UPCOMING SCHEDULE

Tuesday, February 12
McNeese State at Southern Miss (DH) 5:00p

Thursday, February 14
UAB at Georgia State (DH) 4:00p

Friday, February 15
Charlotte at Triangle Classic, Raleigh, N.C.
Charlotte vs. Boston University Noon
Charlotte vs. Minnesota 2:00p
East Carolina at Triangle Classic, Raleigh, N.C.
East Carolina vs. Liberty 10:00a
East Carolina vs. Robert Morris 2:00p
Houston hosts Houston Invitational
Sam Houston State at Houston 5::00p
McNeese State at Houston 7:00p
Arizona Tournament (Tucson, Ariz.)
Louisville vs. New Mexico State 2:00p
Louisville at (1) Arizona 4:00p
South Florida vs. Auburn 11:00a
South Florida vs. New Mexico State 1:00p
Mississippi State Bulldog Classic (Starkville, Miss.)
Southern Miss vs. Southern Illinois 11:00a
Southern Miss vs. Colorado State 1:00p

Saturday, February 16
Charlotte at Triangle Classic, Raleigh, N.C.
East Carolina at Triangle Classic, Raleigh, N.C.
Houston hosts Houston Invitational
Stephen F. Austin at Houston 3:00p
Baylor at Houston 7:00p
Arizona Tournament, Tucson, Ariz.
Louisville vs. South Florida 10:00a
Louisville vs. (14) Notre Dame Noon
South Florida at (1) Arizona 4:00p
Belmont Tournament, Nashville, Tenn.
Saint Louis vs. Eastern Illinois TBD
Saint Louis vs. Lipscomb TBD
Saint Louis at Belmont TBD
Mississippi State Bulldog Classic, Starkville, Miss.
Southern Miss at Mississippi State Noon
Southern Miss vs. Colorado State 2:00p
UAB at South Carolina Tournament, Columbia, S.C.
UAB vs. Jacksonville State Noon
UAB at (22) South Carolina 2:00p


HITTER OF THE WEEK
KRISTEN GLOWACZ, HOUSTON
Freshman, OF, Katy, Texas
Glowacz has helped lead the Cougars to an 8-0 start, batting .562 (9-for-16) in six games. The freshman has a 1.000 slugging percentage, hitting four doubles and one home run, while driving in seven runs. Glowacz has scored a team-leading six runs and also has a sacrifice fly. Included in the 8-0 record for the second-year Houston program are a pair of wins over ranked teams.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK
LINDSAY CHOUINARD, DE PAUL
Junior, LHP, Fresno, Calif.
Chouinard did not allow an earned run in 19 2/3 innings pitched at the LSU Tiger Invitational this past weekend, helping DePaul to a 4-1 record. She struck out 27 batters over four appearances, picking up two victories. Chouinard carried a perfect game to the final out against Western Michigan and struck out 10 of the 22 batters she faced against Northwestern (La.) State.

GREAT STARTS
Houston and DePaul are both off to strong starts in 2002. The second-year Houston program is 8-0, which includes the Cougars first-ever wins over a ranked opponent, twice defeating No. 17 Southwest Texas. DePaul opened the campaign with a 4-1 record at the LSU Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge this past weekend, which included an 8-4 win over No. 4 LSU.

TOUGH OPPONENTS
Conference USA faced five teams that are ranked in the NFCA Preseason Poll in the first 10 days of the season. Houston won a pair of games against No. 17 Southwest Texas during the opening weekend of the season and DePaul won at No. 4 LSU on February 8. Louisville opened its season against three ranked opponents, falling to No. 22 South Carolina, No. 9 Washington and No. 15 Florida State in the Florida State challenge this past weekend.


CHARLOTTE (0-0, 0-0): Junior P BETSY THOMPSON led the 49ers with a 2.49 ERA last season and struck out 132 batters for the second year in a row. Her 264 career strikeouts ranks third on Charlotte's all-time list. The 49ers win total improved by five games last season and the squad won its first Conference USA Tournament game. Charlotte returns nine starters and 14 letterwinners for the 2002 campaign.

DE PAUL (4-1, 0-0): The Blue Demons opened the 2002 season by going 4-1 at the LSU Tiger Invitational Feb. 8-10, outscoring their opponents, 34-8. Included in DePaul's victory total was a 8-4 win over No. 4 LSU. Preseason Conference USA Player of the Year SARAH MARTZ had three multiple hit games, going 6-for-19 overall with a double, a triple and five RBI. She earned a spot on the all-tournament team along with SHAVAUGHNE DESECKI (8-for-15, four runs scored, four RBI) and LIZ BOUCK (6-for-15 with two RBI and four runs). The Blue Demons are off until February 23 when they compete in the UNLV Mini Tournament in Las Vegas.

EAST CAROLINA (0-0, 0-0): The Pirates will be playing their inaugural softball campaign in Conference USA this spring. In 2001, ECU posted a 51-23 record and captured the ECAC Tournament title. Junior IF ANGELA MANZO batted with .395 with a school-record 22 doubles and 51 RBI last season. After playing first base last year, she is expected to slide over to second in 2002. The Pirates will open the 2002 season on February 15 at the Triangle Classic in Raleigh, N.C.

HOUSTON (8-0, 0-0) The Cougars are 8-0 after following up six wins at the B&G Properties Tournament in San Marcos, Texas (Feb. 1-3) with two victories over Utah last week. Houston has outscored its opponents 43-12, including three shutouts. Sophomore pitchers JAMIE FALCO and JENNY JOHNSON are each 3-0, with Johnson having tossed three complete games and Falco going the distance twice. KRISTEM GLOWACZ leads the team in hitting .562 (9-for-16), while preseason All-Conference USA selection ARELIS FERRERIS is at .333 with two home runs and a team-best 10 RBI. The Cougars are hitting .306 as a team, compared to .185 for their opponents.

LOUISVILLE (0-4, 0-0): The Cardinals were 0-4 at the Florida State Seminole Challenge this past weekend, with three of the losses coming to nationally-ranked teams. Freshman OF LISA ESTES led Louisville at the plate, going 4-for-9 (.444) with four walks for a .615 on-base percentage. SARA BAUSHER was 3-for-8 with a double. The Cards will play five games this weekend at the Arizona Tournament in Tucson, including matchups with New Mexico State, Arizona, Notre Dame and Auburn.

SAINT LOUIS (0-0, 0-0): The Billikens registered the fourth-best turnaround in the nation last season, improving its win total by 16 games. The 25 wins by SLU in 2001 marked a new school record. The Billikens broke a total of 27 individual or team records last year. The pitching staff's ERA of 1.96 was the lowest since the 1990 team posted a 1.88 ERA and the third-lowest all-time at SLU. A pair of Billikens received preseason recognition: OF ERIN JEFFERY and P NICOLE BOHNENSTIEHL. Jeffery hit a team-leading .308 with 15 stolen bases, while Bohnenstiehl won 14 games and recorded 211 strikeouts.

SOUTH FLORIDA (3-6-1, 0-0): For the second straight year, the Bulls went 3-2 at Florida's GRU Classic, posting two wins over North Carolina and one victory over host Florida. Freshman NIKI TROWELL was credited with all three wins, as she allowed just four runs (all in a loss to Florida) over 20 2/3 innings pitched for her first collegiate victories. Preseason All-Conference choice RENEE OURSLER was 5-for-15 in the tournament, which included a pair of home runs and five RBI. One of her home runs was the game-winner against Florida, while the other was a two run shot that tied a game against North Carolina, a game that USF would go on to win.

SOUTHERN MISS (0-0, 0-0): The Golden Eagles will open the 2002 season with a doubleheader against McNeese State on Tuesday. It will mark the first time since 1992 that Southern Miss will open the season at home. The 16 home dates are on the Golden Eagles 2002 slate are the most in school history. Southern Miss will face eight opponents that were ranked in the USA Today/NFCA Preseason Top 25, including No. 1 Arizona. With 29 career home runs KENYA PETERS is tied for the all-time homer lead at USM with Amy Berman (1999-00). Junior Righthander FELICIA GONZALES was named Conference USA Pitcher of the Year after finishing last season with a 29-10 record and an ERA of 1.37. She led the league in opposing batting average (.155), strikeouts (366), games started (36) and wins (29) and was second in innings pitched (255.2) and appearances (44).

UAB (1-1, 0-0): The Blazers split a doubleheader with Troy State to open the 2002 season on February 9. Senior MEGAN STEPHENSON fired a complete game shutout in the first game, allowing only two hits and recording three strikeouts. After KAI PAUL had doubled to lead off the third inning, AMANDA LEWIS singled her home for the Blazers only run of the day. UAB lost game two by an identical 1-0 score, after twice leaving the bases loaded and stranding seven runners total. The Blazers will play six road games this week, beginning with a doubleheader at Georgia State on Thursday.

WINNING BIG
Conference USA has posted three wins over nationally-ranked opponents during the season's first two weeks:

Feb. 2 Houston 5 (17) Southwest Texas 0
Feb. 3 Houston 9, (17) Southwest Texas 1
Feb. 8 DePaul 8, (4) LSU 4

Last season, three different C-USA schools posted victories over nationally-ranked, non-conference teams, including three victories over top five teams. South Florida had three of the five wins over ranked opponents, while DePaul had two and Southern Miss had one. The 2-1 win by Southern Miss over No. 3 Oklahoma last February 25 marked the highest-ranked opponent that a Conference USA softball team has ever defeated. Here's a look at Conference USA's wins vs. ranked teams in 2001:

Feb. 17 South Florida 4, (4) Washington 3
Feb. 24 DePaul 6, (12) Nebraska 1
Feb. 25 South Florida 2, (25) Florida Int'l. 1
Feb. 25 Southern Miss 2, (3) Oklahoma 1
Mar. 4 South Florida 3, (14) Oregon State 2
Mar. 18 DePaul 3, (5) Oklahoma 2
May 17 DePaul 3, South Carolina 2
May 17 South Florida 2, Oregon State 1
May 19 South Florida 3, Alabama 2