May 8, 2002
The Villanova softball team travels to Salem, Va. for the 2002 Big East Softball Championships. The Wildcats, the No. 2 seed, will face No. 3 seeded Syracuse in the opening round on Thursday, May 9, at 11:00 a.m.
Villanova Big East Championship Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
For complete championship Information click here.
THIRD TIME'S A CHARM
Villanova makes its third consecutive trip to the Big East Championship tournament in search of the Wildcats first conference title. Over the last three seasons Villanova has compiled a 38-18 record in Big East regular season games. When it comes to post-season though the 'Cats have not faired so well. In its seven tournament appearances, Villanova has an 8-14 record.
GOING, GOING, GONE
Despite her 5'3" frame, sophomore Ricci Lugo has added a little extra punch to her bat this season slugging 11 home runs, setting a new single-season record at Villanova. Lugo also leads the team with 38 RBI, but is still in search of her first home run in conference play. In the first week of the season, Lugo accomplished what only one other Wildcat player had done in the past, hit for the cycle. Lugo's managed to hit a single, double, triple and homer against Sacred Heart (3/8/02) in Orlando, Fla., at the Rebel Spring Games and was awarded Big East Player of the Week for her efforts.
ANOTHER BROKEN RECORD
The Wildcats continued to rewrite the record books by setting a single-season record with 44 wins. The previous record (43) came during the 2001 season when the 'Cats finished 43-10. In the last two seasons, Villanova has posted an 87-23 record (.798) with two Big East second place finishes. Head coach Maria DiBernardi has guided Villanova to three 40-win seasons in the last four years.
O' CANADA
Three years ago Sara Carlson, a native of Langley, B.C., decided to transfer from the University of British Columbia to Villanova. Since her arrival the Wildcats have made three consecutive Big East Championship appearances while posting a 123-40 record. Carlson, the 2002 Big East Preseason Player of the Year and a 2001 Second Team All-American, continued her ways on the softball field as she batted .455 with seven runs and seven RBI in conference games only. Carlson currently holds the career home run record at Villanova (19) and has a .396 career batting average.
AS GOOD AS IT GETS
At the start of the 2002 season, junior Theresa Hornick was voted Big East Preseason Pitcher of the year, and sure enough she has proven to be as good as advertised. Hornick finished the regular season with a 1.07 ERA and a 22-8 record in 190.1 innings. Hornick's 103 strikeouts in conference play leads all Big East pitchers and she is just two strikeouts away from becoming just the third pitcher at Villanova to strikeout more than 200 batters. Currently, she has tied a single-season record with 22 wins this season and holds the career record for saves (13). Head coach Maria DiBernardi and the Wildcats hope Hornick will be able to lead the way this weekend for the Villanova pitching staff.
DOUBLE TAKE
On the year the Wildcats have 61 doubles, led by Sara Carlson's 15. Earlier this season, Carlson tied an NCAA single-game record with three doubles against Drexel University (4/10/02). During her three years at Villanova, Carlson has 37 doubles and is tied for second among the career leaders along with senior Heather Garboden, who has 10 this season. Ricci Lugo (12), and Allison Wisniewski (10) round off Villanova's double leaders. Lugo leads the way with seven doubles in conference games.
FAMLIAR SETTING
Earlier this season Villanova traveled south for a weekend in Virginia when they played double-headers against Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. The Wildcats returned home with a 3-1 record that weekend as they swept the Hokies and split the two-game series with UVA.
NORTH OF THE BORDER
Villanova junior Sara Carlson, a native of Langley, B.C., is one of five players from British Columbia that will be playing this weekend at the Big East Championships. Carlson joins Virginia Tech's Ashlee Dobbe (N. Vancouver, B.C.), Shanel Garofolo (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) and Mindi Wylie (Surrey, B.C.) and Syracuse's Jennifer Read (Vancouver, B.C.) representing British Columbia. In fact, Carlson and Dobbe made up the battery for the White Rock Renegades with Dobbe on the mound and Carlson behind the plate.
For more information on Villanova softball please contact Media Relations Assistant, Kevin Fischer at 610.519.6460 or via email at kevin.fischer@villanova.edu
