Top-Seeded Terriers Prepared For Run At Softball Championship
May 7, 2002 | Softball
2002 AMERICA EAST SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE at Post Field, Burlington, Vt. Thursday, May 9 Game 1- Boston University vs. Albany, 12 p.m. Game 2- Hartford vs. Maine, 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 10 Game 3- Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2, 11 a.m. Game 4- Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 1:30 p.m. Game 5- Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 4 p.m. Saturday, May 11 Game 6- Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 12 p.m. Game 7- (same teams if necessary)
TERRIERS WIN SECOND CONSECUTIVE AMERICA EAST REGULAR SEASON TITLE For the second straight year, the Terriers finished the regular season atop the America East standings, claiming the No. 1 seed in the conference championship. The Terriers’ raced to a 19-3 conference record this season, compared to last year’s 21-5 mark. It is the third regular-season title for B. U., which also finished first in 1993, when it won its second conference tournament championship.
HEAD COACH AMY HAYES Terrier head coach Amy Hayes (Evansville ’92) is in her second season at Boston University, and owns a 59-38 (.608) mark entering this weekend’s championship. In her two seasons, Hayes has led the Terriers to two regular season titles, a 40-8 (.833) conference record, and a 28-2 (.933) home record.
B. U. GOING FOR THE 400TH WIN IN PROGRAM HISTORY Since the Boston University softball program began varsity play in 1988, the Terriers have an overall record of 399-241-1 (.623). In 15 seasons of play, there have been 12 straight winning seasons, and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. The Terriers have a 128-47 (.731) record in America East games, and a 168-52 (.764) home record.
B. U. AS A NO. 1 SEED IN THE AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP The Terriers have a 3-3 record as the top seed in the America East Championship. In 1993, they went 3-1 in winning their second title. Last year, they were swept out of the tourney by Towson and Drexel.
HAAS HIGH ON SEASON LISTS AT B. U. Jamie Haas has had one of the most impressive freshman seasons in B. U. history. She is currently fourth all-time in season batting average at .396, and is just four hits shy of setting a single-season hits record at B. U. Entering the championship, she has 57 hits. Kerry Herr, who graduated last year, set the record with 60 in HER freshman season of 1998. Haas is also fourth on the single-season list for triples with six, and sixth in the single-season stolen bases list with 13.
HAAS BATTING .575 AGAINST TOURNAMENT BOUND TEAMS In the 10 games the Terriers played against the three teams playing in this year’s championship, Jamie Haas is batting .575. She had 19 hits in 33 at bats.
HAAS, HORRICK, HENNEKE AMONG NATIONAL NCAA LEADERS Three Terriers are among the leaders nationally as of games played April 28.
| NAME | NATL RANK | CATEGORY | STAT |
| Jamie Haas | 39th | Batting | .396 |
| Jamie Haas | 10th | Triples | 0.13/game |
| Robyn Horrick | 22nd | ERA | 0.90 |
| Julie Henneke | 30th | ERA | 0.99 |
TERRIERS, BLACK BEARS ONLY LEAGUE TEAMS WITH TITLE Boston University and Maine are the only schools in the current America East Conference that have won softball tournament championships. B. U. has won four titles - in 1992, 93, 96, and 97. Maine won it all in 1995. Hartford, now in its 11th year in America East for softball, and Albany, in its rookie campaign in the conference, are looking for their first championship. Hofstra, which had won the previous four league titles, moved to the CAA after last season.
TERRIERS ALL-TIME VS. CHAMPIONSHIP OPPONENTS Maine is the only opponent of the three teams in this year’s championship that B. U. has faced in the tournament. The Terriers hold a 4-3 record against the Black Bears in tournament games, with two of those meetings coming in the final, championship game. The two teams split those meetings.
TERRIERS GOOD TO GO WHEN SCORING THREE-OR-MORE RUNS This season, the Terriers have a 16-4 record when they score three or more runs, and conversely, a 9-17 mark when scoring two or less. In conference play, they are 11-2 when getting three-plus runs.
SENIORS VS. CHAMPIONSHIP OPPONENTS B. U.’s seniors have fared well against the teams that comprise the 2002 championship field. Against Maine, the Terriers are 8-5, against Hartford, B. U. is 11-1. In those 12 games, the Terriers have outscored the Hawks, 40-4. The Terriers swept conference newcomer Binghamton, 4-0, in the first meetings between the two schools.
HAAS, HENNEKE COMBINE TO MAKE AMERICA EAST HISTORY Freshmen Jamie Haas and Julie Henneke earned America East Player of the Week honors four consecutive weeks from Apr. 8 through Apr. 29. It is the first time in the 11 years that the conference has sponsored softball that a player/players have won the award from straight weeks. It’s more amazing when it is considered that both Haas and Henneke are freshmen. Haas shared the Player of the Week award with Hartford’s Liz Nadeau on Apr. 22.
HAAS EARNS THREE STRAIGHT PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS Jamie Haas became the first freshman in America East history to earn the conference’s Player of the Week award three straight times. She was also named the Rookie of the Week on Apr. 2.
HORRICK EARNS PITCHER OF THE WEEK NOD Junior Robyn Horrick earned B. U.’s first Pitcher of the Week award this season on Apr. 15. Horrick pitched the Terriers to two conference wins at Albany. She logged 12.0 innings pitched in the two games, allowing only three hits while striking out 15 and walking only two. She did not give up an earned run. She had 11 strikeouts in a two-hit, complete-game win over the Great Danes. The right-hander combined with freshman DeKenya Williams to one-hit Albany on the way to a 2-0 win.
HENNEKE HAS CAREER-TYPE WEEK TO EARN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR Julie Henneke had the best game of her young career in a 3-2, eight-inning win at Stony Brook on Apr. 6, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, the second of which was a game-winning shot in the top of the eighth. She came on in relief of starting pitcher Tiffany Finateri to begin the sixth inning. She pitched a perfect three innings, striking out the side in the bottom of the eighth for the win. In addition to her two homers, she also had two runs batted in and scored three runs.
WILLIAMS JOINS TERRIER FRESHMAN AS AWARD WINNER Late in the season, DeKenya Williams emerged as a potent bat in the middle of the Terriers’ lineup, leading to her America East Rookie of the Week selection on Apr. 22. That week, she led the Terriers by batting .500, collecting three RBI, five runs scored, and three doubles. She scored the game-winning run in the Terriers’ 4-3, ninth inning victory over Binghamton on Apr. 21, after hitting a single to lead off the inning.
TERRIERS VS. ALBANY The Terriers and Great Danes have only played each other in softball four times, each of those games coming this season. Jamie Haas was impressive on the offensive end against Albany, going 9-for-14 with four runs scored in the four games. Tiffany Finateri hit for power, slugging 1.083 after batting 7-for-12 with five RBI, three doubles, and one home run.
TERRIERS VS. HARTFORD The Terriers have a 10-game winning streak over Hartford. In those 10 games, the Terriers have outscored the Hawks, 41-1. This year, B. U. took two home games by identical 2-0 scores, as the Terriers held the league-leading Hawks’ offense and pitching attack in check. The two teams have never met in the conference championship.
TERRIERS VS. MAINE B. U. and Maine have battled in the softball championship before, as the two teams met in the title game in both 1993 and 1994. B. U. won it in ‘93, with the Black Bears returning the favor the following season. Overall, B. U. holds a slim 4-3 advantage in championship play. The Terriers have won eight of the last 10 games played between the two schools. This season, the Terriers took three of the four games.
HAAS IMPRESSIVE IN CONFERENCE GAMES As impressive as Jamie Haas’ numbers are overall, they pale in comparision to her conference averages. Haas is batting .500 (35-for-70), slugging .657, and her on-base percentage stands at .532. She is 9-for-11 in stolen bases, and has a high .973 fielding percentage at short.
HENNEKE LOW ERA, HIGH WIN TOTAL IN LEAGUE GAMES Julie Henneke has been a tough pitcher in conference games, in this, her freshman season. She has a team-best 0.31 earned run average, while racing to a 7-0 record. Conference opponents are hitting just .124 against her, and have struck out 57 times, compared to only 10 walks.
SENIORS FINISH CAREERS WITH 60-3 HOME RECORD After struggling in a number of neutral site and away games this season, the Terriers were happy to get back to the B. U. Softball Field, where they have fared quite well over the past few seasons. After going a perfect 15-0 in 2001, the team finished this season at 13-1, with its only defeat coming against Harvard on Apr. 4. In 1999, this year’s seniors helped the Terriers go 15-3. Two years ago, the Terriers had an impressive 17-1 home mark. Overall, this year’s senior class is 60-3 at home over the past four seasons.
AFTER SLOW START, TERRIERS END SEASON ON 22 OF 26 RUN The Terriers’s season got off to a rough start in February, as the team posted a 3-16 record in three tournaments against some of the toughest competition in the country.
TERRIERS DOMINATE THIRD INNING The Terriers have outscored their opponents, 20-4, in the third inning of games this season. The numbers show a trend of slow starts for the Terriers, as they have been outscored, 41-30, in the first two innings. After the second, though, the Terriers hold a 92-58 edge, including a 14-10 advantage in extra innings.
RANGEL MOVING UP HOMERS LIST Aryn Rangel is just three home runs short of setting a team record for career homers. She hit her 13th career home run, a two-run game-winning shot against Maine on Apr. 17.
| RANK | PLAYER | YEARS | HR |
| 1. | Cathleen Crowley | 1991-94 | 15 |
| 2. | Aryn Rangel | 1999-02 | 13 |
| | Michelle White | 1992-95 | 13 |
TERRIERS PICKED FIRST IN PRESEASON POLL OF COACHES The defending regular-season champion Terriers were the unanimous choice to win the conference title according to a vote by the league’s coaches. Maine, Stony Brook, and Hartford were the next teams on the list.
| RANK | TEAM (1st) | POINTS |
| 1. | Boston Univ. (7) | 49 |
| 2. | Maine | 38 |
| 3. | Stony Brook | 29 |
| 4. | Hartford | 28 |
| 5. | Vermont | 20 |
| 6. | Albany | 17 |
| 7. | Binghamton | 15 |
TERRIERS ON THE INTERNET You can find information on the Boston University softball team, along with the Terriers’ other 22 sports, on B. U.’s official athletic website at www.bu.edu/athletics. Game stories, statistics, and player bios, updated daily, can be found on the site.
