Complete Release in PDF Format
Spartanburg, S.C. - Upstate will hit the road for its second big road trip of the season when it travels to Florida to play a pair of doubleheaders at Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson. The Spartans will face FGCU Thursday evening at 5:00 and Stetson Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
Upstate enters the weekend with a 32-7 overall record and a 4-4 mark in the A-Sun. The Spartans have swept the first doubleheader of the last two conference weekends, taking two wins over Belmont and North Florida. However, they have been swept by the second weekend opponent each weekend, losing two games each to Lipscomb and Jacksonville. FGCU enters Thursday's games with a 21-21 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the A-Sun. Stetson enters the weekend with a 15-20 overall record and a 1-5 mark in the A-Sun.
Upstate is 4-2 all-time against Florida Gulf Coast, sweeping the Eagles in 2008 and last year, while being swept in 2009. The Spartans are 8-1 all-time with Stetson, splitting the regular season doubleheader last year and defeating the Hatters in the A-Sun Tournament. Fans can follow the action online with free live statistics at www.fgcuathletics.com and www.gohatters.com, while the doubleheader at Stetson will have live video for a fee on Stetson's athletics website.
Looking Back at North Florida and Jacksonville
Morgan Childers earned both wins in the doubleheader sweep of North Florida and tossed a solid 10-inning game against Jacksonville, but Upstate split its games last weekend and went 2-2. Childers struck out 11 and scattered four hits, while Ericka Harris belted a walk-off homer in the 1-0 victory over UNF in the first game. Childers then tossed four innings of near-perfect relief to earn the win in game two. Jacksonville squeaked out a 3-2 win in 10 innings in the first game and took a 4-1 win in the second to sweep the Spartans the next day.
Brasil, Childers Top Nation in Several Statistical Categories
Kim Brasil and Morgan Childers have been leaders on the Upstate team since their freshman season. The two are now leaders in a different way, topping the nation in several statistical categories in the latest report issued by the NCAA. Brasil tops the nation with five triples on the year. Childers tops the nation in three categories, leading all Division I schools with 23 wins, 283 strikeouts and 12.3 strikeouts per game.
Upstate ranks among the top 30 in six team categories, including sixth with 1.77 doubles per game, 12th with a 1.46 ERA and 16th with a .975 fielding Percentage. The Spartans' .314 batting average is 29th. Individually, Upstate ranks in the top 50 in the nation in 12 categories.
On the Brink of Another Milestone
In a career filled with tremendous accomplishments, Morgan Childers is on the brink of achieving yet another career milestone. With 107 career victories, she is just one win shy of the all-time A-Sun record for wins. Nikki Myers, who pitched at Florida Atlantic from 1999-02, owns the current record of 108. Childers also ranks among the A-Sun's all-time leaders in appearances, complete games and strikeouts.
Upstate Garners First-Ever Top 25 National Ranking
For the first time in school history playing on the Division I level, the Upstate softball program earned a top 25 national ranking in a major top 25 poll, coming in at No. 25 in the March 22 UltimateCllegeSoftball.com poll.
Upstate Sits Atop A-Sun Rankings
Upstate continues to turn in numbers that keep the Spartans among the A-Sun statistical leaders. Upstate remains the conference leader with a .314 batting average. The Spartans lead the conference in eight individual categories with Janna Lewis topping the A-Sun with a .408 batting average and Morgan Childers with 23 wins and 283 strikeouts. Overall, the Spartans appear 38 times in the various top 10 lists in the latest report. See the full listing in the left sidebar on page 5.
Brasil Moves into Top 10 All-Time for Hits
Kim Brasil's name appears in the Top 10 in seven different career statistical categories at Upstate. She recently moved into the Top 10 on Upstate's all-time hits list and is currently sixth with 194 in her career. She is the first player who has played her entire career on the Division I level to reach the Top 10 in the hits category. She also ranks fourth all-time with 49 doubles and sixth with 136 runs.
Quevedo Second on Upstate's All-Time Home Runs List
Lauren Quevedo continues to move up the ladder on the all-time home runs list at Upstate. With two home runs last weekend, she has reached 30 in her career, moving into sole possession of second on the all-time list. She also ranks fifth with 107 RBIs and seventh with a .545 slugging percentage. Upstate Athletics Hall of Fame member Stacey Berrong tops the all-time list with 46 in her two-year career.
Spartans Strong at Home
Since opening Cyrill Stadium in 2002, Upstate has been tough to beat at home. The Spartans were 24-6 in 2010 and set a school record for winning in 2009 with an 18-3 mark for an .857 winning percentage. Upstate is 168-44 (.792) all-time at home since 2002. Upstate entered the doubleheader against Lipscomb (March 27) with a 26-game home winning streak dating back to last season and a 20-0 mark to start the 2011 season. However, the loss to the Lady Bisons in the first game ended the streak.
Childers Second on A-Sun Career Shutouts, Strikeouts Lists
Morgan Childers has moved into second place in A-Sun history with 41 shutouts and 1,246 strikeouts. Florida Atlantic's Nikki Myers owns the all-time marks with 47 shutouts and 1,376. Childers is six shutouts and 130 strikeouts shy of the all-time records.
Childers Owns 10 Career Records at Upstate
Morgan Childers entered her senior season already the owner of seven career records at Upstate. Midway through the season, she has put three more records under her hat. She tops the all-time list with 107 wins, 1,246 strikeouts, 310 batters struck out looking, 41 shutouts, a .162 opponent batting average, 151 appearances, 117 games started, 97 complete games, eight saves and 855.1 innings pitched.
Three Spartans Among All-Time Defensive Leaders
One of the nation's top defensive clubs last year and off to a strong start this season, three current Spartans currently rank among the all-time great defensive players at Upstate. Sophomore Ericka Harris tops the all-time list with a .994 fielding percentage, playing primarily as the starting catcher while also seeing action at first and third base. Lauren Quevedo ranks seventh all-time with a .984 fielding percentage and fifth all-time with 914 putouts as the starter at first base. Kim Brasil is eighth all-time with a .982 fielding percentage and 10th with 529 putouts. She has played both outfield and catcher in her career at Upstate and is currently the every day starter in left field for the Spartans this season.
Spartans Tally Best Start in Division I Era
Upstate's 25-0 start to the season was not only the best in the A-Sun this year, but the top effort in the school's Division I era, topping the 8-0 start in 2009. The effort was also three games short of the all-time school record of 28-0 in 2000.
