The University of Mississippi Athletics
Softball Wraps Up Season
6/21/1999 | Softball
May 8, 1998
Rebels end season with Arkansas split: The Ole Miss women's fastpitch softball team concluded its 1998 campaign by splitting a four-game series with Arkansas April 28-29. The Rebels dropped a 2-1, eight-inning contest to begin the series and then responded with a come-from-behind 4-3 victory. Ole Miss came out the next day with a 1-0 win and then lost their final game of the season by a score of 3-0. With the two losses, Ole Miss was eliminated from SEC Tournament contention and wrapped up the season with a 26-40 record, 9-21 in the Southeastern Conference.
Six Rebels Named to SEC Academic Honor Roll: Six members of the Ole Miss women's fastpitch softball team were honored by the Southeastern Conference Tuesday as they were named to the 1998 SEC Academic Honor Roll. Senior Augusta Schaefer (Tampa, Fla.; Elementary Education), juniors Misti Dossett (Jackson, Miss.; Exercise Science) and Stephanie Vaglica (Tampa, Fla.; Accounting), and sophomores Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.; Computer Science), Heather Swinney (Nashville, Tenn.; Undecided) and Allison Willrath (Yukon, Okla.; Elementary Education) were among the 59 student-athletes named to the Academic Honor Roll.
Ole Miss, with six student-athletes making the list, finished third among teams in the SEC. Only Georgia (nine) and Mississippi State (eight) had more selections to the team. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must have a 3.0 grade-point average for either the past year or for her career, be a sophomore or higher academic classification, and have 24 semester hours countable toward a degree.
Amanda Fine Named To All-SEC Second Team: After finishing among the conference leaders in several pitching statistical categories and leading the team with a .301 batting average, sophomore pitcher/designated hitter Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) was named to the All-SEC Second Team Wednesday. Fine was named to the team as a utility player, marking the second time she has been honored by the SEC. Fine finished the season with a 14-15 record on the mound with a 2.01 earned-run average. She picked up seven of the team's nine conference victories and also finished second on the team with 44 base hits. Fine started 25 games on the mound, 19 as designated hitter and three at second base.
Wurth among nation's save leaders: Sophomore pitcher Bobbi Wurth (Highland, Ill.) finished the season tied for eighth in the nation with four pitching saves. Wurth, who has a 3-4 record with a 3.57 ERA, earned her fourth save of the year April 11 by retiring three batters--two by strikeouts--with two runners on base to preserve a 5-3 victory over Kentucky. Wurth also tied for the lead in the SEC and set a Ole Miss record for a single season and a career. Wurth's first career save came in a 4-2 victory over Georgia Tech on Feb. 28. Wurth also posted saves in a 3-2 win over Robert Morris (March 7) and a 1-0 decision over Delta State. Wurth pitched 82.1 innings in 32 appearances. head coach joyce maudie: Joyce Maudie finished her second year at the helm of the Rebel fastpitch program. Maudie owns a 223-253 won-loss slate after her 10th season as a head coach and a 48-81 slate in her two years as mentor of the Rebels. Maudie was named the 1991 WWIAC Coach of the Year at Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1992 North Atlantic Coach of the Year at Drexel, and 1995 Carolina's Conference Coach of the Year at Barton (N.C.) College.
Cummings named Most Improved: Freshman outfielder Jamie Cummings (Jackson, Miss./Hillcrest Christian HS) finished her first Rebel campaign on a hitting tear, and because of her emergence in the Ole Miss lineup, she was named the team's Most Improved Player. In the team's final 14 games, Cummings hit a blistering .390 (16-for-41) with five doubles, and five RBI. She also posted a career-best seven-game hit streak from April 17 to April 25 and helped lead the Rebels take 3-of-4 games from Auburn. Cummings finished the year with a .215 batting average and started 42 games in the outfield--including the team's final 24 contests.
Davenport Impressive In Return: After suffering a concussion and spending a night in the hospital from a foul ball that struck her in the chin against Auburn, freshman Rachel Davenport (Bremerton, Wash.) returned to the lineup just one week later against Mississippi State. After missing three games, Davenport quickly proved that she would not show any ill effects, as she hit .500 (8-for-16) in the final five games. Davenport concluded the year on a five-game hit streak, and she began the run with a career-best 3-for-3 effort against Mississippi State. Davenport raised her batting average to .220 on the year.
Swain Earns Unsung Hero Award: Senior Christie Swain (Pevely, Mo.) quietly contributed for the Rebels all season long, and she was recognized for her efforts by being named the team's Unsung Hero. Swain, who saw limited action in the team's first 16 games, broke into the lineup and became a mainstay. She started 26 games at second base, 15 at third base and one at shortstop. Swain also provided a lift offensively as she led the team with a .283 batting average in SEC games, and posted a career-best three hits twice this season.
Caraway Sets RBI Marks: Senior first base April Caraway (Lake Wales, Fla.) set two RBI records against Auburn April 18. Caraway established a new record for RBI in a season with 22, surpassing Heather Swinney's 20 a year ago. Caraway also tied a record for RBI in a single game, driving in four runs in the Rebels 10-2 win over Auburn. Caraway ended her Ole Miss career as the all-time leader in putouts and RBI.
Shklar Provides Lift In First Season: Sophomore shortstop Mandy Shklar (Owasso, Okla.) was a tremendous contributor for the Rebels this season. After playing her freshman campaign at Tulsa, Shklar established several records this season and was named the team's Top Newcomer and Golden Glove awards recipient. Her 52 hits eclipsed Stephanie Vaglica's record of 51 in 1997, and she shattered the mark for most assists in s single season, amassing 191.
Shklar also finished second in the SEC among shortstops with a .934 fielding percentage and was among the league leaders with 18 stolen bases. Shklar also led the team with 12 multiple-hit games and 28 runs scored. fine records 300th career strikeout: With her second strikeout in a 2-1 loss to Arkansas, sophomore pitcher Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) reached a milestone in her career at Ole Miss. Fine recorded her 300th career strikeout and became the first Ole Miss player to do so. Fine finished the season with 93 strikeouts and now has 304 in her collegiate career. Fine posted 211 K's a year ago, but she missed 12 games this season after suffering a separated shoulder and recorded 93.
Record watch: The 1998 season turned out to be a record-setting year for the Rebels. In this, the second year of the program, Ole Miss set or tied 24 records... Junior pitcher Kari Ceriani (Vacaville, Calif.) set a record with the longest outing by a Rebel pitcher with her 10.2 innings in the school's longest game--a 3-2, 11-inning win over Robert Morris... Sophomore Allison Willrath (Yukon, Okla.) drew 23 base-on-balls this season, eclipsing Stephanie Vaglica's (Tampa, Fla.) total of 13 last year... Both Willrath and Vaglica set and tied a record with three walks in a single game. Sophomore Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) tied a school record with four hits in a 2-1 win over Georgia State...
Fine also set a record by reaching base in 20-straight games with either a walk or hit... Kaci Coffee (Broken Arrow, Okla.) tied a school record with four RBI in the Rebel's 10-2 win over Belmont... Sophomore Bobbi Wurth (Highland, Ill.) now holds the school record for saves (4) in a single season and in a career... Sophomore Mandy Shklar (Owasso, Okla.) shattered the single-season mark for assists in a season and now has 181... Shklar also set a mark for hits in a season with 52, eclipsing Vaglica's 51 in 1997... Senior April Caraway (Lake Wales, Fla.) tied a school record with four RBI in a single game against Auburn. Kaci Coffee also notched four earlier in the season..... Caraway also established a new school record for RBI in a single season with 22, surpassing the 20 RBI Swinney posted in 1997.
Fine honored for academic work: Sophomore pitcher Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) was named the recipient of this year's Outstanding Computer Science Sophomore Award at the University of Mississippi. Fine, an All-Southeastern Conference second team selection a year ago, received the award at the Honors Convocation, which was held at Fulton Chapel April 2. She also had her name published in the 1998 Honors Program. A Computer Science major, Fine was selected for the award for having a combination of the highest overall GPA and highest among all sophomore majors in her academic department. Fine carries a 3.46 overall GPA.
Working overtime: Throughout the 1998 campaign, the Rebels played in seven extra-inning games, eclipsing last year's total of three games. The most recent extra-inning game came April 28 as Arkansas escaped with a 2-1 win over the Rebels in eight innings. Ole Miss and LSU went to eight innings before the Tigers came away with a 4-3 win on March 28. The Rebels set a school record for the longest game on March 7 when it took 11 innings before Ole Miss defeated Robert Morris 3-2. Ole Miss also went to nine-innings in a 12-5 loss to Middle Tennessee and eight innings with Tulsa before falling 5-4 on Feb. 13. The Rebels own extra-frame wins over Southwest Texas State (9-8, 10-innings) and Centenary (7-3, 8-innings). The Rebels have a 5-5 all-time record in extra-innings contests, after playing in three extra-inning games last year. Season Highlights
Mitchell makes return: After missing 17-straight games with multiple injuries, senior Holly Mitchell (Columbia, Ill.) started the first game against Tennessee April 10 as the designated player. Mitchell, who batted a team-best .344 average last season, came up big on her first plate appearance as she delivered an RBI single to left field in the second inning to score pinch-runner Misti Dossett (Jackson, Miss.). Mitchell would also score later in the inning. For the game, she went 1-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
It's All Academic: In only its second season of existence, the Ole Miss fastpitch softball program already has a number of academic accolades to its credit. When the grades for the 1997 fall semester was released, 11 of the 20 team members all earned a 3.0 grade-point average or higher. Four of those Rebels were named to the Chancellor's Honor Roll for having a 3.75 GPA or higher while three were named to the Dean's Honor Roll (3.50 to 3.74 GPA). In addition to the honor roll, the Rebels were also named to the list of the National Softball Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American teams, placing 58th in the nation and second among teams in the SEC. The 58th-place finish was the highest finish for first-year programs in the nation. Junior outfielder Stephanie Vaglica (Tampa, Fla.), was named a NFCA Academic All-American with a 4.0 GPA in Accounting.
Ole miss concludes Florida trip with third place finish at FSU Invitational: The Rebels wrapped up a 10-day trip to the Sunshine State with a third-place finish in the Florida State University Invitational Tournament March 15. The Rebels began the trip with a 2-3 marker in the USF/Speedline Tournament in Tampa, Fla., falling to eventual tournament champion Texas, Florida Atlantic and Hofstra before closing out pool play with wins over Robert Morris and Michigan State.
Ole Miss then faced Florida in the SEC opener and was handed two defeats by the Gators in Gainesville. The Rebels closed the trip with a 5-2 record in the FSU Invitational. Ole Miss finished first in its pool with wins over Marshall, Belmont, Georgia State and Hoftsra before falling to Purdue. The Rebels advanced to the tournament's final four with a win over Southern Illinois, but was handed a loss by Florida State in the semifinal game. Ole Miss finished in third-place in the 24-team field.
Fine named to all-tournament team: Since returning from a separated shoulder, sophomore Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) was impressive for Ole Miss. Fine sat out 12 games due to her injury, but provided a huge lift both at the plate and on the mound. Fine was named to the All-Tournament Team at the FSU Invitational, and won four-straight starts, giving up one earned run in 32.0 innings. Fine hit .370 (10-for-27) that week and .450 (9-for-20) in the FSU Invitational. It was the second time this season Fine was named to an All-Tournament team, as she was honored in the Mardi Gras Classic in Monroe, La.
Maudie wins 200th career game: With a 7-3 victory over Centenary Feb. 21,Ole Miss head coach Joyce Maudie recorded career win No. 200 as a collegiate coach. Maudie now owns a 214-236 won-loss slate in her 10th season as a head coach. Maudie is a three-time Coach of the Year recipient and was named the 1991 WWIAC Coach of the Year at Wisconsin-Whitewater, 1992 North Atlantic Coach of the Year at Drexel, and 1995 Carolina's Conference Coach of the Year at Barton (N.C.) College.
fastpitch program plays in 100th game: The Ole Miss fastpitch program, in only its second year of existence, played in its 100th game Saturday against Georgia. The Rebels defeated the Bulldogs 6-0 to boast a record of 39-61 in its first 100 contests.
LSU becomes highest ranked team to fall to rebels: With a come-from-behind 6-5 win over LSU March 28, the Rebels handed the No. 16-ranked Tigers their fifth loss of the season. More impressively for Ole Miss is that it becomes the highest-ranked team at No. 16, the Rebels have ever defeated. LSU later moved up to No. 10 in the rankings. Ole Miss also handed No. 21-ranked Louisiana Tech a 3-2 defeat a year ago. The Rebels finished 1-5 this season against teams ranked the the top 25 at the time they played.
Early Signees: During the early fall signing period, two players signed national letters on intent to attend the University of Mississippi and become a member of the Rebel fastpitch team in the fall of 1998. Paige Cochrane (Chattanooga, Tenn./East Ridge HS) and Jessica Hamilton (Nashville, Tenn./Father Ryan HS) were the three players to sign. Both Cochrane and Hamilton will attend Ole Miss in the fall of 1998.
Amanda Fine continues hot streak: Since returning from a separated shoulder, sophomore Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) has been dominant both on the mound and at the plate for the Rebels. In Ole Miss' 6-0 win over Georgia, Fine pitched her third-straight shutout as a starting pitcher and she has not given up an earned run in 28.2-straight innings. Fine went 2-1 last week did give up a run in 18.2 straight innings, with complete-game shutouts over Delta State and Georgia and her five scoreless innings against South Carolina. At the plate, Fine as been equally productive. After having a seven-game hit streak halted against Florida State, Fine has responded with a current five-game hit streak. In her last 14 games, Fine has hit successfully in 13 contest and now leads the team with a .338 batting average. Over that span, Fine is hitting .421 with 16 hits and five runs batted in.
Shklar on hit streak: Sophomore shortstop Mandy Shklar (Owasso, Okla.) has been on her tear over her last 10 games. Shklar is on a current seven-game hitting streak and has hit successfully in 10 of her last 12 games. After transferring from Tulsa, Shklar has started all but one game at shortstop for the Rebels and leads the team with 12 stolen bases (in 14 attempts). Last week, Shklar hit .357, had an on-base percentage of .438 and scored a Ole Miss career-high three runs against Delta State. Shklar was forced to sit out her first game of the season Sunday after suffering a laceration in her league in the first game of the doubleheader, but is expected to return this weekend. In her last nine starts, Shklar is .333 with nine hits, two doubles, six runs and five stolen bases.
Fine's streak comes to an end: Sophomore Amanda Fine (Brentwood, Tenn.) had her nine-game hit streak come to an end Wednesday as she went 0-for-2 against Mississippi State in a 7-0 loss. Fine also had another consecutive-game streak come to an end Saturday. Fine set a school-record by reaching base successfully by a base hit or a walk in 20-straight games. Over that period, Fine hit in 18 of the 20 games and walked six times. Fine also had 21 hits and batted .362 over that stretch. Fine continues to lead the team with a .309 batting average and a 2.37 ERA.
TEAM LEADERS
WinsAmanda Fine 14Brittany Maxey 5Kari Ceriani 4Bobbi Wurth 3
Earned Run AverageAmanda Fine 2.01Brittany Maxey 3.00Bobbi Wurth 3.57Kari Ceriani 4.08
StrikeoutsAmanda Fine 93Brittany Maxey 39Kari Ceriani 29Bobbi Wurth 24
SavesBobbi Wurth 4 *Kari Ceriani 1
Innings PitchedAmanda Fine 170.2Brittany Maxey 102.2Kari Ceriani 82.1Bobbi Wurth 82.1Games StartedAmanda Fine 25Brittany Maxey 19Kari Ceriani 16Bobbi Wurth 6
Games In ReliefBobbi Wurth 26Brittany Maxey 14Kari Ceriani 9Amanda Fine 8
Opponent Batting AverageAmanda Fine .243Brittany Maxey .276Bobbi Wurth .286Kari Ceriani .294
Runs AllowedBobbi Wurth 55Brittany Maxey 64Kari Ceriani 66Amanda Fine 88
* New School Record* Tied School Record
1998 Post-Season Honors
All-SEC Second TeamAmanda Fine
SEC Academic Honor RollAugusta SchaeferMisti DossettStephanie VaglicaAmanda FineHeather SwinneyAllison Willrath
Team AwardsMost Valuable Allison WillrathMost ImprovedJamie CummingsTop NewcomerMandy ShklarGolden GloveMandy ShklarCoaches' AwardHeather SwinneyHustle AwardStephanie VaglicaInspirational PlayerKari CerianiOffensive PlayerAmanda FineUnsung HeroChristie SwainStatistical LeaderAmanda Fine
NCAA Division I Save Leaders
Player, School No.Amy Robertson, UT-Chattanooga 7Kelly Nichols, Notre Dame 6Brenda Roach, Villanova 6Christa Williams, Texas 5Jennifer Owens, Northwestern State 5Mary Dietz, Boston College 5Bobbi Wurth, Ole Miss 4Carisa Winters, So. Illinois 4Kristie Picon, South Florida 4Lauren Fischetti, Boston College 4Sarah KnifeChief, LSU 4Mary Petrie, Auburn 4Jacqueline Hall, Michigan State 4Sarah Skorupa, Canisius 4
1998 SEC Team Standings --Eastern Division-- SEC Pct. All Pct. vs. Div.Florida* 23-5 .821 45-18 .714 15-1South Carolina 15-11 .577 35-19 .648 9-7Tennessee 9-15 .375 32-29 .525 4-8Georgia 11-17 .393 34-24 .586 6-14Kentucky 6-22 .214 19-43 .306 2-14
--Western Division-- SEC Pct. All Pct. vs. Div.Louisiana State 23-6 .793 53-10 .841 14-5Alabama 19-7 .731 45-17 .726 13-3 Mississippi State 15-11 .577 32-19 .627 12-6Arkansas 13-17 .433 21-36 .368 6-14Ole Miss 9-21 .300 26-40 .394 6-14 Auburn 6-21 .222 16-40 .286 1-14* Overall and SEC East Champion; SEC West Champion
USA Today/NFCA Top 25
1. Arizona (25) 57-3 2. Michigan 47-4 3. Fresno State 44-10 4. Washington 44-11 5. Nebraska 44-10 6. South Florida 54-11 7. Oklahoma 47-13 8. Texas* 46-14 9. Stanford 35-16 10. Hawai'i 45-13 11. DePaul 41-6 12. Louisiana State*53-10 13. Oklahoma State* 37-17 14. Florida State* 50-18 15. Long Beach State36-16 16. Arizona State 36-22 17. Texas Tech 45-20 18. Cal State Northridge 36-17 19. Iowa 35-16 20. Illinois-Chicago59-19 21. Massachusetts 40-12 22. Minnesota 45-17 23. Florida* 45-18 24. California 30-25 25. Missouri 36-20
*Denotes Ole Miss Opponents this seasonUpdated May 7, 1998
1998 Multiple Game Leaders
Multiple Hit Games-SeasonMandy Shklar 12April Caraway 11Heather Swinney 10Allison Willrath 8Amanda Fine 7Stephanie Vaglica 6Jamie Cummings 5Christie Swain 5Kaci Coffee 4Kara Chapman 4Rachel Davenport 3Holly Mitchell 2
Multiple RBI Games-SeasonApril Caraway 5Heather Swinney 5Allison Willrath 4Mandy Shklar 3Kaci Coffee 2Rachel Davenport 2Amanda Fine 2Holly Mitchell 2Christie Swain 2Stephanie Vaglica 1
Multiple Run Games-SeasonMandy Shklar 5Heather Swinney 3Allison Willrath 3Kara Chapman 2Amanda Fine 2April Caraway 1Kaci Coffee 1Holly Mitchell 1
1998 ConsecutiveGames Hit Streaks
Amanda Fine 9 (Mar. 18-29)Mandy Shklar 9 (Mar. 14-28)Stephanie Vaglica 8 (Apr. 11-19)Heather Swinney 7 (Feb. 20-25)Amanda Fine 7 (Mar. 10-14)Jamie Cummings 7 (Apr. 17-25)April Caraway 5 (Mar. 14-21)April Caraway 5 (Apr. 5-18)Allison Willrath 5 (Feb. 25-28)Allison Willrath 5 (Apr. 1-5)Rachel Davenport 5 (Apr. 25-Cur)
