Softball Notebook

Record attendance at softball World Series

More people attended this year’s softball College World
Series in Oklahoma City than ever before.

Over 38,100 fans watched the Series at the Don Porter Hall of
Fame Stadium, with a single-game record of 8,049 for the
championship game.

The old record of 27,553, set in 1998, was actually broken the
day before the championship game. The previous single-game record
was 5,017.

The success of the University of Oklahoma’s softball team
in the tournament was considered to be the biggest factor in the
rise in attendance.

Best of the bunch

Once again, UCLA placed multiple players on the All-Tournament
team at the College World Series. This year, sophomore pitcher
Amanda Freed, senior catcher Julie Marshall and freshman first
baseman Tairia Mims were honored.

Freed, who pitched all four games for UCLA, also received the
honor last year. Marshall batted .538 and played superbly behind
the plate. Among players on teams that won at least one game, Mims
led the series with a .600 batting average, including one home run
and six RBIs. She was also perfect in 33 chances in the field.

The three were UCLA’s 59th, 60th and 61st All-Tournament
selections, far and away the most of any team. Arizona is second
with 40.

As a team, UCLA led the series with a .304 batting average, and
was third with a 1.25 ERA. Oklahoma was second in batting average,
hitting .238.

Also making the All-Tournament team were Most Outstanding Player
Jennifer Stewart of Oklahoma, who won all four of the
Sooners’ games, and teammates Kelli Braitsch and Lisa Carey.
Joining them were Southern Mississippi pitcher Courtney Blades and
catcher Erin Johnson, Washington rightfielder Jamie Clark, DePaul
designated player Shavanughne Desecki, Alabama outfielder Kelly
Kretschman and Arizona third baseman Toni Mascarenas.

Razor sharp

When UCLA eliminated Southern Mississippi with a 6-0 win on
Sunday, the Bruins also ended the college career of one of the
NCAA’s most prolific pitchers

Southern Mississippi’s Courtney Blades finished as the
NCAA’s single-season and career leader in wins, strikeouts
and innings pitched. She also had a record 663 strikeouts in the
season, breaking the old record of 492 by Cal’s Michelle
Granger. For her career, Blades had 1,773 strikeouts.

With a perfect game against Arizona in the first game of the
World Series, Blades earned her 150th career win, good for the
all-time lead. Two days later, she beat Alabama for a single-season
record 52 wins.

Blades finished with only eight losses, two of which came in the
World Series, for a winning percentage of .867. She also won the
Honda Award for most outstanding player.

When it counts

This year marked the 14th time UCLA has played in the NCAA
championship game, out of 19 total.

The Bruins have won eight NCAA titles and nine national
championships overall.

UCLA has the best playoff record in the NCAA by a longshot, with
a postseason winning percentage of .771 (64-19). Next in line is
Arizona, with a record of 35-17.

As head coach, UCLA’s Sue Enquist is 64-15, an .810
winning percentage.

Compiled by Greg Lewis, Daily Bruin Senior Staff.