Michigan State University Athletics
Softball To Open Big Ten Play At Wisconsin
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 1, 1999
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State takes a seven-game winning streak into its Big Ten opening series against Wisconsin this weekend at Goodman Softball Complex in Madison, Wis.
The Spartans and Badgers will meet in a doubleheader on Friday, April 2 at 2 p.m., CST, and will close out the series with a single game on Saturday, April 3 at 1 p.m.
The Records
Michgan State improved to 23-11 overall with a 2-0 win over Detroit in its home opener on March 31 at Old College Field.
The Spartans, who have won 11 of their last 12 games overall, extended their winning streak to seven games.
The Badgers improved to 10-7 overall after taking two games from Loyola on March 30 in Madison. Wisconsin won the first game, 4-2 and then downed the Ramblers, 9-1 in five innings. The Badgers will host Western Illinois in a twin bill on April 1 before its three-game series with MSU.
Series Record
MSU is 8-4 against Wisconsin since the Badgers began varsity play in 1996.
In The Poll
Michigan State received 25 points in this week's USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
Missouri is ranked 25th in the poll, just ahead of the Spartans with 36 points.
The Coach
Jacquie Joseph is in her sixth year as the head coach at Michigan State. The Spartan mentor has posted a record of 184-139 at MSU and has a career mark of 320-272 in 11 years in the collegiate ranks.
Joseph, who spent five years as the head coach at Bowling Green prior to being named the fourth head coach in MSU history, recorded her 300th career victory in the Spartans' 4-3 win over Illinois State on Feb. 20, 1999.
The Flint native has guided MSU to three-straight 30-win seasons and in 1997, led the Spartans to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 1997.
Joseph completed a four-year term as president of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association in December of 1998.
Big Ten Openers
Michigan State is 6-10 in Big Ten openers since the conference began league play in 1983. The Spartans are just 3-8 in Big Ten openers on the road and are 2-3 in their first league game of the year under head coach Jacquie Joseph.
Strutz Named Big Ten Pitcher of the Week
Junior Erica Strutz has been named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Week for her efforts in leading the Spartans to the Florida State Seminole Classic title last weekend.
Strutz picked up all four wins to lead MSU to the tournament title and extend its winning streak to six games.
In four contests, she allowed just one run in 22 1/3 innings for a 0.32 earned run average. She gave up 18 hits, walked eight and had 18 strikeouts.
"I'm extremely proud of the determination, leadership and poise that Erica displayed over the weekend," coach Jacquie Joseph said. "She showed great mental toughness and focus in pitching all of those innings."
The Howell native opened the tournament on March 27 by throwing a complete-game shutuout against Florida State. In MSU's 6-1 win over Troy State on March 28, she gave up just one run and tied her career high with 10 strikeouts.
Strutz came on in relief in the Spartans' 11-inning win over Florida State on March 28, throwing 7 1/3 innings and not allowing a run. She also had four strikeouts.
Thomas Questionable With Injury
Freshman Tiffany Thomas suffered a sprained left ankle last weekend and is questionable for this weekend's series with Wisconsin.
Thomas, who injured the ankle in MSU's 3-2 win over Troy State on March 27 while sliding into second base, has missed three games with the injury.
The right fielder has started 30 games and is fourth on the team with a .290 batting average. She is second on the team with 16 RBI.
Winning Streak
Michigan State takes a season-high seven-game winning streak into the series with Wisconsin. The Spartans haven't lost since March 20 when they dropped a 7-1 decision to Florida Atlantic.
After going 4-7 in their first 11 games of the year, the Spartans have posted a 19-4 mark and have lost back-to-back games just once.
Working Overtime
MSU has played four extra inning games this season and is 3-1 in those contests.
The Spartans defeated Florida State, 5-4, in 11 innings on March 28 to secure the Seminole Classic title with a 4-0 record.
Close Call? - No Problem
The Spartans are 8-1 in one-run games this season.
MSU has outscored its opponents, 28-14, in the sixth and seventh innings this year.
Error Free
Michigan State is second in the Big Ten with a .964 fielding average.
The Spartans have not committed an error in their last six games and in a total of 45-straight innings dating back to the sixth inning of their 6-0 win over Princeton on March 21.
Leads Safe With Spartans
MSU is 17-0 this season when leading after the fifth inning of a game.
Shea's Hitting Streak
Sophomore Shealee Dunavan takes a 10-game hitting streak into this weekend's series with Wisconsin.
Dunavan's hitting streak began on March 13 against Boston University.
During the streak, the Spartan first baseman is hitting .486 with 17 hits in 35 at-bats.
Dunavan Leading The Big Ten
Sophomore Shealee Dunavan leads the Big Ten with a .442 batting average.
The Spartan lefty has a slugging percentage of .653 with 13 of her 42 hits going for extra bases.
The Yorba Linda, Calif., native made the switch to first base this season after starting 54 games in right field as a rookie.
Leader Of The Pack
Senior catcher Molly Hugan, who was a career .243 hitter coming into this season, is second on the team with a .313 average.
The Holly native has already surpassed last season's hit total with 30 and leads the team and is fourth in the Big Ten with a career-high 24 RBI.
Hugan has moved into sixth place on the MSU all-time chart with 64 career RBI.
Carrying The Load
Junior pitcher Erica Strutz has appeared in 26 of MSU's 34 games this season and has thrown over half of the innings (126.1), while the Spartans' other three pitchers have combined to pitch 108.2 innings.
Strutz, who is MSU's only returning pitcher from last season, has posted a 17-7 record with a 1.72 ERA and a career-high 98 strikeouts.
Strutz's 17 wins tie for fourth with Stefanie Noffsinger on the MSU single-season chart. She needs just three more wins to become only the third pitcher in Spartan history to record 20 wins.
Former Spartan standout Stacey Smith accomplished the feat twice with an MSU-record 29 victories in 1997 and 22 in 1996, while Sue Sims recorded 20 wins in 1981.
Head Coach Jacquie Joseph has also been pleased with the progress of freshman Becky Gray of Burr Oak.
The Spartan rookie has thrown 63 1/3 innings and has a 5-2 record with a 2.10 ERA.
THIS AND THAT Junior Stacey Phillips had the game-winning RBI in MSU's 5-4 win over Florida State in 11 innings on March 28...freshman Tiffany Thomas has a four-game hitting streak...senior Tiffany Yager has stolen eight straight bases without being thrown out. She has stolen 14-of-16 bases this season.
USA Today/NFCA Poll
3/30/99
School Points 1. UCLA (25) 625 2. Arizona 600 3. Fresno State 562 4. Washington 527 5. USL 516 6. Arizona State 485 7. Michigan 438 8. Oklahoma 429 9. Stanford 425 10. South Carolina 400 11. Louisiana State 381 12. Oregon State 342 13. Oregon 291 14. California 283 15. Texas 260 16. Illinois-Chicago 243 17. Southern Mississippi 230 18. Texas A&M 182 19. South Florida 171 20. Iowa 157 21. New Mexico 123 22. Massachusetts 106 23. Minnesota 103 24. DePaul 74 25. Missouri 36VOTES: Michigan State (25), Hawaii (19), Central Michigan (18), Evansville (16), Maryland (12), Nebraska (10), Oklahoma State (9), Florida State (8), Troy State (6), Hofstra (4), Southwest Missouri State (4), Baylor (2), Boston University (1), North Carolina (1), Notre Dame (1).
