TIU Softball opens conference play this week
Trinity International takes on Judson, Trinity Christian, and No. 5 St. Xavier after nearly 3 weeks since their last game.
 |
vs. |
 |
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-8, 0-0 CCAC) at JUDSON EAGLES (4-15, 0-0 CCAC)
Monday, March 31 | 5:00 p.m. (Doubleheader)
JU Softball Complex | Elgin, Ill.
|
|
vs. |
 |
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-8, 0-0 CCAC vs. TRINITY CHRISTIAN TROLLS (5-5, 0-0 CCAC)
Tuesday, April 1 | 3:00 p.m. (Doubleheader)
Heritage Park Athletic Complex | Wheeling, Ill.
|
|
vs. |
 |
TRINITY INTERNATIONAL TROJANS (0-8, 0-0 CCAC) at No. 5 ST. XAVIER COUGARS (14-2, 0-0 CCAC)
Thursday, April 3 | 3:00 p.m. (Doubleheader)
SXU Softball Field | Chicago, Ill.
Game Notes | Twitter Updates: @TIUTrojans | @JUAthletics | @TrinityTroll | @gosxucougars
Season Stats: Trinity International | Judson | Trinity Christian | St. Xavier
This Week
After more than two weeks without playing, the Trinity International softball team is finally done waiting for spring to come, as the Trojans open up conference play with three doubleheaders this week. TIU heads to Elgin, Ill. for a Monday night matchup with the Judson Eagles, before hosting the Trinity Christian Trolls on Tuesday. The Trojan home opener has been moved to the Heritage Park Athletic Complex in Wheeling, Ill., as the TIU Softball Field continues to dry out and get into playable shape. Finally, the Trojans will look for the upset on Thursday, when they travel to No. 5 St. Xavier for an afternoon twinbill with the Cougars.
Last Time Out
Trinity International went 0-8 during their spring break visit to Florida. The Trojans faced off against five quality opponents, and struggled to get the offense in a rhythm, scoring just eight runs throughout the week. Junior Jamie Weaver posted the team's best average in the first week of the year, hitting .353 (6-17) while scoring four runs. Breanna Hansen (FR/Grand Rapids, Mich.) stands out as the team's early RBI leader, driving in a pair of runs against Spring Arbor on Mar. 11.
New Coach
Alyssa Fogerty begins her first season as head coach of the Trojans in 2014, after a successful four-year playing career at Taylor (Ind.). A career .358 hitter at shortstop, Fogerty plans to use her recent playing expertise in developing the Trinity softball program. Fogerty was a four-year starter at Taylor, and is the school record holder for most hits and most games played, while finishing second on the program's all-time doubles list.
National Leader
First baseman Danielle Donorovich (SO/Lockport, N.Y.) has gotten off to a great start in the field, and is currently one of a number of players boasting a 1.000 fielding percentage, tied for first in the NAIA. The sophomore is the last qualifying Trojan to not commit an error, and is one of 18 fielders in the CCAC to still hold a perfect record in the field. Donorovich ranks 10th in the CCAC with 5.25 putouts per game, and 10th in the league in chances per game.
As a team, the Trojans have struggled in the field, comitting an average of 4.0 errors per game; that figure ranks as the second highest in the NAIA this season. The mishaps have led to 38 unearned runs so far this season, making up 37.3% of all runs allowed by TIU in 2014.
Scouting the Opponents
Judson
• The Eagles have started the year with a 4-11 record, and are riding a six-game losing streak entering this weekend's series at William Penn (Iowa).
• As a team, Judson ranks 8th in the CCAC in both batting average (.271), and ERA (5.20).
• Freshman infielder Nicky Chapa currently leads the team with a .383 batting average. Sophomore Maddie Smith has driven in a team-high 13 RBI and is hitting .370 on the season.
• Brianna Tennyson is the Eagles' top pitcher, posting a 3-6 record and 3.66 ERA over a CCAC-high 59 1/3 innings this season. Tennyson also ranks 11th in the NAIA, averaging 6.59 innings pitched per start.
• Judson leads the series over the Trojans, 12-6 dating back to 2006. The Eagles have claimed seven straight games, as TIU last defeated Judson in 2010.
Trinity Christian
• The Trolls are 5-5 in the early season, and are coming off a doubleheader sweep of Mount Vernon Nazarene on Mar. 13.
• TCC currently holds the second-lowest batting average in the CCAC, at .239. Their pitching staff has played well, however, with the third-best ERA in the league (2.30).
• Junior Jayme Love has a team-high .308 average at the plate this season, while senior Brianna Brugioni has driven in five RBI to lead the Trolls.
• A pair of Trolls, in Mattie McGuire (0.39, 3rd in NAIA) and Brugioni (0.52, 8th in NAIA) have ERAs under a run, pitching a total of 45 innings between the two. McGuire has just one earned run allowed this season, and ranks 2nd in the NAIA.
• Trinity Christian leads the series 13-5 over TIU since 2006. The Trolls have won ten in a row over TIU, stretching back to the 2009 season.
#5 St. Xavier
• The Cougars are 14-2 this season, and ranked No. 5 in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll. SXU currently holds a four-game win streak and has up to six games on the schedule before taking on TIU later in the week.
• St. Xavier currently holds the lowest team ERA in the nation, at 0.58. Opponents are hitting just .163 against the Cougars, good for 5th in the NAIA.
• Sophomore Kasey Kanaga has posted a team-high average of .395 this season, while junior Amanda Hainlen has driven in 11 runs to lead the team.
• Nicole Nonnemacher leads the NAIA with a .114 opponents' batting average, and is second nationally with 2.75 hits allowed per game.
• The Trojans have beaten the Cougars just twice over the last 18 games, with the most recent win coming in 2006. SXU have claimed 16 in a row over Trinity International.
Trojans in the Polls
• Trinity International ranked 11th in the latest CCAC Conference Rankings, released on Monday. TIU is the last winless team in the league, and are currently on a 62-game slide, dating back to 2012.
• The Trojans are yet to receive a national ranking since the debut of the NAIA Coaches Poll in 2000.
Last Season vs. the Eagles, Trolls & Cougars
• The Trojans went 0-6 last season against Judson, Trinity Christian and St. Xavier. They were outscored in those six games by a 74-5 margin.
• TIU was no-hit by the Eagles in the first game of their doubleheader on Mar. 27; in the second game, Allie Corveleyn drove inVictoria Livingston (SO/Des Plaines, Ill.) in the fourth inning, for the team's lone run.
• The Trojans were defeated 5-0, 6-3, in a doubleheader with TCC on Apr. 2. Joey Foor went 4-for-7 on the day for TIU, with a pair of doubles. In the second game, Ashely O'Brien was 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI.
• Suffering their second no-hit game of the year, Trinity fell to St. Xavier in a doubleheader on Apr. 4, by scores of 14-0 and 21-1. Corveleyn had the lone hit of the day, going 1-for-2 with a run scored in the second game.
Pitching Staff
• Senior Samantha Payne (SR/Chebanse, Ill.) and freshman Breanna Hansen have made four starts apiece, and have pitched all 38 innings for the Trojans this season. Both pitchers are looking for their first wins of the season, each sporting 0-4 records.
• Payne has pitched three complete games out of her four starts, and has thrown a team-high 26 1/3 innings. She has 13 strikeouts on the year, also a team high.
Heavy Hitters
• The Trojans currently rank last in the CCAC with a team average of .167. Jamie Weaver currently leads the team, hitting for .353 with four runs scored. and a .412 slugging percentage.
• Weaver is the only Trojan hitting over .300, and the only player with a slugging percentage and on-base percentage above the .400 mark.
NCCAA Rankings
• The Trojans' 0-8 record currently places as one of three teams searching for their first win in the NCCAA.
• TIU ranks 34th out of 54 programs in the NCCAA's Burbridge rankings, used to determine seedings for NCCAA regional and national tournaments.
• For the Trojans to qualify for the upcoming NCCAA North Central Regional, they must post at least a winning percentage of 60.0%. To reach that mark, TIU needs to finish the season with at least an 18-12 record.
