Nelson leads softball into Super Regional Nelson leads softball into Super Regional (May 25, 2005)

Senior catcher a key player as Stanford readies for Tennessee

by Rick Eymer

Home plate belonged to Stanford senior catcher Leah Nelson last weekend. She stepped on it more often than all three Cardinal opponents combined during the Missouri Regional and defended it with determination and vigor, guiding freshman pitcher Becky McCullough through two complete game victories.

Call her "The General" for helping to lead the Cardinal charge through the field in Columbia, Mo., which included Sunday's 3-2 victory over host Missouri that earned Stanford a berth in this weekend's Super Regional.

Stanford beat Robert Morris, 9-0, in Friday's first game and then defeated Southern Illinois, 9-1, to advance to Sunday's regional championship.

Nelson, who took over at catcher this season after playing first base during Stanford's run to the College World Series last year, scored four runs - three on home runs - and drove in seven runs as Stanford looks to advance to the CWS for the second straight year.

"Leah has always been able to catch and she's always been in the mix," Stanford coach John Rittman said. "She stepped right in. She was our primary first baseman last year and she played third base her freshman and sophomore years. She's a calming affect for all our pitchers."

Sixth-seeded Stanford (43-14) hosts No. 11 Tennessee at Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium for a best-of-three series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. with a CWS berth at stake.

The teams will also play on Saturday at 1 p.m., with a challenge game set for 3:30 p.m. if necessary.

"Tennessee is a very good offensive team," Rittman said. "And they also have (sophomore) Monica Abbott from North Salinas, who was all-everything in Northern California. We play, in my opinion, in the toughest conference in the country from top to bottom so we'll be well prepared for a good series."

Stanford is one of five Pac-10 teams to reach the Super Regional weekend. Washington travels to top-ranked Michigan, Third-seeded Arizona hosts No. 14 Oklahoma, Seventh-seeded UCLA hosts No. Georgia and No. 2 California goes to No. 15 Baylor.

Pac-10 co-champion Oregon State lost to DePaul in the regional championship in Madison, Wisc., and Oregon lost to host Oklahoma in the regional final. Arizona State, which finished last in the eight-team conference, lost to Hofstra in the regional semifinal in Alabama.

Nelson hit .444 over the weekend, which included her career-high 10th homer of the season, and had a slugging percentage of 1.556. She also guided Cardinal pitching to 1.05 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP (walks and hits per inning).

McCullough (21-6) shared Friday's shutout with junior Laura Severson. McCullough allowed three runs in 18 innings and struck out 15 and saved her best for last.

Nelson's three-run homer in the third provided Stanford with all the offense it would need against Missouri, though there were some anxious moments over the final innings. McCullough responded with three strikeouts and a double play in the final two innings to secure Stanford's spot in the Super Regional.

"Becky rebounded after the home run," Rittman said. "That shows her composure. She's only a freshman but you can't tell if she's behind or ahead because she's so focused."

"Stanford did a nice job," Missouri coach Ty Singleton said. "I felt like we played well. It's hard to be disappointed."

Missouri freshman Micaela Minner gave the Tigers (44-15) a 2-0 lead with her 17th home run, a school record, in the bottom of the first. McCullough settled down and retired the next seven batters she faced and finished with a four-hitter.

Freshman third baseman Michelle Smith also turned in a solid offensive performance in the regional, going 6-for-9 (.667) with a home run and two doubles. She extended her single-season home run record to 19.

"Wow! Between Michelle Smith and Leah Nelson, no one has hit us that hard in three years. We've played California and Michigan this year and I thought Michigan was the hardest-hitting team we've faced, but I'm going to have to put Stanford up there," Southern Illinois coach Kerri Blaylock said. "We threw the kitchen sink at them and they hit everything we threw at them. I knew they were good hitters, but I don't think we expected this. They're at a different level and they're as good as any team we've played."

Katherine Hoffman added two hits against Missouri.

Smith and Nelson combined to go 7-for-8 with six RBI against the Saluki. Sophomore outfielder Jackie Rinehart added two hits and drove in two runs.

Elizabeth Bendig and Smith each drove in two runs against the Colonials while Catalina Morris added three hits and Hoffman had two.

Tennessee (62-13) advanced to the Super Regional with a 2-0 victory over the College of Charleston. Sophomore Lindsay Schutzler hit a two-run homer and Abbott pitched a no-hitter.

Baseball

Stanford fell into a fifth-place tie with California in the Pac-10 after dropping two of three games to second-place Arizona last weekend.

The Cardinal (11-10, 31-21) lost 9-4 on Friday night and 11-8 on Sunday.

Chris Minaker singled with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to score Jim Rapoport on Saturday to give Stanford a 5-4 win.

Stanford is assured of its worst finish in the Pac-10 since winding up sixth in 1993 as it prepares to travel to third-place USC (13-8, 34-18).

Despite their conference mark, the Cardinal will likely still earn their 12th straight trip to the postseason but will travel for the first time since 1995.

"Any time you make the playoffs it's a great year," Stanford coach Mark Marquess said. "Anything can happen. We want to play better. We're not playing as well as Arizona and (conference leader) Oregon State. There's a reason they are where they are."

Stanford has lost 21 times this year, the most since losing 25 in 1995. That could also be good news for the Cardinal. That 1995 team, which also lost 10 conference games, reached the College World Series.

Arizona reached the College World Series after finishing fifth in the Pac-10 last year.

"There are seven (Pac-10) teams capable of doing that," Marquess said. "And all of them have enough pitching to do it. Arizona probably has better hitting and Oregon State has better pitching but we are all capable of it."

Stanford honored its only senior, Cameron Matthews, on Sunday. Matthews spent his first two years on The Farm as team manager before making the team as a junior.

Minaker was 4-for-14 with four RBI on the weekend and extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games.

Jed Lowrie was 3-for-4 with three RBI on Sunday after being held hitless in eight at bats in the series. Lowrie has never gone more than two games without a hit this season.

Adam Sorgi added three hits on Sunday, while John Hester drove in two runs.

On Saturday, Chris Lewis hit his sixth homer of the year, a two-run shot in the fifth that helped give the Cardinal a 4-3 lead. Arizona tied it in the seventh to set up Minaker's game winner.

Minaker and Michael Taylor each drove in two runs on Friday.

Men's golf

Stanford freshman Rob Grube shot a career-low 65 on Saturday to help earn him the NCAA West Regional individual title with a three-day total of 6-under-par 204 at the Stanford Golf Course.

Grube won't be alone at the NCAA championships though, as the 16th-seeded Cardinal finished eighth with a 54-hole total of 583 to earn a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2001.

Stanford travels to Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland for the tournament, which begins June 1.

"This was a great team effort, and I am so happy for the seniors who will be making their first appearance at the NCAA Championships," Grube said. "I have been thirsting for a win all year, and I have been working hard. I have been trying to relax and have some fun."

Grube became the first Stanford golfer to win a regional title since Tiger Woods in 1996.

Women's golf

Stanford finished 19th at the NCAA championships at Sunriver Resort's Meadows Course in Oregon. The Cardinal shot a four-round total of 1,212, 42 strokes behind NCAA champion Duke.

Sophomore Lauren Todd led the Cardinal with a four-day total of 300, good for 45th place.

Women's water polo

Stanford sophomore Christina Hewko was named first team All-American by the American Water Polo Coaches Association.

She was joined on the second team by senior Hannah Luber and sophomores Katie Hansen and Meridith McColl.

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