijing Games.

The Blue Demons open the home portion of their schedule on Tuesday, March 25 when they welcome interstate rival Illinois State for a 2 p.m. contest. Following the game DePaul will board a plane for Oklahoma City, where they will square off against assistant coach Cat Osterman and the USA National Team. The game will air on tape delay May 7 on ESPN2. Eric Collins and Michelle Smith will handle to announcing duties.

Streaking Demons
Five Blue Demons begin the Judi Garman Classic on a hitting streak. Sandy Vojik and Amber Patton are each on a season-long seven-game streak while Annie Demas comes in on a three-game streak. Jackie Tarulli-Fisher and Becca Heteniak are riding a two-game hitting streak. Leading the Blue Demons with 26 hits this season, Patton has 12 hits during her streak and is batting a sizzling .500 in the last seven games. Vojik’s seven-game streak has been highlighted with game-changing hits including a pair of doubles, a triple and home run.

Vojik Player of the Week
Senior utility player Sandy Vojik was named the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week on March 9. The previous week Vojik was named to the Bingham Toyota All-Tournament team after registering a .318 batting average and four RBI. The senior hit her second home run of the season and put the squad ahead for good in the Blue Demon’s 5-3 win over No. 14/15 Houston on March 9. Vojik’s RBI-triple in a 3-2 victory over Cal-Poly on March 9 tied the game at two. She went on to score the game-winning run. She had a hit in each of DePaul’s games which stretches her hitting streak to seven games.

Heteniak Pitcher of the Week
DePaul sophomore All American Becca Heteniak was named the BIG EAST Conference’s Pitcher of the Week on March 3. Heteniak allowed only one earned run in 22 innings of work and went 3-0 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga., Feb. 29-March 2. The sophomore threw complete games and garnered wins over Massachusetts (2-1), Winthrop (4-0) and UC Santa Barbara (2-0). Heteniak finished the weekend with a 0.32 ERA and 20 strikeouts. Against the Gauchos, Heteniak retired her first seven batters and only allowed three hits in the win. Heteniak is 6-3 on the season and was named to the NFCA Lead Off Classic All-Tournament team. Heteniak earned the League’s Pitcher of the Week honors twice and was named the conference’s Rookie of the Year in 2007.

Sac Bunt Queen
Junior Amber Patton needs five sacrifice hits to tie the school record of 53 sacrifice hits in a career. Begining her junior season, Patton had registered 44 sac hits. Former All-American Yvette Healy (1996-99) is the current record holder.

Demas De MORE
Sophomore Annie Demas has made an impact in the Blue Demon line-up as a pinch hitter. Demas has eight at bats this season and boasts a .625 slugging percentage as two of her three hits have been RBI-doubles.

Holding on to their lead
The Blue Demons are masters at protecting their lead. DePaul is 10-1 when leading after four innings are 13-0 when leading after six frames. Allowing just one game to get away from them, the Blue Demons fell to Georgia 3-2 in the second game of the season. DePaul took a 2-1 lead into fourth frame, but the Bulldogs notched a run in fifth and sixth inning for the 3-2 victory.

Seeing Blue
You can catch the DePaul Women’s basketball team this week in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. The women drew a No. 10 seed and face seventh seeded Marist on Saturday, March 22.

Look it’s a bird, a plane, a home run
Senior Sandy Vojik has been powerful at the plate and looks to leave her mark in the record book as she is one home run shy of moving into the top-5. With 21 career home runs, she needs just one to tie Linda Secka (2004-07) for the five spot. Saskia Roberson (2002-05) holds the school record with 51 long balls.

Familiar Face in the Circle and Dugout
When the Blue Demons take on the USA National Team on, Wednesday, March 26 DePaul will see some familiar faces. Assistant coach Cat Osterman is slated to be in the circle for the National Team while former Blue Demon and DePaul Hall of Famer Kandace Neid Lenti (1985-88) will coach first base. Lenti was induced into DePaul’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 and is the softball program’s first Academic All-American. Lenti is head coach Eugene Lenti’s wife. The pair were married in 1990 and have three daughters, Ali, Gena and Cate.

Sandy Vojik has CLASS
Sandy Vojik was named to the initial list for the 2008 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Vojik joined thirty of the nation’s best college softball players who also excel in the classroom and make an impact in their respective communities. Vojik, who was drafted in the fourth round of the NPF draft by the Rockford Thunder spends about 20 hours a quarter volunteering in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. She will graduate with a degree in sport and fitness management and intends to enroll in graduate school and pursue a doctorate in physical therapy.

Newest Blue Demon
Fourth year Blue Demon assistant coach Liz Bouck-Jagielski and her husband Jon welcomed Cassidy Jayden on Wednesday, Feb. 27. Cassidy weighed in at 7lbs, 10oz and is 21” long. Jagielski plans to rejoin the Blue Demons in early April.

2/10 for 1000
The Blue Demons earned the program’s 1000 victory with a 4-0 win over the College of Charleston on Feb. 10. Junior Lauren Frankiewicz earned the 2-0 shut out victory at the Red and Black Showcase hosted by the University of Georgia.

Cat Tales
First year assistant coach Cat Osterman is touring with the USA National Softball Team as they prepare for the Beijing Olympics. Osterman travels with Bound for Beijing Tour, but also makes trips to Chicago for practice and to various contest sites when her schedule allows. Osterman will be in Fullerton this weekend as the USA National Team is taking on various teams during the Judi Garman Classic.

Cat will be keeping a weekly a blog on depaulbluedemons.com. Her weekly report began on March 12 and will continue each Tuesday, through the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Sandy’s World - Demon Tales
Sandy Vojik is chronicling here senior season in a weekly blog that is posted on depaulbluedemons.com. Vojik’s blog will be a fans insight into the Blue Demon softball program.

Preseason All-American
Sandy Vojik was named a preseason All-American by ESPN.com at the utility position. A true utility player, Vojik sees time at second base, right field and as the team’s designated player. The 2007 season saw Vojik average .333 at the plate with 36 RBI and a team-best 13 home runs.

Two Time Batting Champion
Junior third baseman Amber Patton won DePaul’s batting title in both her freshman (.316) and sophomore (.340) campaigns. This season, the junior is on pace to three-peat as she is third on the team with a .361 average and leads the Blue Demons with 26 hits.

Watch List, Watch Me
DePaul sophomore All-American pitcher Becca Heteniak and senior utility player Sandy Vojik were named to the Amateur Softball Association Top 50 “Watch List.”

Heteniak is one of nine sophomores to appear on the watch list as she finished her freshman campaign with the 12th best ERA (1.20) in the country. She was named an All-American after holding batters to an unprecedented .145 average and struck out 180 in 157.0 innings of work. Following a perfect 10-0 BIG EAST Conference record in the circle Heteniak was named the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Vojik is set to patrol right field and the middle infield during her senior season. She brings a career .304 batting average and recorded a team-best 55 hits during her junior season. A two-time all-conference player Vojik has tallied 18 home runs and 77 RBI in her previous three season.

Lights, Camera, TV
The Blue Demons are scheduled to appear on ESPNU and ESPN2 during the 2008 regular season. The Blue Demons square off against assistant coach Cat Osterman and the USA National Team on Wednesday, March 26 in Oklahoma City. The broadcast will be delayed until May 7 and will air on ESPN2 Eric Collins and Michelle Smith will handle the announcing duties.

DePaul’s 11 a.m. (CST) game with BIG EAST Conference rival Louisville will air live on ESPNU.

Lenti Hall of Famer
Head Coach Eugene Lenti will be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame in the December of 2008. An instructor for the NFCA’s National Fastpitch Coaches College, Lenti has accumulated over 900 victories and 15 postseason appearances in his 27 years at DePaul. Ranking as the school’s winningest head coach, Lenti ranks 12th among active coaches in victories and 16th all-time in NCAA history. Lenti has guided the Blue Demons to four Women’s College World Series berths while capturing nine conference titles. In 1999 NFCA National Coaching Staff of the Year winner and five-time regional winner. Lenti was inducted into the DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

Big Time at Bingham Bulldog Classic
The DePaul softball team went 5-1 at the Bingham Toyota Classic. The Blue Demon wins were against Rhode Island (3-2), Santa Clara (6-0), Sacramento St (7-4), No. 14/15 Houston (5-3) and Cal Poly (3-2). DePaul’s lone loss came at the hands of tournament host Fresno State. Senior Sandy Vojik led the Blue Demons with several game-changing hits. Against Houston the senior knocked a two-run home run and had a game-tying triple against Cal Poly. The senior averaged .318 and had four RBI. Sophomore Becca Heteniak led DePaul for the second straight week in the circle. Heteniak picked up two wins and struck out 21 while holding batters to a .105 average.

Leadoff Chances a Classic
The Blue Demons went 5-1 at the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Ga. last week. The Blue Demons finished the week on a four game winning streak and registered wins against UMass (2-1, 8inn), Winthrop (4-0), Iowa (4-3, 8 inn), UCSB (2-0), Georgia Tech (2-1). DePaul lone loss of the weekend came at the hands of No. 2/3 Texas A&M. Sophomore Becca Heteniak led the squad in the circle as well as at the plate. The sophomore went 3-0 in the circle and recorded a 0.32 ERA. At the plate Heteniak finished the weekend on a four-game hitting streak and averaged .429 (6-for-14). Freshman Simone Ashkar led the Blue Demons with five RBI on the weekend.

Crowne Plaza Points
The Blue Demons competed at Houston’s Crowne Plaza Classic March 15-17. Finishing the Classic 3-2, DePaul took two games from Texas A&MCC and a single game from Army. The Blue Demons were unable to score against host Houston as they dropped both contests with the Cougars. Freshman Alex Morocco led the offense with a 4-for-10 effort. The freshman center fielder finished with a double and two RBI.

Red & Black Recap
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Blue Demons bounced back and closed out the Red and Black Classic with four wins. The Blue Demons defeated the College of Charleston twice and split a pair of games with host Georgia and Marshall. Junior catcher Jackie Tarulli-Fisher led the Blue Demons with a .474 batting average. The junior smashed two three-run game-changing home runs and finished the tournament with eight RBI. Junior transfer Lauren Frankiewicz made her Blue Demon debut in the circle and finished with a 2-0 record. Frankiewicz struck out 18 in 15.1 innings of work.

BIG EAST Championship
The 2008 BIG EAST Softball Championship moves to Louisville, Kentucky this season after spending the last three years in Notre Dame, Ind. The 2008 Championship will be held at Ulmer Stadium May 10-8. Eight of the leagues top 12 teams will compete in a single a single elimination tournament. The Semifinals and the Championship games will be broadcast on CSTV on May 9 and 10. The tournament champion will earn the BIG EAST’s automatic NCAA Championship berth.

BIG EAST Favorites
Following DePaul’s fourth trip to the Women’s College World Series, the Blue Demons were picked to finish first in the 2008 BIG EAST Conference Softball Preseason poll as voted on by the league’s 12 coaches. After finishing the 2007 conference season 20-0 the Blue Demons received nine first-place votes and 116 points. USF followed in second with three first-place votes and 110 points, while defending BIG EAST Tournament Champion Louisville followed in third with 100 points. Notre Dame, Connecticut and St. John’s took the five through seven stops, while Rutgers, Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Seton Hall, Villanova and Providence rounded out the poll.

Class of 2009
Three new faces will join the Blue Demon squad for the 2008-09 season. Illinois natives, Katelyn Braget and Lynsey Ciezki, as well as Marla Matthews from California all signed a National Letter of Intent during the November signing period. “This class gives us the depth that we need,” Lenti said of his recruiting class. “By signing one outfielder (Braget), a middle infielder (Ciezki) and one catcher (Matthews) it solidifies the team and makes us stronger.

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