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The 2007 Spartans

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2007 Opponents

53

2006 Season Review

67

Spartan History

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Michigan State At A Glance

TABLE OF CONTENTSTable of Contents .................................................1Media Information .................................................2Roster/Team Breakdown .....................................3Radio/TV Spot Chart ...........................................42007 Preview ....................................................5-6Softball Facilities ....................................................7Old College Field Project ....................................8

The 2007 SpartansMeghan Darhower ....................................... 10-11Dayna Feenstra ............................................. 12-13Erin Harvey .................................................... 14-15Nicole Mercado ............................................ 16-17Jackie Noble .................................................. 18-19Dana Rosenblatt ........................................... 20-21Rachel Turney ................................................ 22-23Jessica LeFevre .............................................. 24-25Abby Lincoln ................................................. 26-27Caitlin Mahoney ............................................ 28-29Nikki Nicosia ................................................. 30-31Traci Nicosia .................................................. 32-33Lesley Noel .................................................... 34-35Megan Hair .................................................... 36-37Gina Mondo .................................................. 38-39Kara Weigle.................................................... 40-41Kelly Confer ........................................................ 42Bianca Mejia ......................................................... 43Head Coach Jacquie Joseph ....................... 44-46Associate Head Coach Kathryn Gleason ..... 47Assistant Coach Nikki Myers .......................... 48Volunteer Assistant Coach Jessica Beech ..... 49Athletic Trainer Brian Bratta ............................ 49Team Manager Paul Doher ............................... 49Student Trainer Kelly Monette ........................ 49Athletic Trainer Destiny Teachnor-Hauk ....... 50Strength Coach Tim Wakeham ........................ 51

2006 Season ReviewSeason Notes ...................................................... 54Statistics ............................................................... 55Results .................................................................. 56Big Ten Review .................................................... 57

2007 OpponentsBama Bash!........................................................... 60 • Alabama, Radford, ToledoPalm Springs Classic .......................................... 60 • Cal State Fullerton, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, UCLA, WashingtonPlant City Tournament ...................................... 61 • Harvard, Lehigh, St. Joseph’sUSF-Adidas Spring Break Invitational ............ 61 • Chattanooga, LIU, Mercer, N.C. State,VillanovaFAU Parents Weekend Tournament ............... 62 • FAU, UMass, Quinnipiac, Texas A&MMiami Invitational ............................................... 62 • Miami (Ohio), Purdue, Toledo, Youngstown StateBowling Green/CMU/Detroit .......................... 63IPFW/Oakland/Valparaiso/WMUIllinois/Indiana/Iowa/Michigan .......................... 64Minnesota/Northwestern/Ohio StatePenn State/PurdueWisconsin/Big Ten Tournament ....................... 65The Big Ten Conference ................................... 66

Spartan HistoryAll-Time Honors .......................................... 68-69CoSIDA Academic All-Americans ................... 70NFCA All-Americans ................................... 71-72AIAW Tournament Participants ...................... 73NCAA Tournament Participants ..................... 74Career Records ............................................ 75-76Single-Season Records ................................ 77-78Single-Game Records ........................................ 79Miscellaneous Records................................ 80-81Gloria Becksford Tribute .................................. 81Spartans In The Pros/USA Softball ................. 82All-Time Coaching Records ............................. 83Year-By-Year Statistical Records ..................... 84All-Time Series Results ..................................... 85All-Time Results ........................................... 86-96

MSU At A GlanceMichigan State University Leaders ................. 98Michigan State .............................................99-100Clara Bell Smith Academic Center ...............101Student-Athlete Support Services ................102Prominent Alumni/Familiar Faces .................103The Spartan Tradition ......................................104

The 2006 Michigan State softball media guide is a production of the MSU Sports Information Offi ce, written, designed and edited by Assistant Sports Information Director Emily Feeney. Editorial assistance provided by members of the MSU Sports Information offi ce. Additional assistance provided by Dan Dugger and Ryan Baldwin. Photography by Erin Groom (IMC), Harley Seeley (IMC), John Gwillim, Dave Olds, Greg Kohuth and the MSU Sports Infor-mation archives. Cover designs by Ciara Henderson. Printing by Foresight Group, Lansing, Mich.

Cover Photo Captions:Front Cover (l to r): Nicole Mercado, Jackie Noble, Dayna Feenstra, Rachel Turney, Dana Rosenblatt, Erin Harvey, Meghan DarhowerFront Cover Action (l to r): Meghan Darhower, Nicole Mercado, Dayna Feenstra, Rachel TurneyBack Cover (l to r): Dana Rosenblatt, Jackie Noble, Erin HarveyInside Back Cover (t to b, l to r): Gina Mondo, Lesley Noel, Kara Weigle, Jessica LeFevre, Nikki Nicosia, Traci Nicosia, Megan Hair, Caitlin Mahoney, Abby Lincoln

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Big Ten Conference1500 West Higgins Rd.Park Ridge, IL 60068-6300(847) 696-1010Fax: (847) 696-1110www.bigten.org

Director of CommunicationsScott ChipmanAssociate Director/Softball ContactRobin JentesCommunications InternValerie Trodyk

Michigan State Sports InformationSoftball Contact/Assistant Sports Information DirectorEmily FeeneyOffi ce: (517) 432-8014Cell: (765) 730-4853Fax: (517) 353-9636E-mail: emily_feeney@ath.msu.edu

WWW.MSUSPARTANS.COMThe offi cial athletics website for Michigan State Uni-versity, msuspartans.com, is updated continuously throughout the year. Weekly releases, feature stories, player biographies and audio clips are available for MSU softball and State’s 24 other varsity sports.

Game Day ServicesGame notes, rosters and fi nal statistics are provided at each home contest. Post-game interviews will begin approximately 10 minutes following the game’s completion at the softball complex. MSU head coach Jacquie Joseph and selected student-athletes will be on hand. The visiting coach and student-athlets are available upon request.

Credential RequestsRequests for press, radio, television and photogra-phers’ credentials should be directed to Assistant Sports Information Director Emily Feeney in one of the following ways:E-mail: emily_feeney@ath.msu.eduPhone: (517) 432-8014Fax: (517) 353-9636Mail: MSU Sports Information Offi ceZ-22, Breslin CenterMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824-1033

Interview RequestsAll student-athlete and coach interviews must be arranged through the Michigan State Sports Informa-tion Offi ce at least 24 hours in advance. The best time to interview players and coaches is between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Generally, MSU will practice from 2:30-5:30 p.m., weekdays. During the season, head coach Jacquie Joseph will be available each Monday at MSU’s weekly press conference held in the media room on the arena level at the Breslin Center. The Monday press conference begins at 11:30 a.m. Ad-ditional interviews with Joseph may be scheduled by contacting Emily Feeney.

Spartan Softball On TVThe Michigan State softball team will have a select number of contests broadcast on Comcast Local throughout the 2007 season. Below, former Spartan great Jessica Beech and play-by-play analyst Ben Holden commentate game one of the MSU series versus Michigan during the 2006 season. For the most up-to-date television information, please visit msuspartans.com throughout the season.

2007 Media OutletsPrint MediaLansing State JournalBrent Neal, Sports Editor120 E. Lenawee St.Lansing, MI 48919Ph: 517.377.1068 / FAX: 517.377.1298

The State NewsSports Editor343 Student ServicesMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824Ph: 517.355.8252 / FAX: 517.353.2599

Detroit Free Press300 W. FortDetroit, MI 48226Ph: 313.222.6660 / FAX: 313.222.5983

Detroit News615 W. LafayetteDetroit, MI 48226Ph: 313.222.2260 / FAX: 313.222.6019

The Grand Rapids PressBob Becker, Sports Editor155 Michigan, NWGrand Rapids, MI 49503Ph: 616.222.5674 / FAX: 616.222.5224

Booth Newspapers217 N. SycamoreLansing, MI 48933Ph: 517.487.8888 / FAX: 517.487.1227

Spartan MagazineJim Comparoni, Editor2307 ConcordLansing, MI 48910Ph: 517.374.7544

TelevisionWILX-TV (Ch. 10/NBC)Tim Staudt, Sports Director500 American Rd.Lansing, MI 48911Ph: 517.393.0110 / FAX: 517.393.9180

WLNS-TV (Ch. 6/CBS)Fred Heumann, Sports Director2820 E. Saginaw St.Lansing, MI 48912Ph: 517.372.1300 / FAX: 517.374.7610

WLAJ-TV (Ch. 53/ABC)5815 S. PennsylvaniaLansing, MI 48910Ph: 517.394.5300 / FAX: 517.394.7599

RadioWKAR RadioEarle Robinson, Sports Dir.Communication Arts Bldg.Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824Ph: 517.355.6540 / FAX: 517.353.7124

WLFT/WDBM RadioG-4 Holden HallMichigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48824Ph: 517.353.4414

WJIM/WVFN RadioTim Nester, Sports Dir.3420 Pine Tree Rd.Lansing, MI 48911Ph: 517.887.3280 / FAX: 517.393.9757

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MICHIGAN STATESPARTANS

Head CoachJacquie Joseph

Central Michigan ’8514th Season

Associate Head CoachKathryn Gleason

Michigan ’96Third Season

Assistant CoachNikki Myers

FAU ’04Third Season

Volunteer Assistant CoachJessica Beech

ManagerPaul Doher

Athletic TrainersDestiny Teachnor-Hauk

Brian Bratta

Strength CoachTim “Red” Wakeham

Equipment ManagerMalinda Hudkins

Sports PsychologistsSarah Carsons

Angie FiferDr. Lonnie Rosen

No. Name Pos. B/T Cl. Hometown/Previous School1 Gina Mondo 2B R/R So. Orange, Conn./Amity Regional 2 Bianca Mejia SS R/R Fr. Sylmar, Calif./El Camino 3 Megan Hair P R/R So. Torrance, Calif./South 4 Abby Lincoln P R/R Jr. Okemos, Mich./Okemos 6 Lesley Noel P R/R Jr. Escanaba, Mich./Escanaba 8 Meghan Darhower SS/3B R/R Sr. Niceville, Fla./Niceville 10 Traci Nicosia UT R/R Jr. Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas 11 Jessica LeFevre OF L/R Jr. Saginaw, Mich./Nouvel Catholic Central 12 Nicole Mercado OF/2B L/R Sr. LaHabra, Calif./Sonora 15 Jackie Noble P R/R Sr. Ida, Mich./St. Ursula Academy (Toledo) 17 Kelly Confer P/UT R/R Fr. Tampa, Fla./Chamberlain 22 Erin Harvey OF L/R Sr. Jenison, Mich./Jenison 24 Nikki Nicosia OF L/R Jr. Plantation, Fla./St. Thomas Aquinas 25 Dayna Feenstra 1B R/R Sr. Lakewood, Calif./Artesia 26 Rachel Turney P R/R Sr. Lansing, Mich./Lansing Community College 27 Dana Rosenblatt C/DP R/R Sr. Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park 32 Caitlin Mahoney 3B/C R/R Jr. Lake Mary, Fla./Lake Mary 34 Kara Weigle C/UT R/R So. Naples, Fla./Naples

ROSTER BREAKDOWNBy Class

Seniors (7)Meghan Darhower, SS

Dayna Feenstra, 1BErin Harvey, OF

Nicole Mercado, OF/2BJackie Noble, P

Dana Rosenblatt, C/DPRachel Turney, P

Juniors (6)Jessica LeFevre, OF

Abby Lincoln, PCaitlin Mahoney, 3B/C

Nikki Nicosia, OFTraci Nicosia, UT

Lesley Noel, P

Sophomores (3)Megan Hair, P

Gina Mondo, 2BKara Weigle, C/UT

Freshmen (2)Kelly Confer, P/3BBianca Mejia, SS

By PositionPitchers (6)

Kelly Confer, Megan Hair, Abby Lincoln, Jackie Noble, Lesley Noel, Rachel Turney

Catchers (3)Caitlin Mahoney, Dana Rosenblatt, Kara Weigle

First Base (1)Dayna Feenstra

Second Base (2)Nicole Mercado, Gina Mondo

Shortstop (3)Meghan Darhower, Bianca Mejia, Traci Nicosia

Third Base (4)Kelly Confer, Caitlin Mahoney,

Traci Nicosia, Meghan Darhower

Outfi eld (5)Erin Harvey, Nicole Mercado, Nikki Nicosia,

Traci Nicosia, Jessica LeFevre

By StateCalifornia (4)

Dayna FeenstraBianca Mejia

Nicole MercadoMegan Hair

Connecticut (1)Gina Mondo

Florida (6)Kelly Confer

Meghan DarhowerCaitlin Mahoney

Nikki NicosiaTraci NicosiaKara Weigle

Illinois (1)Dana Rosenblatt

Michigan (6)Erin Harvey

Jessica LeFevreAbby LincolnJackie NobleLesley Noel

Rachel Turney

PRONUNCIATION GUIDEBianca Mejia: BE-YONKA MAY-E-YAMeghan Darhower: Meghan Dar-HOW-erTraci Nicosia: Traci Na-co-SHAJessica LeFevre: Jessica LA-Feev-ER

Nikki Nicosia: Nikki Na-co-SHADayna Feenstra: DAY-NA FEEN-straKara Weigle: Kara WHY-gle

University Quick Facts Location ......................................East Lansing, MichiganFounded ..................................................................1855Enrollment ............................................................45,166President .....................................Dr. Lou Anna K. SimonAthletics Director ..........................................Ron MasonSWA / Softball Supervisor............... Shelley AppelbaumEvent Management ...................................... Seth KeslerConference ........................................................... Big TenAthletic Affi liation ..................................NCAA Division INickname ...........................................................SpartansColors ...................................................Green and WhiteHome Facility ...................................... Old College Field

Coaching InformationHead Coach ............................................ Jacquie Joseph Alma Mater ................................... Central Michigan ’85 Record @ Michigan State ......412-346-1 (13 seasons) Big Ten Record ................................................ 118-160 Career Record .........................548-479-1 (17 seasons)

2006 ReviewOverall Record .......................................................34-25Big Ten Record/Finish ....................................... 9-11/7thLetterwinners Returning/Lost ................................16/1Starters Returning/Lost ............................................9/0

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1 • Gina Mondo • 2BSo. • Orange, Conn.

2 • Bianca Mejia • SSFr. • Sylmar, Calif.

3 • Megan Hair • PSo. • Torrance, Calif.

4 • Abby Lincoln • PJr. • Okemos, Mich.

6 • Lesley Noel • PJr. • Escanaba, Mich.

8 • Meghan Darhower • SS/3BSr. • Niceville, Fla.

10 • Traci Nicosia • SSJr. • Plantation, Fla.

11 • Jessica LeFevre • OFJr. • Saginaw, Mich.

12 • Nicole Mercado • OF/2BSr. • LaHabra, Calif.

15 • Jackie Noble • PSr. • Ida, Mich.

17 • Kelly Confer • P/UTFr. • Tampa, Fla.

22 • Erin Harvey • OFSr. • Jenison, Mich.

24 • Nikki Nicosia • OFJr. • Plantation, Fla.

25 • Dayna Feenstra • 1BSr. • Lakewood, Calif.

26 • Rachel Turney • PSr. • Lansing, Mich.

28 • Dana Rosenblatt • C/DPSr. • Highland Park, Ill.

32 • Caitlin Mahoney • 3B/CJr. • Lake Mary, Fla.

34 • Kara Weigle • CSo. • Naples, Fla.

Head Coach Jacquie Joseph

Radio/TV Spot Chart

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2007 SeasonPreview

State will face 18 teams that participated in 2006 NCAA postseason play, and will compete against eight teams ranked in the 2007 USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll, including three of the top fi ve teams in Tennessee, UCLA and Northwestern. In addition, MSU will face three teams – N.C. State, Cal State Fullerton and Florida Atlantic – that received votes in the poll during the non-conference portion of its schedule. With the loss of just one senior and the addition of two solid infi elders, Joseph’s expectations for the season are extremely high.

“As a coaching staff and team, we are all very excited for the upcoming season,” Joseph said. “Losing just one senior and having everyone back for our team defensively gives us high hopes for a very successful year. We have a lot of experience back, and a lot of talent back, so we are eager for the season to begin.”

PitchersAll three pitchers from last season return for MSU, as senior Rachel Turney, junior Lesley Noel and sophomore Megan Hair look to lead State in the circle. Freshman Kelly Confer will also contribute for the Spartan pitching staff in 2007. Turney led the trio with 177.1 innings pitched and 136 strike-outs in 2006, posting a 2.53 ERA in 33 appearances. Hair and Noel each registered a Big-Ten best four saves on the year, adding 73 and 55 strikeouts, respectively.

“We have all three pitchers back from last year and we’ve added freshman Kelly Confer, so we feel really good about our pitching staff,” Joseph said. “Rachel Turney throws the ball the hardest and is coming off a big year and we expect big things from her. Also Lesley Noel will be a junior and she has seen some quality time for us in the past. She has been a little inconsistent during her freshman and sopho-more years, so we are looking for her to work on being more consistent in her outings. Megan Hair is our top talent as far as spinning the ball. She had a great summer pitching in California and we look forward to her contributing even more than she did her freshman year. Kelly Confer gives us a big, strong, heavy-ball pitcher to work with. We have some depth on the mound, but clearly we need them to rise a notch above what we did last year.”

With the returning talent in the circle for the Green and White, Joseph feels confi dent that the team’s success in 2007 will be a direct result of the effort of the pitching staff.

“Clearly having your pitching back, and the fact that they did well last season, makes me feel confi dent in that aspect of our game. I think that our pitching has the potential to be our strength. The big question is, we’ve upgraded our schedule tremendously, and so the pitchers have to get bet-ter to play a much tougher schedule. The key to our suc-cess this season no doubt starts with our pitching staff.”

CatchersReturning for the Spartans behind the plate is the duo of sophomore Kara Weigle and junior Caitlin Mahoney. Weigle led the freshman class, and ranked among team leaders, posting 44 hits, including six doubles and 14 RBI in 2006. The Naples, Fla., native allowed just six passed balls in 56 appearances last season. Mahoney saw signifi cant time behind the plate during her freshman season, but contrib-uted most of her time at the third base position during the 2006 campaign.

“We are very fortunate to have our catching back this sea-son. Kara Weigle will be our starting catcher and Caitlin Mahoney will also provide experience at that position for our team. The focus of our catchers plays an important role for our pitching staff. Consistency behind the plate allows our pitching staff, as well as the entire infi eld, to play as a cohesive unit.”

First BaseSenior Dayna Feenstra, who started every game of the 2006 season at fi rst base, returns for the Spartans, bringing a wealth of experience to the infi eld. Feenstra committed just four errors in 59 appearances last season (.991 fi eld percentage), while her offensive contributions speak for themselves. The Lakewood, Calif., native hit .290 in 2006, posting 49 hits, and team-highs with 15 doubles, nine home runs and 41 RBI. Along with her outstanding talent, Joseph looks for Feenstra’s veteran experience to lead the Spartan infi eld in 2007.

“Having Dayna back is a huge advantage for our team. She is just a great, great player who shows tremendous leadership in the infi eld. Any time you can get your corners returning it defi nitely helps you because that gives you an

advantage with all that goes on with short-game defense. Dayna is without question one of the best fi rst baseman, not only in the Big Ten, but in the country.”

Second BaseSophomore Gina Mondo returns for Michigan State at sec-ond base. Playing most of her freshman year with injuries, Mondo returns for her sophomore campaign fully healthy after offseason surgery. She contributed 34 hits for MSU last season, including four doubles, two home runs and 18 RBI in 58 appearances. Joseph expects Mondo to have a breakout season in 2007.

“Gina is coming off an injury and was not really ever 100 percent last year. I think her offensive numbers from last season aren’t even close to what she’s capable of. I think that people will be really excited to see her play to her full ability, so we hope she can stay healthy throughout the year.”

Short StopWith the season-ending injury to expected starting shortstop Bianca Mejia, senior Meghan Darhower and junior Traci Nicosia will battle for the starting spot in ’07. Nicosia started all 44 contests in which she played during her sophomore campaign, which was cut short due to injury. The Planta-tion, Fla., native tallied 39 hits, including 11 doubles and one home run, adding 16 RBI for the Green and White. Darhower returns for her senior season after a career year in 2006. Her 44 hits, including eight doubles, one home run and 20 RBI, were all career-highs for the Niceville, Fla., na-tive. The duo have combined for 251 appearances and 234 starts during their Spartan careers.

“Our decision on the shortstop position will be between Meghan Darhower or Traci Nicosia. Both of them are ca-pable, both have played multiple games at that position and both bring a wealth of competitive experience to the fi eld.

Michigan State head softball coach Jacquie Joseph and her staff have high expectations for the 2007 season. Prepared to compete against arguably the toughest schedule she has compiled in her time at the helm of the Spartan program, Joseph returns 16 letterwinners from 2006, including First-Team All-Big Ten third baseman Caitlin Mahoney, and seven seniors who look to

end their Spartan careers with a berth in the NCAA Championship Tournament.

Rachel Turney

Meghan Darhower

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That’s one of our strengths this season - we have an ex-tra infi elder to rotate around. Traci can play third – she can play any position on the infi eld. Meghan can also play third, short or second, so they both give us added depth.”

Third BaseFirst-Team All-Big Ten performer Caitlin Mahoney returns for the Spartans at the third base position. Mahoney posted a career-best 38 hits, including 11 doubles and six home runs, in 55 games during her sophomore season, while splitting time at the catcher, designated player and third base posi-tions. She led the Spartans with 15 RBI in league contests and recorded four multi-RBI and six multi-hit contests during the Big Ten season. Freshman Kelly Confer could also see signifi cant time at third base during her rookie campaign.

“Caitlin Mahoney is number one at third and Kelly Confer is her backup. Kelly gets better every day and having her also gives us some fl exibility because Kelly can play fi rst or third, and is just a very, very talented player. She has one of the hardest and most accurate throws on our team. It’s nice to have that added depth as well.”

Outfi eldIn terms of depth, the outfi eld position is the most ques-tionable for the 2007 squad. Centerfi elder Nikki Nicosia and right fi elder Nicole Mercado are both career starters at their respective positions, but the left fi eld position has seen signifi cant turnover the past two seasons. Nicosia was an offensive power last season for the Green and White. The Plantation, Fla., native posted a career-high 47 hits, includ-ing two doubles, two triples and one home run. Her 17 sto-len bases were a team-best and ranked fourth in the Big Ten, while her .299 average at the plate was also a team-high. Mercado led the 2006 squad with 54 hits, including four doubles, fi ve triples and 23 RBI.

“I think the outfi eld is the thinnest position for us this season. We don’t have a lot of depth in that position – but the players that are slotted for those starting spots have a lot of experi-ence and are very talented. The big question mark is left fi eld. Right fi eld will be Nicole Mercado, who was on the Big Ten Tournament Championship squad in 2004, and center fi eld will be Nikki Nicosia who is a two-year starter there for us. It could be any number of people who play left fi eld.”

Designated PlayerDana Rosenblatt stepped into the designated player posi-tion for the Spartans during her junior season and posted career numbers. During her fi rst two seasons at MSU, she recorded just four hits in fi ve starts, while in 2006, Rosenb-latt made a signifi cant impact on the Spartan offense with 23 hits, 18 RBI, and six home runs.

“Dana Rosenblatt will really play a signifi cant role in our of-fense at the designated player position this season. She really stepped up for our team last year and became an of-fensive threat.”

The Spartan offense brings back its entire arsenal from the 2006 season. Heavy hitters Dayna Feenstra and Caitlin Mahoney bring back a combined 41 extra base hits and 69

RBI, while Nicole Mercado returns to the lineup after scor-ing a team-best 26 runs. The Green and White dominated its opponents in almost every offensive category last year, including hits (410-341), RBI (204-167) and stolen bases (58-40).

“I am excited about the offensive lineup, I really feel we will be sending up nine hitters to the plate. I don’t believe that we have an automatic out in the lineup. Everyone is expe-rienced, even the kids last year who didn’t really post great numbers have a lot of at bats, and a lot they can add to their numbers. I’m hoping that people can just hit to their ability. We have a potent offense and a fl exible offense, one that we can bend, bunt a little bit, run a little bit and hit with power as well. It’s a nice combination of lefties and righties and power and speed.”

Anchoring that potent offense will be a seven-member senior class that has the program’s only Big Ten Tourna-ment crown to its credit. Meghan Darhower, Dayna Feen-stra, Erin Harvey, Nicole Mercado, Jackie Noble and Dana Rosenblatt were all members of the 2004 squad that upset archrival Michigan on its home fi eld to claim the tournament title. Though senior hurler Rachel Turney joined the team a season later, Joseph feels the veterans are the leaders of this team, and will bring that hunger for another NCAA postseason berth to the fi eld each day.

“The size of the senior class isn’t as important to me as the quality of leadership it has. For that reason alone I’m very excited. We have some kids in that class who have demonstrated great leadership and have set the tone for the entire season. That reason alone might be the biggest cause for excitement.”

ScheduleMSU is set to face one of its most loaded schedule’s in recent years. State will meet perennial SEC powerhouse Tennessee for the fi rst time in program history, while also preparing for tough West coast contenders in UCLA, Cal State Fullerton and Washington. The competition the Spar-tans will see during the conference season will once again prove why the Big Ten is collectively one of the strongest softball league’s in the country. As always, competition against Mid-American conference members Bowling Green, Western Michigan and Central Michigan also highlight the home non-conference slate, while IPFW and Valparaiso also makes stops in East Lansing this spring.

“Our schedule is as intense as it’s ever been. I think it will be important for us to maintain our focus throughout, not get to high and certainly not get too low. There are going to be some challenges, but I’m really very excited about the possibilities. I feel like if we can get through the preseason fairly unscathed that would really bode well for the Big Ten season. It’s a long year and every team is going to face some adversity. Hopefully we can get through without many injuries. For people who love to run with the big dogs, this is maybe one of the most exciting schedules we’ve ever put together.”

Joseph feels the effort to play the best competition through-out the country makes MSU one of the most competitive program’s in the nation.

“What I want our current players and our recruits to know is that when they play at MSU they are going to have the op-portunity to play top quality teams from around the country. Not only is that attractive, but that is the approach you have to take if your sights are set on making the NCAA tourna-ment every season. At MSU, that is our goal. “

Dana Rosenblatt

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Spartan Softball Facilities

“Our facilities are some of the fi nest in the Big Ten Conference. Our student-athletes are well equipped with a great strength and conditioning staff, training staff and are given all the tools they need to excell,

both academically and athletically during their time at Michigan State.”

- Spartan Head Coach Jacquie Joseph

Spartan softball players have access to fi rst class facilities during their playing career at Michigan State. All MSU home contests are played at Old College Field, located next to Jenison Field House and the Red Cedar River. A six-foot wooden fence lines the outfi eld with depths of 200 feet down both lines and 220 feet to center fi eld.

In 2004 the infi eld was laser graded and the outfi eld was re-sodded, which capped off a near $100,000 renovation that also included new bleachers and press box improvements. In 1995, a state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard was installed just above the left fi eld wall. Batting cages and a bullpen area also highlight the softball complex.

Planning is currently underway for even more improvements to the Old College Field facility. On-site restrooms, concessions and locker room facilities for the Spartan baseball, soccer and softball programs are just some of the changes that will take place in the near future for Old College Field.

The IM West building houses six batting cages for use during the winter months and is also utilized for individual workouts by the Spartan softball team. State also has access to the Duffy Daughtery Football Practice Facility for use during inclement weather. The building provides the team with a large area of practice turf which allows for game-like practice and situational play.

The Michigan State softball locker room includes spacious lockers, a fl at screen television, comfortable furniture for relaxing in between classes or prior to practice and a computer work station. Full shower and bathroom facilities are also located within the locker room suite.

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“New Life For Old College Field” Project Plans

Nestled between Jenison Field House and the Red Cedar River, Old College Field is MSU’s oldest athletic facility still in continuous use today. Since its purchase in 1900 for $1,137.50, the complex has been the site of numerous Spar-tan athletic accomplishments. Today, Old College Field is the home to Spartan baseball, soccer and softball.

The latest milestone in the project to upgrade the facilities for MSU fans and teams alike is the approval for construction of the indoor pitching/hitting facility, which will feature four in-door batting cages as well as a pitching area. Groundbreak-ing for the facility is expected in mid-April, and the target date for completion is September of 2007.

Components of the upgrade plan include:• Central promenade with walkways to each venue• Concessions/restrooms• New baseball grandstand, press box and stadium facade• Soccer bleachers and press box• Indoor hitting/pitching facility for baseball/softball teams• New power and lighting for all three venues • Landscaping, signage, fl agpoles and other “fi nishing touches”• Site work

Complex naming opportunities:• The entire complex - home of MSU baseball, soccer and softball• Baseball facility/ballpark• Softball fi eld• Plaza/entrance area• Indoor hitting/pitching facility• Player tribute area• Baseball press box (reserved)

For more information on the Old College Field project, please contact the Athletic Development Offi ce at (517) 432-4610.