Exciting action is in store for the final two weekends of the Conference USA softball regular season. League-leader DePaul has a two-game cushion in the league standings, but has tough series remaining at fourth-place USF this weekend before closing out the regular season at home against second-place Louisville. The Cardinals host Houston this weekend before closing out in Chicago with DePaul. Third-place East Carolina is only three games out of the top spot and the Pirates have series remaining with Charlotte at home and on the road vs. Southern Miss. The Bulls, who currently reside in fourth place, could push towards the top if they can defend their home turf this weekend before closing things out at Saint Louis on May 7-8.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Hitter of the Week
Kaycie Jones, Charlotte
So, 1B, Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Jones went 9-for-17 last week hitting safely in each of the 49ers’ five games. In a 19-12 victory over UAB on Sunday, Jones was 4-for-5 with six RBI to tie C-USA single-game records for hits and RBI in a league game. Jones’ slugging led the 49ers to their first C-USA series win of the season.

Pitcher of the Week
Catherine Bishop, Louisville
So., RHP, Adelaide, Australia

Bishop earned her second C-USA Pitcher of the Week honor this season after hurling three shutouts, including two one-hitters last week. The sophomore did not allow an earned run in 19 innings of work and fanned 25 batters. Bishop only allowed five hits in her appearances.

AROUND THE HORN

CHARLOTTE (17-34-1, 4-17 C-USA): The 49ers logged their first C-USA series win of the season after taking two of three from UAB at home this past weekend. For the week, Charlotte went 4-1 and sophomore KRISTEN BOWEN earned three of those victories in the circle. The 49ers’ used a 19-12 victory over UAB on Sunday to move into a tie for eighth-place in the league standings. 1B KAYCIE JONES sparked the 49ers with her hot hitting on the week. Jones went 9-for-17 at the plate including a 4-for-5 effort in game three of the UAB series when she drove in six runs. Jones is the first 49er since the 2003 season to earn C-USA Hitter of the Week honors. The 49ers concluded their regular season with a C-USA series at East Carolina this weekend.

DE PAUL (30-14, 16-2 C-USA): The Blue Demons took two of three from East Carolina to win their sixth C-USA series of the season and remain atop the C-USA standings. DePaul has yet to lose a C-USA series this season and holds a two-game lead on Louisville with two league series remaining (at USF, vs. Louisville). 1B SASKIA ROBERSON belted a game-tying two-run homer in Sunday’s series-clinching win giving her 48 for her career. Roberson finished the week with a .364 average, two home runs and three RBI. The Blue Demons scored a season-high 13 runs in Saturday’s game-one victory over the Pirates. A 1-0 loss in game two snapped the club’s 10-game winning streak in league games. Sophomore TRACIE ADIX went 2-1 on the week with her only loss coming in the 1-0 setback to East Carolina on Saturday. Adix helped the Blue Demons split a mid-week doubleheader with Notre Dame as she tossed a complete-game victory against the Fighting Irish. DePaul travels to USF for a C-USA weekend series in Tampa.

EAST CAROLINA (51-15, 13-5 C-USA): The Pirates dropped their first C-USA series of the season to league-leader DePaul over the week. ECU split Saturday’s doubleheader thanks to the pitching of sophomore KELI HARRELL, who shutout the Blue Demons 1-0 in game two. Harrell fanned five to improve to 25-10 on the season. Harrell’s shutout was her ninth of the season and 15th of her career, which ranks her fifth on the school’s all-time list. SS LEIGH SAVOY was the hitting star in game two driving in the game’s lone run with a RBI-double in the top of the seventh inning. 1B KATE MANUSE drew her 47th walk of the season over the weekend to tie the conference single-season mark set by ECU's Christine Sheridan a year ago. Senior MANDI NICHOLS became the fifth player in school history to reach 20 career home runs. ECU won its 51st game of the season Saturday, its most victories since winning 51 games in 2001. The Pirates host Charlotte for a C-USA series this weekend.

HOUSTON (26-23, 9-9 C-USA): The Cougars salvaged a victory in their home series with USF after posting a 3-2 victory on Sunday. 1B MICHELLE KEITH delivered the big blow belting a two-run homer in the third after KIM NESLONEY put the Cougars on the board in the first with a solo shot. 3B KRISTEN GLOWACZ had three hits in the USF series and continues to lead the club with a .393 average, 14 home runs and 41 RBI. Nesloney’s RBI in Sunday’s victory was her team-leading 12th in C-USA games this season. Houston has a pair of C-USA series remaining including this weekend’s match-up at Louisville. The Cougars are in fifth place trailing fourth-place USF by three games and have a three-game lead on Southern Miss and UAB in the standings.

LOUISVILLE (32-16, 14-4 C-USA): The Cardinals were a perfect 5-0 last week after sweeping Morehead State in a mid-week doubleheader before outscoring Saint Louis 30-2 in a weekend C-USA series sweep. Sophomore CATHERINE BISHOP went 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA on the week posting three shutouts and tossing a pair of one-hitters to earn her second C-USA Pitcher of the Week honor this season. OF CANDI HICKS went 11-for-15 on the week with two home runs an 10 RBI. Hicks was a single shy of hitting for the cycle in the Cardinals’ 11-0 victory in game one of the Saint Louis series. The Cards have a pounded out a school-record 43 home runs this season, while tossing a school-record 22 shutouts. Bishop and senior AJA SHERMAN account for 20 of those shutouts with each player register 10, respectively. CF SARA BAUSHER eclipsed the school record for runs scored last week. Bausher now has 108 and counting breaking the old record of 106 held by Keola Calderon. The Cardinals host their second-straight C-USA series this weekend against Houston.

SAINT LOUIS (18-27-1, 4-17 C-USA): The Billikens opened their week sweeping a doubleheader from UT-Martin, but dropped five straight to close the week out. SLU Senior ADRIENNE MAY has scored 29 runs this season, just two short of the single-season record. The mark is currently held by Dawn Elser who
touched home 31 times during the 1987 season. Freshman KARA SELL has driven in 21 runs this season, the most by a freshman in school history. Sell’s 21 RBI are the most on the team this season. The Billikens take a week off before concluding their season with a weekend C-USA series at USF on May 7-8.

SOUTHERN MISS (22-28, 6-12 C-USA): The Golden Eagles have won three straight after their doubleheader sweep of McNeese State on Wednesday. Senior 1B ASHLEY DAVIS went 3-for-8 in the doubleheader and tied her career high with four RBI in game two. Davis had five RBI in the two-game set and now leads the team with 31. Junior DANIELLE WYMER tied her career high with eight strikeouts in her 11th complete-game victory of the season. Southern Miss was idle from league action this week, but the Golden Eagles return to league play this weekend with a C-USA series at UAB. The two squards are tied for sixth in the league standings with 6-12 records.

UAB (20-33, 6-12 C-USA): The Blazers dropped the final two games of their C-USA series at Charlotte this past weekend, falling 19-12 in a wild rubber game on Sunday at the Phillips Complex. The 49ers led comfortably 13-0 midway through the game, but UAB put together consecutive six-run innings to cut the Charlotte lead to 13-12 before the 49ers tacked on six more in the last two innings to put the game away. Freshman LHP JENNIFER NELSON pitched a complete-game shutout on Friday in game one of the series in her first appearance since April 2 to move to 8-6 on the season. CF SARA CHRISTOPHEL went 4-for-10 in the series with a home run and a pair of RBI, while RF LINDSAY STANLEY was 7-13 at the plate. The Blazers host Southern Miss for a C-USA weekend series, which will break a current tie for sixth-place.

USF (35-21, 12-6 C-USA): The Bulls swept Saturday’s doubleheader from Houston to secure the series win over the Cougars in Houston. Freshman BREE SPENCE registered a mid-week win over UCF before tossing a complete-game in the Bulls’ 5-1 victory over the Cougars in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. Spence allowed just two earned runs in 12.1 innings of work. SS CHRISTIE CHAPMAN collected a trio of multi-hit efforts on the week, including a 4-for-10 effort in the series win over Houston. Chapman also scored a team-high five runs on the week to go with a .429 average. USF entertains league-leader DePaul in a crucial C-USA series this weekend. The Bulls trail the Blue Demons by four games with both schools having just two C-USA series remaining.

NATIONAL POLLS

ESPN.com/USA Softball Poll (Week 11 – April 11-April 18)
1. Michigan (18)
2. California (2)
3. Arizona
4. Texas
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma
7. Stanford
8. Baylor
9. Oregon State
10. UCLA
11. Tennessee
12. Georgia
13. Alabama
14. Louisiana-Lafayette
15. Northwestern
16. Florida
17. Fresno State
18. Georgia Tech
19. Missouri
20. Iowa
21. Creighton
22. Southern Illinois
23. Auburn
24. Nebraska
25. Washington
Parenthesis Denotes first place votes.
Also Receiving Votes: DePaul (14)

USA TODAY/NFCA Poll (Week 11 – April 11-April 18)
1. Michigan (22)
2. California (1)
3. Texas
4. Arizona
5. Oklahoma
6. Texas A&M
7. Stanford
8. Alabama
9. Tennessee
10. UCLA
11. Oregon State
12. Baylor
13. Georgia
14. Louisiana-Lafayette
15. Northwestern
16. Florida
17. Missouri
18. Georgia Tech
19. Creighton
20. Fresno State
21. Auburn
22. Iowa
23. Washington
24. Arizona State
25. Oregon
Parenthesis Denotes first place votes.

COACHES PICK LOUISVILLE TO WIN C-USA TITLE
Following a record-breaking 2004 season in which the team made its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Louisville Cardinals have been selected by the Conference USA softball coaches to win the 2005 league title. The Cards broke school records for overall (41) and league (19) wins a season ago to finish just a half-game behind Southern Miss in the final C-USA regular season standings.

Preseason Pitcher of the Year Aja Sherman headlines a group of four Cardinals who landed spots on the preseason all-league team. Sherman finished her junior campaign with a 16-7 record and a 1.40 ERA, while holding opponents to a league-low .160 batting average. Joining Sherman on the preseason team from Louisville are catcher Lacy Wood (.353, 8 HR 38 RBI), infielder Audrey Rendon (.401, 18 steals) and outfielder Sara Bausher (.287, 8 HR, 37 RBI). All three players were all-league selections last season and Rendon was named the league’s Freshman of the Year.

DePaul infielder Saskia Roberson, who is a two-time All-American and All-C-USA performer, was chosen as the league’s preseason Most Valuable Player. The senior is the league’s top returning home run (13) and RBI (55) threat from a year ago and brings a lofty .340 career-average into her final campaign.

2005 CONFERENCE USA SOFTBALL PRESEASON POLL
(2004 Overall, Conference Records)
1. Louisville (41-19, 19-5)
2. Houston (39-25, 12-11)
3. USF (60-14, 18-5)
4. DePaul (30-31, 13-9)
5. Southern Miss (33-26, 19-4)
6. East Carolina (47-24-1, 10-14)
7. UAB (20-36, 7-17)
8. Charlotte (23-29, 6-17)
9. Saint Louis (16-45, 1-23)

2005 CONFERENCE USA SOFTBALL PRESEASON ALL-LEAGUE TEAM
C: Lacy Wood, Louisville
IF: Ashley Davis, Southern Miss
IF: Kristen Glowacz, Houston
IF: Carmela Liwag, USF
IF: Audrey Rendon, Louisville
IF: Saskia Roberson, DePau
OF: Sara Bausher, Louisville
OF: Holly Krzan, UAB
OF: Samantha Ray, USF
OF: Linda Secka, DePaul
P: Aja Sherman, Louisville
P: Crystal Briscoe, Houston
UT: Kimberly Riker, USF
DP: Jenilee Skender, Houston

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER:
Saskia Roberson, DePaul (Senior)

PITCHER OF THE YEAR:
Aja Sherman, Louisville (Senior)

DIAMOND STARS (April 18-24)

DE PAUL: TRACIE ADIX picked up the victory in the Blue Demons’ series-clinching win over East Carolina on Sunday. Adix fanned seven Pirates in the victory, which was her second of the week.

EAST CAROLINA: Sophomore KELI HARREL won her 25th game of the season in a 1-0 shutout of league-leader DePaul on Saturday. Harrell fanned five Blue Demons in the victory.

LOUISVILLE: CANDI HICKS went 11-for-15 (.733) during a 5-0 week for the Cardinals. The sophomore added two home runs and 10 RBI and came within a single of hitting for the cycle in game one of the Saint Louis series.

SOUTHERN MISS: ASHLEY DAVIS went 3-for-8 in a doubleheader sweep of McNeese State. The senior drove in five runs including four in game two, which tied a career high.

USF: BREE SPENCE added a pair of victories to her win-total after defeating UCF and Houston last week. The freshman allowed just two earned runs in 12.1 innings to post a 1.14 ERA.

NINERS PLATE NINETEEN
Charlotte capped off its best week of the season with a 19-12 victory over UAB on Sunday. The victory also clinched the 49ers’ first C-USA series win of the season. For the week, Charlotte went 4-1 after sweeping a doubleheader from UNC-Greensboro on Wednesday. 1B KAYCIE JONES drove in six of the 49ers’ 19 runs in Sunday’s victory to tie a C-USA single-game record for RBI in a league game. All six of her RBI came in a 12-run third inning for the 49ers. Jones hit a two-run double and also belted her first-career grand slam.

STEAMIN’ DEMONS
DePaul saw its 10-game win streak in league play come to an end with a game-one loss to East Carolina in Saturday’s doubleheader, but the Blue Demons rebounded to win the series after taking games two and three. DePaul has now won each of its six C-USA series this season and holds a two-game lead on Louisville in the C-USA standings. Overall, the Blue Demons have won 17 of 20.

IN A BLAZE
Louisville’s AJA SHERMAN and CATHERINE BISHOP combined to throw back-to-back no hitters in a doubleheader sweep of UAB on March 29. The feat marked the first time in school history that the Cardinals no-hit opponents in consecutive games. In the Saint Louis series nearly a month later, the duo couldn’t pull off the same feat, but did one-hit the Billikens in back-to-back games on April 23.

GLOWACZ GRABS NATIONAL HONORS
USA Softball recognized Houston 3B KRISTEN GLOWACZ as its Co-National Collegiate Player of the Week on March 8 after the senior batted .667 with five home runs and 11 RBI for the week (Feb. 28-March 6). Glowacz hit back-to-back-to-back homers in the Cougars’ second victory of the weekend over No. 16 Nebraska. She shared the honor with UCLA freshman Anjelica Selden, who tossed a pair of no-hitters against St. John’s and No. 18 Fresno State.

MASHING MANUSE
East Carolina senior KATE MANUSE is putting together one of the most impressive power-hitting seasons in C-USA history. The Pirates’ first baseman is second in the league with 14 home runs and her 18 doubles are tops in the league. With her 18 two-baggers, Manuse has climbed to the top spot on the all-time C-USA charts for doubles. She also leads the league with 57 RBI.

GLOWACZ GOES BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK
Houston 3B KRISTEN GLOWACZ had a Sunday to remember in a pair of Cougar wins over No. 16 Nebraska and Texas Southern on March 6. The senior hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in a 6-2 win over the Cornhuskers, then added a long ball in a 15-1 win over the Bobcats during the Hyatt Regency Classic. For the day, Glowacz went 6-for-6 at the plate with four home runs, six RBI and six runs scored. In the process, she set or tied five school records. The senior also set the C-USA record for homers in a game and total bases with 12.

FRESHMEN PERFECTION
A pair of C-USA rookie hurlers have recorded both of the leagues’ perfect games this season. UAB freshman JENNIFER NELSON recorded the first in an 8-0 five-inning victory over Alabama A&M on Feb. 15, while Houston freshman ANGEL SHAMBLIN notched the second in a similar contest as the Cougars defeated Arkansas Pine-Bluff 8-0 also in five innings on Mar. 14.

OUT OF OUR LEAGUE
For the fifth season in a row, Conference USA teams posted a winning record in non-conference action during the 2004 campaign. League teams won nearly 60 percent of their non-league games. Here’s a look at how the league has fared in non-conference action in the six years the league has sponsored softball:

2005: 174-135-1 (.563)
2004: 192-134-2 (.588)
2003: 156-92-1 (.628)
2002: 180-125-1 (.589)
2001: 94-81-1 (.537)
2000: 78-71(.523)

A GRAND VICTORY
East Carolina recorded its 1,000th win in school history on Sunday with a 4-1 victory over Louisville. The victory also finished off a series sweep of the Cardinals and moved the Pirates into sole possession of second place in the C-USA standings. Head Coach TRACY KEE has been a part of more than 400 of those victories as she reached that milestone on March 23.

ERICKSEN COLLECTS 400th VICTORY
USF head coach KEN ERICKSEN is the third Conference USA coach this season to reach a milestone victory. Ericksen recorded his 400th career victory last Saturday in the Bulls’ 7-2 victory over UAB in game two of the doubleheader. In nine seasons at the helm of the Bulls, Ericksen has won two conference titles and guided his USF squads to five NCAA Tournament appearances.

400 KEE’S TO VICTORY
With a doubleheader sweep of UNC-Wilmington on March 23, East Carolina head coach TRACY KEE notched her 400th career win at the school. Kee is in her eighth season as head coach for the Pirates and 17th overall at the school. Following a successful four-year stint as a catcher/third baseman, Kee spent six seasons as an assistant coach in Greenville.

McNUTT NETS 300th WIN
Southern Miss head coach GAY McNUTT recorded the 300th victory of her coaching career on Feb. 13 at the Rebel/Easton Tournament in Oxford. USM rallied for the historic victory defeating Ball State 5-4 in its sixth game of the season.

WIN STREAKS
Louisville has notched the league’s first double-digit win streak of the season after reeling off 10 straight victories. DePaul is closing in on a double-digit streak as the Blue Demons enter this week’s action riding a nine-game win streak. Here’s a look at the league’s longest winning streaks:

25 Southern Miss (April 8-May 19, 2000)
21 DePaul (March 26-April 24, 2003)
19 DePaul (March 24-April 14, 2001)
17 USF (Feb. 9-Mar. 7, 2003)
17 USF (March 14 – April 9, 2004)
17 Southern Miss (Feb. 29-March 18, 2000)
14 East Carolina (March 14-27, 2004)
13 Louisville (March 27, 2004 – April 21)
12 DePaul (April 9-May 2, 2002 )
11 Houston (Feb. 1-Feb. 16, 2002)
11 USF (Mar. 9- 23, 2002)
10 DePaul (April 29-May 16, 2003)
10 Louisville (March 29-April 14, 2005)
10 Southern Miss (Feb. 13-Feb. 27, 2000)
10 UAB (Mar. 8-Mar. 26, 2002)
10 USF (April 4-25, 2003)
10 USF (March 4-12, 2004)

HOME RUN QUEENS AND RBI MACHINES
DePaul 1B SASKIA ROBERSON and Houston 3B KRISTEN GLOWACZ are locked in a pair of tight races to see who will finish their respective careers as Conference USA’s all-time home run and RBI leaders. Through games of April 24 both seniors have surpassed the previous home run mark of 38 held by former Cougar ARELIS FERRERIS, while Glowacz, who has 14 HR and 41 RBI on the season, has surpassed former USF standout HOLLY GROVES for the top spot on the RBI chart. Roberson extended her lead in the home run race to four with a two-run shot in a series-clinching 3-2 victory over East Carolina on Sunday. Here is a look at the C-USA career lists for all-time home runs and RBI:

Home Runs
48 Saskia Roberson, DPU (2002-current)
44 Kristen Glowacz, HOU (2002-current)
38 Arelis Ferreris, HOU (2001-04)
33 Holly Groves, USF (2002-04)
29 Kate Manuse, ECU (2002-current)
27 Kenya Peters, USM (2000-02)
25 Christina Douglas, DPU (2001-04)
25 Sara Bausher, LOU (2002-current)
23 Jenilee Skender, HOU (2002-current)

RBI
166 Kristen Glowacz, HOU (2002-current)
165 Saskia Roberson, DPU (2002-current)
157 Holly Groves, USF (2002-04)
158 Carmela Liwag, USF (2002-current)
157 Kate Manuse, ECU (2002-current)
152 Arelis Ferreris, HOU (2001-04)
140 Keola Calderon, LOU (2000-03)
132 Courtney Lewellen, USF (2000-03)
124 Cliffanie Engram, UAB (2000-03)
115 Sarah Martz, DPU (2001-04)