Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Softball Takes on California Friday in Program's First Ever NCAA Tournament
5/19/2010 8:00:00 AM | Softball
May 19, 2010
WHAT: Bucknell at NCAA Regionals
WHERE: Buckeye Field, Columbus, Ohio
WHEN: Friday, May 21 - Sunday, May 23
RADIO: WVBU 90.5 FM, SportsJuice.com (free)
STREAMING VIDEO: OhioStateBuckeyes.com (free)
TV: Big Ten Network (Ohio State games only, tape delay)
LIVE STATISTICS: BucknellBison.com
2010 Bucknell Softball Postseason Guide 
NCAA Tournament Preview
ABOUT THE NCAA REGIONAL TOURNAMENT
Bucknell is making its first ever NCAA appearance, joining 63 other teams from across the country in pursuit of a national title. The Bison are joined in the Columbus, Ohio Region by the host Ohio State University Buckeyes, California Bears and Kentucky Wildcats. Bucknell will face off against Cal in the first game at 5 p.m. on Friday, May 21. Play will continue in the double-elimination format through Sunday, May 23.
BISON ON THE RADIO
Fans can follow along on the radio as the Bison begin their historic trip. All of Bucknell's games can be heard locally on WVBU 90.5 FM and online at SportsJuice.com, free of charge. Doug Birdsong will have the call.
Live streaming video for all games can be seen for free at OhioStateBuckeyes.com Should Bucknell and Ohio State meet during the tournament, that game can be seen on tape delay on the Big Ten Network.
GETTING HERE
Bucknell did not take an easy road to reach the NCAA Regionals in Columbus. The Bison received an automatic berth after winning the Patriot League Championship in the maximum five games last weekend. The third seed in the 2010 league tournament, Bucknell upset No. 2 Lehigh, which was the defending champion and had claimed the league's NCAA berth in five of the last six years, in the first round by a score of 4-3. Bucknell later eliminated the top seed and host Army, 2-1, to advance to the championship round for the first time since 1997, the year the Bison won their first Patriot League title.
Bucknell punched its ticket for the NCAA Regionals by winning two games in comeback fashion against No. 4 Colgate, 4-3 in nine innings and 6-4.
BISON ON THE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
With their title-winning performance at the 2010 Patriot League Championships, Bucknell earned three spots on the All-Tournament Team. Sherry Finkel, Jane Messersmith and Lauren Fry were each recognized after leading the Bison in hitting and anchoring the Orange and Blue defense in the outfield. Finkel hit .588 (10-17) in five games, including 7-for-9 with a game-winning home run against Colgate on Championship Saturday. Messersmith posted a .474 (9-19) average and led Bucknell in runs (4) and RBI (5) during tournament action. Fry finished .438 (7-16) with four walks at the plate.
MACLEAN NAMED PATRIOT LEAGUE TOURNAMENT MVP
Alex MacLean collected yet another honor this spring, earning the title of Patriot League Tournament MVP last Saturday. The freshman pitched in all five games, posting a 4-1 record and a 1.17 ERA. She also struck out 19 batters and walked only five.
MacLean becomes the first freshman to be named the tournament's most valuable player since Lehigh's Lisa Sweeney in 2006. Sweeney went on to claim the honor two more times in her career and was a four-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Year.
MACLEAN CLAIMS PATRIOT LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONOR
When the Patriot League announced its all-league teams and major awards on May 11, Alex MacLean became just the second Bison to be named the league's Rookie of the Year. She joins Lauren Fry who earned the award in 2008. The current freshman leads the team with a 2.38 ERA, 15 complete games and three shutouts. She also has a squad-best 90 strikeouts in 126.2 innings pitched.
MacLean claimed a bit of Bucknell history on April 21 when she became the first Bison to pitch a no-hitter since hall of famer Sharon Nichols in 1991. The weather-shortened game against La Salle ended in a scoreless tie after five innings and earned MacLean her second Patriot League Pitcher of the Week honor of the season. Despite the no-decision against the Explorers, MacLean takes a 13-5 record into the NCAA Tournament.
ALL-PATRIOT LEAGUE HONOREES
Alex MacLean, who earned Second Team All-Patriot League recognition in addition to her Rookie of the Year accolade, was joined on all-league teams by Lauren Fry, Jessie Snyder and Shelly McCormack. Fry earned her second career First Team selection after hitting .400 with 10 doubles, five triples and 24 RBI during the regular season. The junior outfielder also has set a Bucknell single-season record in walks with 31.
Snyder was also named to the First Team, hitting .267 and starting 39 of 40 games at second base during the regular season. The junior also tied for second in Patriot League action in triples with and has sole possession of the number two spot in assists on the season. Snyder also has 17 RBI this spring.
Claiming a spot on the All-Patriot League Second Team as a designated player, McCormack hit a personal-best .340 at the plate in the regular season. Her 23 RBI and eight doubles crushed her previous career-highs. McCormack also spent time at first base where she posted a .994 fielding percentage.
HANGING AROUND
Bucknell showed its resilience last weekend with all five of its games in the Patriot League Tournament being decided by two runs or less. The Bison twice came back for victories despite trailing after five innings, winning 4-3 over Lehigh and 6-4 in the Championship Game against Colgate. Bucknell also battled late in the game facing elimination against Colgate in last Saturday's first contest. After the Raiders tied the game 3-3 in the sixth, the Bison came back for a 4-3 win in the ninth with some help from a Sherry Finkel home run.
CLUTCH HITTING
Bucknell entered the Patriot League Tournament leading the league with a .317 batting average. The Bison continued their strong hitting in the championships as four players - Sherry Finkel, Jane Messersmith, Lauren Fry and Mary Pavlovich - finished the weekend at better than .300. Bucknell also connected for a combined 24 hits in its final two games against Colgate.
WINNING SEASON
At 28-18-1 overall, Bucknell is guaranteed its first winning season since 1996 when the Bison closed out their year at 20-15 overall and 7-3 in the Patriot League. The record also marks Bucknell's 10th winning season since the program began in 1979.
500 WINS
Bucknell softball reached the 500-win mark with its 3-2 victory over La Salle on April 21. Since then, the Bison have improved to 507-623-7 (.449) in program history.
MORE NOTES ON WINNING
► By finishing 4-1 in the Patriot League Tournament and bringing its overall season record to 28-18-1, Bucknell has tied the program record for single-season wins. The 1991 squad closed out its year at 28-11-1.
► Bucknell has had seven 20-win seasons prior to 2010. The last time the Bison reached the 20-win mark was in 2008 (23-29).
► Bucknell went 19-32 during the 2009 season. By winning eight more games this year than they did last year, the Bison have recorded the biggest turnaround since 1987 and 1988. Bucknell finished 10-16-1 in 1987 before improving to 24-9 a year later.
HOT BATS
For the first time in program history, Bucknell has eight players hitting better than .300 after totaling at least 50 at-bats this season. Leading the group is Lauren Fry (.404), Jane Messersmith (.375), Elyse Colmenero (.375) and Sherry Finkel (.346). They are joined by Mary Pavlovich (.333), Alison Ford (.328), Shelly McCormack (.317) and Mary Horton (.301).
ONE OF THE BEST
Bucknell's .315 batting average also ranks as one of the best in program history. Although the season is not yet complete, the Bison look to record the first .300+ team average since 1993, which closed out the year at .310. The 1980 squad holds the program record in hitting at .340.
COLMENERO COMING ON
At .363 on the season, Elyse Colmenero has the third-highest batting average on the team. That was not always the case, however, as the junior catcher got off to a slow start. Colmenero opened the spring with just two hits in her first 13 games. She has seen much greater success lately, posting at least one hit in 16 of her last 18 games. That includes a career-best 11-game hitting streak set from April 17 to May 1.
STREAKING AT THE PLATE
Elyse Colmenero is not the only Bison to put together a lengthy hitting streak this season. Mary Pavlovich also had an 11-game stretch with at least one hit per contest in April, while Lauren Fry strung together nine straight games with a hit earlier in the season. Alison Ford, Shelly McCormack and Jane Messersmith have also recorded eight-game hitting streaks this spring.
RECORD-BREAKING FRY
Lauren Fry has been doing her best to put her name atop the record lists this spring. The junior outfielder has already set Bucknell's top single-season mark in walks (31) and is on the brink of doing the same in runs scored. Fry has 42 runs on the year, while Jenny Snyder (1999) holds the record at 44.
EXTRA-BASE HITS, PART I: TEAM HITTING
Bucknell has been hurting its opponents with extra-base hits throughout the season. The Bison have hit 75 doubles and 24 triples this spring, compared to 56 doubles and 11 triples for their opponents. Bucknell's triples total ranks fourth all-time in program history, while the team's doubles mark is a single-season school record. The Bison also tied a single-game record, posting six triples against Mount St. Mary's on April 6.
EXTRA-BASE HITS, PART II: INDIVIDUAL POWER
Several Bison have tallied double-digit extra-base hits this spring. Lauren Fry leads the group with 17, followed by Mary Pavlovich and Sherry Finkel with 15 apiece. Alison Ford comes in with 13 extra-base hits, while Jane Messersmith has 12. Shelly McCormack and Elyse Colmenero round out the group with 10 each.
| Total | 2B | 3B | HR | |
| Lauren Fry | 17 | 10 | 5 | 2 |
| Sherry Finkel | 15 | 11 | 1 | 3 |
| Mary Pavlovich | 15 | 10 | 1 | 4 |
| Alison Ford | 13 | 10 | 0 | 3 |
| Jane Messersmith | 12 | 4 | 6 | 2 |
| Shelly McCormack | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 |
| Elyse Colmenero | 10 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
EXTRA-BASE HITS, PART III: NATIONALLY RANKED
Bucknell has made quite the impact nationally when it comes to triples. As of May 9, Lauren Fry and Jane Messersmith were tied for 15th in the country in total triples and both ranked in the top 10 in triples per game this spring. As a team, the Bison were third in the nation with 0.55 triples per game. Bucknell was also ninth in doubles at 1.62 per game.
TEAM SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
With three doubles in the final game of the series vs. Army on May 2, Bucknell set a program record with 68 two-baggers this season, passing the 2008 squad's previous record of 67. Since then, the Bison have improved that total to 75 and set school records in wins (28), runs scored (249) and RBI (219). The Orange and Blue also ranks second in program history in hits (397) and walks (136).
POWERFUL PITCHING DEBUTS
Bucknell has benefited greatly from its young pitching staff, which boasts two freshmen and two sophomores. The newest Bison - Bridget Gates and Alex MacLean - have claimed 25 of Bucknell's 28 wins this season and all five of the squad's shutouts. MacLean also has Bucknell's best ERA (2.38), while Gates is second in the category (2.96).
MacLean's 13 wins this season and Gates' 12 are also the second- and third-most by a freshman in Bucknell history. Sharon Nichols, who is the Bison's all-time career wins record holder, recorded 14 victories as a freshman in 1988, a total that ranks second on the single-season list.
REACHING 10
With her win over Colgate on April 18, Bridget Gates became the first Bison pitcher to record 10 wins in her freshman season since Heidi Dawson and Allison Love both reached that mark in 1992. MacLean joined Gates in the 10-win club with her 4-3 decision over Lehigh in the opening game of the Patriot League Tournament.
Love now ranks second all-time in career wins at Bucknell with 42, while Dawson is third at 39.
STEADY MACLEAN
After shaking off the career-opening jitters in a 10-6 loss to Cornell on March 6, Alex MacLean became one of Bucknell's most consistent pitchers. The Big Red defeated the freshman in her Bucknell debut, but MacLean rebounded by going 16 straight appearances without a loss. After the 0-1 start, MacLean improved to 8-1 with a four-run victory over Lehigh on April 24. By the end of the Patriot League Tournament, MacLean was 13-5, including a 4-1 tally with a 1.17 ERA in championship action.
NO RUNS FOR YOU
Freshman pitchers Alex MacLean and Bridget Gates have recorded all five of Bucknell's shutouts this season. MacLean leads the duo with three, which ties her for 10th on the Bucknell single-season record list. With the mark, she becomes the third freshman to make the record books in shutouts, joining the program leader Sharon Nichols (1988) with nine and Allison Love, who is tied for eighth with four.
TRIO NAMED ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT
Bucknell placed a league-leading three student-athletes on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II teams on May 6. Leading the group were seniors Mary Pavlovich and Sherry Finkel were the only members of the Patriot League to receive First Team accolades and are now eligible for Academic All-America status. Jessie Snyder was named to the Second Team as well.
Pavlovich makes her second appearance on an All-District squad, having been named to the second team last year. Now in her senior season, the third baseman is hitting a career-best .333 with 10 doubles and four home runs. A biology major, Pavlovich has maintained a 3.66 GPA and has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll three times and the Bucknell Dean's List six times.
Finkel earned her award with a 3.67 GPA while majoring in environmental studies and minoring in biology and anthropology. Finkel has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll twice and the Bucknell Dean's List six times during her time as a Bison. Always active off the field, Finkel recently received the Robert A. Latour Service Award at the Bucknell Athletics Senior Recognition Dinner for her outstanding contributions to the university and community. The outfielder's athletic accomplishments this year include a career-best .346 batting average, 11 doubles and 28 RBI.
Snyder claimed her honor with a 3.76 GPA while majoring in English. Snyder is a two-time member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and Dean's List. She is also an active member in softball's Bison Buddy program, has volunteered with the Red Cross in disaster preparedness drills and traveled to Mexico as part of a mission trip to work with impoverished and orphaned children. On the field, Snyder has posted a .258 average while starting all 45 of the games in which she has appeared.
THE BISON FIVE
Bucknell will graduate five seniors this season in Sherry Finkel, Shelly McCormack, Alyssa Okita, Mary Pavlovich and Lauren Trosch. The quintet has led Bucknell to three Patriot League Tournaments, its first winning season since 1996 and its first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Their teams also rank in the top five at Bucknell in several single-season categories, including wins, home runs, RBI, runs scored, hits and games played among others. The five were recognized prior to the series versus Army for their commitment and dedication to Bucknell softball.
RAKING IN THE WEEKLY HONORS
Three Bison claimed six weekly awards in 2010. Lauren Fry was a two-time Patriot League Player of the Week, Alex MacLean twice was named the league's Pitcher of the Week and Bridget Gates earned a pair of Rookie of the Week honors. Only Army had more weekly honors with 12 this season.
OFF-FIELD SUCCESS
The Bison have had a host of academic success in the past year. The 2009 squad was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA), earning a spot on the Girls Got Game Top Ten All-Academic Team. The team posted a grade-point average of 3.363 during the 2008-09 academic year, ranking it 21st among NCAA Division I schools.
For the fourth consecutive year, Bucknell also led the Patriot League with 15 student-athletes named to the 2009 Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, which cites student-athletes with a GPA of 3.20 or better during the semester coinciding with his or her sport. Among the current Bison to make the honor roll were Meredith Dickson (accounting), Liz Fanning (biology), Sherry Finkel (environmental studies), Alison Ford (early childhood education), Lauren Fry (psychology), Alyssa Okita (mathematics), Mary Pavlovich (biology), Jessie Snyder (English), Lauren Trosch (environmental studies/Spanish) and Alicia Wheeler (undeclared).
THE LAST TIME...
Bucknell won its first Patriot League Tournament Championship in 1997, and it did so in dramatic fashion. As the No. 2 seed, the Bison moved easily through their first two games, defeating Holy Cross, 4-2, and Lehigh, 1-0. They fell to Colgate, 5-2, but got a second chance in the championship game. The Orange and Blue made the most of the opportunity, taking down the Raiders, 4-1 in 19 innings. Melanie Kulis pitched 16 scoreless innings and gave up just seven hits in 19 innings, giving her co-MVP honors at the end of the tournament. Jenn Gombos broke a 1-1 tie in the 19th with a two-RBI triple.
Both of Bucknell's Patriot League Championships have now come at Colgate's expense.
STUDENT-ATHLETE JOURNALS
For the last two years, the Bison have contributed to BucknellBison.com with their first-hand accounts of the season. In 2010, Lauren Trosch, Alison Ford and Sherry Finkel each touched base with an insider's look at Bucknell Softball.
The team took it a step further in 2010, producing video journals during its Spring Break trip to California and again at the Patriot League Tournament. Complete journal entries and video accounts can be found at BucknellBison.com.
