WMU Softball Opens 2009 Season at Kajikawa Classic

From the WMU Athletic Office

For the third season in a row Western Michigan softball will compete in the Kajikawa Classic (Feb. 6-8) hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. The Broncos open the season against Penn State, one of two Big Ten teams on the 2009 schedule for the Broncos. WMU will play five games in three days, facing two teams receiving votes in the preseason USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.

After opening the tournament with the Nittany Lions, WMU will face Oklahoma State later on Feb. 6 and will follow with Wagner and Central Florida on Feb. 7 before closing out the tournament against Texas Tech at 12:15 p.m., on Feb. 8.


FAMILIAR PLACES • The Bronco softball team starts its 2009 campaign has they have each of the last two, in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., hosted by Arizona State University. WMU has gone 3-2 in each of its last two trips to the tournament. The Broncos picked up wins over Temple (11-2, F/6), Utah (5-2) and Virginia (3-0) a year ago.

FAMILIAR FACES • Former Bronco catcher Becky Bartosz rejoins the program as a student assistant coach for the 2009 season. SENIOR CITIZENS • Western Michigan’s five-member senior class marks the third senior class in as many seasons to have at least five members.

FAR AND AWAY • The four members of Western Michigan’s freshman class all hail from states in either the Mountain or Pacific time zones. Jenn Schetter and Meredith Whitney each attended Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., while Kayla Houston hails from El Cajon, Calif., and attended Valhalla High School. WMU has yet another Oregon native in Gracie Barstad. She hails from the same hometown as Bronco doubles record holder Kristi Strange (Canby, Ore.). With Barstad, WMU has three student-athletes from the Beaver State, including Kayla Turner (Portland, Ore.) and Mandi Sayres (Milwaukie, Ore.).

ON DECK • Western Michigan will have back-to-back tournaments in the state of Florida to end February and begin March. The first is the Central Florida Invitational (Feb. 27-March 1) in Orlando, Fla., followed by the Under Armour Invitational (March 6-8) hosted by South Florida in Clearwater, Fla.