Feb. 11, 2004

UNLV Softball Classic Tournament Page

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STORYLINE: In just the second week of the season, many of the best softball teams in the country will converge in Las Vegas for the UNLV Softball Classic. Recognized nationally as one of the top tournaments each season, the Classic returns to the valley for the 18th time ... Tournament action will be conducted at two venues: Eller Media Stadium on the campus of UNLV, and Stephanie Lynn Craig Park in Henderson. A total of 37 games will be played from Friday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 15, between a field of 15 teams, including the host UNLV Rebels. Play will begin at 11 a.m. daily and last all day on each field ... Highlighting the talent to be on display this week is #1 UCLA, the highest rated of the nine participating teams that received votes in this week's NFCA Coaches Poll ... Also participating will be #2 California, #8 Michigan, #9 Nebraska, #13 DePaul, #18 LSU, #22 Oregon State, #32 Hawaii and #36 Notre Dame. Cal Poly, Portland State, UC Riverside, Utah, Wisconsin and host UNLV round out the field. UNLV is scheduled to face Hawaii, California, Michigan, Notre Dame at Eller Media Stadium before meeting Wisconsin on Sunday at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park. Admission costs are $20 daily, or an all-session tournament pass can be purchased for $30.

ABOUT UNLV: Under first-year head coach Lonni Alameda, the Rebels return 12 letterwinners and nine starters from their 2003 squad. Offensively, Kacey Ellis (.417/0/1) leads the team in batting average, but Lisa Sampson (.294/0/2) has led the team in hitting in both of the last two seasons and leads the team with two RBI. Junior third-baseman Pauline Glenn (.199/6/23) led the Rebels with six home runs and 23 RBI last year and was an All-Mountain West Conference choice as a freshman. Defensively, junior pitcher Jacqueline Kerrigan (2-2, 1.27) was an all-conference selection last year and leads the Rebels in the circle with two wins and 27 strikeouts.

HEAD COACH Lonni Alameda: The UNLV softball team has a new face in the dugout this year as Lonni Alameda is in her first season as the Rebels' head coach. Alameda came to Las Vegas from Stanford University, where she oversaw the Cardinal pitching staff and helped coach the team to six straight NCAA Regional appearances. A two-sport star at the University of Oklahoma, Alameda was a two-time All-Big Eight infielder and hit .359 as a senior in 1992. She earned her first career victory in a 3-2 eight-inning decision over New Mexico on Feb. 6.

ABOUT HAWAII: Hawai'i opened play last week at the Hawai'i Paradise Classic, posting a 3-3 record ... The Rainbow Wahine received six votes in this week's NFCA Coaches poll ... The defending WAC champions return both the league's player (Stacey Porter) and pitcher (Melissa Coogan) of the year ... As former rivals in both the Big West Conference and the WAC, UNLV and UH have met 65 times on the diamond, and UH leads the series 35-30. The Rebels won the last meeting between the two, 5-2 on Feb. 17 in Las Vegas.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA: For the second straight week, UNLV will face the No. 2 team in the country when it meets California on Friday night. The Golden Bears took the No. 2 slot away from Arizona after rolling to a 6-0 record last week. Cal swept twin bills with Sac State, Saint Mary's and San Jose State, posting three shtouts along the way. The Bears lead the all-time series between the two 7-5, including victories in both of the last two years.

ABOUT MICHIGAN: Saturday's matchup will be just the second meeting between Michigan and UNLV. The two met it 1995 at the UCLA Easton Classic, and the Rebels handed the 10th-ranked Wolverines a 4-0 loss ... Michigan opens its 2004 season in Las Vegas, and will face Cal Poly, Oregon State and Nebraska before meeting the Rebels ... The Wolverines are coming off a 44-16 campaign which included an appearance at the NCAA Regional.

ABOUT NOTRE DAME: Notre Dame also opens its 2004 campaign in Vegas. The Fightin' Irish posted a 38-17 mark last season en route to their second straight Big East title ... UNLV and Notre Dame have met only once before, two years ago in Las Vegas. Jacqueline Kerrigan tossed a two-hitter in the Rebels' 2-1 victory ... Former UNLV assistant coach Kris McCleary Ganeff now sits in her alma mater's dugout as a third-year assistant.

ABOUT WISCONSIN: Like its Midwest brethren, Wisconsin also kicks off the year this week. The Badgers posted only a 19-26 record last season and finished eighth in the Big Ten ... UNLV and Wisconsin last met in the 2002 Fiesta Bowl Tournament. Andrea Kirchberg threw a one-hitter as UW knocked off the Rebels, 3-0. The series stands even at one win apiece.

RANKED OPPONENTS: UNLV already got a small taste of a ranked opponent in its 10-1 loss at No. 2 Arizona on Feb. 7. The Rebels will face two more top-25 teams at the UNLV Classic (California and Michigan) and meet two others receiving votes (Hawaii and Notre Dame). As of Feb. 10, the Rebels are scheduled to face 11 different opponents that received votes in the NFCA poll.

PRESEASON POLLS: While UNLV did not rank in the Top 25 poll, the Rebels did check in at No. 5 in the Mountain West Conference Preseason Coaches Poll announced Jan. 22. With 23 points and four first-place votes, San Diego State was chosen as a slight favorite to win its third straight league title over Colorado State, which scored 21 points and the other two first-place votes. Rounding out the poll were BYU (18), Utah (13), UNLV (9) and New Mexico (6).

ON DECK: Following the UNLV Softball Classic, the Rebels remain at home and host their second tourney of the year, UNLV Tournament I that features six teams from Feb. 19-22.