RELEASED:   Wednesday, March 19, 2008

UW-Oshkosh Receives Women’s Softball Preseason Nod

Madison, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the defending conference champion, is the preseason favorite to win the 2008 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) women’s softball championship, according to the league’s sports information directors.

The Titans claimed six first-place votes in the poll after earning the fourth conference crown in program history and first since 1985.  UW-Oshkosh set a WIAC record with a .971 fielding percentage, while advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament for a fifth time and establishing a school record with 37 victories.

Leading UW-Oshkosh’s returnees is three-time WIAC Pitcher of the Year Ronessa Stampfli.  In 2007, she pitched 41 consecutive scoreless innings from April 17 – May 1 and recorded a conference single-game record with 22 strikeouts against Coe College (Iowa) on May 10 in the NCAA tournament.  Stampfli already holds conference career records with 757 strikeouts, while ranking fifth with 23 shutouts and sixth with 56 wins.

UW-River Falls picked up one first-place vote and is expected to finish third in the nine-team league derby.  The Falcons have captured three WIAC championships with the most recent in 1994 and will be under the direction of new leader Jody Gabriel who assumes the role vacated by 18-year head coach Faye Perkins.  Junior Mindy Rudiger set a school single-season record with 12 home runs in 2007, while senior Emily Howlett cranked a program-high 15 doubles.  Senior Ashley Bertrand holds the Falcon career record with 355 strikeouts.

UW-Stevens Point also secured one first-place tally and is pegged for fourth in the conference pecking order.  The Pointers have claimed six WIAC titles, including the most recent in 2001, and set a school record with a .767 winning percentage a year ago.  Senior Laura Van Abel set school marks with 65 hits and 103 total bases and became the first player in program history to hit for the cycle against Augsburg College (Minn.) on March 9.  She enters the season on a 20-game hitting streak – the second-longest stretch in WIAC listings.

UW-Superior received the remaining first-place vote and is picked for sixth.  The Yellowjackets won their only conference trophy in 2002.  This year’s squad will play more than one-third of its regular-season schedule (16 games) during the spring trip to Florida.  Head coach Roger Plachta, the winningest coach in program history, has guided the club to 20-plus victories in four of his seven seasons.

UW-Eau Claire registered the highest finish in school history at the NCAA Division III Championship with a third-place standing a year ago.  The Blugolds own a conference-best seven regular-season titles and are the only team to win three straight crowns (2004-06).  Head coach Leslie Huntington, in her seventh season, is second among active WIAC coaches with 169 victories.

UW-Whitewater returns junior Amy Gahl who claimed the league’s Position Player of the Year honor last season.  She established a WIAC single-season mark with 62 runs scored and sixth-highest total with 68 hits a year ago.   Gahl enters the 2008 campaign riding the third-longest hitting streak in conference listings at 19 games.  Head coach Brenda Volk, in her 10th year, is 12 wins shy of breaking Irv Madsen’s school record of 264 victories.

UW-La Crosse hit 16 home runs a year ago – the third-best single-season mark in school history and returns senior Sarah Pfeifer who led the team with six home runs and 28 RBIs.  The six home runs represent the second-highest total in program archives. 

UW-Stout’s young lineup features four-year starter Beth Lloyd who ranked fifth in the WIAC with a .419 batting average a year ago.  The Blue Devils doubled their win total from 2006 during the 2007 campaign (8 to 16).  UW-Stout’s roster will consist of two seniors, two juniors, three sophomores and 13 freshmen.

UW-Platteville belted a school-record 40 home runs in 2007.  Junior Tera Burr had the second-highest batting average in conference history a year ago with a .495 mark and is the Pioneer career leader with a .443 average.

2008 Preseason Predictions (Voted on by WIAC Sports Information Directors)
                                                   2007 Record
1. UW-Oshkosh (6)                 36-11, 15-1
2. UW-Eau Claire                     38-14, 10-6
3. UW-River Falls (1)               32-12, 11-5
4. UW-Stevens Point (1)         33-10, 13-3
5. UW-Whitewater                   24-15, 8-8
6. UW-Superior (1)                   19-22, 6-10
7. UW-La Crosse                      12-26, 4-12
8. UW-Stout                              16-21, 4-12
9. UW-Platteville                      11-28, 1-15

( )--First-place votes

Team Vitals (Entering 2008 season)
UW-Eau Claire
Head Coach: Leslie Huntington; 7th season; 169-85 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 14/5
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 4/5
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 2/1
Returning All-WIAC: Jill Janke, Sr., INF (2005-First, 2006-First, 2007-First); Casey Leisgang, Sr., INF (2005-First, 2006-First/Co-Position Player of the Year, 2007-First); Bri Sturm, Jr., RHP (2007-First); Michelle Butkus, Sr., INF (2007-HM)

UW-La Crosse
Head Coach: Chris Helixon; 8th season (3rd at UW-La Crosse); 83-131-1 overall / 31-47 at UWL
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/6
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 5/4 
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 1/1
Returning All-WIAC: Sarah Pfeifer, Sr., 2B (2007-First); Liz Bradley, Sr., 3B (2006-First)

UW-Oshkosh
Head Coach: Cindy Suess; 4th season; 87-43-1 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/10
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 4/5 
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 2/0 
Returning All-WIAC: Ronessa Stampfli, Sr., RHP (2005-First/Pitcher of the Year, 2006-First /Co-Pitcher of the Year; 2007-First/Pitcher of the Year); Amy Sullivan, Sr., RHP (2007-First); Dani Olsen, Sr., C (2006-HM)

UW-Platteville
Head Coach: Heather Townsend; 3rd season; 26-40 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 10/4
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/2
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 1/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 0/0
Returning All-WIAC: Tera Burr, Jr., 2B (2006-First, 2007-First) 

UW-River Falls
Head Coach: Jody Gabriel; 1st season; 0-0 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 12/7 
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 8/1
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/2
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 2/1
Returning All-WIAC: Emily Howlett, Sr., 3B (2006-First, 2007-First); Mindy Rudiger, Jr., SS/RHP (2006-HM, 2007-First); Ashley Bertrand, Sr., RHP (2007-First); Brittany Rathbun, Sr., RHP (2005-HM, 2006-HM)

UW-Stevens Point
Head Coach: Ann Munzenmaier; 4th season; 83-41-1 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 11/8
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 5/5
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 1/1
Returning All-WIAC: Laura Van Abel, Sr., SS (2006-First, 2007-First); Korryn Brooks, Sr., C (2007-First)

UW-Stout
Head Coach: Chris Stainer; 11th season (10th at UW-Stout); 167-226 overall / 149-201 at UWS
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 6/7
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 5/5
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 1/1
Returning All-WIAC: Beth Lloyd, Sr., C (2007-First); Nelly Peterson, Jr., 1B/2B (2007-HM)

UW-Superior
Head Coach: Roger Plachta, 8th season; 154-119 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 8/3
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 6/5
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 2/0
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 1/0
Returning All-WIAC: Becky Crane, Jr., 2B (2007-First); Jen Parchem, So., C (2007-HM)

UW-Whitewater
Head Coach: Brenda Volk; 10th season; 253-129-4 overall
Letterwinners Returning/Lost: 13/8
Starting Position Players Returning/Lost: 9/4
Pitchers with Starting Experience Returning/Lost: 3/1
Pitchers with Saves Returning/Lost: 2/0
Returning All-WIAC: Amy Gahl, Jr., OF (2007-First/Position Player of the Year); Suzanne Gersich, Jr., OF (2006-First, 2007-First); Ashley Smith, Jr., 2B (2007-HM); Dianna Frisbee, Jr., RHP (2006-HM)